Category: Business

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What is an SLA and why do you need it for your business?

Marketing

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The digital marketplace continues to expand every day as more and more consumers and businesses go online. If you’re not yet as savvy in navigating through this virtual realm, you need E-commerce Automation to get your business moving, whether it is building your online presence, crafting your Customer SLA, or even improving your delivery lead time.

Service-Level Agreements or SLAs contain the terms and level of service that a supplier will be rendering to their client. For businesses, having a Customer SLA matters because it highlights what customers can expect from you.

A Customer SLA also serves as protection for both you and your customer. It helps you establish clear and measurable standards to help manage their expectations on your responsibilities to them, like consistent updates or ensured quality of products, and services available to them, like customer support for any inquiries. This also allows you to detail processes should there be any unfulfilled services or unmet obligations.

Ultimately, a Customer SLA aims to provide peace of mind for both you and your customers. It highlights your commitment to them because it shows your transparency and accountability in various points of their purchase journey.

Still wrapping your head around it? Here are some tips that may help you craft your Customer SLA:

Keep it short and be specific

Always consider the feasibility of your terms, especially if you’re the service provider. Be specific with what you want your customer to know about your business and service to avoid any misinterpretation or misunderstanding. Keep it short and focus on the details that matter most to building a good relationship with them.

Indicate achievable standards

To better manage expectations, your Customer SLA must include standards you can achieve and commit to. This may include customer support process, working schedule, location-based delivery lead time, quality of products, purchase limits, and other things that you believe would be important for your customer to know.

Be accountable for unfulfilled services

While it’s ideal for every transaction to go smoothly, you still need to consider instances that lead to unfulfilled services. Provide an escalation process and identify contingencies and solutions for service recovery that you are open to doing, and include them in your Customer SLA.

Make your Customer SLA time-bound

Usually, your Customer SLA should only cover up until your customer receives their orders. However, you also have the option to include a clause wherein you are amenable should there be any problems with the products, but only until a certain period of time.

Guarantee commitment and best effort for success

At the end of the day, a Customer SLA is an agreement between parties. It can help guarantee your commitment to your customer and highlight your best efforts in completing transactions. Remember that there are a lot of factors affecting service delivery, so it is just as important to be realistic with your agreements.

Developing your own Customer SLA may be intimidating, but what you need to keep in mind is that this will help build a sound and smooth relationship between you and your customers. This can also benefit your business in the long run because it increases your credibility and reliability as a merchant. As a result, you have a better purchase journey which can even increase the chances of having repeat customers.

Now that you know all about Customer SLA, are you curious about how to improve your service delivery? One way is to partner with Payo!

Through E-Commerce Automation, Payo is able to collaborate with businesses in creating an efficient customer experience. Cutting down delivery lead time, reducing RTS rates, finding the best couriers for you — these are just some of the many things Payo can help businesses with, especially when it comes to achieving continued success and maintaining customer satisfaction. 


You can sign up with Payo today or send us a message at info@payo.asia. We are more than happy to assist you!

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How to choose the best warehousing company in the Philippines

Althea Kalalo

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The accelerated advancements in technology, coupled with today’s reliance on the digital world, has created a boom in online businesses. In 2020 alone, there was a 4,000-percent increase in the number of registered online businesses.

It’s amazing to think that thousands of businesses were established in the span of months, but it’s not surprising. After all, almost anyone can put up an online business these days. They just need a brand, their products or services, and a selling platform. 

However, as a business grows, things become more complex. Once their sales start to increase significantly, merchants should consider finding a warehousing company in the Philippines. That’s because things can get difficult and unorganized if businesses operate in spaces where they can’t store, pack, and ship their products efficiently. 

If you’re a business owner who’s currently looking to scale and use warehouses, there are a lot of companies that can help you. However, it’s important that you find one that can best cater to your needs. Not sure how to choose the perfect warehousing partner? Here are five factors that will help you identify which warehousing company in the Philippines is right for you: 

Location 

One of the most important things to consider is the location of a warehouse. You want to make sure that the area you ship your products from are near most of your customers, because that helps you deliver packages faster and save on costs. 

