Selling physical goods can be a lucrative business if you know what you are doing. Think of Amazon, it started with Jeff Bezos selling books online. Don’t get me started, I’m not saying you are going to be the next Amazon There are more startup failures than success stories we all read online. In the Western world, let’s say for the sake of argument if you are starting an e-commerce business in the USA or UK, you are going to face fierce competition because the market is saturated versus in Ghana. There are several niches that have no strong online retailer.

Through this journey of starting our online store goodpappa.com, we learned valuable lessons running it and found innovative ways to improve our content marketing. There are countless mistakes we made along the way but also we made good moves that will help you succeed in the online retail space if you replicate it.

Sharing is caring as they say. Here are some tips and insights for anyone in West Africa looking to venture into online retail.

1. Side Hustle

From the start I will say, treat it as your side hustle. Keep your day job if you have any. Again I will repeat myself, treat your side hustle as your financial safety net. The reason is you aren’t going to start getting orders from day one. Unless your harnessing social, you depend on google to rank your site in the search engine. If you are not visible on google, know one will know your site exist.

However, balancing it with your other commitments will be challenging, especially when it comes to content marketing. Consistent content creation is crucial for making sales. Always remember why you started and stay committed to keeping your online business active every day.

2. Content Is King

Consistent content creation is essential. If you can’t commit to producing promotional material, marketing campaigns, blogs, photography, and videos, then online retail might not be for you. Successful online sellers generate daily content across multiple platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp, Blogs, Pinterest, and Facebook. For us blog posting and social has been very effective channels that brings traffic and invariably sales.

Read also: Why High Local Businesses Failures In Ghana? Here’s Why

3. Plan Ahead

Planning is crucial for online sales success. Develop a marketing calendar to prepare for peak sales periods. For instance, to benefit from Christmas sales, start planning as early as October. Schedule photoshoots, source gift-friendly items, and create season-appropriate packaging. Advance planning leads to better execution and higher sales.

4. Shipping and Delivery

Shipping from West Africa to other parts of the world especially western countries where most diasporans are based and tend to shop from the continent for locally made items, can be expensive. To offset high costs, enhance the delivery experience by personalizing packages. Including a thank-you note or a small freebie can build good customer relationships. Despite high shipping fees, customers appreciate personalized touches.

5. Customs Duties

International commerce often involves customs fees, which can surprise customers. Even if your website mentions potential customs and taxes, customers may overlook this. Be mindful of this when shipping, especially to countries like Uganda, Sweden, Norway, and the UK, where we’ve encountered such issues.

 

6. Stock Variety, Not Volume

Avoid overstocking based on guesswork. Instead, test the market by listing a few items and scaling up based on demand. We started with a few categories to test the market and later expanded. A diverse inventory attracts more customers. Initially, it’s better to have small quantities of many items than large quantities of a few items.

7. Target the Diaspora First

The African diaspora is a valuable market, often seeking items they can’t find locally. Most of our sales come from the diaspora. Focus on stocking local items that resonate with your diaspora community to attract and retain customers.

Read also: Which Business is Most Profitable to Start in Ghana?

8. Stock Popular Items

Don’t hesitate to stock items that are already popular online. Items like dashikis and fulani earrings, although widely available, remain top sellers for me. Even in a saturated market, popular items can drive significant sales.

To sum it up, if you follow these tips, you can navigate the challenges of online retail and create a successful business for self your family and create jobs. Remember, consistent effort and strategic planning are key to thriving in the online mark. You can’t just throw in the towel when the rubber meet the road. Keep pushing. Hope this helps.

Are you looking to shop? Safe your time shopping online on goodpappa.com online store, get same-day delivery in Accra and Tema, and pay on delivery.