1 min. with Superheroes: Martin and Francis from Diletto.co.za
by Fred on 18/11/09 at 1:50 pm
1 comment
This morning, we’re chatting to Francis Richter and Martin Lompa from online deli, Diletto. These guys sell delectable stuff online, and, believe us, if you want to send someone something special over Christmas, these guys are the crack! Since launching not too long ago, they’re popping up everywhere, and so Ideate decided to investigate. Martin, Francis, tell us about Diletto and your reason for starting it?
Martin: Diletto was born out of a shared passion for food and wine. Francis is the Wine expert; I am the geek who likes to eat. We had always wanted to start a business and be independent so an Online Deli was the clear choice.
Francis: Diletto is an online deli, which is something very unique in South Africa. Online shopping is the way of the future. The United States of America and the UK have caught up and these days it is very common to do food shopping online.
Why should I go to your store and not to Melissas or Woolies?
M: Because we are neither. We started out with five (now six) product categories, always searching for the most exclusive product in any such category. Important factors include packaging, taste, uniqueness and exclusivity. Several of our products you will find nowhere else – unless you personally go to the farm yourself, even then you won’t find it at our prices. We have no more than two competing brands per product on our site, making it a far cry from a supermarket. The ease of shopping, exclusivity of our products and the superiority of what we deliver is what sets us apart.
F: Melissa’s is not available online, so you would have to physically make the time to go to their shop, find parking etc. Diletto also has a host of products that Melissa’s does not offer. Woolworths online shopping is convenient, but we offer more in terms of personal service and more selective products. Many of our products are only available from diletto.co.za
What the hell does “Diletto” mean anyway?
F: Diletto is Italian for “delight”. We strive to make our customer’s experience at diletto a delight and to develop online shopping into the way to shop. Diletto also sounds a bit like deli, which is what we are.
To be honest, from my perspective, e-commerce has still not ‘arrived’ in this country. Even always-on browsers seem reluctant to spend their cash online. What’s the future of e-commerce in this country? Do you think we’ll see widespread adoption in the next 6 months (in the way that people use e-commerce to buy everything in the UK, US, etc.)?
M: Well I certainly hope so. There are certainly shoppers out there now, but at this time I doubt it is worth relying purely on online orders. With all the changes with internet infrastructure and awareness currently, online shoppers will only increase in numbers. It may take more than 6 months, but I think the biggest problem is that most online shops only advertise online. Depending on your business type, most of your clientele may be offline still….so traditional media is crucial to get the word out. We need to entice them to get online or alternatively they can call us and place an offline order with us.
F: I agree with you 100%. E-commerce has not yet properly taken-off in SA and still has a long way to go. One of the reasons I believe this, is because there was been a lot of negative publicity about online shopping and credit card security. Gratefully this is changing and internet security becomes better and people learn which sites can be trusted. We use a payment gateway called VCS which is 100% secure. One way of telling if a site is secure is if the address bar is green. A green address bar means a secure site. Also check if their security certificate is safe before entering any credit card details. Most websites also have the facility to use an Electronic Fund Transfer instead of a credit card, which poses no risk at all.
Any advice to Ideate readers who want to set up an e-commerce store?
M: Research is vitally important, thorough research is the only way to understand your market and the needs of said market. Only through research will you be able to give the market what it needs or wants. Starting an online business isn’t an instant money-maker. Shoppers have to learn to trust the company and the site before they decide to come back again and again. It takes time and patience to make an online business work. Also learn from people who are already in the arena, they probably know a lot more about it than you do! Finally, embrace alternative payment methods and ensure that your service deliverance is 110%. Good luck!
F: My advice to people wanting to start an online shop is to hold as little stock as possible. Preferably none at all as this gives the business more working capital. Conduct proper research into which e-commerce software you want to use for your shop. Our preference at the moment is Magento, as it is open source. Open source software gives you the opportunity to change aspects of the programme to your liking. It is also completely Web 2.0 compatible. It’s also a good idea to arrange for online exclusivity with your suppliers, this ensures that potential customers can only order online through you.
Thanks so much for your time guys, loving your work. Ideate readers, get your taste buds flowing over at Diletto and support these smart and inspirational entrepreneurs.
Fred Roed is the marketing guy in the Ideate crew. He runs a web marketing company called World Wide Creative and loves writing about people out there doing marketing right. View more articles by Fred.
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