From: http://www.zdnet.com/blogshop-businesses-evolving-still-relevant-2062302265/

Blogshop businesses evolving, still relevant

Summary: Originally hosted on free blog sites, blogshops now becoming regular online stores while retaining more personal customer relationships and here to stay, experts say.

By Ellyne Phneah | September 28, 2011 -- 06:33 GMT (14:33 SGT)

The business model of blogshops is changing to resemble that of online stores and a sustainable one to go by, according to industry experts, who note these businesses exude greater professionalism yet maintain their niche in developing intimate customer relationships. Consumers, however, remain mixed toward online shopping.

As the blogshop industry matures, blogshops are also becoming more professional with a shift to dot-com Web sites, Leonard Tan, CEO of PurpleClick Media told ZDNet Asia in an e-mail. They now also offer standardized payment modes and clearly state terms and conditions.

Elaborating, Freda Kwok, senior consultant of BluGrapes, noted that many blogshops are migrating from free hosted Web log sites to a "full dot-com Web site" as a result of a large customer base and a growing volume of transactions, which require a more sophisticated navigational portal and greater backend support in terms of order processing, inventory and logistics.

In addition, these e-tailers are also hiring "relatively high-profile models" who are well-known in the "blogosphere" and moving away from bulk purchasing from suppliers to in-house design and manufacturing in order to carry their own brand and labels, she said in her e-mail.

"Although [high-profile] models are pricier and more costly to feature, they lend a hand toward sealing the status of the blogshop as a coveted brand," Kwok pointed out.

"There was a period where customers grew weary of seeing similar designs across the various blogshops. By having their own designs, blogshops [can] seal their particular fashion style attracting like-minded repeat and loyal customers."

Love & Bravery, for one, does not consider itself a blogshop because it no longer operates from a blog.

"We buy and pay a significant cost for server space to set ourselves apart from fly-by-night blogshops," owner Eunyce Yap told ZDNet Asia in an e-mail. "Our site is kept simple [in terms of] layout and we are careful not to clutter it with promotions that are so common on other sites."

Blog structure limiting 
When quizzed on the definition of blogshops, Kwok explained that they used to be online shopping sites that operated out of free blog services such as Blogspot and LiveJournal. These storefronts started in 2007 and "hit [their] high point" between 2009 and 2010. As they lack a "shopping cart" system, they utilized the comment capabilities of blog services for orders.

Tan added that these blogshops had low barriers to entry with "hassle-free setup" and minimum development costs. They were also associated with flexible payment options not restricted to online payment systems, and higher business risk with less security for buyers and sellers. Issues such as hacking incidents or business cheats could arise, he noted.

Their views echo the business values of blogshop Her Velvet Vase, which owners say it has evolved to adopt features of both a regular online store and a blogshop. "We have the efficiencies of a fully comprehensive online catalogue and online shopping cart system, yet retain the personable service of a blogshop," Clare Chan and Magdalene Chan, co-owners of the store, told ZDNet Asia in an e-mail. "Our customers are able to enjoy the best of both worlds."

The sisters added that the concept of blogshops is still young but has already evolved into a competitive industry and they would be "left hanging high and dry" if they were slow to adapt or innovate, or do not have appropriate products and marketing.

Creativity, tools needed to sustain online buying 
With the growing ease of online shopping with consumers more accepting of online transactions, blogshops are here to stay, Kwok of Blugrapes said. Overseas online sites such as ASOS, Go Janeand Forever 21 are already popular with the Internet-savvy crowd and similarly blogshops can appeal with uniquely manugfactured items, she added.

Blogshops also have an "enhanced social aspect" whereby many of them operate alongside social media platforms such as Facebook pages, Twitter accounts and even personal blogs by the owner, Kwok noted. These multiple touch points allow users to know and engage with the brandon a "more intimate" level, and hence develop a stronger sense of loyalty, she added.

Looking at consumer preferences, it also "seems" that having multiple cheaper options appeals more compared to having a few high street or branded articles, she said. "It's this regard for choice, coupled with the affordability of [blogshop items] with impressive quality at times, that will make this a sustainable business."

