Hanoi (VNA) - "E-tailers" (electronic or online retailers) should begin with the .vn domain linked to digital services (website/email)—this is the message that Mr. Nguyen Hong Thang, Director General of the Vietnam Internet Network Information Centre (VNNIC), delivered at a recent digital economy conference on promoting digital transformation in wholesale and retail, organised by the Ministry of Information and Communications.
Lack of websites: A fundamental limitation for retail stores
VNNIC Director General Nguyen Hong Thang pointed out that in the online context, consumers increasingly demand convenient and quick experiences. Traditional retail stores face limitations and disadvantages if they do not move online. Websites are the foundation of all online sales channels.
According to the Department of Digital Economy and Digital Society under the Ministry of Information and Communications, there are currently about 14 million grocery stores and more than 9,000 traditional markets nationwide, accounting for 75% of the retail market share and meeting 85% of people's consumption needs.
However, the market share of traditional markets is declining. Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Pham Duc Long said that if digital transformation is not accelerated, the revenue of traditional markets and retail stores will decline, affecting the business activities of small traders and causing numerous social consequences.
Digital transformation should start with e-commerce.
In reality, the fundamental limitation of online retail stores today is the lack of professional websites. When accessing online retail stores, customers need information to evaluate the store's reliability.
In the trend of multi-channel selling, many stores have yet to invest in building websites and online channels or have only invested in social media channels and e-commerce platforms, neglecting websites.
Websites are the "home" or "headquarters" of retail stores on the Internet, capable of integrating and linking to other sales platforms without being dependent on the policies and algorithms of social networks or e-commerce platforms.
Without a website, customers may question the legality of the store. A reliable, professional website helps establish trust with customers.
VNNIC has provided seven reasons why online retailers need a website, especially a website with domain name “.vn”. These reasons not only help online retail stores improve business efficiency but also create a better shopping experience for customers.
Opportunities for online retailers
The VNNIC leader emphasised that the national domain name “.vn”, associated with websites and email, is a solution that helps retail stores present a reliable and legitimate presence, optimise search systems, and develop product brands.
Online information will become more reliable and secure when using digital services associated with the national domain name “.vn”, which is identified with a clear and transparent registered entity identity.
In developed countries, people and businesses (especially small and medium enterprises) are very conscious of building an online image and brand.
In Europe, on average, over 70% of businesses have websites using their national domain. In Germany, this rate is as high as 95%. However, in Vietnam, the figure is only 25%.
To help people and businesses quickly and reliably establish an online presence, on May 21, 2024, the Ministry of Information and Communications issued Decision No. 826/QD-BTTTT to promote and support people, businesses, and households to establish a reliable, secure online presence with digital services using the domain tag “.vn”.
The program is implemented nationwide, providing an unprecedented opportunity for people, businesses, households, and retail stores to establish an online presence.
The program has introduced two breakthrough policies: two years of free domain names and accompanying digital services (email/website) for the biz.vn domain for newly established businesses within one year and for individual business households; the id.vn domain for citizens aged 18-23.
The program aims to reach 350,000 id.vn domains and 50,000 biz.vn domains by 2025, with estimated incentives worth 200 billion VND (fees payable to state agencies for using the national domain name “.vn” and the cost of using website hosting and email services for service providers) over two years, evenly distributed across 63 provinces.
According to VNNIC, registering domain names and creating websites/email has become easier than ever. With the current technical service system, users can register a domain name and set up basic website and email services in less than an hour./.
