What is missing for Ecuador to improve the internet sales market

Training, innovation and transparency are among the tips for businesses and consumers to have good experiences in digital transactions.

Confinement and restrictions due to the pandemic boosted electronic commerce. It is believed that until next year, Retail eCommerce (which combines face-to-face and online sales) could grow up to 30%, according todataof the Ecuadorian Chamber of Electronic Commerce.

Despite the negative effect on face-to-face sales, digital services have been promoted. The aforementioned entity concluded in ainvestigationthat the arrival of the pandemic has increased the frequency of online shopping.

That is why it is important that consolidated enterprises and businesses apply certain guidelines to consolidate themselves in this type of sales. There is still distrust on the part of the consumer, perhaps due to a bad experience on certain platforms.

That is one of the problems, according to Juan Carlos Loza, country manager of Tiendamia, a transnational electronic commerce company, which has been in Ecuador for eight months. For him, our country has a five-year digital gap with neighbors like Colombia and Peru.

He believes that the main barrier was the ignorance of people about electronic commerce, who perhaps did not see the need to change to a virtual system, but with the pandemic they realized that it is the safest way.

He considered that the pandemic achieved in months what would have cost years. In an interview with EL UNIVERSO, he highlighted that inEcuadorit sells everything from technology to vinyl records.

For this reason, he suggested that friendly payment platforms be implemented, which protect consumers and the business from possible fraud or the disclosure of sensitive information. He recalled that not all cases are the same and that it will depend on the capital that exists.

He also gave these five tips to ensure a good virtual business experience:

1. Check the page.Check in which countries that business operates, the comments and complaints it generates
2. Analyze the payment methods.-Check that they are legal and reliable. Do not give unsolicited data of your cards or bank codes
3. Check options.-Check on various platforms to see the offer that best suits what you are looking for
4. Times and guarantees.-Check the deadlines that each business has to deliver its products and if it charges extra surcharges. Also check what guarantee they offer you in case of damage or loss of the merchandise
5. Membership.-Finally, investigate if the business or platform where you are going to buy is affiliated with the business chambers of the sector or a legally established union

Loza suggested to theBusinessthat they are transparent with all the information they offer and that they are always innovating their platforms. "There is talent, there are excellent profiles, we must start using them to further develop Ecuador," he said.

Finally, he highlighted the need for the country to have an updated electronic commerce law, since the current legislation It dates from 2002. In addition, he regretted that Ecuador maintains the limit of 4 kilograms for cross-border shipments.