Got this idea during the weekend as i left the mall after doing my shopping. That people look for value for money more as compared to flashy arrangements and class. Take an example, you have this mall on this road in Nairobi called Tom Mboya street where there are more than 5 supermarkets. I know you love doing your thing in a spacious area where you can play with the shopping trolley as you stroll around the supermarkets aisle.
Small supermarket with good prices
But that’s not what you do, you still go to the crowded supermarket just coz they are 2bob cheaper on some important goods you use. Now think about it, would you rather go to this fancy website that is more expensive to use or the one offering value for money? We are talking e-commerce here. You know the type where you-are-on-high-end-street-so-you-pay-more-value on-line malls? I bet you will go where the others who mind their pocket are flooding, forget the class. You dont live in the mall, do you? Its a once a month thing. Look at me, look at yourself, now look back at me, do I look like I would pay more generally too? Well once in a while maybe, but not on the usual.
Easy to find what you want
Yeah, big malls=big journeys to your destination, you stroll lazily almost half a mile to look for the briefs corner. Translate that to your website. Get into the shoes of the random shopper on your site. Is it easy to find a random product on it? Is the search of much help or do you still require alot of manual navigation? Is the search results display comprehensive or do you also get lost among them? Now get back to your shoes and redevelop that website, or get it redeveloped.
Value for money
That’s normal everywhere. Is what you are speaking about true? You want to recoup the time/or money spent in developing that web system, and the payers are your site visitors. Are you offering something that you would pay for? Does it make sense? What would you rather do, get meagre charges in exchange of a returning visitor or make them pay through the nose and they will discourage the next customer from ever landing to your site? Referrals =0
Freedom to choose
Can you repeat after me, FREEDOM!! Freedom is what website surfers are looking for. Freedom to do whatever one wishes. Give them freedom, and they will make you rich, ask Google and Facebook. Give them free and premium options. Freemiums.
This makes users have a chance to test something free without being actually bound in payments for something they might not need in the first place and only go paid when you find the value of what you are offering. Kinda like give em free now bill them when they have money to pay. Or are willing to.
Connection with seller
Now you must build systems to ensure that your website visitor feels the connection. Like they are dealing with you, not like they are dealing with a faceless heap of code. If possible record a video, talk to them. Offer options of feedback or easy communication like chat, easy mail, leave a twitter handle and manage the handle. Make the website users feel like they know you personally before they spend the money on you. Builds some trust. Which translates to referrals and return customers.
Accessibility and ease of use
The reason we have investors making money while others are left wondering what hit them is the difference between an easy to use system and the completely opposite of that. Myspace was flashy and all, Facebook and twitter looked plain, but very easy to use and so much value-plus more freedom. And we all know what happened.Don’t build Facebook, its already there, get creative. There is so much innovation required, study the way people are doing stuff online, see the trends, you will be able to see a niche you can capitalize on and make good money. Make easy to use platforms, remember most internet users prefer a system that they can access everywhere, that reads mobile phones, mobile web. Is your target market able to be on desktop web browser most of the time or are half of them on a fully mobile web world? Are they using smartphones or feature phones? Mobile applications development should be on your mind now and if your market does mobile payments easily, you know where to invest your time and money in.
What payment methods best suit them, do they have cards, do you need to integrate mobile payment systems(not want, its never about you).
Think about it, and then read the title of this article. I love comments, tell me what you feel about these points.
