7 things nobody explained to you about Open Network For Digital Commerce Protocol

The government-backed ONDC network has emerged as a game changer in the Indian e-commerce ecosystem due to its fair and transparent digital commerce network. While its potential for equal opportunities, healthy competition, direct connectivity, etc is widely recognized, several Open Network for Digital Commerce protocol aspects still need to be explained or explored. 

In this blog, we will delve into several crucial aspects of the ONDC network that have yet to be explained and highlight the opportunities this transformative open protocol provides.

Before diving deep to unveil the ONDC network's promising features, let us look closely at the staggering figures on the growth of the ONDC network so far.

The Growth of the ONDC Network: A Statistical Overview

• 2.3 lakh sellers and service providers are currently onboarded on the ONDC network
• 1,60,000 transactions are done on the ONDC network daily
• 1.2 million transactions have been done across 600+ cities on the ONDC network during the Diwali week
• 3,0000-4,0000 sellers every week onboard the ONDC network 
• 2.5 lakh will be the daily transactions done on the ONDC network by the end of FY24 
• 3000+ FPOs have registered on the ONDC network through various seller network participants
• 400+ Self-Help Groups (SHGs), micro-entrepreneurs, and social sector enterprises have onboarded the network with the aid of SIDBI

(Source: Economic Times, Outlook, Business Today, The Hindu business line, PIB Gov)

These promising figures show the substantial growth of the revolutionary open network in the Indian ecommerce space. 

7 things nobody explained to you about Open Network For Digital Commerce Protocol

Let's unveil the untold aspects of the ONDC network that provide comprehensive insights about its unexplored potential. Let’s explore the reasons why you should register and list on ONDC network to grow your business to new heights.

1. Whatever your business size you can join ONDC Network

Yes, businesses of every size and scale can join the ONDC network to attract, engage, and convert pan-India customers. No matter in which industry you are, whether you have a small mom-and-pop shop, or you are an owner of an enterprise business that has a network of sellers/distributors, or even a startup team or an individual seller, you can easily join the ONDC network. What only matters is you have a business and you are eligible to register as a seller on the ONDC network and start your digital journey.

The Open Network for Digital Commerce protocol is designed to promote transparency and fair competition between businesses of every scale and size. Small businesses that were previously deprived of the benefits of online selling or could not get adequate exposure in the marketplace-dominated eCommerce ecosystem can now easily register and sell on the ONDC network. SMEs, FPOs, retailers, hyperlocal sellers, artisans, craftsmen, manufacturers, D2C companies, enterprises, and more can now leverage the open-to-all nature of the ONDC network to build their online presence and unlock new growth opportunities. 

The ONDC network ecommerce solutions save you from technical hassles and money constraints as the open network seller NPs like Mystore Seller App offer advanced built-in features and tools to meet your requirements in the changing ecommerce dynamics. Moreover, the ONDC network and its network participants charge only minimal commissions as compared to traditional marketplaces which significantly leads to cost saving for your enterprise business.. 

2. You have the freedom to choose your tech solution provider

The ONDC network caters to diverse business needs by providing a host of network participants service providers to the businesses. As a seller, you can freely choose your preferred technology service providers to reduce in-house tech setup costs and streamline your business operations.

Many tech solution providers offer ONDC network-connected seller apps to register and sell on ONDC network. You are free to choose any seller app to list on ONDC network. registering on the ONDC network using any seller app can increase the discoverability of your products to the diverse customer base across all buyer apps.

Built on MACH architecture and PCI-DSS compliant platform, the Mystore Seller app provides multi-level security and a range of built-in tools to manage huge product catalogs, orders, payouts, distributor networks, etc. It helps to increase the efficiency and performance of your business by automating the business operations.

Moreover, Mystore provides you with the flexibility to choose from a host of on-network logistics providers across the country or choose your preferred logistics partners to streamline the order fulfillment process

3. Nobody dictates business rules to you

Making strategic decisions is essential for any business to survive and thrive in the competitive digital landscape. Due to the extensive dominance of marketplace giants in Indian ecommerce, sellers have been deprived of the opportunity to make their own business decisions for years. 

On traditional marketplaces, sellers were bound to follow the restrictive rules and policies set by the big marketplaces. This is what the Open Network for Digital Commerce does away with by providing businesses all the power to manage their business on their own rules. 

Yes, you heard it right! 

With the ONDC network, not only you can take your business to the digital world but also make your own rules to take your business to the next level. 

When you register your business and list on ONDC network, you have the freedom to manage your business by setting your own rules. You can easily set and manage product prices, discounts, shipping charges, shipping time, return refund,  cancellation policy, etc.

All these factors are the major aspects of the strategic business move, and registering on the government-backed ONDC network is what exactly provides you with the opportunity to do so. 

4. You can gain good traffic without investing in ads

As a business, it must be your first and ultimate goal to gain more traffic and new customers to grow your business. Earlier it was not possible to take your business to large buyer segments without investing hefty amounts in ads and promotions. Even after investing a huge amount in ads, it still does not guarantee more traffic and brand awareness. This is the main reason why most businesses, especially small ones, don't choose to go online. But with the ONDC network, this is not the case.

