WHAT KONGA & JUMIA SELLERS HAVE IN COMMON WITH DANFO DRIVERS

Do you know what a bus conductor in Ojota, a pepper seller in Mile 12, a boutique owner in Lagos Island and your online store have in common…

The other day, I was coming from Jumia warehouse in Ikeja and I highlighted at Ojota from a bus coming from Allen, Ikeja. I have to cross Ikorodu road to the other side so I can walk home. That’s about a 10 minute walk after crossing the road in Ojota.

Immediately, I highlighted from the Allen Bus, 5 guys want me to board their bus heading towards different destination in Lagos. 2 guys were calling Oshodi, a guy was calling Yaba, a guy was shouting Maryland whereas the other fellows were busy calling Ojuelegba.

This was nothing unusual. Ojota is absolutely bustling with hustlers at all hours of the day. And they have the same problem with boutique owners in Lagos Island.

The last time I visited Lagos Island, I noticed how businesses of the same type are always clustered tightly together. After UBA building towards inner Marina, there are various shops selling clothes, back to back, side by side within a minute walking distance from each other.

Because of this competition, most shops have someone posted outside who try to stop passers-by and get them into the shop.

This creates a problem: too much competition, too much distraction, too much going on – it all results in a loss of business.

Ojota, Lagos Island, Oshodi and Mile 12 are very busy places in Lagos full of people. People who have a limited amount of attention.

This creates a problem: too much competition, too much distraction, too much going on – it all results in a loss of business.

And whether it’s a bus conductor trying to get you on-board his bus in Ojota, or a pepper seller trying to sell you grocery in Mile 12 or someone desperately wanting you to check out their boutique in Lagos Island, it come down to the same thing: these are poor solutions for the problem of attention management.

If you sell on Konga or Jumia, your customers face unlimited amount of potential distraction because their attention is severely limited online.

Why am I telling you all this?

You face this problem in a thousand if not a millions of way because you sell your products in the marketplace like Jumia and Konga.

There’s an unlimited amount of potential distraction and people’s attention is severely limited online.

What’s worse: on the internet marketplace, every storefront is “on the same street” because everything is just a click away include your competitors.

You can’t expect customers to pay attention to you, your store and your products from the kindness of their heart. They simply won’t.

Therefore selling in the marketplace is all about attention management.

If you successfully manage your storefront customers’ attention, you can do anything. If you fail to hold their attention, your online store is dead in the lion den called marketplace.