However, Kwok stressed that only a few existing blogshops are thriving today.

Tan added: "Sustainability would depend on how innovative and smart blogshop owners are to further fine-tune their e-store in its buying process and landing pages. "More importantly, [they need] an in-depth understanding of driving targeted traffic to their sites using analytics and optimization tools to analyze visitor behavior and enhance conversions."

Tan advised that online channels and tools should be completely understood and utilized to complement each other, from online pull advertising, online push advertising, search engine optimization (SEO) and e-mail advertising to social media.

Consumers ZDNet Asia spoke to, expressed mixed reactions on whether they enjoyed their shopping experience with blogshops, despite the evolution of the blogshop business model.

Entrepreneur Lee May Ling noted that she still experienced purchases that looked different from what had been presented on the Web site and "what [she] saw was not what she had".

Lim Pei Qian, an account manager concurred, noting that the clothes often do not fit well on her petite frame, given that the models used by blogshops are tall.

Others had beef with the quality, range and purchasing process. Model Shn Juay, for one, commented that the fabric used for apparel she buys off blogshops is "lousy".

Tiffany Low, a graduate from Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, described herself as a consumer who is "always looking for new and adventurous styles to try". She said it was disappointing that blogshops generally offered "safer choices [which] appealed [only] to the mass market" and hence "lack creativity and exclusivity".

Regular shopper Lim May-Ann added that there was "no regulated manner" when it came to placing orders even with those who had shopping cart systems. "Consumers still often pay through Internet banking before the item will be sent out," she said. "[They are] absorbing all the risk and must pay extra for registered mail if they want the item [to be] 'accounted' for."

On the other hand, media producer Melissa Yuen revealed that she enjoys shopping with blogshops because she could avoid "battling the crowds in malls" and she "can shop anytime, anywhere".

Research officer Joy Lim added that some blogshops have talented individuals who design their own clothes and shoes, and therefore have an edge over physical shop brands, which tend to mass produce. "If more capable designers start online stores with apparel far more attractive than the mainstream ones, more [of us] will definitely choose to go to blogshops more," she said.

Topics: Software, Browser, CIO, Social Enterprise, IT Employment

The pattern found with blogshop businesses on blogs and Facebook can be found in other parts of the world, especially with Facebook.  Although the use of blogs as improvised online retail platforms was never established outside of SE Asia, it appears that small businesses have jumped on Facebook.  This process of using social networking as the basis for business is a universal one.


From: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/26/business/smallbusiness/small-businesses-win-customers-on-facebook.html?_r=1

July 25, 2012

Small Retailers Open Up Storefronts on Facebook Pages

By EILENE ZIMMERMAN

When Mandie Miller left her job as an on-air traffic reporter in Charlotte, N.C., to have her first child, she started baking cakes for friends, just for fun. The response was so positive that in April 2009 she started a business, Got What It Cakes.

Ms. Miller put up a Web site, but about five months later her sister created a Got What It Cakes Facebook page. That’s when the business started to grow. Cake orders went from two or three a weekend to six to 10; now Ms. Miller is turning away another 10 each weekend. Annual revenue at the end of her second year in business was a little more than $40,000.

Got What It Cakes is part of a new wave of online commerce: F-commerce. Social media specialists say the term was coined in 2009 to describe the growing number of businesses that sell through a Facebook page. Payvment, a start-up that provides support for Facebook shopping transactions, says it has 170,000 clients and is signing on about 1,500 stores a week, most with fewer than five employees.

The rise of F-commerce has been largely haphazard, something Facebook did not instigate or promote. A spokesman declined to discuss the phenomenon, except to acknowledge, “Retailers are experimenting in a number of ways.”

