How to Start an Online Business from Scratch in Kenya

Last Updated on 03/08/2022 by Steve Wanjie

The article will discuss how to start an online business.

Starting an online business is not as easy as it sounds.

You need to consider the market you are targeting, the audience you want to reach, and your product or service.

These are just a few things you must consider before starting your own business.

The first thing that needs to be done is to choose which type of online business you want to start.

Many companies, such as e-commerce stores, freelancing websites, and blogging websites, can be created online.

Once you have decided what kind of business you want to start, it’s time for research!

The more information you have about your potential customers and their needs, your business will be better off when it launches!

To start an online business from scratch, you need to take the following steps:

1. Find a niche market by asking yourself questions such as:

• what do I like?

• What are my hobbies?

• What are my skills?

• I’m I passionate about this niche?

2. Create a website or blog to promote your products and services

3. Develop an email or SMS list to communicate with your customers regularly, provide them with offers and discounts, and make them feel special.

4. Create a Facebook page or Twitter account to promote your products and services on social media channels.

What is an online business?

An online business is a money-making entity that does not have a physical presence and operates solely on the internet.

Therefore, it is easier for an online business to grow without investing in expensive real estate or inventory.

Examples of online business:

• online store
• dropshipping
• online tutoring
• Blogging
• Affiliate marketing
• Business consultant
• Web designer
• etc

Why You Should Start an Online Business

Starting an online business is a great way to become more independent and work on your terms.

In this day and age, with the right skills, you can start an online business from anywhere in the world.

You are no longer bound by geographical constraints or limited by your educational background.

It is easier than ever to start a business from scratch with the help of tools like WordPress and Shopify that make it easy to create a website or store without coding knowledge.

Starting an online business is not for everyone, but if you like being creative and self-directed and want to work on your terms, it might just be for you!

Reasons why you should start an online business in Kenya

Here are 4 reasons to start an online business today:

a) It is cheaper to start an online business

Starting an online business is a cost-effective way to make money. You only need a computer, internet connection and some knowledge about the topic.

The reason why it’s so inexpensive to start an online business because there are no physical stores that need to be maintained.

All you need are supplies and a computer with internet access to get started.

You don’t need to worry about leasing space, hiring employees, or buying inventory.

b) Potential for online business growth is huge

Entrepreneurship is the best way to make money. You can start an online business with low investment, and it has growth potential.

You can start an online business with minimal investment, which has massive growth potential.

Online businesses are the most popular among entrepreneurs because of their low cost, a massive potential for growth, and global reach.

The world of entrepreneurship is changing drastically, and many opportunities are available to those willing to take risks.

c) An online business is open24/7

An online business is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

It means you can be available to customers around the clock without worrying about the time difference.

Why? 

You can use software to automate business processes.

Automated businesses are a great way to make money without having to do anything.

It’s a passive income stream, meaning you don’t have to be actively involved in the business daily.

d) Starting a business is better than being employed

A lot of people are looking for a better way to make money.

But unfortunately, starting a business is a lot of work. It can be hard to create an even more brutal to keep going.

But if you’re willing to put in the time, it can be worth it.

The benefits of starting your own business are many.

You get to set your hours, create your schedule, and have the freedom to pursue whatever interests you.

You also have the potential for unlimited earning potential.

No matter how much money you make, there’s always more room for growth!

Step 1: Choose Your Niche

What is an online business niche?

An online business niche is an area of specialization in which a company or individual offers products or services.

Niche marketing is a marketing technique that focuses on targeting a specific group of customers.

You use this strategy to carve out a particular market segment and then position the product or service as the best choice for them.

Niche marketing can be successful because it allows you to target your advertising more precisely, leading to higher conversion rates and increased customer loyalty.

How to identify your niche:

Identifying your likes and dislikes is the first step in deciding on a niche.

Knowing what you like will help you narrow the choices of available niches is essential.

For example, an animal care niche may be a good option if you want animals and children.

If you don’t have specific interests or passions, it can be hard to find a niche that is right for you – but doesn’t worry!

There are many ways to find your niche; the key is experimenting with different ideas.

Here are some tips for finding your perfect niche:

– Find out what you like doing

– Find out what you have a talent for

– Find out what you’re good at

– Find out what people need help with

– Find out what you’re passionate about

Pet Industry is a niche example:

For example, an online business niche could be the pet industry.

