Thousands of online businesses based in Africa are trying to do more than excel in their regional markets. They’re trying to set themselves apart on the world stage, opening themselves up to customers and fans from all corners of the world. E-commerce is the way African brands can export their products and content. But how can these companies attract attention beyond limited borders? Here are three of the best ways to do exactly that.
Offer Prices the Competition Can’t Match
One of the most significant changes in African economics is the change in the balance of global wages. As standards of living rise in nations like China and India, so does the cost of labor. For years, international businesses have gone to these nations for cheap labor, but these labor markets are no longer as competitive on the global scale as they once were.
Just as global labor needs are moving to Africa, global markets are considering African goods and services anew with loans and grants available to aid growth in areas such as digital financial services so that there is the necessary infrastructure in place internally. African businesses that have the potential to offer something to people outside national borders need to pursue these contacts aggressively, always using price as the differentiator.
Offer Bonuses and Loyalty Discounts
Part and parcel with distinguishing your business with lower prices, discounts and bonuses can cement the loyalty of patrons who are not located in your part of the world. Take the world of online casinos, for example. These businesses are effectively borderless, and there are hundreds or even thousands of similar providers competing for the same international market. Magical Vegas slots online has cornered a significant percentage of this market, in large part due to the bonuses and free spins they offer to new and returning users.
Your business might exist well outside the online gaming sphere, but the principle is the same. Incentivize people around the world to visit your site or business with low prices, then seal the deal with discounts that promote loyalty. It’s a winning combination that can help African businesses take advantage of large geopolitical trends, like globe-hopping labor markets.
Use the Culture You Already Have
African businesses don’t succeed by mimicking non-African businesses in every form and fashion. African businesses inherit benefits from unique geography, language, culture, food, history and style. It can be tempting to stifle these unique cultural characteristics in an attempt to “blend in” with the global marketplace, but this should be the last thing African businesses seek to do.
Be yourself. Cater to international markets in the languages you offer, the hours during which you provide support and the cost of the services/products you provide. In all other ways, revel in the individuality of your culture. What seems commonplace to you might just seem fresh and exceptional to the rest of the world.
The economies of many African nations stand to change dramatically in the coming decades. Much of this will be due to the world shifting its gaze to African product and services as the costs of labor and living rising in traditionally low-priced markets. With strategic thinking and business culture found nowhere else in the world, your business can compete meaningfully in this new way of doing international business.
