Digitalising your business: the essential steps for online success

Today, digitalisation is an essential lever for companies wishing to develop their business and reach a wider customer base. With the rise of e-commerce, traditional retailers are having to adapt to remain competitive. But how can you digitise your business effectively? In this article, we take you through the essential steps to succeed online and boost your digital presence.

The essential steps for digitising your business

Step 1: Create a solid online presence

These days, being visible on the Internet is the first step towards a successful business. The majority of consumers look for products or services online before making a purchase. So, to capture these customers and develop your sales, it’s vital to establish your digital presence.

The first step in digitalising your business is to ensure your visibility on the Internet. There are several options available to you:

Create an e-commerce site: You develop your own online shop where you display your products. This solution gives you total freedom to manage your image, but requires resources for creation, maintenance and referencing. Because natural search engine optimisation (SEO) is important if you want to appear in search engines.

Joining a Marketplace: A Marketplace is a platform that brings together several merchants to sell their products online. The advantage of joining a Marketplace is that you benefit from an existing audience and a ready-to-use infrastructure. Digitalising your business also means joining a marketplace

Use social networks to showcase your products: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and WhatsApp have become powerful channels for selling directly or attracting customers to your shop. A presence on social networks is essential for increasing the visibility of your business and interacting with your community. As far as content strategy is concerned, it’s a good idea to publish regularly, highlighting your products and services.

Small Deals: The ideal solution for Cameroonian retailers

Small Deals, the Marketplace developed by Viazi, is specially designed to meet the needs of Cameroonian retailers. It allows you to create your merchant space free of charge and start selling online in just a few clicks, without any technical knowledge.

Step 2: Enhance your product catalogue

Once you’ve created your online presence, the next step is to showcase your products in a way that attracts customers’ attention and encourages them to buy. On a platform like Small Deals, the presentation of your catalogue plays a crucial role in visitors’ purchasing decisions. It’s important to highlight your items

Write clear, precise, concise and attractive descriptions

First of all, be specific: mention the product’s key features (size, colour, material, functionality, etc.). Next, highlight the benefits, i.e. explain how the product meets the customer’s needs or solves a problem. Finally, use simple, sales-oriented language, avoiding overly technical terms. Use short, engaging sentences.

Example:

Bad: ‘64GB phone, black.’

Good: ‘Latest-generation smartphone – 64GB memory, elegant black design, ideal for your everyday and professional needs.’

Using quality photos

Sharp, professional images are more eye-catching. This means presenting the product from several angles. If possible, show the product in situation. For example, a person wearing the garment or using the device.

Tip: On Small Deals, quality visuals help you stand out from other sellers and increase your chances of selling quickly.

Show prices and availability

Be transparent about the price: Customers don’t like having to look for this information. Mention any promotions or discounts. However, update your stocks regularly to avoid the frustration of unavailable products. What’s more, a well-presented product catalogue on Small Deals, with accurate descriptions, attractive photos and clear prices, is the key to capturing attention and converting your visitors into buyers. Create your free merchant space on Small Deals to benefit from all the advantages of the platform and boost your sales.

Step 3: Integrate appropriate payment solutions

When a retailer launches an online business, one of the most sensitive elements is payment. To ensure a smooth shopping experience and reassure customers, it is essential to offer payment methods that are adapted to local habits. For example, using ViaziPay on your e-commerce site allows you to accept several payment methods, including Orange Money, MTN Mobile Money and bank cards.

The importance of mobile money and bank payments

Mobile Money (Orange Money, MTN Mobile Money etc.) has become the preferred method of payment for a large proportion of the population, because it is simple, fast and accessible even without a bank account.
However, some customers, particularly businesses and premium customers, also prefer to pay by bank card. To sum up, if you want to digitalise your business, you need to integrate mobile money into your e-commerce shop to reach a wide range of customers. In addition, add payment by bank card to capture urban and business customers.

Secure transactions to reassure customers

Fear of scams is still a major obstacle for some online shoppers. It is therefore crucial to use secure payment solutions that inspire confidence and guarantee that transactions will take place without risk.

The Small Deals Marketplace developed by Viazi simplifies the whole process. It directly integrates the main local and international payment methods:

• Mobile Money payment (Orange Money, MTN Money, etc.)
• Payment by credit card (Visa, Mastercard, etc.)

By using Small Deals, merchants don’t need to worry about technical details. Because everything is automated and secure, for worry-free cash management. Register for free with Small Deals and start selling with secure payments today. Create your merchant space

Step 4: Optimize order and delivery management

Once your online store is up and running, it’s essential to ensure smooth management of orders and deliveries. Good organization ensures customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Set up an order tracking system

On the one hand, make sure you keep track of every step: from validation to delivery. On the other, keep customers informed about the status of their order (confirmed, in progress, shipped). The Small Deals platform offers you an interface that lets you track your sales and orders in real time.

Working with reliable delivery partners

Work with carriers or delivery services recognized for their reliability and speed. In addition, offer customers several options if possible (fast delivery, standard, relay point). Last but not least, make sure that delivery times are respected.

Tip: Ask for customer feedback on their delivery experience to evaluate your service providers.

Ensure proactive communication with customers

Send notifications (SMS, e-mail) on the progress of orders. In addition, you need to remain available to answer questions about delivery times or in the event of a problem. Also; after delivery, ask for customer feedback to improve your service. With Small Deals, you benefit from an integrated system for notifying your customers and keeping in touch with them easily. In short, efficient order and delivery management is a key success factor for your online business.

Step 5: Building customer loyalty

Acquiring a customer is a victory, but building customer loyalty is even more important to ensure the longevity and growth of your business. A satisfied customer will come back to buy, talk about you to others and become an ambassador for your brand.

Set up promotions and loyalty programs

Offer discounts on regular purchases or special offers to reward loyal customers. Then set up promo codes or discounts for special events (holidays, birthdays, sales). Finally, create a loyalty program: for example, after 5 purchases, the 6th with a discount. On Small Deals, you can highlight your promotions and boost your sales with special offers.

Encourage customer feedback

After each order, ask customers to leave a review of their shopping experience. After all, positive feedback boosts the confidence of future buyers. In the event of negative feedback, show that you’re taking the remarks into account and looking to improve.

Maintain a presence on social networks

Post regularly on Facebook and Instagram to stay in touch with your community. Also, showcase new products, promotions and share customer testimonials. Respond quickly to messages and comments to show you’re listening.

After all, it costs less to retain a customer than to win over a new one. Small Deals gives you the tools you need to enhance your customer relations and keep your customers coming back. So create your free merchant space on Small Deals and build a loyal customer base. Free registration

Conclusion: Successfully digitalizing your business

Digitizing your business is important for the success of African retailers. By creating an online presence, enhancing the value of your products, offering secure payments and optimizing your deliveries, you open up your business to new growth opportunities.

Thanks to Small Deals, developed by Viazi, you benefit from a complete platform that simplifies all these steps:

• Easy creation of your merchant space
• Mobile Money and credit card payments
• Smooth sales and delivery management

Don’t wait any longer to take the plunge and boost your business with digital technology.