The importance of creating a website for your business in Africa
By Anelie Petrus Eniola /
As the world is going digital you might be wondering why most of the African countries still do not have an online presence.
A website is very important for your personal branding and it should be part of your marketing plan.
According to fitsmallbusiness.com there are 8.5 billion Google searches per day. Imagine getting potential customers just because you have a great online presence. A well search-optimized website is important.
While some companies try to escape this task due to the cost which might be involved, a simple landing page could be a great start. There are also some great platforms like Shopify, Word Press, Wix and Weebly which offers free names as part of their packages.
Some small businesses might use the reason of “we are not yet ready for ecommerce”. This can actually be a great opportunity because an organisation could picture it as a virtual office.
Imagine being reachable to anyone including potential partners from outside your country.
Your website should not only be for the purpose of transacting. It could be a landing page where one can read more information on your business as well.
A website is very crucial when you are trying to create a lasting impression.
Proving that you are a reputable business is so important. Could there be a much bigger problem as to why Africa is finding it hard to digitalise? Is the lack of infrastructure one of Africa’s biggest challenges?
A lack of digital skills is one of the challenges which we are facing.
Here are some common mistakes we make on our websites as small business owners.
- No clear main menu is used.
- Different fonts being used across the platform.
- Shouting colours being used.
- Copy and paste – Website developers not tailor-making a certain website to compliment the client’s services or sector. Using the same design for all of their customers regardless of the industry they belong to.
- Less written content and more images being over used.
- Not regularly updating the website.
Most businesses prefer to only invest their time on social media platforms such as Facebook or Instagram and completely avoid websites. Businesses need to understand that having a website is also part of having a social proof.
Some companies also prefer emails over websites. In most cases some just never renew their domain before the expiry date.
Data is also very important and websites enable you to gather data on customer behaviour, preferences and interactions.
I hope that you do consider building a website for your business.
There are many reasons why your business needs a website. Invest in your online presence. A website expands your business globally.
– Anelie Petrus Eniola is a communication practitioner and marketing assistant with a heart for community development. She is also an upcoming writer and an entrepreneur at the beehivegroup. Instagram: @beehivegroup
