With eMAG Marketplace we have identified an opportunity to address as many people who are passionate about imaging. I joined the Marketplace in 2015, because this platform represents an additional channel for promoting our services.
The photo community and the customers interested in the equipment or the updating of the photo kits knew F64, especially since for some years we have been centrally located, on the Unirii Boulevard. Ever since I started the business, I knew that the market was much bigger, that we wanted to reach as many people as possible, to educate them so that they could find something in their photography, whether it’s just passion or becoming a job. That’s why we also offer photo education courses, for those who want to get the best out of a photo equipment.
Like many other daring ideas in the world, the F64 business started with passion. In fact, the name also links us directly to photography. “F64” is both a measure of the lens aperture and the name of one of the most famous photo groups in the world. I liked to photograph, I knew many people with whom I shared the same passion, we met, we discussed, we discussed techniques and compositions. We went step by step to trade. I started with a consignment, and in 2001 we launched with Daniela Becheru what has become in the meantime the largest photo-video store in Romania.
We sell both offline and online. Unlike the traffic in the store, the one on the site we observe directly. This was the first positive feedback from the partnership, an increase in the number of visitors. Then, the conversion rate also increased, visitors becoming our customers.
We really appreciate the eMAG initiative to develop a local Marketplace and bring some of the key players in the e-commerce market, as well as new names. Because we wanted to market many products on the eMAG platform, the biggest challenge we identified was to publish the products to be displayed on the site. The more we appreciate the features in the Marketplace user account: the new KPI (Key Performance Indicator) reports, the sales management panel and the order processing stream, which has been easily integrated into the F64 platform. The largest order received so far was 200 pieces of a single product.
With the presence in the Marketplace, I opened the appetite of more people to photography and noticed an increase in sales for products in the entry-level range.
It is obvious that one of the most important advantages of joining the Marketplace is the increase of sales.
However, companies wishing to enter this platform must do so only when they have sufficient stock and the ability to meet the Marketplace entry criteria: timely delivery, proper packaging of products, etc. We are talking about expectations that people already have and it is not fair to them not to take care of these duties.
Any business that intends to launch online should do so only when it can ensure the smooth running of services, with a reasonable number of people. They must expect a bigger flow, so they will need a tailor-made team.
For me, as an entrepreneur, the online environment means, first and foremost, much greater visibility. People find you easier and get to place orders more often. If I were to compare, it’s like the difference between walking and driving. You get there, but much, much faster and safer.
