Are you looking to start selling online in Nigeria? If so, you’re in luck! This comprehensive guide will teach you everything you need to know about getting started.
We’ll cover topics such as choosing the right platform, setting up your payment gateway, and marketing your products.
So whether you’re a first-time entrepreneur or just looking to expand your business into Nigeria, this guide has got you covered!
Step 1: Find Products
The first step to start selling online in Nigeria is to find the products. The most common way to find products is to browse the apparels section of most of the online stores that you are already familiar with.
I recommend that you sign in to your Amazon or Jumia account and type in the keyword of the item you would like to find a product for. This will then bring up the products that you can potentially buy or sell.
If you don’t know the name of the item you want, you can always use an online search tool like Google or Bing.
To ace this step, make sure you are going with products with proven demand. It would be advisable that you focus on the product or products that are widely popular, and is easy to sell.
Step 2: Identify your niche market
When you find a product that you think has potential, you should identify your niche market.
The next step involves finding the right niche market. A niche market is a specific set of people with a shared interest.
A good example of a niche in the fitness market, which has a set of people who are interested in working out and being fit.
Look at your products and think, who is the perfect customer for you? Is there an age group? A gender? A location?
Without answering these questions or finding a niche, you will be wasting time trying to sell to everyone in Nigeria.
Step 3: Conduct market research
The next step to start selling online in Nigeria is to conduct market research. Market research or demographic research is the one that will tell you about the people who are interested in whatever product you are planning to sell.
This step helps you figure out the value you can offer, the demand for the products, and what you can expect to sell.
To help you navigate this step, the following questions should guide you;
- Is the market for your products growing or shrinking?
- How satisfied are people with the existing products in your market?
- What needs aren’t being met?
- What features do people value?
- What is the average price point of your competitors’ products?
- What are your potential customer’s pain points?
Step 4: Brand your business
The next step to start selling online in Nigeria is to brand your business. This step is crucial because your brand will be the face of your business.
Think about what you want your target customers to remember about your business.
How should they feel about buying from your business in Nigeria?
This is where your findings from the previous step, market research, come in. After understanding what the target buyer cares about, you need to position your business as their only way to achieve those goals.
Building a brand involves your logo, your website, your business cards, your letterheads, your social media platforms, and everything that gives the impression that you are an expert in your field.
Step 5: Create an online store
The next step to start selling online in Nigeria is to create an online store. In this step, you will set up an online store where you can sell your products.
Lucky for you, there are several ways you can build an online store without breaking the bank.
The first one is registering a domain name and getting a hosting space. Next, install Woocommerce, which is a free WordPress plugin that allows you to easily create an online store.
From there, you can upload product images, and don’t forget to include a product description.
Alternatively, you can use an online store builder. In this instance, you won’t necessarily need to be a tech-savvy person to set one up. The best part? It will take about 10 minutes to set up.
A good example of such a tool is OLITT. OLITT gives you access to everything you need to start selling online in Nigeria.
Note: Detailed product description is crucial. You should be able to articulate the product details in the description. You should also be able to answer people’s questions regarding the product.
Step 6: Set up processes for payment, shipping, and customer service
The next step to start selling online in Nigeria is to set up processes for payments, email deliveries, and customer service.
In this step, you will set up your payment gateway and your shipping provider. This is probably the most time-consuming step.
There are several payment solutions in Nigeria, but pick one that is easy to use and has the features you need.
As for the shipping, make sure you are partnering with a company that cares about your customers as much as you do.
Step 7: Promoting Your Store
The next step to start selling online in Nigeria is to promote your online store. You will need to reach out to potential customers to tell them about your new online store.
The sure way to market an online store in Nigeria is by going where your target customers hang out.
If they are on Facebook, that is the best place to go. You can reach your target audience there and engage them.
At the same time, the most effective way to gain customers is by being helpful. You need to provide value to your customers by answering their questions with a solution that is tailored to their needs.
Here are some of the popular ways to market online in Nigeria
a). SEO – Search engine optimization (SEO) is a process by which your website is optimized for better visibility in search results. This means that you will use search engine optimization to rank higher on Google.
b). PPC Campaigns – Pay per click is like an ad campaign. It is an online advertising method where you pay for each click on your website.
c). Influencer Marketing – Influencers are people in your industry who are trusted and have a large following. The goal of influencer marketing is to get your targeted audience to notice your brand.
Bonus step: Monitor performance and tweak as you go
Now that you have started selling online in Nigeria, you need a way to know whether what you are doing is working.
You need to monitor performance and tweak as you go. Use Google Analytics to see where the traffic and sales come from.
If you are lucky, the eCommerce platform you are using to sell online in Nigeria will have analytics capabilities. This is a very important feature that will help you optimize your online store.
Remember, only scale what is working and kill what is not.