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E-commerce Business – According to TechTarget, E-commerce or electronic commerce or EC — is the buying and selling of goods and services, or the transmitting of funds or data, over an electronic network (a website, social media platform etc.), primarily the internet. These business transactions occur as either business-to-business, business-to-consumer, consumer-to-consumer or consumer-to-business. Examples of popular e-commerce businesses in Nigeria are Konga.com and Jumia.com.
So this is about importing simple products (or even complicated ones) from China and reselling them here for profit, many times A LOT of profit.
My business has an arm that does this with great success. I don't preach what I do not do.
Now that we have a premise, let's begin.
— Ikenna Ronald Nzimora (@ronaldnzimora) September 11, 2018
Have you been wondering what kind of business or goods you can sell without hassle? If your answer is yes, then you are reading the right article. A few days, Ronald Nzimora, the Managing Director of Profit Marketing Systems Limited shared a long thread on Twitter on the processes involved in starting an e-commerce business in Nigeria and buying the goods from China.
So for any business you want to start,doesn't matter which type, the first you look for is a MARKET, NOT a product. It nears repeating again because many people don't listen. If you want to start a business,you MUST first look for a market,and not just any market, a HUNGRY market
— Ikenna Ronald Nzimora (@ronaldnzimora) September 11, 2018
Before starting an e-commerce business or any type of business at all, it is important to have a target market you will be selling to, this is the most important part of starting a business, even more, important than the products.
Ronald explains what a market is and how you can identify the perfect target market for your e-commerce business. Most business owners usually fail to realize that “everyone” can’t be their target audience
But notice when you ask business owners, "who is your target market?" they say, EVERYONE!
Do not fall for that trap. There's no market known as "everyone". It does not exist. Period.
— Ikenna Ronald Nzimora (@ronaldnzimora) September 11, 2018
There are two broad markets – the male and the female market, which you can them further subdivide by preferences, interests, work, race, religion, age, education, wealth, etc.
But no matter what market you define as your target, what you must make of of is two things:
— Ikenna Ronald Nzimora (@ronaldnzimora) September 11, 2018
1. They are HUNGRY for something, whatever that something is – software, services, food, physical products, etc.
&
2. They have money to buy it.What's the use targeting a market only to find out they cant buy what you have for sale?
Like selling Ferrari to Osun civll servants.
— Ikenna Ronald Nzimora (@ronaldnzimora) September 11, 2018
For e-commerce businesses, people aged from 25 years and above make good customer targets, they always have something to buy, Ronald explains how you can find out what they are likely to buy and tools to help you.
1. Using Facebook Audience Insights.
Read up about it here: https://t.co/3QYTX4YYf1
2. Watching what trends there are on Google Trends, Instagram and Twitter.
So for example the Super Eagles trended this year, are you then surprised Super Eagles jerseys sold so well?
Aha!
— Ikenna Ronald Nzimora (@ronaldnzimora) September 11, 2018
Also Read: VIDEO: How To Build An E-Commerce Store With WordPress
that men love sports, women, entertainment, food, fashion, sex, more money, okay what should I sell them bearing in mind this is e-commerce and whatever I chose has to be a physical product, something i can buy for cheap and sell for higher.
I'll focus on the thing I know…
— Ikenna Ronald Nzimora (@ronaldnzimora) September 11, 2018
attract women to men.
Maybe it's not pheromones, maybe it's a sleek watch that enhances their look, or an oil that enhances certain parts of their anatomy *cough*
So I simply choose one and now, I have a target market and I have a product idea.
What's next? Next thing is…
— Ikenna Ronald Nzimora (@ronaldnzimora) September 11, 2018
Now that you have identified the target audience for your e-commerce business and the goods you want to sell to them, it is important to know where you can buy these goods from at affordable rates
You'll get products cheaper from Chinese factories than you can anywhere else.
So on those sites, you follow the easy to understand prompts, search for your product, agree on pricing.
On AliExpress, you can't haggle much,but on Alibaba, you can get prices lower than advertised
— Ikenna Ronald Nzimora (@ronaldnzimora) September 11, 2018
Now that you have identified the target market for your e-commerce business and the platforms you can purchase your goods from in China, it is important to know how to ship the goods from China to Nigeria in the safest and most secure manner possible.
There are cargo companies that help you do groupage shipping,where they ship a lot of people products together and the owners share the costs of shipping so to say. There are plenty,Google "Ship Cargo from China to Nigeria".
Or simply use https://t.co/hqEFfOebjb.
Who are they?
