South African startup Hello Pretty, an online marketplace showcasing independent designers and creatives, has launched Pretty Portable, which allows designers to embed their marketplace stores straight into websites and Facebook brand pages.
Hello Pretty, which showcases almost 1,300 design entrepreneurs, said the new feature was so simple to use “your grandmother could install it with one hand while feeding her cats with the other”.
The startup said allowing customers to buy online was imperative for small businesses, and that Pretty Portable would give designers four jointly-maintained online store presences in one – Hello Pretty, Hello Man, their brand’s Facebook page, and within their own website.
“Social media has become a vital marketing tool – you can’t argue against it’s effectiveness,” said Hello Pretty head of strategy and social Lee Geldenhuys.
“But it can be difficult to convert Facebook likes into sales. With Pretty Portable, fans don’t have to leave the comfort of the brand’s Facebook page to browse their shop. ”
Geldenhuys said Hello Pretty was proud to have removed “administrative nuisances” such as website development, invoicing, support, and payment system management from its designers, with its latest store portability feature further freeing designers to focus on doing what they do best.
