Let’s say it as it is – e-commerce is on the rise in Nigeria and physical stores now go beyond their stores by keeping their presence online so that they can keep the fleeting attention of their customers. Statistics have shown that e-commerce is rising rapidly in Nigeria. With the introduction of the electronic card system of payment and the gradual increase of internet access, e-commerce is determined to stay – Konga and Jumia. There is also an increase in how Nigerian businesses – small and medium sized are taking their places on the web by launching websites.
So, if Nigerians are currently into e-commerce and you are not making sales, then your website must be doing something wrong. Here are our top four reasons why your site may not be doing well.
1.
Shipping charges are high: I stumbled across some nice pair of shoes on a particular Nigerian site which I fell in love with instantly. The total cost was N7,000 so I went to check out to buy the shoes only to find out that I had to pay another N1,000 for it to be delivered in Lagos. If I wanted it delivered out of Lagos, it would cost me an additional N3,000. Your guess is as good as mine! My advice for this website owner is to stop discouraging and putting off interested shoppers with its ridiculous charges!
2.
Insufficient product information: So, you take a lot of cool shots of your product, you upload them online for customers to buy , and then you write one or two pieces of information about the product under the product description. Let me advise you now that it is not enough. You have to show your potential customers that you really know the worth of your product by describing in detail what they can see in pictures. It is like meeting a new person online – the person sells him or herself nicely online in order to generate interest from potential partners. This of course can become a problem when online and real life doesn’t match. So, go beyond those cool photos and tell your potential customers who see your products that you really know your stuff.
3.
No customer service: To increase sales, you must be customer oriented meaning customers should be able to reach you by phone, by email, through chat – any means that will respond to their questions quickly. Because of the numerous options for products e-commerce sales provide customers, sometimes they are unclear on what they should buy and they need instant customer service at that point to put them through. Statistics have shown that SMEs who talk to their customers before, during and after sales have more business than those that don’t. You therefore need to get a reliable Call Base centre to meet your customers’ needs, 24-7 customer service through email and chat to answer as soon as possible the questions of your customers.
4.
The checkout process is unclear: This one is the most annoying of it all. You have gotten your customers to the check out area and then, they cannot find that button that should be made more obvious more than anything – The check out button – WHAT? You don’t need to tell more stories on your check out page. Telling stories on the check out page can do more harm than good to your sales. Once your customer is convinced of what he or she wants to buy and clicks the check out option, please, no more words, let the check out button be as big as possible for all to see.
You should check out Konga, Jumia and Gidimall to see prototypes of how an effective E-Commerce website looks and functions. Change these things today and you will call in more sales than you previously had.
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This article was first published on 8th May 2014
Comments (1)
Let’s say it as it is – e-commerce is on the rise in Nigeria and physical stores now go beyond their stores by keeping their presence online so that they can keep the fleeting attention of their customers. Statistics have shown that e-commerce is rising rapidly in Nigeria. With the introduction of the electronic card system of payment and the gradual increase of internet access, e-commerce is determined to stay – Konga and Jumia. There is also an increase in how Nigerian businesses – small and medium sized are taking their places on the web by launching websites.
So, if Nigerians are currently into e-commerce and you are not making sales, then your website must be doing something wrong. Here are our top four reasons why your site may not be doing well.
1. Shipping charges are high: I stumbled across some nice pair of shoes on a particular Nigerian site which I fell in love with instantly. The total cost was N7,000 so I went to check out to buy the shoes only to find out that I had to pay another N1,000 for it to be delivered in Lagos. If I wanted it delivered out of Lagos, it would cost me an additional N3,000. Your guess is as good as mine! My advice for this website owner is to stop discouraging and putting off interested shoppers with its ridiculous charges!
2. Insufficient product information: So, you take a lot of cool shots of your product, you upload them online for customers to buy , and then you write one or two pieces of information about the product under the product description. Let me advise you now that it is not enough. You have to show your potential customers that you really know the worth of your product by describing in detail what they can see in pictures. It is like meeting a new person online – the person sells him or herself nicely online in order to generate interest from potential partners. This of course can become a problem when online and real life doesn’t match. So, go beyond those cool photos and tell your potential customers who see your products that you really know your stuff.
3. No customer service: To increase sales, you must be customer oriented meaning customers should be able to reach you by phone, by email, through chat – any means that will respond to their questions quickly. Because of the numerous options for products e-commerce sales provide customers, sometimes they are unclear on what they should buy and they need instant customer service at that point to put them through. Statistics have shown that SMEs who talk to their customers before, during and after sales have more business than those that don’t. You therefore need to get a reliable Call Base centre to meet your customers’ needs, 24-7 customer service through email and chat to answer as soon as possible the questions of your customers.
4. The checkout process is unclear: This one is the most annoying of it all. You have gotten your customers to the check out area and then, they cannot find that button that should be made more obvious more than anything – The check out button – WHAT? You don’t need to tell more stories on your check out page. Telling stories on the check out page can do more harm than good to your sales. Once your customer is convinced of what he or she wants to buy and clicks the check out option, please, no more words, let the check out button be as big as possible for all to see.
You should check out Konga, Jumia and Gidimall to see prototypes of how an effective E-Commerce website looks and functions. Change these things today and you will call in more sales than you previously had.
Lovely piece.