SMEs need to focus on workforce training and using online resources, experts tell a conference in HCM City yesterday (October 24). - VNS Photo Việt Dũng

HCM CITY - Businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, looking to use e-commerce to boost their performance need to train their workforce and make use of data analysis and online marketing resources, experts told a conference in HCM City yesterday (October 24).

Nguyễn Thị Minh Huyền, deputy general director of the Việt Nam E-commerce and Digital Economy Agency, said e-commerce is growing rapidly in Việt Nam.

Việt Nam is in fact one of Southeast Asia's fastest growing market, with its young population and high internet usage rate, she said.

The basic legal framework for e-commerce is in place and many trading platforms are being established, and e-commerce is becoming a great tool for businesses to grow, especially those looking at cross-border trade, she said.  

Phạm Đỗ Duy of her agency’s international co-operation department, said last year around 39.9 million people in Việt Nam shopped online, up from 30.3 million in 2015.

The value of online shopping has also been rising over the years, and more and more businesses have webpages or apps for e-commerce.

Mark Deng, project director of the Vietnamese cross-border e-commerce platform Fado, spoke about the problems Vietnamese SMEs face with regard to online retail.

He listed an unwillingness to make investments, inadequate promotion and not knowing how to make best use of their resources.

To utilise e-commerce platforms well, businesses need a comprehensive vision and strategies, know e-commerce thoroughly and operate based on gathering and analysing data, he said.

They also need to focus on training their workforce in doing business online, communications, international trade, and data analysis and on using online marketing tools, customer service and building brands, he said.

Fado, an authorised partner of Chinese e-commerce platform Alibaba in Việt Nam, could assist businesses that join Alibaba with training, consultancy and other support, he said.

The conference was held by the agency, Alibaba and Fado. - VNS