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How eCommerce Using Social Media Platforms Is Creating A Market For Online Shoppers And Vendors

Sam Solutions

The emergence of eCommerce in Africa has seen online shoppers take advantage of the convenience it offers, as goods can now be delivered directly to their doorsteps while they also have the flexibility of selecting the payment channel either using their debit cards or payment upon delivery option.


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However, as eCommerce continues to evolve and shape how business is done, there are numerous challenges that have been associated with making orders online, these challenges if unresolved over a long period of time would diminish the trust the customer has as the reputation of the businesses would also be affected which would reduce the demands and sales.

Social Media For eCommerce

A major growth that eCommerce is experiencing in Africa is the transition from building enormous eCommerce sites to the use of different social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and most especially Instagram to deliver products and services to online shoppers. The advantages of utilizing social media for eCommerce is numerous

While the use of social media platforms for eCommerce has scaled eCommerce in Africa, a major challenge experienced by shoppers is trust. Online shoppers order products and receive a totally different order, a damaged order or one that is totally different from what was displayed on the platform. This has been seen with items such as confectionaries, fashion, hair extensions, utensils, electronics etc.

The inability of customers to get a refund or a replacement of the item ordered when it does not meet up with the specification is a big gap that is causing customers to reconsider when making a purchase on social media. Customers are well informed and are now beginning to compare the prices of items in a physical retail store.


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Reputation Management Techniques For Online Vendors

Reputation management by online vendors is very important as it can help to build a real business from scratch and not a side gig as is done by most vendors. To build a reputation, it is important to do the following.

Conducting Due Diligence Before Making Payment

To avoid losing their monies to fraudulent vendors, shoppers are to conduct due diligence on the vendors.

To ensure customers are protected, it is necessary to have a system that ensures goods are only paid for when the customer receives them and confirms they are in good condition. This way both the buyer and seller’s interests are protected.

Featured Image Source: Sam Solutions


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