Shopify is an e-commerce platform that allows you to set up an online store and sell products to customers worldwide. If you have a product or service that you want to sell online, Shopify can be a great way to start making money in Kenya. But first, you need to learn the best strategies to make money on Shopify in Kenya.
To make money on Shopify in Kenya, you will need to attract customers to your store and convince them to make a purchase. This can be done through a variety of marketing and sales techniques, such as search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, email marketing, and influencer partnerships.
In addition to selling products, you can also consider offering services or subscriptions through your Shopify store. This can help you generate recurring revenue and build a loyal customer base.
By following best practices for e-commerce and implementing effective marketing strategies, you can make money on Shopify in Kenya and grow your business over time.
Now let’s answer the most asked question.
Can I sell on Shopify from Kenya?
Yes, you can sell on Shopify from Kenya. Shopify is available in over 175 countries, including Kenya, and supports multiple currencies and languages.
To sell on Shopify from Kenya, you’ll need to sign up for a Shopify account and set up your online store. This includes adding products, setting up payment and shipping options, and customizing the look and feel of your store. Once your store is set up, you can start selling your products to customers worldwide.
Shopify offers a range of tools and features to help you manage and grow your online store, including marketing and social media integrations, analytics, and customer support. You can also use Shopify’s app store to find additional tools and services to help you run your business more efficiently.
Overall, Shopify is a reliable and user-friendly platform that can help you sell your products online from Kenya.
How to make money on Shopify in Kenya
You can use several strategies to make money on Shopify in Kenya. Here are a few best ideas to get you started:
#1. Find a niche market
Identify a specific group of customers with unique needs and focus on meeting those needs through your products and services.
Finding a niche to sell products on Shopify can be a key factor in the success of your online store. Here are some steps you can take to help identify a profitable niche for your online business in Kenya:
Research your market: Look at trends in Kenya and see what products are popular and in demand. You can use tools like Google Trends to see what people are searching for and consider whether there is a gap in the market for a particular product or service.
Identify your passion: Consider what you are passionate about and whether there is a market for it. You’ll be more motivated to work on your store if you’re doing something you love.
Determine your target audience: Who are you selling to? Consider the age, gender, location, and interests of your target audience. This will help you narrow down your niche and identify products that will appeal to your target market.
Evaluate the competition: Look at what other stores in your niche are selling and consider whether there is room for your products in the market. You may want to differentiate your products or target a specific sub-niche to stand out from the competition.
Test your ideas: Once you have identified a potential niche, it can be helpful to test your ideas by creating a small product line and seeing how it performs. This can help you gauge demand and refine your ideas before investing a lot of time and resources into your store.
#2. Utilize social media
Social media can be a powerful tool for promoting and growing your online store on Shopify in Kenya. You can use platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to promote your products and interact with customers. Here are some ways you can use social media to help make money on Shopify in Kenya:
Use social media to reach your target audience: Identify the social media platforms that your target audience uses and create profiles on those platforms. Use these profiles to share updates about your store, products, and promotions.
Engage with your audience: Use social media to interact with your followers and potential customers. Answer their questions, respond to their comments, and share content that they will find valuable or interesting. This can help build trust and loyalty among your audience.
Run social media ads: You can use social media advertising to reach a larger audience and drive traffic to your store. Target your ads to the demographics and interests of your target audience to maximize their effectiveness.
Use social media to showcase your products: Share photos and videos of your products on social media to give your audience a better understanding of what you’re selling. You can also use social media to gather customer reviews and testimonials, which can help build trust and credibility for your store.
By using social media effectively, you can reach a larger audience, engage with potential customers, and drive traffic and sales to your online store on Shopify in Kenya.
#3. Offer exceptional customer service
Offering great customer service can be an important factor in the success of your online store on Shopify in Kenya. Below are some traits you can adopt to provide excellent customer service:
Respond promptly: Make sure to respond to customer inquiries and complaints in a timely manner. This can help build trust and loyalty among your customers.
Be helpful and informative: Provide customers with the information they need to make informed purchasing decisions. This could include product details, shipping information, and return policies.
Solve problems quickly: If a customer has an issue with their order, work to resolve it as quickly as possible. This can help build trust and improve the customer’s overall experience with your store.
Go above and beyond: Look for opportunities to exceed your customers’ expectations. This could include offering additional support or going out of your way to make sure their needs are met.
By providing excellent customer service, you can build trust and loyalty among your customers, which can lead to repeat business and positive word-of-mouth recommendations. This can ultimately help your store succeed and make more money on Shopify in Kenya.
#4. Use email marketing
Email marketing can be an effective way to promote your online store on Shopify in Kenya and drive sales. First, build an email list by collecting email addresses from customers and website visitors who are interested in your store. You can do this by offering a newsletter sign-up form on your website or by collecting email addresses at checkout.
Also, create email campaigns. You can use an email marketing tool like Mailchimp or Klaviyo to create and send email campaigns to your subscribers. These campaigns can include newsletters, promotional offers, and product updates. Ensure your emails are personalized. Use segmentation to create targeted email campaigns that are more relevant to your subscribers. You can segment your list based on factors like location, interests, and purchase history.
It’s wise to test and optimize your campaigns. Use A/B testing to compare the performance of different subject lines, email content, and calls to action. This can help you improve the effectiveness of your campaigns over time.
#5. Utilize SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) refers to the practice of optimizing your online store and its content to improve its ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). This can help make your store more visible to potential customers and drive traffic to your site.
