São Paulo – Internet sales of Brazil rose 25% in the first two months of 2009, according to figures by consultancy company e-bit. Unaware of the effects of the global crisis, the market has been consolidating itself as a safe option for purchase and sale of products. With the greater participation of the middle class in online trade and with the entrance of great retail chains in the market, as is the case with Casas Bahia, the growth of the sector is credited to the easy purchase and access, aligned to price comparison and the volume of products available.
The growth in electronic trade also stimulates new businessmen, mainly the owners of micro and small companies, to bet on the Internet as a sales channel. To Edilson Flausino, a consultant at the e-Net chamber, the participation of micro and small companies is still considered shy, although they represent 99% of the formal establishments in Brazil. "It is a potential market and micro and small companies cannot miss this opportunity," he said.
As it is part of a process that is still expanding, many businessmen see the Internet as a great opportunity to increase profits. The doubt is as to how to choose the best system for implementation and management of the virtual shop and how to make the business known on the Internet. Nowadays there are many options for purchase of e-commerce systems.
In the evaluation of Reinaldo Martins, the marketing coordinator at Tray Sistemas, which develops solutions for the establishment of virtual shops, the entrepreneur who operates in electronic trade should establish a business plan with strategies for promotion of the shop, delivery logistics and partnership with suppliers.
With regard to the means of payment currently in operation there are some tools that make possible the integration of several virtual shop credit cards. "It is fundamental for entrepreneurs to know that for the virtual shop to have success, factors necessary are great care with regard to customer support, delivery time and promotion," said Martins.
*Translated by Mark Ament
