phonesNgadgets:
Good morning followers. I have been waiting for response on the last point I dropped on challenges and experiences of e-commerce before I proceed to the next piece. So, if you are following this thread from page 1, let's hear from you.
Thank you and do have a wonderful day!

enolife:

Am following in real time

HeelsEmpire:
Hehehe @NnamdiN

Thanks for the kind words!

Yes, I remember when the tech team was piecing the platform together. The project definitely took a while to get done right.

I fell off my chair after reading your question about "how many millions went into designing" . I really don't have that detail.

But, our customers love the site's ease of use too. There seem to be more work going on though. So the store might look a little different when the tech folks are done. So it's still work in progress.

I know one of the tech guys calls up customers to inquire about their shopping experience on our website. It has been a bit of mixed feedback.

Now, this brings us back to the conversation off this thread. I hope "Oga" does not fire me if he reads these inputs

Customers' feedback have been mixed due to one major factor -- e-commerce is still relatively new to most people in Nigeria, hence most people struggle when trying to place an order online.

Like @PhonesNgadets rightly pointed out in his previous entries, quite a lot has to get factored in by Nigerian ecommerce website owners when trying to court the average newbish Nigerian online shoppers.

So, I guess it's imperative you try as much as possible to UN-complicate things for them when building out your ecommerce website. Make the website as simple and straightforward as possible. It's also important you have a phone number displayed almost throughout your online store for those customers who just prefer speaking to a sales person. I have had to help lots of customers place their orders on our website by telling them what to do over the phone.

@NnamdiN if you plan on starting out an e-store, like Nike always insists "Just do it!". There is enough room for lots more e-stores in Nigeria. But I'll advice you pick your market vertical properly though. And obviously make sure you've carried out your market feasibility study too. But most importantly, trust in yourself and follow that burning desire to jump right in.

I really don't think it's that hard. Like I was told, the requirements are as follows :

1. THINK about your market demographic
2. REGISTER a domain name
3. CHOOSE your ecommerce platform or custom build yours (the latter is expensive and not advisable)
4. FIND a web developer to design and code out your store.
5. ADD your products to the online store
6. MARKET and advertise the online store till you pass out, then wake up again and continue marketing. Hehehe

Goodluck!

phonesNgadgets:

Thank you for following. Do you have an experience to share about e-commerce or you would like to start e-retail and want to hear people's story and how they run things in the industry.

enolife:

I want to start e-retail that is why I am sticking to your wonderful post. I must confess you have remove the spirit of fear from me and give me boldness to face any kind of challenges that may want to come up.

enolife:

I want to start e-retail that is why I am sticking to your wonderful post. I must confess you have remove the spirit of fear from me and give me boldness to face any kind of challenges that may want to come up.

phonesNgadgets:

Wow! I'm glad this thread has inspired some people out there, and you are one of the people who got motivated.
Bro, now that you have gotten over the fear, what are you putting in place to get thing started?

I would be glad to see your e-business kick off.

enolife:

Thank you for asking. I must to say that to succeed in any business you must follow the right kind of people. I was a kind of person who always want to make money quick, this mentality always lead me to meed wrong people. when I came to know about mini importation business, instead of me to make research or receive practical training from expert to get things right, rather I was focusing calculating the millions I will from it in my mind even when asleep.
So I came across an ebook seller on mini importation on Facebook, I did not even bother to know whether genuine or not I bought the ebook for #3000. I spend the whole night reading all the 25 pages word to word like am ready Bible Lol. My head begin to swell up ah I done Hamma not know that I was just wasting my time ready wrong information. I order my first product from Amazon without even conducting market survey.
It was when I want to list my product on OLX I realized that the same phone am about to sell for #30,000 is being sold for #16,000 by other importers, far lower the amount I bought my own . My profit is will be #2,000 that if I mark sale bi that. I couldn't believe my eyes, so I begin to compare the price products on OLX and Amazon the I discover that I was actually on the wrong track. I finally sold the whole 12 phones for 20,000 each with abeg After five months. This experience make me withdrew my legs from import business.
_
Not recently, I came across some real importers who are doing very good in the business and are ready to teach me exactly what they do. but the fear of the former experience was still griping me. Thank God I come across you thread which show me that there are people just who meet obstacle but never quite.
_
Though I have spend all my money in schooling even sold my laptop too, I still believe I can still raise money from petty job to start it again and also put it in e-retail store. It may take time but I believe it will surely come to pass.
_
That is why am following this you mentorship thread in real time.

phonesNgadgets:


My brother, experience, they say is the best teacher. Someone somewhere might have learnt from the experience you just shared, as you have also learnt from other people who have shared their experiences here. You can start all over again with a my full of knowledge, confidence, determination and courage.

