E-commerce is changing consumer habits, and online shops are sprouting all over the world, giving these businesses access to a broader market.

At the SydStart 2015 Fireside Chat, Freelancer.com Sr. Vice President for Growth Willix Halim spoke with the CEOs behind two of Indonesia’s leading e-commerce platforms. They discussed about Indonesian startups and enumerated growth hacking strategies behind their huge success.

Bukalapak.com

First up was Bukalapak.com CEO Achmad Zaky, or “Zaky” as he prefers to be called. Indonesia’s largest consumer-to-consumer online marketplace Bukalapak has gone a long way from zero to an impressive one million visitors per day. It has 500 thousand online sellers, 500 million dollars worth of merchandise and over 700 thousand user sign ups. Considering the market they have in Indonesia, the platform has much to look forward to in terms of growth in the following years.

“Indonesia is a developing country, and most people in Indonesia need money,” said Zaky. He explained that one common way for Indonesians to make money online is through selling, and many use social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook to do so. Zaky’s goal is to get those online sellers to use Bukalapak instead. Zaky described Bukalapak as the proper platform for ecommerce. “We specifically designed Bukapalak for e-commerce, not social media,” he said.

When asked about the key to Bukalapak’s growth, Zaky said he owed it to the “Network Effect.” For his platform, this means having a fast growth in the number of sellers which results in having more and more products on the site. This does well for the platform’s SEO since it increases the chances people would  come across Bukalapak in their Google search. The fast growth can also be attributed to the huge selection of affordable products on the site.

HijUp.com

“HijUp sells modest fashion for Muslim women,” says Diajeng Lestari, CEO of HijUp.com. HijUp is a business-to-businesses-to-consumer platform where they collaborate with over 200 of the most talented fashion designers in Indonesia to produce trendy and suitable outfits that support the day-to-day activities of modern Muslim women. Diajeng believes that one way women feel empowered is when they can express themselves through their clothes and feel good about what they’re wearing.

While taking up a political science course in college, Diajeng became upset with her country’s political system, but she felt like she didn’t have the power to change anything. So she asked herself, what she can do with her passions and connections so she can impact the economy or society. The idea for HijUp came to mind when Diajeng was going from one mall to another in the midst of Jakarta’s heavy traffic in search for something to wear. She realized how convenient it would be if Muslim women can find options after options of fashionable clothing, which they can purchase online. Since then, there was no stopping HijUp on its way to success.

Diajeng also shared the company’s core values, which were inspired by Willix himself when he came to Jakarta and had a talk in a startup event.

L : Lean. Having a lean team allows the company to move fast. To have a lean team, Diajeng hires fast and fires fast. She also hires the best people and puts them in the right role.O : Open. For Diajeng, open communication and good coordination within the company is key to success.R : Results Oriented. Her team keeps track of what they do to see if their targets are achieved.D : Dynamic. Diajeng encourages her team to try something new, innovate and apply new strategies when necessary.

When asked about the next step for HijUp.com, Diajeng said they have a global market so the next step for them is to go global. But before that, they have to win in their local market.

Businesses expanding to Indonesia

The discussion later on moved to the startup scene in Indonesia. More and more foreign investors are looking to invest in Indonesian startups. “The Indonesian population is one-fifth of China and I think our economy is growing faster than any country,” said Zaky. “The community is very vibrant. The market is very vibrant… Indonesia is a consumer country. We buy almost anything”

When asked what advice they can give startups and businesses who are interested in expanding to Indonesia, Diajeng encouraged them to have a local approach. “Learn a lot about Indonesians first and then build a good product for the market,” advised Diajeng.

Zaky’s tip was to embrace simplicity. Have one simple product the world needs and bring it to Indonesia. Being a country of consumers, the Indonesian market will surely pay attention to a useful product.  

Watch Zaky & Diajeng’s full fireside discussion with an All Access Digital Pass.

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