Do you want to learn how to start an e-commerce business in Nigeria? The E-commerce business in Nigeria has witnessed a lot of transformation through technology. This has affected how we conduct commerce. The exchange of goods and services for money is now coming under a revolution that has never been seen before in human history. Due to population increase, demand for many things keeps growing.
Consumers now want things shipped to them in the comfort of their homes. Because of this reason for demands and possible means of starting a business around this, I am giving you a step-by-step guide on how to start an e-commerce business in Nigeria.
Jumia, Konga, and the rest have set a template for running a profitable e-commerce business in Nigeria. They have championed the course and this is a good example that e-commerce has come to stay. E-commerce is a tested and trusted business model you can do in Nigeria.
Choose Your Products
Your product choice equally determines how easy your e-commerce business will be. In fact, it is advisable not to start creating anything until you pick the right product. Not all products can be sold online, get this point clear. Sourcing the right products from a good supplier ensures you are profitable in the business and competitive. You could source locally or internationally. These are examples of countries to import your products from – China, Turkey, the USA, and Singapore. Numerous products are available to sell like health products, cosmetics, kitchen safety products, diapers etc
Get Online Store
This stage of your business is very important as other things that make it eCommerce hinge around your store. Just like a mortar and wall business, an online store is like to e-commerce business. Your customers will be able to use your store as means to connect with you. A service of a web developer will be needed to set it up. It is a bit expensive to set this up as a beginner but if you can’t afford this, there are online marketplace you can leverage on. Such as Jumia, Konga etc.
Pick Good Logistics Partners
The speed of your delivery is very key to keeping up with the time. Timely delivery makes your customers happy. Speedy delivery will make them give you a good review and a high rating. But this can’t happen when you choose the wrong logistics companies. Pick the best possible logistics companies for your deliveries. Ensure to employ the service of companies that deliver your goods appropriately and keep your money safe for you.
Get CAC Registration Approval
CAC stands for Corporate Affairs Commission. It is the government agency responsible for registering companies and formulating policies governing business affairs in Nigeria. To make your business authentic to your customers, you will need to be registered with this commission. You rest assured that your business is legally recognized. For opening a bank account with any commercial bank you need a certificate of registration with this Commission. If you have not done that you can call one of their accredited agents Ezekiel Arowolo +234 803 074 0550.
Create A Marketing Strategy
How do you want to tell your customers you have some products for sale? Planning your marketing tactic is crucial. There are several online channels to market your goods and services to your customers. You can use Facebook, Google even LinkedIn to sell your products. You can learn how to run Facebook advertisements to boost your skill in running an online advertisement for your e-commerce. Possibly you can outsource this to an agency to handle it for you.
Payment Method and Gate Way System
POD ( Pay on Delivery) is one method of payment used in e-commerce. You can have another method – pay before delivery. The PoD is just the order of the day for some products. But you can look into the method that suits your business. Payment before goods is delivered means you have a means of collecting from your customers. The implication is that you need to install a payment gateway into your e-commerce website. One of the payment processors you can use is Paystack or Flutter wave, Selar.
Conclusion
Ecommerce business has become the order of the day in Nigeria today. Big players are beginning to see the need to be part of this juicy industry. As it stands Amazon is coming into Nigeria’s e-commerce space soon. This will definitely change the way e-commerce is done and therefore strengthen the industry. Besides you can ship things to the global community. So this is the right time to position yourself as an online merchant. What are you waiting for?
