Coding? Photoshop? The Boss Doesn't Need to Know

Easy Website and Shopping Mall Platform I’mweb CEO Lee Sumo

Isumo, CEO of I’m Web

"A world where all websites and online stores can be created with I’m Web," the ambition expressed by Lee Sumo, CEO of I’m Web, carries two meanings. One is to implement ‘anything’ needed for websites and online stores through I’m Web, and more importantly, that ‘anyone’ should be able to do it. This is why I’m Web focuses on providing services that are easily accessible to small business owners. As demand for online business transformation surged due to COVID-19, Lee’s ambition aligned with the social challenge of helping small business owners overcome crises and achieve a new leap forward.

Lee said, "We aim to provide a service that ensures small business owners have no inconvenience in online business as long as they use I’m Web." I’m Web offers a solution that allows individuals or small brands to easily create websites and online stores without specialized knowledge such as development, Photoshop, or coding. It supports various design modes while being easy to use, enabling high-quality results. Anyone can do it with simple mouse operations, gaining strong support from small business owners and solo sellers who find it difficult to afford developer labor costs or expensive outsourcing.

There were website building solutions before, but the cost burden was high, and maintaining them smoothly required hiring developers, making access difficult for small business owners. According to Lee, I’m Web simplifies this so that small business owners can focus on the essence of their business. He said, "If you can use a blog or PowerPoint, anyone can create an online store," adding, "The advantage is that you can create and manage websites and online stores without the hurdle of coding."

There are also advantages compared to using open market services of e-commerce companies. Lee said, “When doing online business through open markets, high fees are a burden and customer data could not be utilized,” and added, “I’m Web provides the ability to analyze customer data for continuous sales, not just one-time sales.” This means supporting any small business owner to sell their own brand.

Because of this, many of I’m Web’s clients are first-time challengers in online commerce. It is establishing itself as a platform growing together with small business owners. Currently, 350,000 sites have been created through I’m Web, of which 30,000 to 40,000 are paid users, and about 10,000 operate online stores. The growth rate is also fast. Lee explained, “We are growing about twice as much year-over-year.” This has led to I’m Web surpassing a cumulative transaction amount of 1.3 trillion KRW as of August this year. He said, “On an annual basis, the transaction amount is currently around 600 billion KRW, about twice as much as before COVID-19,” and “It is expected to reach 1 trillion KRW in annual transaction volume next year.”

Now, I’m Web is focusing its capabilities beyond ‘anyone’ to ‘anything.’ It recently introduced fulfillment services and subscription services. It also plans to expand the I’m Web ecosystem by allowing external companies to provide services to customers. Lee said, “Previously, small to medium-sized sellers were the core, but now we will leap to services that can also encompass large-scale sellers,” and explained, “We plan to introduce various additional services, such as functions that integrate marketplace product order management.”

Following its entry into Taiwan last year, I’m Web is pioneering new overseas markets. Lee said, “We plan to launch English services targeting the North American market in the first half of next year,” and “We also plan to enter Southeast Asian and Japanese markets.”