5 Things To Consider Before Starting An Online Retail Store In Nigeria

CourierPlusNG
Aug 9, 2017 · 3 min read
Photo by Chris Adamus on Unsplash

You have done your research. The product you are about to sell is a high convenience good. There is no doubt that consumers will need and love it. You’ve also been told you can have your eCommerce store up and running in no time, all you need to do is choose from the plethora of available vendors and you’ll be in business in no time.

We put together a quick checklist of what you need to look out for before launching that glossy high-street style online store:

1. Quality products: If you are producing yourself, ensure your products go through the right quality checks before they are ready for hitting the web-store shelves. If you are sourcing from a supplier, ensure to carry out the necessary background checks before deciding on a supplier. BTW we have an expert team in place to assist with international sourcing especially for countries like China. (But that’s a topic for another post).

2. Strong imagery: This can be an easy trap for retailers who are sourcing products from an established supplier. It’s easy to get comfortable using the images from the manufacturer like a thousand other retailers. You have to understand that the average online user has a short attention span and you need sharp, colourful images to hold their attention. Check out these product images that just make you want to buy! Case in point

3. Design & navigation: Think of your website in terms of your neighbourhood grocery shop and if navigating it was like going through a maze, that will greatly impact the number of times you will choose to visit the shop. Don’t skim on your web design and layout. Make the navigation as easy as possible and let customers be able to view your products in a glance. Case in point

4. Payment process: If you are Nigerian and live in Nigeria, you will understand what trust issues mean hence most online buyers usually opt for the cash on delivery method of selling their products. Don’t assume that every visitor to your site will be Nigerian and will have trust issues. They could be Nigerians who have dealt with their trust issues so endeavour to reach out to any of the available payment platforms for a payment gateway to be integrated with your website. You can check here or here for more information.

5. Shipment & delivery: Your preferred route of delivery has the ability to make or mar your entire business operation. We will advise you research adequately on the logistics partners available and choose someone who has mastered the niche market you are interested in. You definitely need a partner who has a deep knowledge of the region where your customers are located, this helps prevent late deliveries and mishandling of goods as well as additional convenience for your customers. We’d recommend your friendly neighbourhood delivery guy here

If you found any of the points above helpful, kindly share with your friends and be sure to share your experiences if there’s anything we may have left out. We are always available for a chat as some of our ecommerce experts will guide you on how to start and begin shipping your products to customers who desperately need it.

Till our next story,

XX,

The CPlus Team.

CourierPlusNG
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