How To Start Selling Online Professionally in Kenya

So you’re interested in selling stuff online in a professional way, right? How to start selling online professionally in Kenya will show you where to start, and how to do it right!

If you have dreams of quitting the rat-race job of 8Am to 5Pm, then you need to start your own online business like Alibaba or Amazon business (which obviously involves waking up at 10am, working in your pajamas, taking long weekends whenever you like, and answering to nobody because you’re the boss…)

Or maybe you just want a few extra shillings in your back pocket.

Whatever your reason for wanting to start selling online, eCommerce offers huge opportunities for anyone with an internet connection here in Kenya.

Of all the ways of making money online, it’s perhaps one of the easiest to understand and get started with.

How To Start Selling Online in Kenya

This article on how to start selling online professionally in Kenya will show you where to start, and how to do it right!

I have broken the process down into Five simple steps to take you from complete beginner to professional seller.

Step 1. Choosing What to Sell

You’ve probably thought about this step already.

Ideally, most people start by thinking of products they can sell online and go from there. What starts as a daydream at your work place often flourishes into a successful business, so be careful what you wish for!

Choosing what to sell is arguably the most important decision you will make as it will determine the demand for your product, price and profitability, market competition, sales, and marketing. It’s also one of the hardest decisions you will make.

Of the billions of products out there, how do you know which one to sell?

In general,for the full run-down on choosing a product to sell, most likely you will be looking for a product that meets these requirements:

  1. You can make a profit on it. This one is pretty obvious. Don’t forget to factor in things like shipping, packaging, and marketplace fees!
  2. There’s reasonable demand for it. One of the common mistakes new sellers in Kenya make is diving into selling a particular product without checking demand. Don’t be that person stuck with a store full of things you can’t sell!
  3. The competition is not too intense. Competition can really drive down your profits, particularly when there isn’t enough demand to meet it. When a bunch of sellers are competing for a small pool of buyers… things can get ugly.

Step 2: Finding Suppliers

Once you’ve decided on a product to start selling online, you need to find a reliable supplier for that product.

Finding a supplier is probably the second most time-consuming part of selling online, and also comes with a raft of bottlenecks to avoid – so be careful! A supplier is one of your most important business partners so you want to make sure you choose the right one.

Your business model will largely determine what type of supplier you work with. But let’s get down to the nitty gritty. How do you find a supplier you can trust?

Contacting Suppliers
So you’ve found a few legit suppliers that you want to reach out to? Great! You’re making real progress. The next step is contacting them. This sounds as simple as flicking them a quick email. But you should know that the best suppliers get contacted by a lot of aspiring online sellers every day, so if you don’t make a good first impression, chances are they’ll just ignore you. And you don’t want that!

I highly recommend that, whenever possible, you should always opt for a telephone call. Email is OK, but it doesn’t give you that personal interaction which can help you determine the legitimacy, expertise, and professionalism of potential suppliers, which are all things you need to know when you’re giving someone a bunch of money.

Negotiating with Suppliers
So you’ve contacted a suitable supplier and you’re ready to commit? Now’s the time to get down to business and negotiate your deal.

Remember: your goal is to be able to source your products for less than what you’ll eventually sell them for. Every little discount you can get will count towards your profits — and it can really add up!

Step 3: Setting Up Your Business in Kenya

So you’ve got all the ingredients to launch your online business, now you just need to make everything official. Every country has different requirements when it comes to setting up a business, In Kenya, it’s always a good idea to speak to an accountant or lawyer to get professional advice.

However, to make sure you’re getting started on the right foot, here are the four main things you need to consider when setting up your business.

  • Choosing a business name
  • Registering your business
  • Setting up payment options for your store

Step 4. Choosing What Platforms to Sell On

Now that you know what you’re selling and your business is set up legally, it’s time to choose where you want to sell. There are a lot of options, but how do you know which is the best for you?

What Is The Best Platform to Sell Online For You?
I wish I could tell you of a specific online marketplace in Kenya that is best for you, but it really depends on what you’re selling and what you’re hoping to achieve with your business. Each platform has its own pros and cons, so it pays to do a bit of research into a few different platforms before deciding which one you will use to start selling online.

You should also consider starting your own online store using a platform like WordPress or Shopify so you don’t have to compete in a crowded marketplace like Jumia or Alibaba.

What to Look For in an Online Store Solution?

  • How many users does that platform have? The more users, the more potential customers for your business. That’s almost always a good thing!
  • How many sellers does the platform have? The more sellers (particularly sellers in your niche), the more competition you’ll have. It’s a good idea to weigh up the number of sellers against the number of potential customers.
  • What seller’s fees do you have to pay? Every fee eats into your profit margins. Do the calculations to see what the platform will cost you.
  • What type of goods are you selling? Some platforms are more suited to specific types of products. For instance, Jumia has a reputation as being great for Electronics, Smart Phones, and Baby Products.
  • How reliable is the platform? Are you confident the platform will exist 10 years from now? It’s hard to know, but if you build your business and customer base on a particular platform you want to be sure it’s going to stick around.
  • How much flexibility does the platform allow you? Some online marketplaces have strict guidelines you have to follow. If you make a mistake, your account can be suspended. Whereas, with your own website, you have complete freedom. It’s up to you to decide what’s best for you.

Step 5: Marketing Strategies for Your Online Store

Congratulations! Your online store is up and running. Now you need to attract customers to your listings or website. This is where your marketing strategy comes in. You can’t just sit back and expect the money to start rolling in. It’s time to get to work.

How Do I Start a Successful Online Store?
You’ve already got the first ingredient to running a successful online store: A great product! But there are several other factors you need to get right from the beginning to ensure long-term success.

  • Good quality copy in your listings: The words you use to sell your products should sell the benefits to your customers. Don’t just use the description the supplier provides. Inject some fun and personality into your listings with creative copy.
  • Good quality photos: You’d be surprised how many people decide to buy something based on a photo. Make sure your photos are of high quality and show the product at all angles. Include an in-scale image and highlight important features. Great photography is an easy way to set your listings apart from the rest.
  • A marketing strategy: You should have a plan for how to promote your business outside of your chosen platform so that you can attract more customers to your listings and make more sales. This should include paid and organic marketing methods, such as Facebook advertising and email list building.
  • Ask customers for reviews: Positive reviews tell potential customers that you’re a trustworthy seller with a good product. You should ask your customers to leave reviews in order to put your future customers at ease when they land on your listings.

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