Amazon is one of the places I buy from, owing to the fact that I get quality products there. Meanwhile, you need to be smart and diligent in purchasing from the site, so as not to get into pricey deal which may end up too costly when compared with similar products in the home market. Having said that, if you offer high quality products and value, pricing your goods bought on such site won't be so difficult. There are people out there who expect to get more than 100% value for money spent. They want quality and have purchasing power to buy it, yet they don't see the standard quality good around; that's hole you will fill.

All the best bro.

enolife:

thank you brother for your encouragement

phonesNgadgets:

You are welcome bro. What matters is seeing you fly the business.

phonesNgadgets:


My brother, experience, they say is the best teacher. Someone somewhere might have learnt from the experience you just shared, as you have also learnt from other people who have shared their experiences here. You can start all over again with a my full of knowledge, confidence, determination and courage.

Amazon is one of the places I buy from, owing to the fact that I get quality products there. Meanwhile, you need to be smart and diligent in purchasing from the site, so as not to get into pricey deal which may end up too costly when compared with similar products in the home market. Having said that, if you offer high quality products and value, pricing your goods bought on such site won't be so difficult. There are people out there who expect to get more than 100% value for money spent. They want quality and have purchasing power to buy it, yet they don't see the standard quality good around; that's hole you will fill.

Yes for sure, I have had similar experience but in my own case, I bought smaller quantity. So it was easier to bear the loss. However, Buying the eBook was not a wrong step because even when you leverage on another person's idea, you still need to some how experience your own experience in other to properly understand it. Your experience nevertheless has called that experience of mine back to mind and also strengthened it. I am now more resolved to do better. Thank you PhoneNgadgets and enolife

All the best bro.

enolife:
Despite that I have not started my own biz yet. I think I can contribute to solve other people problems. I came across this thread from this guy and I think it will help some people out, it about selling you goods in bulk here in Nigeria. but before I share the link I will like to know if what am doing is good or bad against this thread so as not offend phoneNgadget.

phonesNgadgets:

If it's something that people with benefit from, you can discuss is with us here. We are hear to learn from one another. By the way, is it about suppliersnigeria dot com ? If it's, I think if read it and I have even created an account on the platform, but you can go ahead for those who would like to know about it or discuss it here. If it's the link you have shared earlier, please don't share it again, you may be banned my the moderators of this thread, they may think it's a spam: posting same post several times. We still need your contributions here, and we would not want moderators to ban you. I would not also want us to derail this thread with a distracting post.

Thank you so much for the understanding and co-operation.
Happy Sunday.

enolife:

thank you so much for this enlightenment. It the site you mention above. I am not a member yet but wanted to let people know about it so that they can use it and share their experience here.
am still learning from you and others.
thank you and remain blesse.

phonesNgadgets:
Hello house. I hope we had a stress free weekend. The previous week was full of activities which I will try to summarize later today ( God willing )
Meanwhile, I wish everyone a profitable week.
Ciao!

phonesNgadgets:
I have been very busy with offline activities recently. I'm crossing all T's and dotting all I's to make me shift from being a self made millionaire to a self made billionaire in $ dollars.

I am trying to write few words on my website about how to start e-commerce on smaller scale and grow big. Oh well, I will share my website address when I complete the piece.
Thank you for keeping a tab on the thread. Do have a splendid day.
Ciao!

enolife:

Am following and thank you so much for your selfless updates. you have given me the keen courage to be able to raise 10k ( still working to add more) since the day I discover you

phonesNgadgets:

I'm glad you have been able to make some positive moves after you discovered this thread. I am also impressed that you won't rest on your oars after raising 10k
You've got my back bro. Keep calm & startup.

enolife:
please brothers help check out this watch I want to order if it is ok. Am a beginner please help.
the total cost Plus shipping fee of the below watch down to Lagos is N4,833 per one. my question are
1 is the my buying cost ok for the watch?
2 how much do you thing I should sell the watch ?
Thank you
Respect to phonesNgadgets