If you want a wider coverage for shipping out your products, consider a company who can offer multiple warehousing. Ideally, these warehouses should also be strategically located to ensure that you get to the most number of customers in the shortest time possible. 

Accessibility 

Maybe a warehouse is in a good location when it comes to proximity to your customers, but is it also accessible? It’s important to take note of whether or not delivery partners and couriers will easily find the warehouse. As an added layer of security, it would also be best to have a warehouse near a local fire station or police station. 

Safety and Security

You want to make sure that your products are safely stored, so you should look for a warehousing company in the Philippines that values security. 

Is the warehouse well-maintained? Does the warehouse itself have necessary security protocols in place? If it’s located in an area under quarantine, do the warehouse staff follow health protocols especially when they ship packages out? These are some of the questions you should find out the answers to. 

Tech Solutions

Pay attention to how the warehousing company incorporates tech not only in their warehouses, but also in their business. Tech can make things easier for you, the warehousing company, and the third-party logistics involved in shipping your products. It’s always a good sign when a company uses tech to improve its warehousing and fulfillment processes. 

Work Experience

Choosing a warehouse isn’t just about the warehouse itself – it’s about choosing which company you’ll be availing warehousing services from in the Philippines. You should choose one that works with you in good faith, and has your best interests in mind. This means finding a company who is transparent, efficient, and capable of making your work easier. 

Finding a warehousing company that gives you holistic solutions can be difficult, but luckily, that’s something Payo can help with. 

Payo takes care of warehousing and fulfillment for merchants, along with other solutions like Cash on Delivery integration and Live Customer Support. To make sure that merchants ship smarter, Payo also offers a Multiple Warehousing Solution that spreads out products across strategically-located warehouses in the country. This way, merchants get to reach more customers without making them wait long for their packages.

Sounds great, right? To know more about why we are the best warehousing company in the Philippines, you can sign up today, or read about our Multiple Warehousing Solution. Don’t miss out on having a partner that makes E-commerce simple and easy for you! 

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5 things you need to know before starting an online business

Marketing

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Thinking about starting an online business, but feeling overwhelmed with all the things you need to do? Don’t worry because we’re here to help you. We listed down the most important factors that you need to focus on, including creating solutions for your customers, logistics, and E-commerce automation: 

Master your business strategy

A business plan will help you steer your business as you start and grow. Think of it as a GPS or a map that will lead you to achieve your goals. Also, writing a business plan is a way to think things through and flesh out all the details that are vital in running your business. Remember: There is no right or wrong way of creating a business plan. As long as it meets your needs, you can choose a format that works best for you.

Focus on your customers’ needs

The next thing you should consider is your customers’ needs. This is vital information for those who are launching an online business. Your goal should be to solve your customers’ problems and not just add to the noise that they see online. You have to be able to establish that you are the best online seller for the kind of service or product that you’re offering. To make your online business stand out, follow this advice from Google co-founder Larry Page: Always deliver more than expected. Find your niche to be able to offer specific solutions for your customers’ specific needs. 

Know your market

As Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh puts it, “Don’t play games that you don’t understand, even if you see lots of other people making money from them.” Studying your potential customer base and understanding their buying habits will help you succeed in your venture. Knowing things such as your customers’ psychographics and demographics will help you refine your business idea. 

Also, it pays to know your competition. Analyze your competitors — how they position themselves and communicate with their customers, as well as their strengths and weaknesses, because these are opportunities and threats for you. Having a clear grasp of these things is crucial in shaping your online business.

Decide on how to get your products to your customers

If you are just starting your business, chances are you don’t have your merchandise yet. Finding someone who can supply you with the items you want to carry in your E-commerce store is easy. But the question now is: Are you willing to order in bulk, carry your stock, and ship orders yourself? Or do you want someone else to do these things for you?

