Starting an online business in Cameroon can be daunting. Are you a business person or simply someone seeking to employ yourself? Have you considered setting up a financial plan for a startup business, for example? If so, then this is for you. We are living in an ever-changing world where companies are no longer defined by geographical boundaries or demographics.
Suggested: How to start a small business in Cameroon.
The Concept of Online Business
Traditionally, people would only know your business by bypassing outside your offices and seeing the small poster you had placed outside. Things went to radio and television advertisements, among others, including billboards.
Arguably, all that is part of the traditional way of doing things. Any serious business person or company should be in the processor at least considering going online.
In the modern era, almost every adult or youth has a smartphone and access to the internet. As such, taking your business online brings it to the screens of millions of people searching for services and goods online. The internet allows you to reach more people than you would ever manage using traditional methods of advertising.
Cameroonians are innovative and hardworking; as such, many of them are already leaping huge from investing in online businesses.
In this guide, I will take you through starting an online business in Cameroon. As you might know, online businesses are the future of just about any business that exists.
In Africa, Cameroon is one of the countries that benefit from the lite internet, which explains why Cameroon is among the African silicon valley. Just like a conventional business, capital is needed to start an online business.
Luckily, online businesses are cheaper to start since some expenses like physical offices or inventory are eliminated. Statistically, an online business done right stands a better chance of growing than a conventional business.
Starting an Online Business in Cameroon (Financial Ideas)
If you have some basic IT skills, you can follow this process of creating an online business in Cameroon all by yourself. If you do not have any IT skills, there is no reason to worry. Simply continue reading this article for a step by step guide.
You Probably have an excellent business idea, passion and dedication, but you don't have enough money to pay for all the basic requirements for setting up a typical store in town; start an online shop!
You know, in today's world of e-Commerce, basically, anything and everything can be sold over the internet. One of the most significant benefits of venturing into e-commerce is reaching out to a broader customer base, among other advantages such as low startup costs and 24/7service provision.
How to Start an Online Business in Cameroon (Lucrative Plan)
Here are the steps to follow when commencing a successful online business in Cameroon:
- Find Goods, products or services to Sell Online in Cameroon
- Choose a Domain name and Webhost
- Select an appropriate Shopping Cart
- Choose the most convenient Online Payment Plugin
- Finish upsetting your Online Shop or business in Cameroon
1. Find Goods, products or services to Sell Online in Cameroon
This is where some basic research will be necessary. Ensure that you choose a product or a service that will be marketable and in demand. In e-commerce, you give people what they are looking for from the internet.
This is where your decision should be led by logic rather than optimism. If people are looking for apples, give them an apple, don't try to sell them lemons, or you will give up in the process.
Finding the right kind of products to sell online is one of the most important aspects of starting an online store.
Ideally, you want to find products that people are looking for that cannot be found in ordinary shops in quantity or variety. In addition, you want to find a niche that is very specialized and narrow.
Do I need a Business License to start an online business in Cameroon?
This depends on how you look at it. Licensing is very crucial if you are looking at growing your business in the long run.
Licensing will help you acquire the much-needed business loans from banks since your online business will be acknowledged as legal.
However, some people would avoid registering their online businesses to avoid paying taxes.
NB: It should be noted that this can attract penalties and liabilities once the government catches up with you. Check out how to get your free taxpayer's number in Cameroon.
2. Choose a Domain name and Webhost
By now, I am assuming that you have already settled on the type of business you want to run. The next step should be choosing a domain name that is short, memorable and catchy. Of importance, it should be related to the business you have chosen. Once you find an available domain name, register it and choose a reliable WebHost to host the site for you.
What you should be looking for in a Webhost?
- It should have good technical support.
- They should offer the features needed to run your online store
- It should have a decent uptime of at least 99% uptime
NB: Most of the time, cheaper web host providers will have poor reliability or slow performance because they thrust too many websites onto a single server.
Of importance, choose a skilled web designer like Nabaleka to put up a website for you, preferably using WordPress.
Suggested: Why Businesses Need Websites in Cameroon.
Here is an example of our modest online business one-stop-shop in Cameroon: Temo group Store.
3. Select an appropriate Shopping Cart
Now we are past the process of registering your domain name and signing up for web hosting. Probably, you have also established where you are going to get your stock from. It is now time to start working on your online storefront.
Remind your web designer to select a shopping cart system that is appropriate for your use. Temo group digital design already knows the best options to choose from.
However, since we are generous with information, here are the crucial features that you should be looking for in an online shopping cart.
- Single page checkout is better.
- May have coupons/Gift vouchers.
- SEO friendly URLs.
4. Choose the most convenient Online Payment Plugin
You are selling goods and not giving them out. This is why you will need a payment option that people will pay you through once they buy something from your already set online shop.
There are many different ways to accept payments online in Cameroon. Some of the most popular payment options include MTN Mobile Money, Orange Money, PayPal, and Credit Cards.
5. Finish upsetting your Online Shop or business in Cameroon
By now, you have a vacant room on the internet that is waiting for you to fill it with products. Envision it like an empty mall because it can hold hundreds of thousands of products. Now all you need to do is to make sure people come in numbers.
- Ensure you have included your company's name, contact, and location details.
- You can play around with the color of your shop to suit your unique style
- Use tactics like SEO, Social Media, and Email marketing
- Do a bit of off-line marketing
- Convert some of your closest friends into your first customers
That, my friends, is how you build an online market. Still, if the steps were hard to follow, be sure to contact us, the digital experts.
Read Also: Online E-Commerce Shops in Cameroon.