I will be coming home next fall, and I was thinking of how to put up with one of my greatest hobbies, shopping online! You see, I love the ease of shopping online, sometimes just to while away time (window shopping ), look at new fashion styles, easy wares, know what the latest in town is and bounce out, no haggling. So I decided to visit some famous Nigerian online shops, and from my observations I will like to make the following suggestions to Nigerian Online Shop owners.

1. Advertise your products properly: The general outlook as per designs of websites I looked at were cool but mostly "dry". Advertise your products well, make it enticing. One picture is not enough for one product. Make it 10 or even more. Let’s get the feel. Let’s see how the dresses look on the wearers, let’s see the sun glasses from different angles of view, stretch the fabric, and show us the sole of the shoes. Give it a face, make us want to buy the products.

2. Put Every Detail to Products: Product sizes, length, width breadth. Materials, is it glass, wood, ceramic or clay. Put colors, designs, size chat for all clothes, shoes, lingerie etc, is it hand wash or machine wash etc.

3. Online shopping is not only for foreign or expensive products: Most products were expensive brands. No, there should be a strong mix. From bedroom slippers, to rubber sandals, to umbrellas, key holders, insecticides, handkerchiefs, plastic containers for refrigerators, everything! Sell everything “sell-able”. It mustn’t be expensive before it’s sold online. The beauty of online shopping is variety, so please spice it up.

4. Improve on your delivery system: Diversify beyond Lagos! Establish collection offices in cities other than Lagos (Enugu, Kano, Asaba, Awka, Lokoja, Benin, Abeaokuta everywhere!). Notify buyers that their orders are ready for collection via SMS so they go to the offices to pick them. This way, you reach more people in the inner cities.

5. Put random products popping on your home page and reshuffle them quite occasionally: A visitor might soon be buying something he/she never knew is in your shop.

6. Online correspondence: In the online shops, I did not see dialogue boxes. Because items are virtual, there may be questions buyers may need to ask before we can make up our mind. Put up dialogue boxes and get someone man them, answering potential buyers’ questions.

7. Little things matter: I made an order for a pair of jeans some days ago. Just yesterday, my order arrived and it came with a pair of socks! I was really excited. Spice up patronage with little extras, littles courtesies, little privileges. They go a long way.

8. Advertise your company. There are few online markets in Nigeria for now but be assured that more competition is coming, no dulling.

9. I don't know if this last point is just me, but I think most products are overpriced. The lower the price, the more quantities you see, invariably, more gain.

I guess diasporans will be able understand this better.
Its free suggestion/advice and hopefully someone is getting ground-breaking ideas.
One love Nigeria.

On point

*spreads mat* wake me up when this get to front page

Lalasticlala
Ishilove

wqqqq

flyca:
I will be coming home next fall, and I was thinking of how to put up with one of my greatest hobbies, shopping online! You see, I love the ease of shopping online, sometimes just to while away time (window shopping ), look at new fashion styles, easy wares, know what the latest in town is and bounce out, no haggling. So I decided to visit some famous Nigerian online shops, and from my observations I will like to make the following suggestions to Nigerian Online Shop owners.

1. Advertise your products properly: The general outlook as per designs of websites I looked at were cool but mostly "dry". Advertise your products well, make it enticing. One picture is not enough for one product. Make it 10 or even more. Let’s get the feel. Let’s see how the dresses look on the wearers, let’s see the sun glasses from different angles of view, stretch the fabric, and show us the sole of the shoes. Give it a face, make us want to buy the products.

2. Put Every Detail to Products: Product sizes, length, width breadth. Materials, is it glass, wood, ceramic or clay. Put colors, designs, size chat for all clothes, shoes, lingerie etc, is it hand wash or machine wash etc.

3. Online shopping is not only for foreign or expensive products: Most products were expensive brands. No, there should be a strong mix. From bedroom slippers, to rubber sandals, to umbrellas, key holders, insecticides, handkerchiefs, plastic containers for refrigerators, everything! Sell everything “sell-able”. It mustn’t be expensive before it’s sold online. The beauty of online shopping is variety, so please spice it up.