If you’re an online pet store, you could focus on providing the best products and services for pets like food, toys, beds, and grooming.

It is a great way to stand out from other online pet stores that may not specialize in these areas.

The benefits of having an online business niche are that it allows you to excel at your craft by focusing on one thing instead of trying to do everything at once.

It also gives you more control over your company and its direction.

Step 2: Create Your Website

First, you need to decide what kind of website you want to create.

• Do you want a blog?

• A professional portfolio?

• A personal website?

• Or do you want to sell products?

The second step is to decide on a domain name for your site and hosting.

You can purchase your domain name through various providers, such as NameCheap.

We recommend purchasing a domain name that is short and easy to remember so that it will be easy for people to find you on the web.

After you have purchased your domain name, the third step is to buy web hosting.

Web hosting lets people visit your site on the internet and view its content.

You can purchase web hosting through the same provider as you purchased your domain name or through another provider like Dream Host.

Website builders:

Website builders are used by companies and individuals alike to create their websites and online presence.

The website builder has enabled small businesses to have their website without needing expensive web development skills.

The following is a list of some of the most popular website builders:

• WordPress

• Squarespace

• Wix

• Weebly

The best option, however, is to use a website builder, allowing you to easily create and publish your site without any coding knowledge required.

I love WordPress website builder.

Step 3.1 – Content Marketing Strategy

What is content marketing?

Content marketing is a marketing strategy that includes creating and sharing media and publishing content to acquire customers.

The content marketing strategy is the foundation of any successful digital marketing campaign.

Content marketers must create a plan to help them reach their goals and objectives.

The following steps will help you develop a successful and effective content marketing strategy:

a) Determine your goals:

The 3 main types of content marketing are:

• Inbound Marketing:

Creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience.

• Outbound Marketing:

Using traditional advertising techniques to reach prospects.

• Ambient Marketing:

using digital signage in public spaces to display ads or messages.

A successful content marketing strategy encompasses all three types of content marketing.

b) Define your audience

For a content marketing strategy to be successful, it is crucial to define the audience that you are trying to reach.

Then, you should tailor the content to customer needs and preferences.

The audience is an essential part of the content marketing strategy. How can you create targeted content if you don’t know your audience?

You need to know what they are interested in, what they like and dislike, and what they need and want from your company.

Companies must define their target audience to succeed in their content marketing strategy.

c) Develop a content plan:

A content plan is a document that outlines the goals and objectives of a content strategy, as well as the content types and formats you will use to achieve these goals.

A content plan has two sections:

i) Content Objectives

ii) Content Types.

The first section will outline what you want to get out of your content, while the second will outline how you want to do it.

i) Content Objectives

The content objective is the reason for creating the content. It is what you want to achieve with it.

Content objectives are typically one of three types:

• Informational

• Persuasive

• Transactional

ii) Content Types

There are many different types of content that you can use. Some of the most popular are;

• blogs

• videos

• podcasts

• infographics

• articles

• social media posts

d) Set up your social media channels

It will give you a place to publish your content and interact with your followers.

But, first, you must choose the correct channels for your business and then tailor them to the needs of your target audience.

Some popular social media channels are Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.

Facebook: 

It is one of the most extensive social networks, with over 2 billion monthly active users (MAUs).

As a result, it’s an excellent place for businesses looking to reach a broad audience because it has an extensive reach – more than 1.4 billion MAUs from outside of North America and Europe.

LinkedIn:

LinkedIn is a social networking site that is designed for professionals.

It allows users to create profiles and connect with others to build and maintain professional relationships.

Many people have used this platform to find jobs, grow their businesses, get new clients, and more.

LinkedIn also provides a networking platform where professionals can share information about themselves, their careers, and what they are looking for in the future.

e) Determine the right metrics for success

Content marketing metrics are the key to success in any content marketing campaign.

Metrics help you understand your content’s performance and where you need to improve.

The following are some of the most critical metrics that every content marketer should be aware of:

Content Marketing ROI:

It is a metric that measures the return on investment for a particular campaign or project

Satisfied Marketing Success Rate:

It measures how many people have engaged with your content

Content Marketing Engagement Rate:

It measures how many people have interacted with your content (liked, commented, shared)

Content Marketing Reach:

It measures how many people have seen your posts or updates

g) Outline your budget

You need to know how much you are willing to invest for it to be effective.

