The internet has
revolutionized the way the world interacts so much so that it is almost safe to
say that people live online. It has changed definitions and reinvented things,
brought about the creation of new things and destroyed whatever refused to
align with it. It will be unwise to think that one can achieve much these days
without the internet.
For the business
person/entrepreneur, the internet is the new life wire. With it you can make
your business (or mar it if not properly harnessed) and without it your
business is not sure to exist in the foreseeable future. Businesses in Nigeria
that have refused to move to the internet are either phased out today or
nearing extinction… Think about it; every big player in the business of
providing daily news in print, TV or Radio are online today and are being given
a run for their money by bloggers who do not have as much structure as the big
players. Boutique owners, merchants of electronics and other fast-moving
consumer goods (FMCG) have been dealt a heavy blow with the advent of online
stores like Konga, Jumia and their ilk. Guess what, even sellers of perishable
products like tomatoes are not left out with the advent of omoalata.com.
There is nothing
that cannot thrive on the internet. Think of anything in Nigeria that you
believe cannot be sold online and I would show you how wrong you are. While it
is true that a greater part of the population of Nigeria do not have access to
internet, those who do hold tremendous power and can determine so much for your
business. The internet affords people to sell things without necessarily
holding stock. What most businesses on the internet sell is convenience. They
save you so much time and stress. Now you can order anything online by the
click of a button from breakfast/lunch/dinner to a vacation in Hawaii on your
phone or laptop. Today, you can sit in the comfort of your home, pick items and
quantity of grocery you would have gone to mile 12 or ojuwoye market in Mushin
to buy, on a website and it gets delivered neatly to your doorstep. Are you
thinking what I am thinking? Of course, you are! There is nothing you can’t
achieve online. The internet has created endless opportunities for those who
will think.
So how do you put your business on the
internet you ask?
These simple
steps should help;
1.
Get a professional website: A
website on the internet is to your business what a physical
office/shop/warehouse/workshop is to your business. These days, people with
access to an internet enabled device (phone, tab, laptop etc.) would first
check you out through your website to determine if you have what they need and
at the right price before they visit your physical location or order online.
Your website is your business location on the internet and every other
marketing activity you do online must point back to your website or a landing
page where your leads can be converted. This is the most important part. Your
business must have a face on the internet.
2.
Reach out to your customers
where they hang out on the internet. A liquor seller will hang around bus
parks, building sites or anywhere manual labour is going on and not around
Ikeja City Mall. It will interest you to note that the proliferation of android
phones in Nigeria means more power in the hands of your consumers and more
people spending hours on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and
Instagram etc.). Identify where your clients/prospects/buyers spend most of
their time online and establish your brand there. Engage them with valuable
content that effectively communicates your interest in your audience. Add value
to their lives by educating, informing and entertaining them and you would win
their trust with time.
