Last updated on September 22nd, 2022 at 02:30 pm
The need for businesses to come online in this age has become a necessity, therefore, making it important for you to consider carefully where to sell your products and services online.
There are many ways to sell online, which include, but are not limited to social media, eCommerce marketplaces, and eCommerce stores.
We will consider the eCommerce marketplaces where you can sell in Nigeria, what it takes to start your eCommerce store, and the advantages and disadvantages of each of them.
E-commerce marketplaces
E-commerce marketplaces are places online where products and services from multiple vendors or sellers are displayed to potential customers.
These are the markets that dominate the online space, they have their advantages and disadvantages, we will look into them briefly.
Advantages of selling on e-commerce marketplaces
- You are not limited to a location
- They operate 24/7
- You don’t have to pay for maintenance
- You can start selling on the market without much stress
- Registration is free
- You have access to many potential customers
Disadvantages of selling on e-commerce marketplaces
- You don’t have control over the website
- Your profit reduces because the marketplaces collect a commission for sales made by you
- Your business brand will suffer
- There is high competition for your product and services
eCommerce store
eCommerce stores are websites that are used to sell products and services online.
This allows you to take your offline business online or to start an online store.
You will be able to display your products online 24/7 for potential customers to see your products without geographical restriction.
You can be in Abuja and sell your products to people in Lagos or any part of Nigeria and beyond.
Advantages of selling on your e-commerce website
- You have control over your website
- You set the rules for your website
- You are not limited to a location
- You operate 24/7
- You create a marketing strategy to attract traffic to your website
- You are not sharing your profit
Disadvantages of selling on your eCommerce store
- You have to bear the burden of designing and maintaining your website
- You have to market your website by yourself or by employing a professional
As you have seen from the above, there are merits and demerits of selling on both e-commerce marketplaces and on an e-commerce store.
Selling on your e-commerce store gives you control over your store and your brand is not buried in the shadows.
Anyway, we will discuss where to sell online in Nigeria and also how you can start your e-commerce website. The decision of where to sell depends on the one that best suits your business brand.
At the end of this post, you will have the information that will help you decide whether to sell on an online marketplace or your eCommerce store, or both platforms.
Where to sell online in Nigeria
Below is a comprehensive list of e-commerce marketplaces where you can sell online in Nigeria.
- Jiji
- Konga
- Jumia
- Katakara
- Kusnap
- Sellatease
- Ebeosi
- Sellof.ng
- Naijakobomarket
1. Jiji
It is one of the biggest online markets in Nigeria where you can sell and buy anything.
They provide opportunities for sellers to display their products, they have free and premium ad services.
The premium ad promotes your products to more potential customers on their website.
They don’t collect a commission for sales, rather they operate based on subscription.
Their subscription packages make more customers see your products.
How to sell on Jiji
- Register using your Gmail or Facebook account or email/phone number
- Take good photos of your items from different angles to make buyers have a good view of what they want to buy
- Upload the pictures you snapped and then write a full description of your product
- Press sell to publish it live
2. Konga
Konga is one of Nigeria’s shopping malls for everything you need, you can sell electronics, phones, groceries, computers, household equipment, wines, toys, etc.
They launched in July 2012 with a mission to become the engine of commerce and trade in Africa.
They offer a 7-day return policy, dedicated customer service support, and order delivery tracking.
How to sell on Konga
- You will fill a form with your personal information, contact details, store name, and description, Verified ID card, and account details for payment
- You will verify your account through the message sent to your email address, after which Konga will now assign a dedicated support officer to your store
- You will be given access to your seller dashboard called SellerHQ
- You will upload clear pictures of your products with concise descriptions for people to see and buy
3. Jumia
Jumia is an e-commerce website that operates in 13 African countries with more than 6 million products.
They have about 10 thousand active vendors/sellers.
You can sell phones/tablets, electronics, fashion products etc.
How to sell on Jumia in Nigeria
- Fill the form with your details
- Check your email to verify your account
- Go through the new sellers training
- Upload the pictures of your products
- Start selling
4. Katakara
Katakara is an online shopping site in Nigeria where you can purchase books, electronics, computers, groceries, automobile parts, etc.
They are based in Lagos, Nigeria.
