With Nigeria ranking the 3rd in online mobile shopping worldwide and Africas leaders in eCommerce, there has never been a better time for small businesses to start selling online. eCommerce is booming in almost every sector ranging from fashion to real estates, constructions, automobile, the list continues, not to mention the giant eCommerce companies presently.
Consumers have come to expect online ordering from even the smallest businesses. Our own research found that 56% expect small businesses to offer online shopping capabilities. With so many small businesses already cashing in on eCommerce, you could already be losing out to your competitors if you dont sell online.
Even customers who dont wish to buy online still expect to find product information on a business website 62% said they browse online before purchasing a product in store.
If you havent considered selling online, just think about the size of the audience youre missing out on. eCommerce allows you to sell your products to anywhere in the world, meaning you are no longer restricted to the local area. This equates to incredible potential for increased sales and profits.
Many small businesses have realised this potential, and have chosen to sell their products on multi-vendors eCommerce sites or even via their Facebook page. This does not give an impression of professionalism. The main benefit of eCommerce is that it allows the smallest businesses to compete with the largest youd never see a large, successful business sending their customers to where their competitors are to buy their products. Its best to have an eCommerce solution integrated with your business website. This means you can manage your whole sales process through your site, from advertising your products to taking payment and organising delivery.
The good news is, its not as complicated as you might think to create an eCommerce website. There are several open-source platforms available out there ranging from Opencart to Magneto, WordPress, Shopify, etc that can be used to integrate your store online. Better still, click Here to get the service of an expert create an online store for you.
eCommerce has a great future in Nigeria but one thing that must be addressed is the issue of Cash on Delivery. This has resulted in an increase in returned orders which is biting hard in this business model. Nevertheless, measures can be taken to curb out this in excess when properly done, which will be suggested in the next episode of this write-up.