Small businesses seem to be having more success on Facebook than large companies, said Sucharita Mulpuru, a retail analyst at Forrester. Those doing well, she said, generally have less than $100,000 in revenue and fewer than 10 employees. Gap, Nordstrom, J. C. Penney and GameStop, on the other hand, have all shut down Facebook stores in the last 12 months, mostly, Ms. Mulpuru said, because consumers are accustomed to the richer experience on retailing Web sites.

But Facebook can present challenges to businesses of all sizes. Some consumers do not feel safe buying directly from a Facebook storefront, said Krista Garcia, a social commerce analyst with a market research firm, eMarketer. And business owners should be aware that they do not own their Facebook pages — Facebook does, and it can change the appearance and rules whenever it wants. 

GETTING STARTED 

It’s easy for a small business to open a Facebook storefront by creating a page in the business’s name, loading photos of the product and adding shopping functions. Because Facebook storefronts can look generic, small businesses have to find ways to differentiate themselves, said Jay Bean, chief executive of an online marketing firm, OrangeSoda.

Customizing a page is done by installing applications that enable customers to do things like shop, enter contests or see a menu. Apps are available from Facebook and outside vendors, or they can be custom-developed.

Payvment’s tools let businesses create a storefront with a shopping cart and promotions like discounts and coupons. 

USE YOUR PERSONALITY 

Unlike larger businesses, small businesses can build on their personal relationships to end users, said Wendy Tan-White, chief executive of Moonfruit, which builds and supports e-commerce Web sites. She advises using a cover image for a business’s page that relates not only to the product or service but to customers, too.

On the Got What It Cakes storefront, for example, the cover photo shows the owner, Ms. Miller, in her home, with baby photos on the wall behind her and several cakes scattered about the sitting room; the smaller-profile photo is the company logo.

Many of Ms. Miller’s customers are busy mothers like her, and she communicates frequently with them on Facebook. “I am a local, one-person business but I have 5,000 fans,” she said.

Ms. Miller gives the kinds of tips her customers might get from a friend, like what to do with leftover chocolate cake batter: “Put some butter on your griddle and make pancakes with it.” 

POST, PIN AND TAG 

To attract fans and friends, a storefront needs to be dynamic, with frequent posts — status updates and photos. Tagging people in a photo may cause the photo to show up on the tagged person’s page, where friends (and often friends’ friends) can see it.

Deann Kump, founder of TuTu Cute, which sells hair accessories and clothing for mothers, babies and toddlers, hosts a monthly photo contest on her page.

“If someone posts a photo of their daughter wearing one of my products and tags it, their friends will wonder, ‘What is TuTu Cute?’ and go to my page,” she said.

Mrs. Kump opened on Facebook last December and about half of her sales occur on the site.

Ms. Tan-White of Moonfruit suggested that a business give customers incentives to spread the word, offering a discount if they tag its product in a photo. Facebook’s “pin” feature allows users to pin a post, which might be a product of the week or a special discount and pushes the post to the top of a business’s page. 

FOCUS ON COMMUNITY  

Magical Moments Modeling made TuTu Cute a “boutique of the month” on its Facebook page in April so friends of both pages could see it. And Mrs. Kump often promotes the work of children’s photographers she likes; they in turn promote her accessories.

Patrick Skoff, a painter who sells 90 percent of his paintings on Facebook, said some visitors to his page might have been hesitant about buying until they saw the comments and “likes” on new and sold paintings.

“They see all the likes and think, ‘Oh, I better buy that before someone else does,’ ” Mr. Skoff said.

In July he painted 10 paintings a day for 10 days and sold all of them through Facebook.

Darren Gann, co-owner of the Baby Grocery Store, started his Facebook storefront in February (he also has a kiosk in SouthPark Mall in Charlotte). Thirty-five percent of his sales come through Facebook, and Mr. Gann gives lots of help and advice to his customers. “They communicate with us there about everything, from asking about a shipment to what do we recommend for a gluten-free 9-month-old."

Heather Logrippo opened a Facebook storefront in 2009 for We’ve Labels, which sells clothing labels. She routinely goes to the Facebook pages where her customers spend time, like those for quilters or knitters.