— Ikenna Ronald Nzimora (@ronaldnzimora) September 11, 2018
When you choose a cargo company, call or email them, (with ChrisVicMall you need to create an account on their site), they will give you their address in China which you then supply to the manufacturer who will send your good to them. Once they receive it, they forward to Nigeria
— Ikenna Ronald Nzimora (@ronaldnzimora) September 11, 2018
Let me explain now how to choose which kids of products to buy from a manufacturer, because there are different solutions/products that solve the same problem, for example, for weight loss, you either buy gym equipment or buy weight loss tea..
1. You want to AVOID heavy items.
— Ikenna Ronald Nzimora (@ronaldnzimora) September 11, 2018
3. You want to GO FOR items that cost anywhere between $0 – $5,if you can.
(I will explain why you have to follow these rules as much as you can)
4. You want to avoid mechanical products,anything that requires a lot of "figuring out".
5. You want to go for products that are…
— Ikenna Ronald Nzimora (@ronaldnzimora) September 11, 2018
8. You want products consumers are happy to purchase the product without too much research. Impulse buys.
So why these criteria?
E-Commerce has a drawback, and that is overhead. You basically have to pay everyone else before you collect profit. You have to pay – the factory…
— Ikenna Ronald Nzimora (@ronaldnzimora) September 11, 2018
Running an e-commerce business isn’t all bed of roses, there is a drawback, which is overhead. Just like Ronald explains, you have to pay everyone else before you have your profit. So it is important to be mindful of the goods you will be buying. Once your purchases have been made, the next line of action is the advertisement
Once your good are here, yiu go to the cargo company's office, pay them and collect it.
Now it's time to advertise.
There are different places to advertise.
1. Instagram
2. Facebook
3. Twitter
4. Linda Ikeji Blog
5. Bella Naija
etc
— Ikenna Ronald Nzimora (@ronaldnzimora) September 11, 2018
You also need to use clever copy – descriptions that arouse the emotion of the target market and make them buy. Say for example I am selling Pheromones, I won;t just say, Buy Perfumes that attract women to you.
I'll say:
— Ikenna Ronald Nzimora (@ronaldnzimora) September 11, 2018
Now that you know the platforms you want to advertise on, you need catchy’copies’ to market them in the most compelling ways as possible.
So once they pay you, you need to ship it to them, right?
Now this is a big issue in Nigeria, Shipping is expensive here for reasons you already know, but entrepreneurs always find a way.
If you want to ship into Lagos, Abuja and Port-Harcourt, you can use:
— Ikenna Ronald Nzimora (@ronaldnzimora) September 11, 2018
To get customer satisfaction right in the e-commerce business in Nigeria, you need to get delivery logistics right. Most of the popular e-commerce websites still struggle with this. Not to worry, Ronald has got you covered with his recommendations
For Abuja use this lovely lady here: Doo @Giorgi1881 for all Abuja deliveries. She's got a car, know Abuja inside out and she is a very trustworthy person.
Speak to her.
For other cities, I'll get the names and contact details by tomorrow, and post it.
— Ikenna Ronald Nzimora (@ronaldnzimora) September 11, 2018
Now that you know all that is required to start an e-commerce business in Nigeria, you are wondering how much you should start the business with? What goods will sell out fast? and other important questions.
So here are product ideas you can start importing.I had 10 in mind but I'll do just 5,sorry guys,getting tired of the typing,forgive me.
Here they are:
1. Pheromoneshttps://t.co/3KHs0mflJm
Target: Men and Women, 25 -40
Ad example: Tweeted above
— Ikenna Ronald Nzimora (@ronaldnzimora) September 11, 2018
Target Market: Women
3. Swimwear
Above the $5 price point but its lovely! See for yourself.https://t.co/AvZAUnSxCO
Ad Example:
"Look Like a Goddess on Your Next Vacation.
Be The One Every Man On The Beach Wants To Look At
with this African print inspired line of swim wear"— Ikenna Ronald Nzimora (@ronaldnzimora) September 11, 2018
I hope you learned something today and yes, it's really that simple, do not complicate it.
If you have any questions, ask away, I am available for the next 15 minutes.
Thanks for reading.
— Ikenna Ronald Nzimora (@ronaldnzimora) September 11, 2018
We hope you have learned how to start an e-commerce business, what goods to sell and how to market them.
Want to get more related business tips? Make sure you join follow Ronald’s business group on Facebook, subscribe to his YouTube channel and follow him on Twitter too
Join my Facebook group here: https://t.co/wGKJQYfjuL
Subscribe to my YouTube channel here: https://t.co/g9Pjre19OZ
Follow me on:
INSTAGRAM: @ronaldnzimora
TWITTER: @ronaldnzimora
— Ikenna Ronald Nzimora (@ronaldnzimora) September 13, 2018