The Partner
Bluekode Solutions is one of the leading IT services companies. They've been in business since 2003. Their parent company is the Coimbatore-based Kovai Pazhamudhir Nilayam and until 2007, they focused on the POS system. Later, Bluekode moved into implementing solutions related to billing software for other supermarkets, hypermarkets, and warehouses. Today, they are moving towards cloud-based solutions. In 2021, Bluekode created a separate vertical for digital marketing, Bluekode Digital, which is an end-to-end digital agency. They've embarked to build customized applications where they provide design and brand consulting, as well as helping with UI and UX design and digital marketing. "It's not enough to provide a solution to set up a business; it's important to enable the client to promote their business online," Bluekode's Business Head, Senthil Raj Jagadeesh, said. "So we take care of a client's online presence and CRM requirements and drive their digital marketing."
The Challenge
Bluekode has rich experience in building native ecommerce applications and understanding consumer journeys, especially of legacy brands that've operated out of brick and mortar stores for decades in the market.
"The B2B space has challenges because it has varied requirements, and the customers themselves aren't fully clear about what they want on the application," Senthil said. "We are used to that process, and we also build custom applications. One size does not fit everyone. When we have a discussion with a client, we are aware of their consumer's journey as well. So, we tell them what they can build now. But we also tell them that at a later point they will need another specific feature or solution to be added. When it comes to ecommerce players, they say they want an online store built and nothing else. I point out how they can effectively use data to make more informed business decisions and also market their products more effectively."
Solution and Benefits
Senthil points out how they went about solving ecommerce challenges for their clients with Zoho Commerce. Blukode set up the online store for Kovai Snacks, which is a product of Pazhamudhir Nilayam.
"The first challenge for our digital marketing teams was that we had to build this website independent of the brand name of its parent company. The customer base had to be created from the beginning, the look had to be brand new, and the UX had to be top notch. The next challenge was that the savories sold on the store were unique to the Kongu belt (the region surrounding Coimbatore, in India) and we had to sell this to the people in other geographies as well, who might not have tasted savories from this region. This brought to fore the importance of good photographs on an ecommerce platform. It also made us realize the importance of apt product description. We also used native languages to help users who might be from a non-English speaking background. The ingredients were listed in detail because we wanted to promote these products as health snacks and wanted people to know what they contained."
Bluekode focused on quality product shots and also used vernacular language to cater to non-English speaking customers of Kovai Snacks
For this, team Bluekode had to spend time with the business leaders. "A lot of this is consultative work and is an ongoing process. It doesn't end when the store goes live. When customers seek specific modifications, we can do that now. We try to forecast what their requirements would be and we take care of it right at the beginning stage itself. Most partners just set up the store and one has to go to another vendor for other business requirements. But we take care of the complete business ecosystem related to ecommerce. A product like Zoho Commerce gives you that option. The customizations we did for Heritage Essentials is something we intend to use as a testament to move our Zoho Commerce implementations forward. These were mostly with respect to the cart, sign-in feature, and integrations."
Senthil believes that any client that wishes to expand their business would be a potential user of Zoho Commerce. "There are limitations to an offline store. You cannot expand unless you open more stores in other cities. It is an expensive move. With Zoho Commerce, you can expand your business without changing your physical presence. For instance, our client Kadambari, which sells silk saris, is a Coimbatore-based store but now is enjoying a wide clientele across India thanks to their online store."
He also cites the example of another brand, Girlish. "They chose Zoho Commerce purely based on its functionality. Commerce is easy to work with. With Shopify or Magento, you have to buy a lot of plugins and maintain them. The Zoho Commerce package covers it all."
Bluekode has seen success with natively built applications. At a time when low-code and no-code solutions are coming up, Senthil feels that for a customer, the first success point is how soon they can get the business online and expanded. "Speed is important. A customer simply seeks to plug and play the solution for their business. Another aspect is cost, especially for the smaller players. In that sense, Zoho Commerce is fast, efficient, and cost effective."
Looking Ahead
Bluekode wants to be associated with Zoho in the longer run as implementation partners. "Whatever ecommerce projects come to us, we want to move it with Zoho. It is a strong stand taken at the leadership level. Every ecosystem is already set up. We just need to use it better for customer experience. We would also want to build our brand with Zoho's ecommerce solutions."