Speakers at the Lagos StartupWeek 2015 on Friday urged small and medium scale entrepreneurs to leverage on the various e-commerce platforms in the country to sell their goods and services.
They made the call in Lagos during the e-commerce session at the first edition of the Lagos StartupWeek.
Evangeline Wiles, the Managing Director of Kaymu, an online marketing platform, said that e-commerce had made buying and selling a lot easier, convenient and stress free.
According to her, e-commerce allows you to have a retinue of customers needing the attention of the online merchant.
She advised operators of e-commerce platforms to treat online customers with respect, as if they were physically present before the customer service officer.
The MD said that about half a million people visit the Kaymu website weekly.
“My biggest advice is for operators to treat every online customer as someone standing in front of you.
“Sensitise your customers about your goods and deliveries,’’ she said.
Ikenna Okonkwo, a director at Heels, an online platform that deals only on female shoes, said that e-commerce in the country was full of opportunities.
Okonkwo said that the success of e-commerce in Nigeria was attributable to internet penetration and the availability of Smartphones in the country.
He said that priority attention needed to be given to customer service because of the sensitive and challenging nature of e-commerce operations.
“Customer service has to be a top notch for operators of e-commerce platforms,’’ Okonwo said.
Meanwhile, Mr Deji Toyobo, one of the facilitators at the event, said that Lagos StartupWeek was the first in Africa.
Toyobo, who spoke on the sideline of the event, said that the event was put together to create a platform for African Startups to network and share ideas together.
He said that the event would expose Startups with information and skills on how to grow their businesses.
The event, which had many young entrepreneurs in attendance, was sponsored by Airtel, Leadway Assurance and the British Council, amongst others.
(NAN)
