eCommerce As An Enabler for Small Businesses

By Adeniyi Ogunfowoke,

The internet has changed the world in almost every possible way, and e-commerce has revolutionized how business is being done. However, many small businesses, even knowing this, still haven’t realized just how large a growth spurt they can see by selling their goods and services online.

For the past 6 years, Jumia has empowered and accelerated thousands of small businesses in 15 African countries by creating a platform that connects buyers and sellers. This has been a great achievement for the ‘Alibaba of Africa’. With these small businesses by vendors listing their products and services on Jumia, those who make N100,000 monthly are now guaranteed to make between N500,000 and 1 million within the same period. This is because Jumia supports these businesses with marketing, social media promotion and Search Engine Marketing.

Reach new customers and sell more products online

Selling on an eCommerce platform like Jumia can make a difference in your volume of sales. Many businesses with traditional brick and mortar retail shops are discovering this. There are also the advantages outside of merely extending your customer reach on your own. Through what is known as omnichannel selling, you can tap into an online marketplace like Jumia to expand your consumer base.

Expand further with affiliate programme

One advantage of having an online e-commerce setup is being able to track who and where orders come from. You can create an affiliate program for customers, retail partners and more to promote your products in exchange for a commission. Jumia has this already integrated,  allowing numerous marketers and bloggers to promote your products once listed. This method also works in perfect synergy with blogger outreach, which can grow your presence on social media as well. With many affiliate tracking tools, you can adjust the rate depending on the users. For instance, giving your customers a 5% commission, but 10% for more influential affiliates.

Help in cutting costs of doing business

Without a physical storefront, you won’t incur rental or management costs. Your only costs will be to take a good and quality picture and share them on the Jumia website while ensuring that you do not compromise quality. You can invest the money saved to other parts of the business.  As more and more people come to expect the convenience of shopping online for everything they spend money on, the businesses that cater to this mindset will thrive and flourish. E-commerce is a direct gateway to expanding and creating a more stable and cost-effective sales channel for your small business. You owe it to yourself and your business to explore which options can help take your small business to the next level.