PA Viet Nam Southern Branch Office Director Nguyen Van Hoc speaking at the workshop in Vũng Tàu City. — Photo courtesy of Verisign

BA RIA-VUNG TAU (Biz Hub) — More than 200 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were trained on the potential of e-commerce at a workshop in Vung Tau City today.

The workshop was organised by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and Verisign Company.

The participants of the workshop agreed that mobile e-commerce continued to gain momentum in emerging markets. In Viet Nam, consumers are increasingly utilising their mobile devices to engage and participate in online activities. SMEs should prepare for this shift to mobile and ensure that they are able to meet the needs of their customers.

"Consumers are moving away from desktops and laptops. There is an increase in the uptake of smaller, portable devices that allow one to have round-the-clock access to the online world. Therefore, it is essential for SMEs to find ways to meet this demand and stay abreast of the latest mobile e-commerce trends, in order to retain their competitive edge in the business environment," Deputy Director of VCCI in Vung Tau Nguyen Xuan Bich Thoai said.

"A strong online presence will ensure that businesses are more visible to a wider audience. I believe this will definitely increase profitability in the long term," Thoại said.

"We advise businesses to choose the .com domain name because it is the global standard for doing business online. Choosing the right domain name is the first step towards building a successful website," Nguyen Van Hoc from PA Viet Nam said.

According to the Viet Nam Mobile E-Commerce Report 2014, there are 134 million mobile subscribers in Viet Nam, while more than 11.6 million smartphones were sold between 2014 and 2015. Thirty-nine per cent of the Vietnamese population are using the Internet and 34 per cent are going online on their handheld mobile devices. As a result, Viet Nam is recognised as a booming market for mobile e-commerce.

The Vietnam E-Business Index 2015 said only 26 per cent of the business websites were mobile-friendly and 43 per cent of the companies have earned higher revenue after going online. —VNS