You know what, the Open Network for Digital Commerce protocol is a getaway to find more traffic for your business without advertisements and promotions. 

Wondering how?

The ONDC network offers a unique advantage by providing access to a diverse pool of potential customers without relying on advertisement expenditure. Through the wide reach of the open network and interconnectivity between different seller apps, your products gain visibility on multiple buyer apps. The ONDC network hyperlocal commerce, leveraging which, your seller/distributor network can organically attract local traffic and reduce the need for heavy advertising investments. By maximizing the ONDC network's visibility and cross-app functionalities, you can tap into a broader audience base without extensive advertising costs.

5. Building multiple sales channels is possible

As we know, to satisfy new-age customers, a business should be present everywhere, which is a big challenge.  If your business is not available on 4-6 sales channels, your customers will migrate to your competitors. 

If you are also struggling to make your brand available on multiple channels, the ONDC network is a big privilege for you.  The ONDC network’s ecommerce solution empowers sellers to diversify their sales channels efficiently. The Mystore Seller app is built on advanced mobile-first technology and helps brands build a strong mobile presence. While other seller apps just provide a mobile app presence, Mystore seller app also has a PWA site where sellers can have their own page and unique QR code to sell on ONDC network.

Register and list on ONDC network using the Mystore Seller App to build multiple touchpoints for your business via mobile apps, and PWA pages.Also integrate your business with marketplaces using popular integration services of Unicommerce, Browntape, etc.

This flexibility enables you to not only tap into varied customer segments but also mitigate risks associated with relying on a single sales channel. Through strategic utilization of the ONDC network, you can establish a robust presence across various buyer apps and subsequently enhance market reach and customer engagement.

6. Fulfillment is easier than you thought

Order fulfillment is what leads to more orders, and for any business getting orders is the main goal. Businesses have to face many challenges in the process of streamlining order fulfillment. 

But when you sell online through the ONDC network, you can easily optimize your order fulfillment using integrated logistics solutions. The ONDC network offers a host of on-network logistics partners who offer delivery solutions at discounted rates. 

You can easily choose from 20+ integrated logistics providers on the ONDC network for your hyperlocal, intercity, and intracity order fulfilment. Moreover, you can use a combination of on-network logistics services and your preferred off-network logistics providers.

Using ONDC network ecommerce solutions from the Mystore Seller app, you can switch between a variety of on-network and off-network logistics solutions to streamline order fulfillment and optimize your fulfilment costs

7. Data-driven insights can strategize your growth decisions

Customer data and buying trends play a major role in any business’ growth. When a seller chooses to sell online through any marketplace channel, they do not have complete access to the data and insights. Due to this, they are unable to make strategies and informed decisions for their business to gain more customers and increase sales. 

This limitation of selling on marketplaces has been taken away by the democratic ONDC network.

Unlike selling on traditional marketplaces, where you have limited access to customer and market insights, on the Open Network for Digital Commerce protocol, you will have full access to comprehensive data related to customer behavior, product performance, buying trends, etc. By leveraging these data-driven insights you can optimize product offerings, fine-tune marketing strategies, identify growth opportunities, and make informed decisions for your business.

By taking advantage of data, you can align your business operations more effectively with market demands and drive sustained growth within the ONDC network.

How the Mystore Seller app helps to take your business to the next level on the ONDC network

The Mystore Seller app is a leading ONDC network-connected marketplace that provides advanced ecommerce solutions for diverse businesses including SMEs, social sector sellers, D2C brands, enterprise businesses, etc. 

Using Mystore’s incredibly easy-to-use solutions, you can take your business online through the ONDC network.

Here are the features of the Mystore Seller app using which you can unlock new growth opportunities for your business:

1. Ready-to-use solutions to run your business smoothly
2. Easy registration with bank account details and GSTIN number and licenses ( for enterprise business where applicable)
3. Multilingual admin panel to manage the store in your preferred language
4. Mystore is built on a PCI-DSS-compliant platform that provides multilevel security to sellers
5. On-network logistic solutions to streamline order fulfillment
6. Product management, inventory management, and order management solutions
7. Mystore provides a built-in tax engine to generate GST-compliant invoicing
8. Get your own seller page and unique QR code to retain customers
9. Mystore is built on the latest technology (MEAN stack, MACH architecture) to and gives your business immense flexibility, scalability, and performance Hassle-free channel integration to pull products from existing Amazon, Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento stores
10. Enterprise ecommerce solutions like multistore management, master catalog, seller manager feature etc to manage the complex and diverse requirements of enterprise-grade businesses
11. Easy integration with ERP, CRM, accounting, and other software used by enterprise businesses 

Conclusion

The ONDC network is going to transform the digital ecosystem of India to a whole new level. Government support, easy-to-use digital solutions, and accessibility to the pan-India market make the ONDC network an ultimate choice for every seller to start their online journey. 

If you have not started your journey on the ONDC network yet, do it right away and harness the power of the Open Network for Digital Commerce protocol. Increase your customer base and unlock new horizons for your business growth. 

Ready to register your business and list on ONDC network?

Explore the revolutionary ONDC network on the Mystore seller app and start your seller’s journey right away.