I Built A Profitable Business Helping E-Commerce Stores In India
Hello! Who are you and what business did you start?
Hey Guys! My name is Mohit and I’m the founder of MohitEcommerce. I started the company in 2019 after taking experience in the eCommerce field. I am an eCommerce Enthusiast who provides different kinds of services to eCommerce merchants in India.
I was always looking for business ideas with low investment that can be scalable with full potential. I started my business service in part-time working hours when I was working full-time for a company as an employee. It was that time when I certainly got the time to look for website content and interact with my leads. I was not very focused on my website and did not even think about scaling the eCommerce services.
But later I decided to create a working structure for my website and cover the leads for my business. I got so much experience with the eCommerce marketplace by becoming a swiggy partner, jio partner, tata cliq seller, meesho supplier, myntra seller, etc.
My flagship services include Amazon seller training along with Flipkart marketplace services. Amazon India and the Flipkart marketplace have a large number of sellers. This can be a great place for most sellers to sell products without having their eCommerce website.
During the pandemic, many small businesses started to think of eCommerce marketplaces like Amazon, Flipkart, Paytm, Nykaa, Meesho, etc. in India. The biggest challenge was that these businesses were not aware of marketplace policies and didn't even know how to set up their business on the platforms. That is what encouraged me to better serve the businesses with seller services which can lead to improved productivity in their business from the Indian marketplace.
I started providing seller services to eCommerce merchants from my website. Because I was the subject matter expert, I wrote articles on various topics and generated many leads from different marketing mediums. I was very equipped with my training sessions when the pandemic hit the whole world. Many small businesses approached me for my services through which they can sell their products on Indian eCommerce marketplaces.
I make around 2k$ to 3k$ per month by selling seller services and providing business consultancy to local businesses in India. My main aim was to onboard as many sellers and provide training and account management for their online business.
The reason that I was able to charge a premium price for my services is that I was a very well-experienced person with Indian e-commerce marketplace policies. I worked with many small and medium businesses, and large organizations when I started my career in the eCommerce industry. I am used to visiting the business locations of small and large-sized eCommerce merchants, where I interact with their business structure and understand how they work in a b2c or b2b way.
Amazon India marketplace is a game changer in my eCommerce career which taught me so many things in the industry. I attended so many training sessions and business meetups in New Delhi, India which were organized by Amazon. Their business strategies and resources for service providers helped me to network with so many businesses.
What's your backstory and how did you come up with the idea?
When I started my career in the eCommerce sector, I was not having a website and was completely dependent on Marketplace leads. I was also cold-calling businesses to convert many small businesses for the marketplace setup. But when the leads were not coming regularly after a certain period, I decided to set up my website.
I was always wanting to have my brand through which I can be recognized by my audiences. I started to think of different brand names for my website and then suddenly the brand MohitEcommerce came into my mind.
When I first started my online business with selling on amazon India, I was not aware of tax identities like gst registration is mandatory If I want to sell the taxable products and services online. So I registered for the business license and got the tax identity for my business and brand.
I have learned so many things from accounting professionals regarding taxes on different products and services. It helped me to understand and then provide knowledge about the same to my eCommerce service business clients.
I must say that after creating my website and working on the content which matters the most to my audiences, I started making more conversions from the website users. I was getting encouraged by them when they called and told me that they read the article on the website and they wanted to get services for their online business onboarding setup. I built so many network connections in the Indian business community. It was like people started doing mouth publicity for me and my brand among their business friends and relatives.
This business idea is completely different from other businesses and has so much potential If the brand focuses on service delivery. There has to be consistency in every part of this eCommerce service business to remain productive and profitable with eCommerce merchants.
Take us through the process of designing, prototyping, and manufacturing your first product.
I have designed my services for eCommerce merchants in such a way that It makes sense to them in terms of understanding marketplace policies and learning all the things from a single dashboard. Many tasks are to be performed in the seller central dashboard.
The main thing is to understand your target audience first. You need to develop a solution for your audience which can help them to do the task more simply and productively.
Designing different services with different tasks was so challenging when the website was created. Because eCommerce merchants are mainly looking for training and account management, these two services got scaled with all the tasks starting from seller business registration to listing and advertising their products on the marketplace.
The startup cost was between 500$ to 1K$ for the service development work. Since there were no CRM and lead capture forms integrated at that time, the business got affected with less number of leads.
When I invested money in resources and software, leads were getting noticed and the conversion skyrocketed.
Describe the process of launching the business.
I launched the business with my website because I was seeing growth in e-commerce marketplaces in India. There were a lot of businesses that got on board by seeing the traffic the marketplaces are getting in India. Amazon and Flipkart are the best-performing marketplaces with a maximum number of traffic and users in India. After seeing the number of sellers grow, I started to think of a business to offer services to them.
I talked with my friend about my business idea, who is very active in online marketing and website development work. I got encouragement from him when he found my business strategies scalable and profitable.
Once I realized the potential of the eCommerce business, I stepped into website work where I created content for the audiences. I was having good funding myself which was enough at that time. But when the work got expanded, I started to hire people and got some funding from my family.
Because of the growth and scalability of my business that they were seeing in my business, I got the funds to fulfill the needs in terms of hiring and spending on software tools.
The most important thing that I learned from the start of my service business was to invest in technology regularly. Business owners must invest in software, resources, and people, which can grow their business with consistency. You can only get limited outcomes with the free approach. If you are investing money in tools and skilled people, you will see growth in the business.
