PostalPlus for SME
Issue No. 11 - Sep 2006
Issue Highlight - Experience Sharing of Internet Trading
More than 10,000 people generate their primary or secondary income through Internet trading, according to a survey conducted in May, 2006 by ACNielsen. Six months ago, Raymond, a final year university student then, learned about the potential of cross-border trade of Internet trading from a promotion campaign organized by an International Online Marketplace. Eager to give it a shot, he started using his spare time to sell online with his schoolmates. Quite unexpectedly, his business ran extremely well that his monthly sales amount reached HK$200,000 in less than 3 months and the postal services provided by Hongkong Post were assisting him to achieve his success.
Tips to sell overseas
Targeting the buyer market of the U.S., the U.K., Europe and Australia, Raymond sells mainly consumer electronic products and trendy toys on online marketplace. “In the heyday, I had to post at least 40 items a day to overseas buyers. It is therefore very important to have a systematic postal solution to handle the workload involved in the shipment of the items.”
Delivering the item on time and in good shape is essential for sellers to leave a good impression to the buyers and establish long-term relationship with them. The various postal services provided by Hongkong Post has brought Raymond much convenience. When asked about how he handled shipment, he had the following tips.
"For buyers who did not specify the shipping time, I would use the inexpensive registered airmail of Hongkong Post to save cost. With just HK$13 on top of the normal airmail postage, I could enjoy the registered mail service. Usually, buyers would get the items within 7 to 14 working days."
As to how he managed to handle the vast amount of items systematically, Raymond said, "I will first measure the weight of all the items at home. Then, I will go to the Hongkong Post website to calculate the postage of each item and stick all the stamps before I go to the post office. It simplifies the procedure and saves me a lot of time."
"I would recommend Speedpost for higher value items or buyers who requested a fast delivery. Speedpost is faster than normal registered airmail and I can track the whereabout of the item at any point anytime. The tracking system of Speedpost makes it a very reliable service."
"For countries with strict customs control or longer shipment time, I will call Hongkong Post to check clearly the shipping terms and potential risks in my item description. The customer service officers are most willing to offer you their professional advice!"
As online business market is changing very fast, strong marketing sense and a comprehensive postal solution provided by Hongkong Post will definitely benefit you in selling.
Special thanks to the World's Online Marketplace - eBay.com.hk for providing the above information. To learn more or to start your online business, please visit the Merchant Solutions Center of eBay.com.hk, or call our Consultant Hotline at 3550 8530, or email onramphk@ebay.com. (Ref: HKPOST)
Raymond, the left one, with outstanding performance on eBay online business and won in eBay HK e-Business Development Competition.