“I log on as We’ve Labels and start interacting with people, writing things like: ‘That’s a beautiful scarf you’ve knitted,’ ” she said. Those knitters and quilters will often click on the We’ve Labels page out of curiosity. 

OFFER OPTIONS 

While some small businesses sell only through Facebook, others maintain separate Web sites or have bricks-and-mortar outlets, because not all consumers feel comfortable using their credit card information on the site.

Ashley Gall, owner of Méli Jewelry, which sells jewelry she designs and makes, said buying on Facebook was still too new for many of her customers — 15 percent of her sales happen there — so she also sells on Etsy, Indie Fashion Marketplace and her own Web site.

Most of Mandie Miller’s customers order on Facebook and pay when she delivers the cake or when they pick it up. Yet she still maintains a Web site of her own.

“I do a lot of wedding cakes, and it’s the moms and dads of brides usually paying and they often want to go to a regular business Web site. I also have grandmothers in their 80s and 90s that come to my cake tastings,” she said. “They aren’t on Facebook.” 

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: July 25, 2012

Blogshop Resource Provider

This is a Blogshop Resource Provider: http://runawaysg.com/2012/07/10/where-to-find-supplies-for-blogshops-online-stores/

Note that Drop Shipping is a feature, which adds another model to the Blogshop repertoire.

From: http://www.forbes.com/sites/fredcavazza/2012/02/01/the-six-pillars-of-social-commerce/

The Six Pillars Of Social Commerce

 

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Ever heard about F-commerce? Yes, you probably have: Facebook Commerce was supposed to be the future of e-commerce. Was, because we now know that things are not that simple: One cannot multiply one’s revenue simply by adding a Shop tab on their Facebook Page. So is Facebook Commerce nonsense? Mostly, yes. But more importantly, F-commerce is just a tiny part of what social media can bring to e-merchants.

First things first, let me remind you of the definition of social commerce fromWikipedia: “Social commerce is a subset of electronic commerce that involves using social media and online media to support social interaction and user contributions, to assist in the online buying and selling of products and services“.

As you can see in this graph, social commerce is a subset of e-commerce. The truth is that there is no revolution: social commerce already existed in the last century through Amazon and Ebay. Furthermore, the foundations of social commerce were established more then 10 years ago in the Cluetrain Manifesto: “Markets are conversations“.

That being said, what is social commerce really about? To make a long story short, several business practices have already been identified and associated with social commerce :

• Buyers community (GDGT)
• Group buying (Groupon, Living social)
• Purchase sharing (JustBoughtIt)
• Curation (Polyvore, Pinterest)
• Social advice (Fashism)
• Co-shopping (like the Shop Together engine used by Charlotte Russe)…

Now that we have defined what social commerce is all about, let’s study how you can benefit from it. Using social media in order to maximize your sales can be achieved through:

• Visibility, because social media is perfect to extend the reach of your offers.Blendtec and Old Spice are great examples of how much traffic a sharp social media presence can drive.
• Reputation, because online conversations are really effective means to build a great brand image. Dave of Saddleback Leather or Ramon from Domino’s Pizza are great examples of individual entrepreneurs who managed to gather an online community.
• Proximity, because social media allows you to shorten the distance between your brand / products and your potential customers. Beauty Swatch is a nice example of everyday women selling beauty products to everyday customers (no Photoshop, no BS).
• Contextualization, because it is all about reaching the right customer at the right place and the right moment. Canon is doing a great job gathering members inside their official groups on Flickr. Is it better to be present on Flickr than on Facebook? Ideally both are good, but you will have much better conversations on the social platform related to your product or service.
• Recommendation, because there are numerous social platforms to help you choose your next purchase through photo-powered technology(WheteToGetIt), profile-based recommendations (Etsy Gifts), or algorithm-driven ones (Hunch).
• Customer care, because social media is where people ask for help or complain about their shopping experiences. Hence, there is no better place to demonstrate your love for your clients.