How to sell on Katakara
- Fill in the form with your business registration, bank account details, and documents
- Send an email to [email protected] with the catalog of your products
- Activate your seller center account
- Start selling
5. Kusnap
Kusnap is an easy-to-use platform connecting millions of buyers and sellers nationwide, completely free of charge.
Buyers and sellers meet without any interference from them.
They employ snap to sell and chat to buy approach, which means sellers snap their products and display them while buyers chat with sellers to buy the products.
You can sell products like toys and children’s games, kitchen wares, backpacks, smartphones, tablets, electronic, phone gadgets & accessories, computers & accessories, fashion items, etc.
Their headquarters is in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, Nigeria.
How to sell on Kusnap
- Register with your email address
- Log in to your account
- Select product category
- Add product images and details
- Add product description and link(optional)
- Fill in your contact details
- Start selling
6. Sellatease
Sellatease is a free classified website where you display your products and get potential buyers at ease.
They aim to help vendors sell at ease to potential buyers on their platform.
The company was pioneered by a Nigerian Web developer and Blogger, Alpha Donald.
How to sell on Sellatease
- Register with your details
- Make sure you register as a company and not a user
- Select a category
- Fill in the product title
- Write a concise description of your products
- Add images and price
- Indicate your location
- Publish and start selling
7. Ebeosi
Ebeosi Limited (a member of Ebeosi Inc. USA) is an eCommerce marketplace that serves as a connection between buyers and sellers of products in Nigeria and a host of other countries including the USA, UK, Germany, Poland, South Korea, France, Italy, etc.
Ebeosi means source in the Igbo language, the name was coined because the platforms allow people to buy from the source countries where products are created.
You can sell to people outside of Nigeria on their platform and earn foreign exchange.
How to sell on Ebeosi
- Register as a seller
- Fill in your business information
- Fill in your basic information
- Upload images
- Fill in your product description and price
- Start selling
8. Selloff.ng
SellOff.ng is an online market for new and used products. They are a classified ads website to post free ads, for users to buy and sell a wide range of products in Nigeria.
They resell only used items, to eliminate scams or fraudulent activities.
Sellers are charged only 3% for each product sold.
Their headquarters is located in Oyo State, Nigeria.
How to sell on Selloff.ng
- Register with a username and email address
- Activate your account
- Upload your product images
- Describe your products
- Publish and stall selling
9. Naijakobo market
Naijakobo market is an E-commerce platform that enables buying and selling various products online.
They are located in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.
How to sell on Naijakobo market
- Register your business
- Go through their free training
- You will be assigned a market relations officer to help you
- Upload images
- Write product description and price
- Start selling
How to start your online eCommerce store in Nigeria
While starting an eCommerce store, you must register your business with CAC and meet all the necessary legal requirements.
You can start your eCommerce store by following the listed steps below
- Research
- Build your online store
- Market it
- Have an excellent customer service
1. Research
Researching to see what works and does not work makes your journey easy.
Check to see what other online stores are doing and the uniqueness you can add to your own to make it different.
2. Build your online store
There are different ways to build your online eCommerce store but some of the popular e-commerce builders are Shopify, Squarespace, and WooCommerce.
If you are using WordPress then WooCommerce is what you need to use.
But for you to start your online store you need to have hosting and a domain name.
Hosting is the place your website files are kept online while the domain name is the identity of your website online.
There are many web hosting services you can buy from but Truehost offers the best services at affordable prices.
Truehost doesn’t compromise quality to give you affordable services, you will get both quality and value for your money.
After buying hosting and domain names, you will then install WordPress and finally WooCommerce on your website.
After which you will customize the website to your taste.
3. Market it
Marketing is very important in business because it creates awareness, it makes your target audience know that you have products that can help them.
Perform both offline and online marketing or digital marketing.
Use Search engine marketing, Search engine marketing, email marketing, and social media to market your store online.
Also, encourage your friends and family to spread the word on your behalf.
4. Have an excellent customer service
Making it easy for your customers to reach you is very important.
You can do this by having a live chat on your website and having dedicated staff to attend to the urgent needs of your customers.
Start with Truehost
Your business will be limited if you don’t sell online in Nigeria, therefore consider carefully if you want to sell on an eCommerce marketplace or your eCommerce store or even on both platforms.
Start your eCommerce store today by using our excellent and affordable services and sell online in Nigeria.
