Do you know that over 90% of businesses that create a website and other kinds of online presence don’t earn any sales from these platforms? I am sure that all these businesses had created a website in the first place to get new leads and sell more.
If you are reading this then you are probably one of these businesses and are looking for new ways to grow your online business to crush your competition. Here are reasons why you could be failing online.
- Your Business does not loan in less than 5 seconds
Thinking of growing your business online and not having a website would be really funny. So, I am assuming you already have a business website.
But does your website load fast? According to a research, more than 60% of a website’s visitors would leave if it loads slower than 5 seconds. Imagine doing all the hard work to bring your potential customers to your site only to have them leave before they even get a chance to meet you? That sucks right?
So, how can you fix it? Maybe it is time to consider switching to a good hosting provider. If your target customers are Nigerians then you must choose a local
web hosting in Nigeria as this will decrease the load time of your site. Hosting your website locally will decrease the latency.
- Are you marketing to the right audience?
Most startups fail because they do not reach out to the right customers. For instance, if you want to sell men’s designer jeans online, your target customer is probably a man below the age of 35 who is an avid Facebook user. So wouldn’t Facebook ads be best to reach him?
If you have your customer-profile, then you can get your brand in front of them through highly targeted online ads.
However, advertising on this same platform might not work if you’re, for instance, a stockbroker. Advertising on
ConnectNigeria or Google Ads would work better for getting customers for your company.
In conclusion, you must have detailed information about your target audience so that you can reach out to them through the right channel. It will greatly benefit you in taking the right decisions regarding product development and how to market it.
- Are your customers your salesmen?
What if your existing customers refer you to new potential customers. Wouldn’t that be great?
Building a satisfying product will help you gain customers by just word of mouth. You can even take it to the next level with a referral program: whenever an old customer refers a new one, you can award them with discount coupons or even cash (if your margin lets you do that) to encourage them to refer more.
This method can give you explosive growth if you have a viral product.
Is your target audience in Nigeria? Do your website and profile relect this?
If you are running a website to target Nigerians then not having a Nigerian domain is a killer mistake. According to SEO research, a local domain in any country would let your visitors know that you are a trusted local business and it would also help you rank higher on Google.
It is not very expensive to get a Nigerian domain. You can register a
.ng domain for as low as N699 for 1 year from any Nigerian domain Registrar like
Domainking.ng.
If your target customer is searching online for the products that you sell then there is a higher chance that your website will show up higher on Google if you are using a .ng or .com.ng domain.
- Do you Upsell to your existing client base?
Bringing in new clients is not only tough but also includes an acquisition cost in the form of advertisement and first-time discounts. But selling to your existing customers doesn’t have these costs involved.
Your next sale can be just an email away. Moreover, you are already aware of your client’s spending habits and interests, so you will be able to recommend better experience to them.
Conclusion:
Whether you are an established business or a budding entrepreneur, all these tips will surely help you in taking the right decisions to grow your business online.
Start implementing these suggestions right now and come back here to share your story.
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This article was first published on 17th May 2018
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I work as the Marketing head for DomainKing Nigeria, the leading domain name registration & web hosting provider in Nigeria. I’m a startup evangelist who is recently growing more interested in the Nigerian tech startup scene. I’ve managed DomainKing’s PPC & Social campaigns for past 2 years helping the company grow as one of the largest web services provider in the country.
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