Now, you have three options: carrying your stock, drop shipping, and using a fulfillment center. Carrying your stock and managing shipping yourself is a great opportunity to be hands-on with processes. But, that means you must pack and ship orders by yourself. Drop shipping is your next viable option, but here’s the caveat: when you use this method, you have no control over the shipping process. 

Your third option is utilizing a fulfillment service. With this, a third-party warehouse will store, pack, and ship your orders for you. This option helps you save time and lets you focus more on marketing your products. If you’re planning to scale your business fast, and if you’re looking to optimize your fulfillment strategy, working with a provider that offers warehousing services in the Philippines will give you the most flexibility. 

Consider automation

As a starting online merchant, figuring out all the means to maintain your business activity can be tricky. Things will be more difficult to handle as your business starts growing, and efficiency will be the name of the game. Because of this, you must be open to E-commerce automation.

According to Entrepreneur Media, automation is not a luxury; it is a requirement if you want to get an edge over your competitors. It’s not practical to perform all of your business tasks manually, tasks like monitoring and collecting information, sending emails, flagging orders, and adding customers to specific segments. With E-commerce automation, the technical aspects of your online business are taken care of.

Ready to start an online business? 

Let Payo power up your online business through E-commerce automation!

Payo is an E-commerce enabler that will help you sell your products in the Philippines, navigate the E-commerce landscape, and scale your business. We provide merchants with tech-based solutions such as live customer support, a data-driven courier algorithm, and multiple warehousing. With Payo, your E-commerce journey can be simple and easy!

To know more about our services, you can sign up with us today or send us a message at info@payo.asia. 

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5 ways to improve your Return to Sender rate

Marketing

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Going into the digital space creates a lot of opportunities for businesses because this is where most of their customers can be found. With E-commerce automation, the process becomes easier whether it is promoting products and services, taking care of day-to-day tasks, or even communicating with customers and couriers.

While the opportunities seem endless when you take your business online, Return to Sender or RTS is among the challenges that many business owners continue to face. RTS happens when a customer is not able to receive their package after multiple attempts, products do not match what customers ordered, and sometimes when goods are damaged from mishandling.

Whether your business has a high RTS rate or you are simply trying to improve your business, here are five ways for you to bring it down:

1. Provide accurate product photos and write-ups

Since everything has gone digital, your customers do not have the luxury of checking your products in person. One way to keep your return to sender rate down is letting your customers see your products as if they were holding them physically.

Upload multiple photos showing different angles of the product to help your customers see every aspect of what you are selling. Make sure that your write-ups are descriptive, informative, and on point so customers can also better visualize and assess what they are seeing. Hopefully by doing so, you can manage their expectations better and they become more aware of what they are buying.

2. Allow your customers to review your shop and products

Similar to having accurate photos and write-ups, customer reviews can also improve your return to sender rate. That’s because customers can learn from the feedback of others who have bought products from your store.

Allowing customers to review your shop and products can also be useful in increasing your credibility and reliability. Aside from the price and discounts, feedback helps support your business because they reflect how other customers perceive your customer service and the quality of the products you are selling.

3. Pack your goods properly and safely

Avoid return to sender incidents by ensuring that your products or goods are properly packed. Recycled newspapers, extra cardboards, bubble wraps — these are just some of the materials that can help maintain the quality of your products inside their bigger packaging.

Once a product arrives damaged or has issues, the immediate step that customers may take is to have it returned. Remember, safety is also something that your customer is paying for so this step may not be as excessive as you think it is.

To help ease your burden, why not consider having a reliable fulfillment partner? You can let them take care of picking up and packing your products so you can stay focused on managing orders, especially if you are taking in large volumes.

4. Choose the right courier to deliver your goods

The customer journey does not end upon checkout, but when customers actually receive their orders. As a business owner, you want to maximize your profit, but do not immediately go for the cheapest courier.

