'e-commerce will transform Lanka's business landscape'

With strong long-term fundamentals, web and e-commerce segments in Asia forecast high growth potential in 2015 and beyond while growing consumer markets and the continued development of the e-commerce sector will underpin its growth prospects.

"We live in an exciting age. US annual e-retail sales blew past the US$ 300 billion threshold for the first time, recording an unprecedented US$ 304.91 billion in 2014, up a staggering 15.4% compared to the previous year.

Closer to home, India's e-commerce industry is slated to skyrocket by as much as 71% in 2015 and reach US$ six billion, according to Gartner. If we connect properly, India's spillover effect could have dramatic impact on Sri Lanka's business landscape," opined Epitom Trinergy Founder Director Ragulan Tharmakulasingam.

According to him, e-commerce was an important and rapidly growing segment of consumption in the world's economic powerhouse - the Asia Pacific region, with business-to-consumer e-commerce earning projected to double by 2017.

"It would surprise nobody to say that Asia will be the growth engine of the world's retail sales in general and in e-commerce in particular, within the horizon from 2015 to 2020. Sri Lanka in particular and Asia general is at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to e-commerce," he added.

"According to Internet Retailer, although Asia, as a geographic e-commerce marketplace is twice as large as that of US, to sell successfully in Asia's diverse and unique markets, businesses need a locally-focused approach on online retailing," Tharmakulasingham said.

According to Internet Retailer, 500 leading e-retailers in Asia and the Pacific Rim collectively grew their 2014 web sales an estimated 57.1% (to US$139.25 billion from US$ 88.66 billion in 2013), while their share of all e-commerce sales in the region only amounts to 22.6%.

"Websites of today have become a prime marketing tool for modern businesses, placing even a startup or an SME on a par with MNCs which have big advertising budgets, thanks to technology. Our goal is to open these vistas of growth to local companies so as to enjoy a larger slice of the growing ecommerce pie," he added.

"At Epitom Trinergy we have taken the simple website and turned it into a prime marketing tool for Sri Lankan entrepreneurs and companies.

We understand that to succeed in the modern business world an online presence is beyond the essential and the importance of a positive impact that a smart website can create," said Tharmakulasingham.

Websites are designed and developed based on market research and input provided by our team of marketing experts.

The information includes content development, placement of graphics, images and other needs that ensure we develop a website that is not only relevant but intelligent as well.Sri Lanka's internet penetration is on the rise with more SriLankans using and relying on the internet for online information when itcomes to most day-to-day decision-making.

"As we go through the Age ofInformation it has shaped the consumer into the savvy information seeking shopper that we find today. This in turn has had and is still having a major impact on the retailers who earlier were completely offline but find themselves having to enter the online world, if they wish to be a significant player in the online market place," he said.

People increasingly opt to purchase goods and services online rather than via the old offline methods, owing to the sheer convenience it provides in a fast paced world.

Many retailers have embraced this challenge as a new opportunity to shape and grow traditional business models even further. It has created new and innovative demands that if met correctly help the retailer become a noteworthy and successful business.

With offices in the USA, the Netherlands and in Mexico, Epitom Trinergy has already become a leader in designing and providing smart and interactive websites that help take a business to the next level. "We are focusing on Sri Lankan companies and businesses to help them reach international standards.

To compete in the international arena this is a necessity as consumers expect instant information and satisfaction. To be a player and be a success in the online market arena it is important to have a website and not forget about it," Tharmakulasingham said.

"Epitom Trinergy ensures that websites designed by us are appealing, suit the trends of the day, and are interactive and most importantly relevant so that clients stand out from the competition," he said.