As you can see, social commerce is deeply connected to traditional e-commerce and CRM. If you you really want to try F-commerce, nobody will prevent you from doing so, but there are many other options to explore before trying to fit your online shop into a tiny tab.

Emcee Couture- the Consumer-Entrepreneurship pathway

This is another story that tracks the same familiar path toward Consumer-Entrepreneurship.

The protagonist discovers a dificiency in the established system, in the course of her consumption activities.

She discovers an opportunity to monetize when she shares an initmate passion, in this case the creation of apparel for petite persons. Sharing transforms into selling.

She has limited skills and formal training in the area of interest.  There is some form of parental influence, ie skills inherited from her mom.  Her venture is fueled by passion.

She gets her start on a social media platform and over time evolves into a brick outlet.  It transforms from a side income earner into a main income generator.

Circumstances allow her to indulge in her blogshop as a hobby, ie her college years.

The venture is a reflection of the owner, ie the styles and creations are based on who she is and what she likes.

She learns along the way, ie picking up skills, and self-teaches what she needs.  Her business evolves with her own growth, and matures with her.

This is outlines the trajectories familiar in Consumer-Entrepreneurship, that have been identified so far.

From: http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=%2F2012%2F7%2F5%2Flifeliving%2F11394867&sec=lifeliving#.T_Tw1oa14UA.facebook

The perfect fit

HAUTE SPOT
By FIONA HO
star2@thestar.com.my

A young woman’s grouses about finding clothes her size has spawned a fashion line for petite girls.
IT IS a fashion dilemma that peeves most petite girls. At only 150cm tall, Phoon Mei Chi has always had problems finding clothes that fit.
“It’s either too big or too long or it falls off. I often had to buy clothes from the children’s department,” the 26-year-old shares with a laugh.

Blossoming talent: Vivacious dressmaker Phoon can make up to four dresses a day when she gets excited. — Photos by SAM THAM/The Star

This prompted Phoon, an exuberant dressmaker and entrepreneur from Kuala Lumpur, to start making her own clothes.
“My mum did some sewing when she was younger and she had some basic drafting skills. I learned all that from her when I was a little girl,” Phoon explains.
In addressing this fashion dilemma, her creations focus on accentuating the petite figure. “The main reason I started making clothes was because I wanted to make something that is proportionate to my size and would fit me well.”
Phoon, who went on to share her creations online in 2007, says she did not anticipate the onslaught of responses. “I put it up on my blog and I was surprised that people actually liked it.”
When queries on how to purchase her clothes poured in, Phoon realised she could make a healthy allowance by selling clothes on a part-time basis. “I thought: OK, this works for me. I was in college and I had the time. That’s how I started selling clothes on my blog.”

Phoon has a fetish for polka dots.

With that, she soon became a thriving online presence. She took her venture to her online boutique at emceecouture.blogspot.com in 2009.
Now, the online boutique has burgeoned into a cosy studio named Emcee Couture’s Studio in the Taipan Business Centre in Subang Jaya, Selangor.
On a recent visit to the newly launched store, I was greeted by an array of colourful dresses, ranging from casual chic pieces in bright patterns to playful party frocks. Oozing just the right amount of sass and sensibility, Phoon’s creations would fit right into any girl’s wardrobe.
In fact, all of Phoon’s creations are clothes that she would wear. The pint-sized dressmaker was wearing a form-fitting emerald green mini-dress that emphasised her lean figure when we caught up with her recently.

A versatile outfit that can be worn in the daytime or at night.