These are the best resources that I provide to Indian business owners who want to scale their business on marketplaces.
Since launch, what has worked to attract and retain customers?
When I introduced my services to eCommerce merchants, the most important thing that worked for attracting and retaining customers was my behavior toward them. The strength of my working experience that they realized after talking with me is what helped me to convert more users to the website.
You must have to be very practical in your working structure. I am following many gurus on the internet in Online marketing, Social media, eCommerce, and many other industries. It is good to learn from experienced professionals. But you are the only one who can produce results for your business. You must start implementing the tasks that you learned from them. It is only by working and executing the tasks, you will get to know what's bringing leads to your business.
There are many steps taken to increase traffic and sales on the website. The first thing that I realized was to perform keyword research and then write an article with the solutions. I used tools like ahrefs, semrush, etc. tools which provided a better idea for my business needs. I started writing on the topics on which I am very much aware and also hired content writers for producing more content.
The importance of market price is very important in any business. You can charge a premium price to clients only If you have a certain level of experience in the working field and you're very much sure about the outcomes of your work to them.
This is an example of growth through which I got 656 orders on the Amazon India marketplace from 1 Jan 2020 to 21 July 2020 with product listing optimization and Ad campaigns.
The total sales during the mentioned period were 1267036.13 Rupees and that is equivalent to 15979.67 USD.
How are you doing today and what does the future look like?
My seller service business includes Amazon seller services and other marketplace services are already doing good in the market with limited premium clients. This business is profitable because ecommerce is the trend and in today's scenario businesses must have their online presence to convert more customers from any part of the world.
My business will expand the services for the eCommerce merchants in terms of their eCommerce store, marketplace platform, seller resources, productivity tools, eCommerce tools, etc. The Indian market is very large and most small businesses are having an entrepreneurial attitude to grow with their products and services.
I have seen many women who are now encouraged to do online business from home. Their families are supporting them to do what they feel passionate about. I have trained a lot of businesswomen who are exploring online stores for earning part-time and full-time money on the internet.
Through starting the business, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?
There were many challenges faced when starting an online business in India. I was not equipped with the resources and directions to start the business. But when I started working on different tasks in my business, I continuously started to learn things on my own.
I have learned so many things to make the business productive and profitable. The first and most important thing that I learned is that You can't do all the tasks at the same time. Meaning that even If you are having good skills in content writing, content marketing, SEO, Customer service, etc. you just need a team to execute the work.
When I started my website, I was doing so many tasks every day. It was like robotic automation work which only produces the work but never delivers the results in business. Then I realized that I need to hire people and build a team for better conversion in my business. Once I distributed the task, things became clear to me, and leads got increased.
What platform/tools do you use for your business?
My favorite online tools include Canva, Crello, and other post-designing software which are providing better media for eCommerce merchants. All the designing and editing are done within a single dashboard solution. I also use marketing tools for SEO, Lead capturing, and many other tasks on the website.
Quora and Answer the public are the key platforms to understand the audience's needs related to my business services. Once I get to know what they are looking for, then I start making content around those topics to get the conversion for my business.
What have been the most influential books, podcasts, or other resources?
The most influential resources for my online business services are Google, Ecommerce industry professionals, and Digital marketing professionals who are doing very good jobs with their businesses. I learned many things on the internet and also invested a lot of money in courses, and software, to get actual insights into the working structure.
There are many resources on the internet that are completely free. But you must invest in courses and other paid services which could provide productivity in your business.
You will see many gurus on google and youtube. They are giving every possible tip and trick for business success. But the real-world scenario is when you start implementing things by yourself.
Whenever I get free from work, I spend one hour daily on youtube for the latest news and trends in the market. This helps me to upgrade myself to better serve in the eCommerce services.
The best way to upgrade your skills using Google and YouTube will vary depending on your specific goals and areas of interest. Some tips on how to get started include using Google to search for specific tutorials and learning materials on the topic you are interested in and watching YouTube videos on the subject to gain a better understanding.
Engaging with online forums and communities related to your chosen field can also be a helpful way to gain new insights and ideas.
Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?
If you want to start something that you feel more passionate about then you must communicate and learn from like-minded people. There are many resources available on the internet which can support you in your skills development.
The main thing is to understand your target audience first. You need to develop a solution for your audience which can help them to do the task more simply and productively.
One mistake that startup businesses often make is failing to validate their business model. This means that they do not test their assumptions about what their product or service is worth to customers, what their costs will be, and whether they can make a profit. This can lead to startups investing time and money into something that is not viable in the long term.
If I am good at e-commerce marketplace work then It doesn't mean that I know all things about online business. There are all types of businesses running in the local market that can provide you with so much learning that you never get by sitting in an air-conditioned office. I met and talked with so many business owners on the ground to take business lessons from them.
People who are doing business for ages are the best source to understand the strategies and develop skills in the modern business world.
You must do extensive research on your industry and your potential customers. Building a strong team of co-founders, advisors, and employees is always a better idea to scale in your business.
You must be prepared to hustle and sacrifice in the early days of your startup. Additionally, it is important to have a clear vision for your business and to be able to articulate it well to others.
Are you looking to hire for certain positions right now?
I am looking for guest writers who are writing content for various brands. People can send the pitch to info@mohitecommerce.com. They are welcome to write content on the website.
Where can we go to learn more?
You can visit the website.
- Whatsapp +91-8511755336
- Email id info@mohitecommerce.com
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