With the high increase in internet use on smartphones, online shopping has been pretty much what many people use to purchase goods.
The popularity of E-commerce sites like Konga, Jumia, Payporte, and Yudal has given lots of hope to other upcoming online shops.
Starting an online shop that will stand out requires lots of planning and preparation.
This article on how to start an online shopping store in Nigeria will explain in great detail the steps to take in creating a successful E-commerce store.
Basic Steps To Starting An Online Store In Nigeria
Below are some of the important steps that you need to take while starting up an online store;
Register Your Business
The first step to starting an online business is to register your business with the appropriate business name with the corporate affairs commission (CAC).
By registering your business with CAC, you will be able to open a bank account with the same name.
You will also have many customers trusting you even though they have not seen you before.
Remember to use a name that will help make your online store stand out.
Choose Your Products
Choosing the product you want is one of the most challenging parts of starting this online business.
It is difficult because you need to do lots of research to get products that are profitable despite you not being the first person to start selling them.
Choosing the right products is very tricky. But if you have a target audience in mind it will be way easier.
There are many ways you can find profitable products. One is by finding what is trending more on the internet.
Another is by going with what you are passionate about.
Identify Your Target Audience
Another step you shouldn’t forget is knowing the audience that you need to target.
If you have already chosen the product you are going to sell, this will not be very difficult.
You need to ask yourself some questions like; who will buy these products? Which age grade buys them? What is their location? Is there any specific gender that buys them?
All this information will help you know the particular people that you will look out to when marketing your goods.
For example, if you sell female adult wears, chances are that you already know the answers to your above question with female wear as your product.
In the online store business, it is very important to know your potential customers as this will help your business grow.
Find A Good Supplier
Once you figure out your ideal product and audience, the next step is to find a supplier that is reliable and will also give you discounts.
This is one of the hardest parts of starting an online store. Finding a good whole supplier is not easy as it requires lots of research.
You will need to dig deeper to understand where other successful online vendors get theirs.
Check out reviews from vendors Alibaba, Aliexpress, IndiaMart, Salehoo, and DHgate on some of the products you may need to understand what others say about them.
Choose An Online Store
This is another difficult step because not only will the store be one that meets your needs, but also one that you can afford.
Most online businesses in Nigeria make use of tools like WordPress, Woocommerce, Shopify, Squarespace, and more.
WordPress and Shopify are the most common ones because they meet most of your needs and are also affordable for a beginner.
Setup Your Website
To set up your website, you need to add a catalog containing picture samples of your products.
These pictures need to be from the right angle, must have enough light, and must be good enough to catch lots of attention.
The website should also contain the product description and maybe videos of the live product as well as the edited one.
Your product description should not contain more than 400 words. It should be short and precise.
If you are not a good writer, you can employ one to write catchy phrases that will intrigue the interest of potential customers that visit your site.
Select Payment Platform
Since technology is improving every day, we are also advancing with it. If one can shop online, payment for goods will also be online.
Therefore, you need to learn about different payment getaways and also have an account with them so that customers can easily make payments.
Some of the most popular ones are Paystack, Flutterwave, Cashenvoy, Paypal, 2Checkout, Amplify, Vogue Pay, GTPay, Interswitch Webpay, Remita, PayU, etc.
Provide A Means Of Delivery
Not everyone will be able to come and pick up their goods from your outlet if you have one.
Many will prefer it to be delivered to them at their doorstep. It is either you start up your own home delivery service or use third-party logistics.
Since you are just starting and do not have lots of customers yet, it is better to go with the last one.
But as time goes on, you can train your staff to do delivery them themselves as this will help you interact more with your customers and also get direct feedback.
Some of the most popular logistic services in Nigeria include;
- FedEx Nigeria
- DHL
- GIG Logistics
- AGS Movers Lagos
- Courier Plus Services Limited
Market Your Brand
With everything set and in other, you need to increase your audience to start making sales.
People can’t discover your brand if it is not out there. You need to promote your business more.
You can advertise your brand with social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and so on.
Start by creating very strategic write-ups with videos and pictures to be posted on these platforms.
Final Submission
As the saying goes “No good thing comes easy”, the journey to becoming a successful online vendor is not an easy one.
There are lots of bumps and challenges along the way. It requires lots of patience and perseverance.
However, with the right steps carefully planned and followed, you will be able to build a successful E-commerce business.