Businesses who hope for success need to stay abreast of the latest m-commerce trends in order to retain their competitive edge in the business environment, Nguyen Ngoc Dung, vice president of Vietnam E-commerce Association, said at the Vietnam Mobile Day 2017 event.

The event was organised by TopDev with key support from the Vietnam E-commerce Association (VECOM) in HCM City on May 20, with the participation of Facebook, Google and Microsoft.

Three key topics, namely Mobile Commerce, Mobile Business and Mobile Technology, and 120 subtopics were discussed at this year’s event named “The Revolution of Mobile Industry”.

E-commerce and m-commerce are significant trends evident in the Vietnamese market, across multiple business sectors and industries. As a useful retail channel in a digital society, m-commerce is quickly gaining in both reputation and revenue.

According to the Vietnam Digital Landscape 2017 report by We Are Social, as of January 2017, there were 47.19 million active mobile internet users across the country, accounting for half of the total population.

Amongst nearly 95 million Vietnamese people, 39 per cent claimed to have purchased a product or service online and typically 29 per cent claimed to have made at least one online purchase via a mobile device.

It is also worth mentioning the total value of the national e-commerce market in Viet Nam in 2016 amounted to US$1.8 billion. According to the Vietnam Business Index 2017, 45 per cent of businesses claim to have a website but only 19 per cent of these websites are mobile friendly, compared to 26 per cent in 2015.

“Choosing a suitable domain name is the very first step towards building a reliable and successful online presence. It is not simply an Internet address. It is something that goes in line with all business activities and brand development - something that makes the reputation and credibility of the brand. With friendliness to mobile devices, businesses can ensure they reach a larger audience and enhance their competitiveness in the game,” said Dung.

“A strong online presence requires a successful website with the right domain name. Especially for businesses with global vision, “.com” has always been trusted thanks to its availability, credibility and high stability for more than 18 years,” Huynh Ngoc Duy, CEO of Mat Bao added.

Vietnam Mobile Day has been held annually since 2011, aiming to emphasise the importance and benefits of m-commerce and opportunities businesses can leverage through m-commerce.

After seven years, the event has been recognised as the largest and most influential domestic mobile event, an extraordinary “tech-feast” for Vietnamese tech-lovers as well as a special occasion for world-leading tech companies to attend, learn and find new opportunities with Viet Nam’s mobile market. — VNS