Choose a courier based on their performance and the areas they cater to so that you can avoid RTS. It would also be better if the courier can provide multiple delivery attempts in case a customer is not able to receive their package the first time.

5. Invest in effective customer support

A common mistake of businesses is that when a purchase has already been made, they immediately move on to the next order and disregard keeping in touch with their customers. This becomes a problem when orders arrive and the customers find issues or have questions, especially if they can’t contact anyone from the online store. This may trigger them to just return their package.

To avoid this situation, choose to invest in effective customer support. This will help customers get the help they need with any challenges they might encounter.

Need a reliable partner to help lower your Return to Sender rate? Then choose Payo, the country’s leading E-commerce enabler!

Payo takes care of Last Mile Management, meaning it coordinates with couriers to make sure that everything goes smoothly from pick-up to delivery. You don’t have to worry about finding the right courier either, because the company uses a data-driven courier algorithm to determine which courier is the best one for your business. Payo also provides live customer support just in case your customers have questions or concerns on their delivery. All of these can certainly help lower your RTS rate and increase the chances of each delivery being a successful one.

Got high RTS rates and want to bring them down? You can sign up with us today or send us a message at info@payo.asia.

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7 ways online merchants can thrive this Halloween

Althea Kalalo

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Halloween isn’t just a time for crazy amounts of candy, horror movie marathons, and spooky get-togethers. It’s also an opportunity to better engage with your customers and drive them to your E-commerce platforms.

At this point in time, you’ve ideally laid out all your Halloween marketing plans and are ready to execute them. If that’s the case, then you can read on to see how you can further optimize what you already have. If you still haven’t finalized your Halloween initiatives though, we’re here to help! Here are 7 ways online merchants like you can thrive this Halloween:

1. Do some research

This may sound basic, but doing proper research is a must. This ranges from learning Halloween trends to discovering what your target audience wants to see from you. Once you have all the data and insights you need, it’ll be easier to craft a fun and engaging Halloween plan that sets your brand apart.

In planning initiatives, also remember to stay on brand — don’t do something that doesn’t align with your brand or your products and services just for the sake of the season.

Doing some research, instead of just copying what everyone else is doing to celebrate Halloween, will help you answer questions specific for this year’s celebration, like “Should I get on the Squid Game hype train?”

2. Publish Halloween-related content

Your October content calendar doesn’t have to be all about ghosts and other spooky things, but putting out engaging Halloween content can expand your reach and allow you to be creative with your brand. Plus, it’s a great way to show your fun and relatable side!

In planning your initiatives, you should also consider themes like Trese, pamahiin, and local mythical creatures if you want to engage a mainly local audience.

3. Spruce up your E-commerce platforms

If you want to really get into the season, why not do some small but impactful changes on your website and social media accounts?

You can try putting up Halloween-themed website banners, temporarily changing your social media colors for October, or creating your own Halloween filters and stickers. These small changes can create some buzz over your brand and attract customers to your store.

4. Have interactive activities 

An effective way of putting your brand out there is by having initiatives that involve your customers and your online community. One of the simplest activities you can do is to hold either a contest or a giveaway. You can even give out your products or your services as prizes!

Having a Halloween contest or giveaway will encourage your audience to engage with your brand more, and can further grow your following. It’s also a chance to gather user-generated content (UGC) that can be useful even after Halloween is over.

5. Use SEO to your advantage

Most customers nowadays just use Google to search for stores that sell whatever they’re planning to buy. That’s where search engine optimization (SEO) comes in.

It’s best to optimize your site with common keywords that customers use to search for different products. This improves its visibility and increases your chances of attracting customers who will buy your products. You should also aim to rank on the first page, as this brings you one step above your competition in online marketplaces.

