Many businesses in Nigeria are proliferating. How to grow an online store has become one of the most asked questions recently. People are investing in marketplaces, but are they growing the way they should?
You don’t build an online store and expect exponential growth overnight after setup. One of the main goals of any business is consistent growth.
Through careful strategic planning, quality marketing campaigns and a healthy combination of the steps outlined above, conversions are likely to increase steadily.
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Business forecasts indicate that e-commerce is exploding, which means now is the perfect time for startups to establish their online stores firmly. There are numerous tactics for nurturing a new online business. If you’re just getting started, now’s the perfect time to make sure all the elements for your online success are in place.
Target the online audience
E-commerce relies heavily on a reputable, accessible online presence. To be recognized as such, businesses must make themselves available to those who are most likely to notice.
Identify the demographic characteristics of consumers who will benefit from relevant products and services, and base marketing strategies on these details.
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Create high-quality content
High-quality content is described as relevant and engaging information that encourages site visitors to return in the future. Content should reflect the given brand in tone and style which include the company’s mission statement, services, and policies.
High-quality content should also offer interaction with consumers. This may take the form of asking questions, answers to which can be provided in online comment sections. Interaction can also take place via surveys and contests.
But Internet-based businesses live and die by their online visibility and credibility, and they’re judged by more than just consumers. They’re also judged by search engines, which play a major role in bestowing that credibility and visibility.
In the wake of recent security vulnerabilities making national headlines such as the HeartBleed bug, secure web hosting which thwarts vulnerabilities are essential for maintaining credibility, and speedy website load times are essential for delivering a positive user experience, maximizing sales conversions and optimizing from an SEO (search engine optimization) perspective.
Personalize your content
Visitors know that unique, individualized web experiences are possible, which is why they expect such features. Take advantage of available technology that can generate shopping selections based on personal preferences.
While some of the larger websites (Google, Apple, Facebook, etc.) have apps built into their system that identifies users and track their online movements, small businesses might focus on smaller CRM solutions.
Invest in mobile capabilities
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Integrate sales channels
Enable consumers to experience the brand similarly across all channels of interaction and methods of shopping. Promotions, products, services, company information, and policies should be available both on and offline.
Logistics
Scalability is an integral in building a business, to accommodate growth, third-parties such as UPS, Nippon Express, or DB Schenker can be depended upon to manage vast and complex transactions.
Costs will vary based on the size of the transaction, the size of shipments, the distance that products need to be shipped or the complexity of the transaction.
Third-party logistics become more profitable as a company grows and handles larger transactions. Reverse logistics — the efficient handling of product exchanges and returns — is significant as well.
For Internet-based businesses, website speed, security, and infrastructure are important foundations of not only logistics but also SEO.
These aspects of online business translate to better search engine visibility, resulting in more traffic, leads, brand credibility, and sales. Speeding up your website is crucial for online logistics.
Sell only merchandise
Although it is essential to maintain continuity across multiple sales channels, it is still possible to offer products via the Internet only.
Doing so builds an exclusive brand with e-commerce as the core distribution channel. By offering certain products in only one arena, it is possible to maintain greater control over margins.
Curate a proprietary selection
Proprietary selection refers to a strategy dedicated to “curating” a broad but narrow array of exclusive products in a specific segment. These areas give the relevant merchandise the allure of distinction due to original characteristics and the difficulty of locating such a selection elsewhere
Source: Entrepreneur.com
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