Five Ways Nigerian SMEs Can Ride the Technology Trend to Success

By Adeniyi Ogunfowoke,

Technology plays a huge role in either the success or failure of any business. This applies mostly to small and medium enterprises that do not have the deep pockets of the giant companies. As such, with the limited capital they have, they can ride on the current technology trends to improve business and survive the many challenges SMEs encounter in a country like Nigeria. In line with this, we share 5 ways Nigerian SMEs can take advantage of technology to improve business and guarantee growth.

Have an SEO compliant website

Some small businesses simply establish a website without considering whether it is search engine optimised or not. It is not enough to set up a high-value website. It has to be optimised so that your website will be ranked by search engines like Google, Bing and others. If your website is absent on search engines, you won’t be able to attract prospective clients and customers to your business.

Expand your reach with social media

Wonder why Jumia is everywhere you go online? It is because Nigeria’s no 1 shopping destination has a strong social media presence (Facebook, Twitter & Instagram). These platforms are free and there is nothing stopping any SMEs from interacting and engaging customers on them. It can be used to get new customers and boost your business online profile

Use online invoice

Invoicing a client is no longer rocket science. There are thousands of free online invoicing software that you can use to bill customers. So, if you provide invoices to clients or track expenses, having a working system is non-negotiable.

Email newsletter

The regular publication of email newsletter is one of the surest ways to interact and connect with your audience. Before sending out the newsletter, you should concentrate on understanding what your customers want and then creating offers that may interest them.

Improve customer service

The fact is the customer is king and no business can survive without them. Therefore, you should use technology to improve your customer as the returns will be massive. Some of the cheap and affordable ways to improve customer service are through interactive websites, online chat support services, chatbots and customer service via social media. This will no doubt make your business unique.