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Some problems facing Travel Agencies and their solutions

Hello there, our topic today is centered on some of the problems that has plagued Travel Agencies in Nigeria and how they can be solved using IT solutions and branding. First i would like to state categorically that some of the challenges faced are self inflicted, as there are countless cases of people who have been defrauded by so called, Travel Agents. Many were promised the seamless processing of their Visas and other travel documents, while a few others are often lured with the promise of getting a well paid job abroad or more recently, helping you get admission into a foreign university. Only for them to later discover that they’ve been duped of their hard earned money. Which on many occasions have later led to arrests being made by the police or other relevant security agencies.
While this scenario above is prevalent in the Travel industry in Nigeria, i’d like to state emphatically that there are many genuine ones out there, who are not just trained travel experts, but are also very honest people who are interested in the concept of offering premium customer service, but with the high prevalence of quacks and fraudsters in the business, it has become increasingly difficult for the good ones to be identified, thus making the business appear un-profitable or should i say less rewarding.
Which brings us to the point where we’ll briefly highlight what you could do to fight the bad perception that often comes with being a travel agent in Nigeria. This are proven and tested strategies that have been deployed time and time again at NEW CONNECT. They have helped to improve the businesses of many of our clients (Travel Agencies) who have followed through on our recommendations and remained consistent in doing things in the most ethical way that is in tandem with the code of conduct of the Travel industry.

Build a PROFESSIONAL website
Yes i’m sure what you must be thinking, build a website, build a website all the time. This is simply because a website is the most basic tool any serious business must have. It is like your office built to receive and attend to the needs of prospects online. So asking the modern day man to do business with a company that doesn’t have a website, is almost like asking them to commit their hard earned resources into the hands of a person with no address.
As you must have noticed the PROFESSIONAL in the sub-topic above is written in capital letters. Which is because, you’re not expected to build just any type of website, but one that is neatly and thoughtfully designed to create an impression. Many prospective clients can be very smart people and so they tend to know quacks when they see one, although in some cases, it could be you who appears like one. So get a trusted and experienced web developer to help you with a great looking website today.

Integrate Chat Apps in your website
Do you know that when most people logon to your website in search of one service or the other, they most likely must have also opened a similar website (another company) to yours based on results they got from google search. Which leaves them screening the content and functionalities of the site to be able to choose which one looks more trustworthy or with more juicy offers. Thus making it important that you equip your site with all the necessary tools in other not to keep missing out on clients whose patronage could have helped the growth of your business. And one very smart way is to ask us (NEW CONNECT) or your developer choice to integrate a chat application into your site.
These acts like a pop-up window at the corner of your site, welcoming visitors into your website and telling them that you’re available for a quick chat. It allows you chat with them in real time and also affords you the opportunity of addressing whatever fear or worries they might have.
It will also help to immediately build some level of trust for your business and also increase your chances of being selected as their choice Travel Agent.

Social Media Engagement
This is important as it affords you the opportunity of constantly interfacing with people who might be interested in your services. You need to create quality content and post them. You can also organize little competitions or give always for your online community. Don’t just post any picture or graphics, but ensure that you post high quality graphics that is on most occasions enveloped in your brand colors. Engage your followers on key issues that affects the travel industry, be the first to break news that relates to your industry to them. Ensure that you’re mostly active and consistent, you can get trained on how to manage social media accounts effectively across different platforms but if you’ll not be able to meet up due to time constraint, you can get an experienced Digital Marketer to help you in the effective Management of your online community. That way you build trust which is one of the biggest elements that is important as a travel agent and business in general.