The budget will depend on the type of content you want to create. For example, if you are making videos, the budget would be higher than if you are creating blogs.

The budget will also depend on how much time you want to spend. And how many people are involved in the process?

For example, you can have a small team of content creators and editors or have one person doing all the work.

Step 3.2 – Social Media Marketing Strategy

Social media is a powerful channel for brands to interact with their customers and potential customers.

A social media marketing strategy establishes a presence on social media platforms.

It then uses these channels to engage with target audiences.

A social media marketing plan outlines the steps to create a successful social media campaign.

It includes:

– A goal statement

– A list of objectives

– A list of desired outcomes

– A description of the type of content that you will create, how often it will be published, and what distribution channels you will post it on

– The target audience(s) that should see this content, as well as their interests, demographics, geography, and psychographics

Step 4 – Create Content & Promote It

In this section, we will discuss the importance of content marketing and promotion.

We will also cover how to create content that is not just good for SEO but also for the reader.

Content marketing is a process of creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience.

In addition, it allows businesses to build trust with their customers by providing them valuable insights into their products or services.

Content Creation:

You need to know what your audience is interested in, understand the different formats, and see where you should publish it.

One of the most important aspects of content marketing is to make sure that your content is not just good for SEO but also for the reader.

To do this, you must create a balance between keywords and readability.

Content should be written so that it contains enough keywords but not too many, making it difficult for readers to understand.

For example, if the keyword is “dog food,” an article about dog food should have the word “dog” or “food” at least once every two paragraphs.

Readers will be more likely to stay on your website and continue reading if they can understand what they are reading without guessing what words mean.

One of the biggest challenges faced by content creators is finding the right content creation tool.

Many tools are available on the market, but not all are a good fit for every content creator.

Content creation tools:

You can use various tools for content creation, including blogs, websites, and social media.

These are the most famous content creation tools:

– WordPress

– Google Docs

– Quora

– Medium

– Hootsuite

AI content creation software:

Example of an artificial intelligence content creation tool.

RYTR, an affordable AI writing assistant, offers a variety of AI writing tools.

It can be used by anyone from bloggers and content marketers to digital agencies and professional copywriters.

RYTR is a cloud-based AI writing assistant that helps you generate content for your blog or website.

You can use it to write articles, blog posts, web pages, social media posts, or any other type of content.

Content Promotion:

Promotion is an essential part of any successful content marketing strategy.

The goal of promotion is to reach as many people as possible. Yes, with your content to increase its impact on your target audience.

You can promote your content in many ways, including social media posts, guest blogging, paid advertising, etc.

Create a lot of content around the product or service you are offering online and promote it to attract buyers.

CREATE and PROMOTE content to sell products or services to make money online.

Content promotion tools:

Content promotion tools are a must-have for content marketers.

These tools can help you generate and share high-quality content, manage your social media profiles, track your progress, measure the success of your content marketing campaigns, and much more.

The future of content promotion is all about automation.

Tools like Hootsuite or Buffer allow you to automate the social media posting process and eliminate manual work.

This way, you can focus on other essential tasks, such as creating quality content or managing your social media profiles.

Here are some of the tools that are used for content promotion:

a) Buzzsumo

b) Quuu Promote

c) Buffer

d) Hootsuite

e) SocialBro

f) Nuzzel

Product Sourcing

Product sourcing is finding and obtaining products to sell in an online store.

Either purchasing products can do it from wholesalers or manufacturers or by buying products from individual sellers on sites like eBay.

When choosing your product suppliers, finding a balance between cost, quality, and availability is vital.

In addition, knowing how much inventory you need for your store before you start sourcing for products is essential.

You can source your products from Aliexpress or any other platform to sell on your website, Facebook page, or online store.

It is all about creativity and thinking outside the box.

Conclusion: How to Start an Online Business from Scratch

This article guides how to start an online business from scratch.

It has covered the basics of what you need to know before you start and all the steps you need to take to make your dream a reality.

We discussed the following things:

– What are your goals?

– What do you want to sell?

– How much money do you have?

– Do you have any experience in business or marketing?

– Will this be your full-time job or side hustle?

– What is your budget for buying inventory and supplies?

– Where will your products be sold online?

– How much time can you spend on this business each day/week/month (depending on what kind of business)?

How to market your business in Kenya?

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