The coffee It is an essential part of the routine of millions of people, since this drink generates more energy and helps them perform properly. There are even people who have shown their love for this product, trying new coffees, with different preparation methods and even experimenting with the types of grinding.
The pandemic has also changed coffee drinking habits, with people spending more time at home and less time in coffee shops. According to a Bank of America Institute study, in mature markets only a third of the consumption of this drink occurs outside the home.
According to an investigation by The New England Journal of Medicinecoffee and tea are among the most popular beverages in the world and contain substantial amounts of caffeine, making this compound the most consumed psychoactive agent.
Also, people turn to coffee drinks to increase wakefulness and work productivity.
Among other benefits that stand out from the study are that: the consumption of 2 to 5 standard cups of coffee per day is associated with a reduced mortality, in animal models it has been found that caffeine prevents Parkinson’s disease, modulate the metabolism of glucose and fats, improves gut microbiotahas properties antioxidants Y anti-inflammatoryhelp to ease the pain when you add commonly used analgesic agents, among other advantages.
With all the benefits and lovers of the dark and aromatic drink that wakes us up in the morning, there are people who would like to venture into the world of coffee with a business, even selling this product and related items (coffee machines, grinders, filters, etc.) online and not necessarily in a physical store. However, the questions arise: How good an idea is it to sell coffee online? And, above all, how to do it?
In the framework of International Coffee Day, which is celebrated on October 1, we tell you everything you need to know about starting an online business of this drink. Read on to find out.
Mexican coffee industry
According to the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER), a Mexican person consumes about 1.6 kg of coffee per year.
In addition, Agronoticias (2021) ensures that Mexico ranks fifth as a world producer of coffee.
According to the Mexican Association of the Coffee Productive Chain (AMECAFÉ), coffee is produced in 14 Mexican states. Chiapas, Veracruz, Puebla and Oaxaca concentrate 90% of the production. The types of Mexican coffee have three denominations of origin, and they are: Chiapas, Veracruz Y Pen. Although it is necessary to mention that in Mexico there are 18 appellations of origin that correspond to farm products, handicrafts and spirits.
In addition, the quality of this product is attributed to the geographical environment such as the elements of nature: climate, soil, minerals and water; Apart from the human factor, who has knowledge of the forms of elaboration.
These were some of the data that the Communication Council presented during its webinar called “What is behind the Mexican coffee industry?”, a panel in which Mayra Ramos participated; Divisional Deputy Director of Examination of Distinctive Signs of the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property; Santos Sosa, a Mexican coffee farmer from Finca El Hormiguero; and Jorge Hernández, certified Q Grader taster, quality control and sales of Finca Santa Veracruz and the CAFECO cooperative.
How to stand out in the online coffee business?
We can start with the most obvious: have a page on the internet, generate a presence on social networks and have a necessary stock of coffee and the necessary products that you are going to sell. But there are other key elements that will make you win over customers online.
Mauricio Preuβ, co-founder of Coffeeness, a blog specialized in the world of coffee, commented in an interview that, to differentiate yourself from the competition, it is important to build a brand. Without a brand, there is no recognition value and therefore customers are unlikely to buy from you again.
It is also important to know what your strengths are and where the traffic comes from, in order to optimize your content for the platform in question. For example, content that works well for the Google search engine doesn’t work well on YouTube or Instagram. For each traffic channel, the content must be adapted to the target audience”,
added the expert.
He said that in the case of Coffeeness they bet on having a personal brand with the character Arne, who is the barista that his audience trusts. “This sets us apart from the big, impersonal coffee trading companies,” he said in the interview.
He agrees that the quality content it is interesting for Internet users, those who are looking for an answer to what they are actually exploring. In addition, their readers leave them comments with requests for advice, ranging from which machines to buy, to which coffee preparation method is best for them. This generates greater interaction and rapprochement with a brand.
Many of our clients come to us because they want to find out about super-automatic coffee machines, for example. If we didn’t take those customers seriously and take their needs into account, we would lose them.”
Mauricio Preuβ pointed out.
If you are thinking of starting an online coffee business, you should consider that it is of the utmost importance to generate relevant content for your target audience, because it is necessary to connect with your audience and understand their needs in order to better cover them.
Experience and reputation conquer the online buyer
Mexico ranked first among the countries with the highest growth in retail e-commerce last year, with 27%, tied with India with 27%, followed by Brazil with 26.8%, followed by Russia with 26.1%, Argentina with 26% and France with 17.5%, resulting in a world average of 16.3%, according to data from the Mexican Association of Online Sales (AMVO) in 2021.
Electronic commerce is growing in Mexico, so it may be an opportunity to resort and grow in this way.
Why do Mexicans buy online?
According to AMVO data, these are the reasons why Mexicans make their purchases online:
- They receive purchases at home without having to move.
- They save time and transfer to physical stores, which translates into savings.
- They find products that are not available in a physical store.
- They can make their purchases from wherever they are.
- They usually find more promotions and discounts.
According to Sonia Gamboa, Director of Operations at Freelan, the ventures that will grow the most are those that capitalize on sales experiences. You should also consider that attracting a new customer is 10 times more difficult than retaining a current one.
“The heart of an e-commerce strategy is the Customer Experience”, says the specialist.
For her part, the expert said that to start any online business, including coffee, there are some important ingredients to generate a good technique within e-commerce, they are these:
- Ecommerce KPIs: visits to the online store, number of sales, conversion rate, average ticket, return on investment, acquisition cost per customer, customer lifetime, rejection rate.
- Strategy definition: Identify your target audience (buyer persona), define the methodology, create the implementation plan (an angle based on objectives using the KPIs helps to align better tactics and strategies).
Once the strategy is clear, you must decide in what ways you can promote yourself and on what platforms. Although for this step, you must know your buyer person very well, you have to know their interests, places they frequent, sites they visit, hobbies, lifestyle, among others.
There are many digital marketing methodologies, but Gamboa particularly recommended one of the techniques, which is known as Inbound Marketing, and it is that this consists of captivating consumers, delights them and breaks paradigms. It is a strategy where the audience searches for the brand, it is achieved by generating value content. The brand is the one who accompanies the consumer throughout the purchase decision process, providing solutions to all their needs. This means that it is not an invasive technique, but instead seeks to strengthen loyalty by creating memorable experiences and also reactivate current customers.
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Paola Perez Sirvent Passionate about travel, photography and gastronomy. She collaborates in volunteer projects.
