In this article, you are going to learn how to start online business in Kenya.
See, running a business is no longer what it used to be.
Back in the day, you’d first have to get some office space somewhere, secure capital, and hire extra hands to help.
But today, all of that is gone, thanks to the internet.
You no longer need employees, office, or capital (in most cases) to start a successful business in Kenya.
What you are about to see is the ultimate blueprint to starting and running a profitable online business in Kenya.
Here is the thing;
Just like offline businesses, not all online businesses in Kenya are profitable.
Question is;
How do you make sure yours gets you ROI?
Here are the exact steps you can take now to start an online business in Kenya.
How To Start Online Business In Kenya: Find a need and fill it
Just look around you, there is something common with all the successful businesses you will see.
Can you guess what that is?
The solve a pain.
Facebook is successful because it solves the problem of ‘needing to be close’ without actually coming together.
MPESA, our very own, is a success because it helps you eliminate the pain of having to wait for hard cash to travel by mail.
Does that make sense?
If you want to build a business in Kenya, you need to identify a pain people are experiencing.
And then look for the best way to solve that pain through online means.
For example;
Most small businesses struggle with marketing.
That’s the pain right there.
To solve it, you can offer them social media marketing services in Kenya. And just like that, you have a thriving business.
Here is how to identify problems people are facing;
- Go to online forums like Facebook groups and see what people are complaining about
- Leverage keyword research. Look at the question many people are asking, but not enough answers
Do this and you will have a profitable online business in Kenya.
How To Start Online Business In Kenya: Write copy that sells
After identifying the pain and crafting the perfect solution, it is time to start selling.
This is where an epic copy will come in handy.
What is that?
Well, a ‘copy’ is a fancy word used by marketers to describe the words used to sell a product.
You have heard of sales pages, right?
In a nutshell, these are pages with content created specifically to sell a service or a product.
Now, to sell your solution to the pain you identified, you need a copy.
Lucky for you, there is a proven way to write the best copy;
- Arouse interest with an eye-catchy headline.
- Describe the pain your product/service solves.
- Establish your credibility by sharing why the buyer should buy from you
- If you have existing customers, go ahead and add testimonials
- Focus on how the product or service will benefit the customer.
- Make an offer. It can be a discount or a one-time deal
- Give out an irresistible guarantee. It can be a 30-day money-back offer
- Create urgency to push the user to buy now and not tomorrow
- Ask for the sale.
How To Start Online Business In Kenya: Create A Simple website
The next step is creating a website in Kenya.
This is where most people overthink!
You don’t need a jaw-dropping website with all sorts of beauty aesthetics installed.
Also, you don’t need a perfect logo to get started.
In fact, forget about hiring some expensive web designer who will steal your money.
Instead, go to OLITT.com and create a website you will be proud of in under 10 minutes.
With this tool, you can have an epic website in no time without touching any code or spending a shilling.
Alternatively, you can get a cheap domain and host here.
How To Start Online Business In Kenya: Leverage SEO to drive traffic to your website
When the website is up and running, the next thing is traffic.
There are two ways to get traffic;
- Free traffic
- Paid traffic
To get paid traffic, all you have to do is create PPC campaigns.
For example;
You can use platforms like Facebook ads or Google ads to drive traffic to your website.
But you realize that not everyone got money to splash around on advertising.
So, your only option is free traffic.
Now, when it comes to getting free website traffic in Kenya, SEO is the best option.
Here, you are making sure your website is search engine friendly.
In other words, make sure your website can be found on Google.
Learn how to do that here.
How To Start Online Business In Kenya: Establish yourself as an expert
Weird enough, people mostly trust ‘experts.’
If you want to get more sales with your online business in Kenya, you need to position yourself as an expert.
Here is how to do that;
- Start publishing in-depth articles and guides about your industry
- Go on interviews and post them on your network. Also, feature your qualifications on your site. For example, if you have been featured on Nation Kenya, include that on your website.
- Answer questions about the industry
How To Start Online Business In Kenya: Follow up with your customers through email
Not all of the people who will visit your website will buy.
Also, not all those who visit your online shop will complete the checkout.
But there is one way to make sure you make maximum sales; following up.
The best way to follow up is through email marketing.
For this to work, you need to collect email addresses.
- Offer something for free in return for an email address
- Use free tools like Mailchimp at first
- Start building a relationship with your list
For example;
When a customer abandons a cart, follow up with an email offering a discount.
Why?
Its been found that 80% of customers abandon shopping carts because of higher fees.
Alternatively, you can offer free shipping if you are selling physical products. And then find ways to recoup the costs.
How To Start Online Business In Kenya: Implement back-end sales and upselling
If you want to make your online business profitable in Kenya, you need to implement back-end and upselling.
- Back-end sales refer to the set of products or services you sell or resell to a customer who has already made an initial purchase with you. For example; when they buy shoes, recommend socks or such.
- Upselling is persuading the customer to upgrade their product or buy a more expensive version of the product. Happens all the time when you visit a store.
Final thoughts on profitable online business in Kenya
To wrap this up, here are some online business ideas you can start now;
- Blogging
- Dropshipping
- Online store
- Freelance writing
- Selling shoes
- Fashion etc.
