Edison Lestari

"All I need is a laptop and an Internet connection and — boom — I have an office," says William.

My Jakarta: William Tanuwijaya, Internet Entrepreneur

William Tanuwijaya established Tokopedia.com last year with the goal of easing Indonesians into the world of virtual transactions. In less than six months, William’s “marketplace” has attracted 20,000 members and helped to build more than 2,000 shops, making Tokopedia the online version of Indonesians’ favorite place to be — the mall.

How did you come up with the idea for Tokopedia?

After I graduated in 2003, I worked at various information technology companies, including ones that dealt with computer games, Web sites and mobile content development. But none of them really sparked my passion. Then, in 2009, my partner and I found an investor who believed in our idea.

Where did you get the inspiration for your Web site?

We were observing the behavior of Internet users in Indonesia. There has been a demand for a better online trading environment in the last couple of years, beyond the usual social media sites, blogs and even online forums. These types of sites weren’t really built specifically for the purpose of trading, so sometimes they attract scams and things like that. So I thought to myself, why not create an online marketplace that people can trust and feel secure and comfortable about that’s free of charge.

In a nutshell, how does your Web site help me improve my business?

Our site allows people to easily open their online stores free of charge. We use a special mechanism to make sure all transactions are made secure.

How difficult it is to design a Web site?

It really depends. If you want to build a sophisticated Web site, it’s definitely not easy. But you don’t need to have IT skills to make a simple Web site. There are lots of tools out there that can help you out. You can simply use social media Web sites or blogs or go to Tokopedia.

How many clients do you have now?

We have more than 20,000 registered members, 2,200 active shops, 37,000 products, and over 17,000 visitors a day.

Where do most of these visitors come from?

Fifty-five percent of them come from Jakarta, and the rest come from more than 300 cities around the world. But most of the entrepreneurs who open their online stores are from Jakarta.

How important is a catchy name to an e-business?

A catchy name is essential, because users develop an immediate recognition of the product. But then again, as long as the food is great, for example, people will always go to a restaurant no matter how hard it is to access its location or remember its name.

What do you think is the future of e-business in Indonesia?

I think it’s really promising. Indonesians are more and more educated about how the Internet works. I believe our country will experience a dramatic increase in the number of Internet users in the years to come.

How optimistic are you about this forecast?

Jakarta’s main advantage is it has a better Internet infrastructure than other cities. And people have a tendency to follow trends. If one person uses a BlackBerry, you can expect more people to follow. That’s what makes Jakarta such an attractive target market.

Do you think it’s really safe to conduct transactions on the Web in Indonesia?

I believe online shopping is safer and simpler. I personally choose to make transactions online because it’s easier. It’s OK to trust Web sites, but if that’s difficult for you to do, you can always verify their reputation.

What other advice can you give to reluctant customers?

Choose the Web sites carefully before deciding to buy something. If it’s your first time to purchase stuff online and you don’t trust a Web site, it’s better to pay cash on delivery. You don’t want to risk giving out your credit card number to a dubious Web site.

The usual stereotype of IT people is that they are nerds. How do you feel about that?

I have absolutely no problem being call a nerd — none at all. In fact, geeks are cool nowadays. Go watch “Chuck” if you’re still unsure about it.

How do you typically spend your day?

I spend nearly all of my time on the Internet. After I’m done at the office, and if I don’t hang out with friends, I just go back and sit in front of my computer again.

The Google generation tends to work at places like cafes. Is your ‘office’ in a cafe, too?

All I need is a laptop and an Internet connection and — boom — I have an office, but I really don’t go to cafes with the sole intention of working.

What improvements do you want to see take place with e-commerce in the country?

Making the Internet infrastructure as wide-reaching as possible and as fast as possible, but for a more reasonable price.

What do you see in terms of Tokopedia’s future?

We want it to become the largest and safest online marketplace in the country. We want Indonesians to equate Tokopedia with being the best and being the first.

William Tanuwijaya was talking to Edison Lestari.

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