Here’s the latest part of our series titled Future-Proofing Your Business! Keep reading to get tips on how you can ensure your online business’s longevity. With more than 3,000 onboarded merchants and a team of business-focused professionals, rest assured that ChatGenie will be giving you sound advice to elevate your online business.

Today’s article is meant to give you an insight into the cost of running an online store. If you’re an entrepreneur looking to venture into eCommerce then perhaps you’ve already weighed various options to get your online business up and running.

Hiring a web developer for your eCommerce website is one way to do it but that may require you to shell out somewhere between P70,000 – P150,000. That’s just too much especially if you’re a small business owner. All things considered, your best bet is to use an eCommerce tool like ChatGenie as it offers a quick and affordable way to get your online store live.

Even with a free subscription, you’ll already gain access to a myriad of online store features to jumpstart your eCommerce venture. Here’s a rundown of what you can expect when you avail of our free tier.

Sell Inside Facebook Messenger

The free subscription enables business owners to set up shop within Facebook Messenger. This means customers need not go far to purchase your products. They can easily browse and purchase products inside your message thread.
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The customer journey begins with a simple click of the Get Started button. This prompts customers to open the business’s menu.

‍Live Catalog

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ChatGenie was designed with simplicity in mind. The live catalog feature simplifies the online shopping experience through an interactive menu that allows customers to swipe, shop, add to cart, and check out all on one page.

Flexible Payment

Depending on the store configuration, customers may complete transactions by transferring funds from their bank accounts or e-wallets. ChatGenie stores are backed by credible payment options including GCash, BPI, Maya. Credit and debit card payments are made possible through partnerships with online payment gateway partners like PayMongo.

Automated Delivery and Easy Logistics

With shipping options GrabExpress and Lalamove integrated in ChatGenie stores, time spent booking riders is reduced. Upon confirmation of order, our logistics partners automatically assign the delivery to the nearest available riders. For every booking, a tracking number is sent to the customer for real-time monitoring.

Data Tracking

Analytics provided within the ChatGenie dashboard gives merchants a sales overview, including data on bestsellers and most viewed products, and allows them to see which products are in low supply. Merchants can also gain insights on customers like when they frequent their store or what their preferred payment and shipping options are.

Customer Targeting

You can create specific Customer Segments using the ChatGenie Dashboard to target customers with custom ads. Customer Segments can also be repurposed for the Broadcast Manager feature, which allows merchants to reach out, notify, and check with clients who have reached out within 24 hours.

Promo Activation

Launching promos are crucial to encouraging purchases. Under the Cart and Product Settings, merchants can start running coupon codes with a minimum spend and offer freebies or buy 1 take 1 promos to encourage purchases.

As you can see, you need not break the bank in order to set up an online store. ChatGenie has flexible subscription plans ranging from FREE, Starter, and Premium to fit your budget and business needs. The Free tier is a perfect starting point to kickstart your business. Eventually, you might consider expanding to the Starter plan as your business sees growth.

Besides the affordable price tag associated with launching ChatGenie stores, it’s important to note that our merchants are not burdened with high commission fees. This means merchants fully receive the money paid by their customers.

Be part of the eCommerce trend now. Sign up for a ChatGenie subscription plan here.

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