Her creations are an intimate affair. “A lot of what you see here is actually a reflection of my personal style. Most of what I’m wearing this week are whatever I made last week.
“I typically avoid sequins or shiny materials because it’s not my thing, but I do like colours and prints, especially polka dots.
“I have a fetish for polka dots. I love polka dots in all sizes and colours. If I saw a similar design in a few different colours or a different fabric, I’ll go get them all,” she enthuses.
Versatility is another trait of Phoon’s creations. Her versatile pieces – a dress or a jumpsuit that can be worn in various styles – are among her most popular designs.
“I like the idea of being able to wear the same thing (differently) on different occasions, whether for a daytime or a night-time event,” she shares.
Her passion for the trade is palpable. “When I get the rush, I can make up to three or four dresses a day. Sometimes even more when I’m really excited.”
On the average, Phoon makes about five or six new pieces every week. But don’t call her a designer. “I haven’t been formally trained in fashion design yet,” she admits.
The self-taught dressmaker, who has a degree in Food Science and Technology, says she constantly tries to improve on her techniques through tips she gathers from books and the Internet.
“Also, when I go shopping, I shop for ‘skills’. For instance, I study how the stitches are done and how the dress is constructed.”
Phoon’s style has evolved since her blogshop’s beginnings. “I was a student when I started selling clothes. Now that I’m older, I think my style has gotten more mature and sophisticated,” she opines.
Her boutique’s appeal has since extended beyond college students to young working women.
Currently, Emcee Couture focuses on custom-made creations, though ready-made pieces are available as well.
Phoon also makes bridesmaids dresses. “Most brides want their bridesmaids to be dressed in a similar style or shade as their wedding gown, especially in Chinese weddings when they have their chi muis (close friends).
“It can be really expensive if you were to have a bridesmaid dress custom-made at a bridal store. I always believe in making dresses that are affordable,” she concludes.
> Emcee Couture’s custom-made apparel is priced from RM60 to RM150 while the ready--to-wear pieces range from RM30 to RM130. Made-to-order bridesmaid dresses range from RM90 to RM200. Emcee Couture’s Studio is located in Subang Jaya, Selangor. For more information, log onto emceecouture.blogspot.com.

Fashion Schools Embrace Social Media and E-commerce Training

Social media is now becoming a necessary part of professional training in the fashion industry.  Blogshopping stands in contrast to this, in that training is done hands-on and via trial and error in the course of running the business.

http://www.apparelnews.net/features/columns/062812-Fashion-Schools-Embrace-Social-Media-and-E-commerce-Training

Fashion Schools Embrace Social Media and E-commerce Training

by Deidre Crawford, Technology Editor June 29, 2012

Social media is a core part of any good marketing department, and recent college graduates looking for a job in marketing are expected to be knowledgeable about trends in digital media and e-commerce.
But it isn’t as easy as it looks, so training is important, said Los Angeles–based style blogger Kelsi Smith.
This summer, Smith is launching a new social-media marketing course at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles.
“I can’t tell you how many old-school marketers I come across in my day job that still don’t know what they’re doing with social media, so it’s good to have a new generation of graduates ready to go. That said, a well-rounded marketing background is most important. Social media only complements the traditional marketing avenues.”
Smith’s social-media marketing course will not focus on how to “share your style” or beauty tips, Smith said.
“This is a professional marketing program teaching students to use social media—be that blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, YouTube—as social-marketing tools,” she explained.
More than tweeting
FIDM is not the only fashion school enhancing its social-media curriculum.
When designer Christa Halby was looking to expand the online presence of her brand ChristaLouise, she turned to fashion student Faye Asido for help.
Asido is studying social media and e-commerce as part of her advertising and marketing communications degree at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology. The courses are much more sophisticated than simply tweeting and blogging, and the skills she’s learning are not something she could learn on her own, she said.
“I don’t think students can learn on their own how to strategize a way to get the attention that’s needed. A lot of planning, editing and creativity is involved in social media and e-commerce because with so much competition you have to find a way to be different and stand out from the rest,” Asido explained. “You need to be very good at research and who is your appropriate target market. Not everyone will be interested in your product, so you have to find out how to target those who you think will benefit from what you are trying to sell. Otherwise, social media is pointless and your message will be difficult to come across.”
It was not long ago that leading fashion schools were where aspiring designers went to learn how to draw and design. Now, students are learning how to effectively position a brand online and manage a Facebook campaign, which are equally crucial skills, according to Gretchen Harnick, an assistant professor of fashion marketing at Parsons Fashion School at The New School for Design in New York.