Hi Guys,
I have recently started working for a Hyderabad based online grocery store which has been launched recently. I would like to know some tips to get some initial traffic to the site so that the website gets noticed.
Since we are a startup, we are not able to invest money in things like SEO, Adwords, Sponsored reviews etc. But we will do it in future, once we start generating some revenues.
All marketing we have currently done is Facebook fan page (around 500 likes/fans). We have also released some discount coupon codes and published them on some daily deal forums but since the site is new we have not got much traction. We have also decided to start a blog and tying up with coupon sites/ cashback sites. Apart from it we have started posting guest posts on various blogs/sites. (Work in Progress)
Please tell some ideas and tips (apart from the once mentioned above) to generate initial traffic to the site and sales. Also if possible, it would be great if you can visit Kiranakart.in and give your valuable feedback and suggestions. Even a small piece of advice will be great !
asha chaudhry
shravan,
we have quite a few rodinhooders who run grocery e-stores – i’ve pinged tanutejas (shopkirana) to reach out to you. pls use the search engine and share your link with the go onions dude along with others who have ventures in the same space. they might have learnings to share with you!
https://www.therodinhoods.com/forum/topics/indore-s-first-e-grocery-port…
Shravan
Thanks a lot Asha !
Abhishek Rai
Hi Shravan !
I had an e-commerce venture on the same lines, wherein we used to source the inventory from mom-n-pop kirana stores and then on receipt of order, used to procure the items from them and deliver to the customer.
Even with such complexity, we used to deliver within 2 hours from the confirmation of order, in the metropolitan region of Pune.
I also faced the same hurdles, that you are facing.
Though I put the venture on hold and pivoted( a dirty word), there has not been a day, I do not think about it. It is still very close to my heart.
I am not sure, I can help (in real terms, not in gyaan) but may be we can connect and find out…
Quitting hurts a lot, may be in this way, I might just redeem myself 🙂
(thats my only selfish motivation)
realmccoy2k2[at]gmail[dot]com is my address
regards
abhishek
Roshan Desarda
@Abhishek Rai
Yes the problem with players in Pune was the reach. People are in need of the service but don’t know one is the scene in Pune. We while operating Punexpress in Pune did spent small on Google Adword and it worked for us. We have paused the operations as of now due to lack of funds and differences in Team and early investors.
Go for Google Adwords. spend 500 bucks and use coupon of Rs 2000 and get credit of Rs 2500 and use it for a month. Start writing blogs and drive customers through content
My $0.02
Roshan
Abhik Prasad
Hi Shravan,
Go offline for marketing initially.
I know you are running an online business but since you are small and don’t have an online advertising budget, here is what i suggest.
Draw a circle of 5kms radius from your office or wherever you do deliveries from.
Identify all the apartment complexes / housing societies in the region.
Get some leaflets printed highlighting your value proposition (i would suggest convenience/same day delivery/ freshness of groceries instead of discounts – Rather dont mention discounts at all but keep your products priced at par or slightly lower than the local retailers)
Hit the streets and distribute the leaflets (or you could get the newspaper vendors to do it for you)
Highlight your number to call for groceries
Identify all the local restaurants/hotels and see if you can offer them bulk deals / delivery on demand.
Get the supplements of your local dailies (e.g. the Delhi Times equivalent of Hyderabad ) and make a list of all the journalists who write features in them. Send them personal emails with an offer to try out your service.
On Facebook, Try a few promoted posts extremely micro targeted (e.g. Hyderabad, Females, Age 25-35)
Focus on vowing you first 500 customers. The word of mouth will do the rest for you 🙂
cheers
Abhik
Abhishek Rai
There is no fun in doing 10 deliveries a day.
The fun is in doing 10,000 deliveries a day.
And with my venture I could not see that happening, even though I was selling everything from Chocolates to Camera.
So I moved on…