Sheer grit, resilience, and determination can make a business remarkably successful, as proven by VONA Indonesia co-founder Violetta Affandi. In 2013, Violetta started selling premium leather-based products on the Lazada platform.
At a time when eCommerce was still in its nascent stages across the region, this gutsy decision proved to be a wise one. Today, VONA is a verified LazMall seller and the brand even ships overseas to countries such as Singapore and Germany!
Here’s how Violetta grew her brand exposure using eCommerce.
Exquisite VONA wallets with a premium look.
When you’re starting out
Starting an online business doesn’t have to be as hard as imagined. You need not take on the Herculean task of creating your own website or spend a hefty sum to hire a professional web designer.
In fact, Violetta shares that her initial website struggled to gain brand awareness despite investing her own savings. Thankfully, she discovered Lazada – then just a year old – that boasted a specially designed seller center. This seller center by Lazada offered (and still does!) a complete suite of tips and tricks for online business success.
Once on Lazada, Violetta never looked back. It’s as simple as it can get. All you need to sell on Lazada is to have:
- Your everyday contact details i.e. a local phone number in your country, a valid email address, and your very own warehouse address.
- A national identity card if you wish to sell as an individual; or a registered company and business license if you wish to join as a company.
The faces behind VONA: Husband and wife team Violetta Affandi and Fejri Muzakky.
Growing your eCommerce business
The growing pains of an online business is where it gets harder but can be simplified with the right partner to level up your success. Violetta advises aspiring entrepreneurs to be open to change in order to grow one’s business; only you can be the master of your fate and the measuring tape of your success.
She added that entrepreneurs shouldn’t be afraid to take risks but reminded them that they should strategize mindfully and wisely as winners plan ahead. Of course, it’s easier said than done, which is why Lazada invests healthily into the education of its sellers. With a decade of experience in assisting both startups and corporations, Lazada offers a free learning platform to learn marketing strategies from experts.
Topics on this learning platform are curated to earn customer trust and lead target audiences to love your brand. These include “Increase Your Reach & Gain More Followers” and “Entice Your Customers To Buy More.”
Sustaining your business in the long run
Keeping a business successful requires evolution. For VONA, it was the chance to join LazMall, Lazada’s virtual mall that is available only for leading international and local brands, from reputable retailers and resellers.
VONA in gaining its status as a LazMall Flagship store has joined the ranks of top-end brands such as Coach and Nike.
In reaching this level of success, VONA can accurately say that customers have confidence, trust, and loyalty towards its brand as LazMall guarantees 100% original and authentic products.
This is not all as you will gain a shiny LazMall badge on all your products, higher visibility on Lazada’s homepage, an elevated search ranking, and unique marketing solutions. Your brand will gain a magnetic power to pull vast numbers of your target audience should you qualify as a LazMall seller.
Of course, that’s not to say that Marketplace doesn’t have its own superstars – it is after all, where you can start leveling up. If Violetta can level up her brand from ground zero, you surely can do it too!