4. Improve on your delivery system: Diversify beyond Lagos! Establish collection offices in cities other than Lagos (Enugu, Kano, Asaba, Awka, Lokoja, Benin, Abeaokuta everywhere!). Notify buyers that their orders are ready for collection via SMS so they go to the offices to pick them. This way, you reach more people in the inner cities.

5. Put random products popping on your home page and reshuffle them quite occasionally: A visitor might soon be buying something he/she never knew is in your shop.

6. Online correspondence: In the online shops, I did not see dialogue boxes. Because items are virtual, there may be questions buyers may need to ask before we can make up our mind. Put up dialogue boxes and get someone man them, answering potential buyers’ questions.

7. Little things matter: I made an order for a pair of jeans some days ago. Just yesterday, my order arrived and it came with a pair of socks! I was really excited. Spice up patronage with little extras, littles courtesies, little privileges. They go a long way.

8. Advertise your company. There are few online markets in Nigeria for now but be assured that more competition is coming, no dulling.

9. I don't know if this last point is just me, but I think most products are overpriced. The lower the price, the more quantities you see, invariably, more gain.

I guess diasporans will be able understand this better.
Its free suggestion/advice and hopefully someone is getting ground-breaking ideas.
One love Nigeria.

You have some very good point, most of the things listed above are doable but practically impossible considering the infrastructure and customers buying behaviour.

I have been at both side of the coin, so let me try and answer some of your questions or clarify your observations.

1. You have a great point here. Every eCommerce site owner knows that pictures and product details leads to more conversion but however, having to much pictures slow down server and the load speed of your website if you're on a budget.

2. One of the major headaches of owning/starting an eCommerce site aside logistics (Shipping & Delivery) is inventory. Even the big boys in the industry (Konga & Jumia) couldn't carry all inventories until they open their platform to small merchants who now sell variety of items that you never thought it will be possible to buy online.

3. The number one headache in the industry is logistics (Shipping & Delivery). I have never see a customer or buyer who love to pay for shipping including myself. I don't like to pay for shipping too. The suggestion of having pickup centres in major cities is good but it work best with large retail stores like Mrp and others. They offer pickup (Click & Collect) service. All you need do is visit their website, buy your stuff and visit their nearest store to pick up your order. If you aren't a larger retail store, the best thing to do is improvised and improved your customer service which include giving customers ability to track their goods.

4. Having random product pop up at cart oy checkout hurt conversion. Online store owners care a lot about conversion and don't want to distracted their customer with many CTA (Call to Action). Also consider that a lot of shopper don't have high speed internet when shopping online in Nigeria.

Very good points

Good Points

iMerchant:


You have some very good point, most of the things listed above are doable but practically impossible considering the infrastructure and customers buying behaviour.

I have been at both side of the coin, so let me try and answer some of your questions or clarify your observations.

1. You have a great point here. Every eCommerce site owner knows that pictures and product details leads to more conversion but however, having to much pictures slow down server and the load speed of your website if you're on a budget.

2. One of the major headaches of owning/starting an eCommerce site aside logistics (Shipping & Delivery) is inventory. Even the big boys in the industry (Konga & Jumia) couldn't carry all inventories until they open their platform to small merchants who now sell variety of items that you never thought it will be possible to buy online.

3. The number one headache in the industry is logistics (Shipping & Delivery). I have never see a customer or buyer who love to pay for shipping including myself. I don't like to pay for shipping too. The suggestion of having pickup centres in major cities is good but it work best with large retail stores like Mrp and others. They offer pickup (Click & Collect) service. All you need do is visit their website, buy your stuff and visit their nearest store to pick up your order. If you aren't a larger retail store, the best thing to do is improvised and improved your customer service which include giving customers ability to track their goods.

4. Having random product pop up at cart oy checkout hurt conversion. Online store owners care a lot about conversion and don't want to distracted their customer with many CTA (Call to Action). Also consider that a lot of shopper don't have high speed internet when shopping online in Nigeria.

I see your point. High speed internet is not affordable and common yet in Nigeria. Thanks for the insight.

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