6. Create irresistible promos

A Halloween promo might just be the extra push your customers need to buy your products, and it can also encourage them to buy more than they originally planned. Your promo can involve 10% off sitewide, a code that gives customers freebies, or even free shipping for the Halloween weekend. Either way, promos are a great way to sweeten any purchase.

Also, make sure to spread the word about your promo through social media, email, or your website.

7. Don’t forget about email marketing

Email marketing is a simple tool that can help you nudge past customers to buy from your shop again, or even encourage those customers with items in their cart to complete their purchase. To go a step further, make sure that your email format is engaging, and include eye-catching deals and promos in your subject and body to really get a hold of the reader’s attention.

These are just some of the ways online merchants can make the most out of Halloween. Every E-commerce platform is different, but having these basic tips and tricks down is an important step in standing out during a well-loved holiday.

Looking for a partner to level up your E-commerce game? Payo is your best bet! We’ll handle warehousing, take care of Cash on Delivery integration, and be your reliable fulfillment service in the Philippines. 

Partner with us and we’ll help you ship your products faster, cheaper, and smarter this Halloween. 

Sign up now or send us an email at info@payo.asia.

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How To Start Selling Online: Tips and Tricks For The Newbies

Web Master

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If you have been working in a 9-5 job and you feel like you’re not earning enough, the best option that comes to mind is to venture on a business for extra income. But what does it take really to start one? Let’s go ahead and dig deeper on the basics of starting an online business.

List Down Business Ideas Of Your Interest

Do you love fashion? You might want to start a clothing business where you can sell trendy clothes for all ages. Women love to look good and shop for an addition to their wardrobe. Selling these items online is an advantage as women will see the the designs, sizes and colors that will fit them without going to an actual physical store, no more wasting time in going to boutiques and more time for the salon! You can also add shoes to the list. A good wardrobe is not complete without nice shoes to go along with it. Whatever tickles your fancy, you can sell anything that you like as long as you have the knowledge, expertise and experience with the kind of merchandise you will be presenting to your customers.

Create A Plan

We don’t want to make it sound complicated for you, so instead of calling it a business plan, let’s call it a plan for now. *wink. Planning is one of the difficult tasks in starting a business. Depending on your platform, budget, target market, and marketing strategies, things can be hard at first. Make sure to research where you can buy stocks, how much will it cost, the delivery process from the supplier and how you will distribute these merchandise for your customers’ consumption. Always keep in mind that things can go awry along the way so make sure to plan wisely.

Finalize Your Plan

So you have already listed the ideas you want for your online business. Now it’s time for you to choose. May it be food, services or personal care items, make sure that you take your time in finalizing the type of business you have chosen. Create a name for your business, a cute logo to catch buyer’s attention, catchy pictures to upload and a tagline that will stick to your customers. We know it’s not easy but as you go along and a few trial and error, everything will fall into place according to your plan.

Look For The Best And Reliable Suppliers

Now that you have already set the type of business you want to start, it gives you a clearer path on how you can start your business. Look for deals that is budget-friendly and with good quality. You don’t want to hear customers complaining about faulty products and low-end items, do you? You can start by doing a research online or asking someone who’s been in the business for quite some time. You can also join FB groups where you can ask for recommendations and tips where to buy your goods for your line of business.

Social Media Is Your Bestfriend

The best way to start marketing your business is to create social media accounts where you can reach your target market. Online sellers who choose to sell through social media have invested time in building their network in the online space by uploading their products in their social media accounts and updating it regularly. I mean, who doesn’t use Facebook nowadays, right? You can start from IG, Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest and create posts that will engage your customers and followers. Everyone is a potential buyer so make sure to post quality content.

Now you’re all set, what to do next?

You already have the basics of starting an online business. All you need to do now is to execute your plan. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Successful people have also started the same and made mistakes of their own. They used it to learn and improve what they have started and made sure not to commit the same mistakes again when it comes to business. As Winston Churchill said, success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.

The possibilities are endless. Now go ahead and start your dream business today!