Everyone wants to know the answer to this question at a time when online shopping reaches the pinnacle of success. Today the popularity of the Internet, specifically, Google has made it the center of businesses.

In this article, we will look into some of the basic things you need to start an online vegetable store in Lahore.

The concept of buying vegetables online is commonizing as we speak. Most of us are busy working and the free time we get is either for the family, kids or for our own recreation.

According to a trusted report, online grocery shopping is getting a maximum response in developed countries like the US and in the UK. Japan, France, and Germany are not so far behind. Around one-fourth of the online shoppers are shopping groceries on the internet and 55% plan on doing it in the near future.

Believe in Yourself

Online fruits and vegetable store is not a fantasy but a reality. This is what you need to tell yourself before making it happen. If you start with a half-hearted approach, you may as well don’t start it at all.

Selling fruits and vegetables may not sound like a lucrative business; however, the return on investment is huge. This comes from my experience as someone working in the industry for a couple of months.

Commitment and trusting our own guts build the courage to make those big decisions. Therefore, if it is what you want and you are passionate about it, no force is going to stop you from prevailing.

Since online grocery shopping trend is at its peak, the online grocers are trying to utilize it to their own benefit. And, believe me, it is what any wise businessman would do!

The Business Model of an Online Vegetable Store

An online grocery store is a combination of fruits and vegetables. However, one can choose to become a vegetable or a fruit vendor as it is only a matter of choice.

You need to follow the two golden rules in order to excel as an online grocer:

• Build Working Relationship with Vegetable Producers - This is extremely important in case you are not the producer yourself. If you are a layman with no prior know-how of the business, start by visiting the local grocery distribution center. The sabzi mandi is the right place for it. It fuels your online vegetable store's business plan.
• Wholesalers - These people obtain the fruits and vegetables in bulk from the farms. By communicating with them, you will have a fair idea of what it's like to be part of this supply chain.
• Delivery Network - You need a customer support team to assist the team of riders across the city. As soon as you are able to designate these tasks, the business is ready to accept orders.
• Developers, Web Designers, and Digital Marketers - A train needs an engine and the engine driving your grocery train is a group of developers, graphic designers, and online marketers. They are going to help you run an e-commerce portal effectively.

It is not possible to run an online business without boosting it in the search engine. Once it is visible in the search engine like Google, it starts receiving orders organically. The organic customers are a lifetime investment because they are searching for a business like yours and your online presence has driven them to your website.

How Does the Business Earn?

The customers either buy vegetables online through the website or download the grocery app to shop quicker. App store and the Google Play Store are the hubs of online grocery apps.

Utilizing the latest tools like Apps, Live chat support and customer complaint department are a mandatory part of running an online business.

• Commission-based Model - It follows a commission-based revenue model in which the suppliers and the marketplace owners each have a cut before you can receive end.
• Subscription-based Model - In this model, you propose the customers go for yearly subscriptions in which you give them discounts between 25 to 50%.

In an ideal situation, both of these models must run simultaneously to maximize the potential of your business.

Side-Business Options

Since you have a running portal at hand which is being daily marketed, utilizing it for an increase in revenue is only logical.

The SEO team under the digital marketing head is going to bring in visitors to the website so what you may have here is a chance to advertise to them. You can charge other vendors to advertise their businesses on your website.

Starting sponsored posts through the blog is another way to earn a little money

Placement of banner ads is a sought-after business plan when it comes to making use of the website

Customer-Friendly and a Responsive Website

The website is like the headquarters of an online retail business. If your website is lacking the functionality or responsiveness, you are losing customers as we speak. Hiring a solid team of coders and backup support is the key to your survival in this industry.

It must be easy to use and load quickly. Similarly, the website and the app on the phone should not lack speed or functionalities. In simple words, they must be optimized for the smartphones.

• Saving the Order - The customers must be given an option to save their order or it must automatically save their orders. People have a tendency to repeat their orders when it comes to groceries. Therefore, when they visit the site again, they don’t have to add the same products to the cart all over again.
• Shareable Shopping Cart - With this feature, the customers are able to share their grocery list with other members. In this way, they can share it with other registered users of the website. This activity may help and motivate others to include any missing items along with the items on that list. It also negates the feeling of being online and instead promotes the feeling of being a part of a real community.
• Elaborate Vegetable and/or Fruit Category - You may want to add different categories in the form of fruits, vegetables, and groceries. Fill up each of these sections with the necessary in-season products.
• Relying on Minimum Order Quantity Is Not a Good Idea - When you give the customers a free hand, they tend to respond positively. Therefore, don’t bind them with a minimum order quantity condition.

Free Home Delivery - You may keep the rates higher to stay above the break-even point. However, when you are shouting the “FREE” delivery option, it is sort of an automatic promotion. Honestly, this functionality is a big driving factor and people are attracted to it.

Conclusion

Keeping the above-mentioned things in mind will help you keep the boat afloat. However, there are several other factors that need to be considered before starting an online venture.

Make sure you have enough capital to start the operations with. If you are thinking PKR 10,00,000, make sure you have another million in the backup.

Before getting a decent return on investment (ROI), it is everyday struggle and persistence is the key to those gentle waves after a few months. That means your business is steady and there are no more high tides to disturb its flow.

The challenges like maintenance of the fresh produce can misbalance this boat any day. Make sure the store in charge and the team responsible for the storage stays on their toes.

Whatever is left can be distributed among the employees at discounted rates. This is how it works!