Ways you can use SEO to generate more sales hence making money on Shopify in Kenya:
Use relevant keywords: Research and use relevant keywords in your product titles, descriptions, and other website content. This can help improve your store’s visibility in search results for those keywords.
Optimize your website’s structure and content: Make sure your website is well-organized and easy to navigate. This can help improve the user experience and increase the chances of people making a purchase.
Use high-quality product images: Use high-quality product images that are properly sized and optimized. This can help improve your store’s visibility in image search results.
Use social media to drive traffic: Use social media to promote your store and drive traffic to your website. This can help improve your store’s visibility and increase the chances of people making a purchase.
#6. Collaborate with influencers
Collaborating with influencers can be an effective way to promote your online store on Shopify in Kenya and drive sales. Influencers are individuals with a large following on social media or other online platforms who can influence the purchasing decisions of their followers. Hence, partnering with influencers in your niche can help promote your products to their followers.
Advantages of collaborating with influencers:
1. Reach a new audience: Influencers have a dedicated following of people who are interested in their content and recommendations. By collaborating with an influencer, you can reach a new audience and expose your products to potential customers.
2. Build credibility and trust: Influencers are seen as trusted sources of information and recommendations by their followers. By collaborating with an influencer, you can leverage their credibility and build trust among their followers.
3. Increase brand awareness: Collaborating with an influencer can help increase awareness of your brand and products among their followers. This can lead to increased traffic and sales for your store.
4. Boost engagement: Influencers often have high levels of engagement with their followers, which can help boost the visibility of your products and store.
By collaborating with influencers, you can reach a new audience, build credibility and trust, increase brand awareness, and boost engagement for your Shopify online store in Kenya.
#7. Offer subscriptions or recurring payment options
Offering subscriptions or recurring payment options can be a useful way to generate recurring revenue on your Shopify online store in Kenya. You need to determine your product or service first. Consider what product or service you want to offer as a subscription. This could be a physical product, like a monthly subscription box, or a digital product, like a subscription to a membership site.
Shopify offers a range of tools and apps that can help you set up a subscription option for your products or services. These tools allow you to set the frequency of the subscription, the price, and the terms of the subscription.
Make sure to promote your subscriptions to your audience. You can use email marketing, social media, and other marketing channels to let people know about your subscription options. Also, consider offering incentives to encourage people to sign up for your subscriptions. This could include discounts, free shipping, or exclusive access to content or products.
#8. Utilize retargeting
Retargeting is a form of online advertising that allows you to show ads to people who have visited your website or interacted with your brand online. It works by placing a small piece of code, called a “pixel,” on your website. When someone visits your site, the pixel tracks their activity and sends this information to an advertising platform. The platform then uses this information to show ads for your products or services to that person as they browse other websites.
Retargeting can effectively bring people back to your Shopify online store in Kenya and increase their chances of making a purchase. It can be beneficial for targeting people who have shown an interest in your products but have not yet made a purchase.
Retargeting can be implemented through various ad platforms, such as Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Adroll. You can use these platforms to create targeted ad campaigns that are shown to people who have visited your website or interacted with your brand online.
Through retargeting, you can effectively reach potential customers who have already shown an interest in your products and increase the chances of making a sale on your online store on Shopify in Kenya.
#9. Expand internationally
Expanding internationally can be a great way to grow your Shopify online store in Kenya and reach a larger audience. Hacks for expanding your business internationally:
1. Look at trends and demand for your products in different countries. You can use tools like Google Trends to see what people are searching for and consider whether there is a gap in the market for your products.
2. Consider adapting your marketing strategy to appeal to a global audience. This could include adjusting your language and tone to fit different cultures, using different marketing channels, and adapting your marketing materials to fit different markets.
3. Make sure you have a payment system in place that can handle transactions from different countries. Shopify supports multiple currencies and offers a range of payment gateways that can help you accept payments from around the world.
4. Research shipping options and costs for different countries to determine the best way to get your products to international customers. You may also need to consider customs and import regulations for different countries.
#10. Diversify your product line
Diversifying your product line can be a useful way to make more money on your Shopify online store in Kenya and reach a larger audience. Look at trends and demand for different types of products in your target market. Consider what your store does well and where your strengths lie. This can help you identify areas to focus on when expanding your product line. Consider testing potential products with a small product line to gauge demand and refine your ideas before investing a lot of time and resources. Make sure to promote your new products to your audience.
By implementing these strategies, you can make more money and grow your business on Shopify in Kenya.
Does Shopify allow MPesa?
Yes, Shopify does allow MPesa as a payment method for merchants in certain countries.
To use MPesa as a payment method on Shopify, you will need to sign up for an MPesa account and then integrate it with your Shopify store. This can typically be done through a third-party payment gateway or app that supports MPesa integration.
Do I need a business license before selling on Shopify?
In Kenya, businesses are required to register with the relevant government agencies and obtain the necessary licenses and permits before they can legally operate. This includes businesses that sell goods or services online through platforms such as Shopify.
To sell on Shopify in Kenya, you will likely need a business license or permit from a relevant government agency, such as the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Cooperatives. The specific requirements for obtaining a business license in Kenya will depend on the type of business you are running and the location in which you are operating.
Can I use my Shopify card at an ATM in Kenya?
Shopify does offer a physical debit card for its merchants, called the Shopify Balance card, which can be used to make purchases and withdraw cash at ATMs.
However, it is unclear if the Shopify Balance card is available or can be used at ATMs in Kenya. The best way to determine if the Shopify Balance card is available in your location and if you can use it at ATMs in your area is to contact Shopify directly.