To be successful, E-vendors need the right product, on the right platform, and sell it to the right audience. While platforms like Shopify offer a solution to build online stores for sellers, it does not guarantee good traffic or success in business.
To take their business to the next level, Shopify merchants in India need a platform that takes their brand to millions of buyers.
Enter ONDC network - a revolutionary initiative aiming to help Indian sellers (including Shopify vendors) curb numerous pain points they encounter throughout their eCommerce journey. Given that the ONDC network is still a new and foreign concept to regular Shopify sellers, let’s first get a foundational understanding of what it means. Then, we’ll understand how your existing Shopify store can be connected to the open network using a comprehensive solution like Mystore seller app.
Table of Contents
What is ONDC network
The open network initiative by the Indian government wishes to create a democratised and unified digital infrastructure accessible to all (Yes, “all”). That way, even businesses that aren’t tech-savvy (small kirana shops, local retail shops, SMBs, etc.) can build an online presence and sell to their target audience independently.
This initiative encompasses everything from shops to services, delivery networks, mobility, and healthcare. By 2027, DPIIT hopes to onboard 900 Mn buyers and 1.3 Mn sellers on this interconnected, interoperable, and impartial platform.
Rather than hoping your customers stumble upon your Shopify store, you join the open network using a feature-rich seller app (like Mystore seller app) and make your business discoverable to pan-India audiences.
Why integrating Shopify with ONDC network is a smart business idea
Having Shopify as a standalone eCommerce solution is not sufficient. There are multiple reasons (monetary and otherwise) why listing your Shopify business on open network makes sense. Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of adopting the innovative approach.
1. It helps save money and resources
To this day, many SMEs and local merchants can’t afford to launch an eCommerce presence, which is unfortunate because India’s eCommerce landscape is expanding at an impressive rate. From a financial standpoint, small merchants don’t find giant platforms like Shopify appealing. Imagine paying $29 a month (plus add-ons) even when you didn’t sell anything via your store!
Meanwhile, cost-effectiveness is ONDC network’s biggest selling point. Shopify sellers on ONDC network avoid paying upfront costs or huge commission fees. Instead, they only pay a nominal transaction fee once they sell to buyers connected via a compatible buyer app. The open network is adept at optimising sales profits so merchants can keep a larger piece of the pie.
2. Merchants don’t have to worry about packaging and logistics
Being on a nationwide network solves one of the primary pain points that Shopify users complain about - finding the ideal fulfilment and logistics partner. ONDC network offers a neutral and equitable platform that connects nationwide buyers, sellers, and logistics providers under its umbrella. Any vendor has the freedom to choose from a list of on-demand logistics partners. All they need is a first-rate solution like Mystore seller app.
Integrating with the open network through Mystore is especially rewarding for small vendors and startups, as it lets you leverage the open network’s powerful fulfilment solutions. That way, hyperlocal sellers have a readymade supply-chain strategy along with built-in solutions to manage their logistics and fulfilment. Also, Shopify merchants in India can do it without spending hours on finding a reliable fulfilment partner.
3. It creates new business opportunities for SMBs and MSMEs
Currently, merchants using eCommerce solutions (like Shopify, Woocommerce, etc.) to sell online are like small specks in the gigantic eCommerce landscape. The DPIIT wants to encompass the entire eCommerce ecosystem into one unified network where all participants can coexist and access buyers across the nation. This frees the merchant from enlisting on multiple platforms just to be visible to their specific buyers.
Large corporations will no longer be able to leverage their widespread base to crush newcomers and dictate their fate. Mystore takes the platform’s broad visibility further by offering a rich array of in-built marketing tools. Shopify sellers on ONDC network can migrate their existing seller account to Mystore and manage multiple channels across multiple platforms from a single account.
4. It bridges the merchant-buyer gap
It seems like every run-of-the-mill company has a Shopify store today. In such a cluttered marketplace, how will you make your e-shop stand out and gain the audience’s trust? Unlike other marketplaces, your reviews and customer feedback are discoverable across the open network, thus showcasing your service quality to buyers across different platforms.
To up the level of “customer trust” a notch, vendors can now make their stores visible in multiple languages via Mystore. Leverage critical customer data to fine-tune your brand to suit your customers throughout the open network. Reach buyers across pan-India locations and product categories to boost business visibility and generate more revenues.
5. Smooth payment gateway integration and GST-complaint invoicing
For all its popularity, there’s no guarantee that Shopify’s integrated payment gateway will work smoothly; i.e. without any errors or overloadings. Users often complain that adding multiple payment options to their Shopify accounts is expensive, complex, and requires payment gateways to be added one by one.
ONDC network, however, provides complete freedom to all participants and in all aspects of a sales transaction. All the transactions will be processed and verified on the open network. Customers can integrate their Shopify channel on Mystore to add multiple payment gateways. Buyers around the country can purchase directly from you and choose their preferred payment option.
Furthermore, Mystore offers extensive features to simplify tax compliance, invoicing, and billing for sellers. Its GST-compliant invoices for Shopify sellers on ONDC network, enables sellers to stay on top of their finances and discover tax-saving opportunities.
Conclusion
Shopify is a web application that only lets you build an online store. The rest is up to you. The success of your online brand largely depends on how many eyeballs you turn. By migrating to a far-reaching network, there is simply no limit to how popular your online brand will become.
Open network is an unbiased, all-inclusive network for SMEs and hyperlocal sellers who wish to leverage India’s fast-rising eCommerce landscape to grow their business.
The ONDC network is an unbiased, all-inclusive network for SMEs and hyperlocal sellers who wish to leverage the rising eCommerce penetration in India to grow their business. Through its integrated Seller App and Buyer app, Mystore creates a seamless selling experience for Shopify merchants in India looking to participate in this novel initiative. Choose Mystore and unlock numerous benefits (such as zero subscription cost, seamless platform migration, feature-rich dashboard, built-in marketing tools, etc.) to build a solid digital presence today!
Join ONDC network via Mystore to give your business a winning edge.