Thursday January 30, 2025
Do you know Japanese seaweed (AKA wakame) is one among nature’s strongest well being elements? Darcy Recio, Founding father of Wakame Woman, harnessed these powers to create tasty wakame salad recipes bought by the jar. Accessible in Unique or Spicy flavors, these jars, full of goodness and fervour, had been as soon as delivered in individual, by Darcy, on her bike. Immediately, there are too many orders for her to maintain the enterprise shifting by bike so she sells her fashionable merchandise at native markets and thru her web site powered by Hostinger.
We caught up with Darcy to speak about how the model was born, her ambitions for the long run, and what makes this her most profitable enterprise enterprise but. We additionally uncover how Hostinger’s merchandise and options, together with Internet hosting for WordPress, are among the key elements in Wakame Woman’s recipe for on-line success.
How did Wakame Woman come to life?
Once I moved out of my dad and mom’ home, I noticed this little retailer that bought wakame, the principle ingredient of my salads. I knew I beloved it as a result of it’s in Japanese eating places nevertheless it regarded a bit bit totally different in its packaging. So, I researched it and I believed, ‘Okay, perhaps I can attempt cooking it’. The primary time I attempted, it didn’t style good in any respect as a result of I didn’t know what I used to be doing however then I requested my mother, who’s a tremendous prepare dinner, for recommendation and I went from there.
On the time it wasn’t actually a enterprise concept however I believed, ‘What if I may make this into one thing?’. The primary concept I had was Wakame Woman—not essentially the most inventive however I feel it speaks to the native markets as a result of it’s very clear and easy. Some folks don’t know what wakame is, so I simply thought, ‘Okay, let’s make an internet site’. I’ve made an internet site earlier than, albeit very very naked, so, let’s simply do it. I work in advertising and marketing full-time, so I began utilizing what I do know and studying a bit in regards to the fundamentals of HTML.
Now, I principally use wakamegirl.com for gross sales and advertising and marketing. Particularly, I’m utilizing the location to empower an expertise with consumers preferring much less contact. I take advantage of it to allow credit score and debit card funds for individuals who need extra safety, and it helps me construct a spot the place I can direct all visitors in search of extra data on me and my enterprise—kind of like a portfolio however for wakame.
Why did you determine Wakame Woman wanted an internet site?
I believed having a website would give Wakame Woman extra credibility than others may not have. Startups right here within the Philippines don’t actually have web sites and I believed perhaps that would make me stand out and provides me extra leverage as a result of, on the finish of the day, it’s additionally a ability. There are different platforms I may promote on, like Lazada and Shopee, however proper now, I don’t wish to unfold myself too skinny—I simply wish to deal with social media and my web site. That manner, I can see every thing a lot simpler when it comes to course of.
Loads of native companies right here don’t have web sites. No one desires to speculate as a result of they don’t imagine within the energy of an internet site sufficient to allocate their funds to it. Nonetheless, I imagine my web site brings Wakame Woman extra credibility and character. I’m simply barely scratching the floor of my imaginative and prescient for it however already I can showcase an outline of how it began for me. I may present return and new consumers that each one orders are dealt with with love and care, meals security and vitamin are revered, and naturally, showcase my product.
I’m very happy with my merchandise and sharing them with different wakame-lovers makes me so extremely joyful and grateful. It makes all of the product testing, creativity with advertisements, and even biking to ship merchandise all value it. Having an internet site additionally permits me to attach with individuals who additionally love wakame as a snack or facet dish for his or her poke bowls, grilled meals, and so on.
Did you construct your web site your self?
Sure, I created my web site myself. I began with some templates, however then I began making it my very own. I didn’t suppose I’d get gross sales by way of the web site, to be trustworthy, as a result of once I take into consideration how myself and different folks store right here within the Philippines, it’s normally the Amazon equal—Lazada and Shopee. I simply thought it could be a spot the place I may doc issues that aren’t on my social media.
Nonetheless, I noticed that the web site was a spot the place I may customise the journey of the folks visiting. I may create touchdown pages for particular merchandise. I may give folks extra perception into the enterprise. When it’s simply on my social media, it’s simply publish after publish. The web site supplies a unique type of engagement. Social media is the place we interact extra after which the web site is extra about individuals who wish to be taught extra. Out of all of the enterprise ventures I’ve tried, that is the one that really has gross sales, even by way of the web site, so it’s simply wonderful.
What do you suppose makes Wakame Woman uniquely profitable?
I feel it took off as a result of it’s very area of interest; not lots of people know what wakame is, so there’s a curiosity there. Persons are like, ‘What’s that? It seems to be like pickles, however they’re not cucumbers’. So, there’s curiosity round it and I used to be capable of faucet into that. Plus, I’m the one enterprise within the Philippines promoting this product cooked, which has led to extra momentum and motivation.
So, how did you discover Hostinger?
I noticed Hostinger on Reddit and on Google. I’m not too unfamiliar with it as a result of I had shoppers earlier than who had different hosts however I began taking place a rabbit gap studying about Hostinger. It appeared prefer it is perhaps the best choice for my wants. Up to now, I’m pleased with it and it’s fairly intuitive. As a result of I used to be setting it up alone, I wished one thing that will give me a walk-through with out having to speak to anybody. I’m a giant introvert, so seeing all of the assets already on the market on methods to do issues on the Hostinger platform helped me quite a bit.
How would you describe your expertise with Hostinger?
Organising my web site was genuinely a breeze with Hostinger. I’ve all the time been considerably techy however by no means had any formal coaching in IT or net growth. Hostinger’s totally different guides helped me perceive and wish to be taught extra in regards to the nuances of constructing a web site. How you can arrange electronic mail with a website, organising https and DNS, and understanding plugins—I used to be capable of arrange all these backend issues at first due to the Hostinger Academy movies, written tutorials, guides, and so on.
As for design, I’m not excellent with colour, and I by no means knew what padding was earlier than—the small UI/UX nuances had been all a thriller to me. I’ve made an internet site earlier than that failed however with Hostinger’s pricing plan, it was nice that I may simply simply add a brand new one once I bought the enterprise concept and had proof of idea. To today, I’m nonetheless studying quite a bit and Hostinger was and nonetheless is a big assist to my enterprise all through the journey.
What does the long run maintain for Wakame Woman?
There’s a lot I wish to do with Wakame Woman and I’ve a variety of imaginative and prescient for my web site. I’m speaking customized purchaser journeys by way of touchdown pages related to advertisements, testimonials in actual time, a complete dietary information for wakame flavors, and rather more. I see Wakame Woman going nationwide as a result of proper now, there’s not likely another competitor. In actual fact, final time I checked, I’m the one model in my nation that sells wakame.
I wish to scale it and provide you with a system for the success and manufacturing of the product. My dream is to have the ability to stop my 9-to-5 job and work 24/7 on my enterprise. I’ve new flavors in thoughts however you need to do the analysis with every product and have folks style it earlier than you launch a brand new sort of taste. Then, if it actually takes off, I may enterprise into totally different facet dishes. So yeah, I’ve a variety of imaginative and prescient for the way forward for my enterprise and I wouldn’t be capable to obtain it with out my web site.
Go to wakamegirl.com to be taught extra about Darcy’s story and her scrumptious salads. Go to our Internet hosting for WordPress web page to discover how our instruments may help you get your individual style of on-line success.
