How to set up a virtual service store: sell activities and experiences via the internet!
Understanding the difference between services and products is the first step for those like you who are researching how to set up an online service store. Without further ado, check out a comparison below.
How to set up a virtual service store: difference between products and services
According to paragraphs 1 and 2 of article 3 of the Consumer Protection Code, a product is:
• An asset;
• Mobile or immovable;
• Material or immaterial.
And service in turn is:
• Any activity provided in the consumer market for remuneration;
• Which includes banking, financial, credit and insurance activities;
• Except for those arising from labor relations.
Given, then, that a product is a good and a service is an activity, we can conclude that a service is also:
• Intangible : it cannot be touched because it is not physical;
• Inseparable : production and consumption occur simultaneously;
• Heterogeneous : the quality of production and consumption of a service can vary;
• Perishable : ends with the end of its production.
So, how to sell something with these characteristics in a virtual store?
How to set up an online service store: creating tangibility
Since a service is intangible, it is necessary – in order to market it on an e-commerce website – to integrate some tangible characteristics into it, thus making it more tangible for consumers.
• Also access and read the post “ How much does an online store cost ?”
To do so, you can, for example:
• Mention the word “package”.
Banks know how to do this very well. They sell “digital unique packages”, “custom packages”, “standard packages”, “essential service packages”, etc. Tourism agencies work with “travel packages”.
So, if your idea is to sell “translations” on the internet, then how about selling a “300-word translation pack” or “Portuguese to English translation pack”. Get creative to come up with a name for your service.
• Create package images:
In addition to mentioning the word, you can create images in which your services appear packaged. That way, the activities you sell will seem more tangible to consumers.
• Include photos and videos:
Include some high-quality images on your online store's sales pages that show how the service works. If you market consulting, for example, include a video of this activity being carried out.
Finally, do your best to make the activities you develop seem tangible to your consumers. This will certainly make them want to buy from your online store.
How to set up a virtual service store: which platform to use?
Entering Tourism e-commerce sites is one of the best ways to see what the sale of services can be like in a virtual service store. Access, for example, the websites of CVC, Viajanet and Expedia.
Note that an online product store has what are called " product pages ," which is where photos and information about a particular product are entered. The same principle applies to an online service store.
However, instead of “product pages”, a service e-commerce site relies on “service pages”. Therefore, as an example, in the online store of a tourism agency you can find a page like the one “Travel package for Porto Seguro”.
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Read also: " Online Tourism Store: How to set yours up "
A “Porto Seguro Travel Package” is one of the most classic destinations here in Brazil. On a service page of this type you will find photos of the destination, flight data, local tourist attractions, prices, hotel location and structure, etc.
There are many e-commerce platforms with the potential to create online stores focused on selling services. Contact your preferred e-commerce agency and ask for suggestions. The website of Forma Turismo, a company specializing in student tourism, for example, was built using the VTEX platform.
“Choosing VTEX means choosing an ecosystem of solutions that revolve around this platform. Whenever we need a service or a supplier, it's integrated with VTEX, which saves us time and gives us agility,” said Leandro Dasler, Director of Technology and Data at Forma, in the article “ Forma Turismo Case Study ”.
How to set up a virtual service store: what to sell?
Okay, now that you know some general aspects of setting up an online service store, take a look at these ideas about what to sell:
• Experiences and tourist experiences
• Travels
• Language classes
• Translations
• Electrical services
• Mechanical services
• Plumbing services
• Automotive services in general
• Party animation
• Production of texts for blogs
• Painting services
• Consulting
• Website hosting services
There are hundreds of services that can be marketed on e-commerce. Choose a niche, identify a demand and get to work!
