So, you've seen a gap in the market. And seized the opportunity to create a business, albeit one that can operate with extreme efficiency in the online space. Accolades to you! If your in-laws are a little behind the times (technotards!) and ask you, at the next family dinner or braai - "So... What do you do again?" - you can tell them you're an opportunist and an entrepreneur. That should keep them quiet for the rest of the meal.
But among your own mates, fellow IT geeks and entrepreneurs in a number of different fields, many of whom are branching out into selling to consumers online, what are the things you need to be aware of now that 2014 had charged headlong into 2015? Well, e-commerce is poised to become an increasingly robust avenue for doing business in SA, due to the fact that many South Africans have had access to the internet at home and/or work for five years or more. And this translates into a sizeable techno-savvy group that is all of a sudden ready to start buying things online, according to research by tech trends experts World Wide Worx on this phenomenon, called the 'digital participation curve'.
So what can you do to plan for the year ahead, as an e-commerce marketer?
Immo Böhm, director of online courier-finding service CourierScout, shares the following six hot tips for building an online business:
"We post all our media exposure to Twitter, encouraging people to chat about the service and spread the news to others," says Immo. "We are also looking at building a tracking service into Twitter, so customers will receive a tweet each time their parcel is scanned along the supply chain."
"We've just added Nanorep.com, a self-learning, intuitive self-service platform that will help users familiarise themselves with our site, even if they are relatively inexperienced online. We also monitor what users search for and continuously adapt the site to their needs," he adds.
"We offer helpful articles on anything from packing tips to guidelines on how to sell or buy safely on websites like OLX or Gumtree," explains Immo. "Useful content posted on our website and social media pages works in tandem to build a loyal customer base, as users feel supported by our brand."
"Customers can create incredible content for a brand when they are interviewed as to how it has worked for them. Storytelling by the target market also increases the visibility of a brand. Our next focus, at CourierScout, is going to be to publish more YouTube videos, where we share tips and tricks, but also funny clips like 'How not to pack a parcel'," says Immo. "Our existing clip has drawn a significant number of customers to date."
"Our focus is Africa," enthuses Immo. "We are working at integrating more couriers to offer a footprint throughout Africa that will offer imports and exports into the continent. I see huge potential in Africa, with many small businesses starting up on the web where smartphones are now enabling users to begin trading online. The biggest challenges these small businesses face are: (1) moving products and (2) making payments. Payment issues are being addressed with the well-known 'M-Pesa', and similar solutions are being developed in other African countries - like EBank in Namibia. CourierScout will play a major role in opening up commerce in Africa, by supplying a range of couriers that pick up and deliver, ensuring goods get to where they need to go without a hitch."
"There are many different markets that CourierScout targets, so timing is always good, although we launched during the SAPO strikes - at a time when our service was sorely needed. Since we work alongside the couriers with whom we have partnered to offer the customer the best choice of product/price, we offer many excellent solutions for different scenarios, i.e. individuals sending Christmas gifts to family in November/December, grandparents shipping school bags and stationery to their grandchildren in January, small home-based businesses resuming trading with a bang in February etc. Although this makes our operations less time sensitive, it is always good to be prepared for the busier times," concludes Immo.
For more, go to CourierScout.co.za
