Businesses all over the world, even in Nigeria, have advanced from the normal TV, radio, flyer, magazine etc. adverts to the internet because it is cost effective and has the potential of reaching a greater number of prospective clients.
With this said, the benefits of the internet to your business are as follows:
1. It is cheaper using the internet and its resources as a means of marketing your products and services.
2. Your products and services are exposed to the whole world.
3. It is easier and with the advancement in the internet technology, sales can be made quickly.
4. It reduces the unnecessary travel time, such that meetings can be held in separate offices and even different countries with the use of video calling applications. Learn how to conduct a virtual meeting
here.
5. With the use of online stores, merchants can display their products and services to generate leads and sales.
6. You can add your business to various directories and register your business on Google, in order to expose your business information more.
7. The use of the internet reduces the cost of communication especially when the parties involved are in different states or countries.
8. You can transfer transaction files, forms and documents via the internet to ease and speed up the process of business transactions.
9. Networking is a very important aspect of succeeding in business and the internet makes it very easy and aids people in connecting with each other through social media platforms.
10. You can find relevant, educative and innovative information, as well as resources at ease via the internet to remain up to date and even ahead of your contemporaries.
How can we use it effectively?
To answer this question, we need to try to put ourselves in the shoes of the customers, in order to know what they expect when surfing the internet for products and services.
1. They want comprehensive and credible information about your product and services.
2. They want you to be able to prove you have a level of control over the product and services.
3. They want to have an idea of the visual appearance (pictures) of your products.
4. They want to know the specifications of your products.
5. They want to know the benefits of your products and services.
6. They want to be guaranteed that they can be compensated in case of a fault.
If you can fulfill the above, you will gain their trust and even though they may not need your services immediately or your product does not meet their requirements, you can rest assured that they will want to contact you when they need such services or refer you to someone who needs it. Also, they can go to the extent of asking you for a similar product not in your portfolio, because they are confident of your services.
If you follow the principles stated above and effectively use online platforms, you will definitely succeed in your business.
About the Writer: Emmanuel Oriaifo is the CEO of Contemporary Media Solutions. He is a committed, resourceful and passionate person who loves inspiring people, especially, when facing challenging situations. He aspires to impact peoples’ lives positively. You can contact him via:
info@contemporarymediasolutions.com and
contemporarymediasolutions.com
