The future and challenges of ecommerce in the Philippines

The internet has a significant place in the lives of many Filipinos. According to statistics on the number of internet users of countries worldwide, the Philippines with over 39 million internet users, ranked 16th worldwide and 3rd in Southeast Asia next to Indonesia and Vietnam.

The country would pale in comparison to China and US internet users, but it can’t be denied that Filipinos are among the world’s most active and most participative online users. Thus, it would be no surprise to see the booming e-commerce industry in the future.

Internet Users by Country (2014)

These days, the E-commerce industry in the country is still on its infancy stage but we can’t veer away from the fact that this developing country holds a promising future if it can leverage its strengths to establish a strong foundation for this industry.

Let’s take a look on the country’s strength in building a strong e-commerce industry throughout the nation and globally.

Adaptability to the Changes in Technology

One thing that most Filipinos is proud for is their adaptability to change. Although, this Southeast Asian countries are not as privilege as other countries like US, Singapore, and China to first develop or test newly invented devices, Filipinos are known to quickly adapt to changes in technology once they have entered the country. In fact, this 2015 there is an expected growth of triple to 50 percent in smartphone penetration in the country.

The fast adaptability of Filipinos when it comes to technology is a welcoming fact for E-commerce industry in the country. Filipinos are quickly adapting to how the western products are market locally and online. With Lazada.com, Ensogo.com.ph and Metrodeals.com, more and more Filipinos are becoming inclined to E-commerce and with the market expanding; it is not surprising to see the investors for online markets flocking in the country.

Competent and Reliable Labor Force

Filipinos are one of the most coveted professionals in the technology industry. They are considered to be among the most hardworking, efficient and skillful professionals in the international market. Though, with fewer supervisions and training, Filipinos are known to harness their skills on their own and using their own resources which can be beneficial for businesses in the e-commerce industry.

The e-commerce industry in the Philippines needs a workforce that can work efficiently. It is not new that the country lacks resources for start-ups but with fast and competent professionals working for online market industry, developing e-commerce businesses will be less difficult.

Significant Use of Social Media

Perhaps, we are all well how social media plays a crucial role in online commerce. The Philippines being known as the “social media capital” of the world has big chances of bringing positive impact to e-commerce industry of the country.

E-commerce and social media work hand-in-hand in bringing businesses in a wider market. The country has about 40 million active social media users and this figure is still increasing in a staggering rate. Furthermore, Filipinos are not only social media consumers but also they are an active producer and syndicators of content and there is no better way to syndicate e-commerce sites, increase brand awareness and generate sales online than through the use of social media.