Create quality Blog post
This idea sounds cliche but trust me when i say, it will never go out of fashion. It is actually one of the smartest ways of tweaking the psychology of a prospective client/customer to your own advantage. People are naturally more interested in working with, or trusting an individual who gave them a helpful tip or gave them an insight into something they never knew. So why not integrate a blog-page into your website today and write quality posts that readers would find helpful. You can write something like “How to avoid fallen victim to fraudulent travel agents” or “How to get cheap flight tickets” or maybe something like “What to pack in your lugage and want not to, when travelling overseas”. If you’re not so much of a good writer, you’ve nothing to worry about as this is one of the things that a good Digital Maketer can help you handle.
Doing this properly and consistently will help you engage your readers and overtime convert them into loyal customers.

Finally, there are many more ideas that we can’t discuss here today in other not to make this post too lengthy, but they can be shared with you whenever you reach-out to NEW CONNECT for consultations. I hope you found this post helpful?

Post created by NEW CONNECT. An innovative IT SOLUTIONS COMPANY, we offer services ranging from Web Design/Development, Mobile Apps Development, Research and Business Consultancy,Digital Marketing, Branding and Multi Media Services etc.
We’re eagerly looking forward to working with you on your next project.

Contact us

You can also Call or Whatsapp +234 808 970 0958
Like our Facebook page @Newconnectnigeria
follows us in instagram @newconnectword

Beyonce the “brown skin girl” with a website

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Hello everyone, today i’ll be discussing a new trend amongst celebrity, Instagram comedians and instagram retailers. While it is laudable that many people have embraced the idea of showcasing their talents on facebook and instagram, with many others who have had their big hits through the use of this channels, becoming overnight stars or having increased sales by showing off their wares or projects (like make-over done for a bride and her bridal train). It has become very difficult to educate them about the importance of certain things like owning a website.

I recently had a conversation with a prospective client who’s spa is quite close to our office complex, and the first thing she uttered was that her type of business doesn’t require any office at all, and she also went ahead to state categorically that she has been making god sales even without owning a website. While she might seem right, her words clearly points to the fact that she lacks a good understanding of what a website is all about.

 

Before i go ahead to explain why she is wrong for saying that her business doesn’t need a website today or tomorrow, first i will tell you that Beyonce, the world famous superstar musician, multiple grammy award winner and business woman has her own website www.beyonce.com, where she constantly updates her fans about her life, music releases and also a section for ticket sales to tours and exclusive events. Fans can also shop for clothes on the site and also have the opportunity of buying replica costumes used during tours on the site. At this stage you must be wondering why a superstar like Beyonce who has an enviable amount of social media following, will see the need of having and maintaining a website, when she can just post all she wants on social media and make money.
First of all, what is a website? We can simply call it your official office online, that never closes for the day or go on holiday, it helps to explain all that your business or brand is all about. People can book appointments, chat an agents, make secure payments etc with it. While your social media platforms/pages, can be seen as your marketing agents whose duty is to help publicize your business, and do a few other things.
Below i’ll explain as briefly as possible why you should own a website today.

beyonce performing

 

That page is really not yours

First you must understand that your social media page is really not yours, yes i mean it doesn’t belong to you. Did you pay any amount when opening it? No you did not, as you went about opening it free of charge. My second question will be, when updating your social media App, have you ever stopped to read their terms and conditions, before ticking the box ‘I AGREE’? Of course i’m sure you have never done that, because if you have, you will realize that you have very limited control over your data, and also whenever the social media company feels that you’ve violated any of their policies whether knowingly or unknowingly, they have every authority to take down your page without informing you.

And as such, they are empowered to ban you from the usage of their platform and also deactivate any account without stating any reason for doing so. In recent times many pages where taken down due to the scandal that came with the cambridge Analytical issues. Authorities in the United States have been on their neck, and so they have been forced to take drastic measures and one of those measures has been to take down many pages that they believe are not in line with whatever they have put in place. So if for example, your page is taken down, it then means that you have completely been thrown out of business, but if you have a website which is of course your main office online, you will still be able to continue doing your business, at least from google search results were you would still rank. As you then seek to rstrategies    on the way forward.

It makes your business/brand appear professional and standard
As an instagram or facebook sensation, it is more easy to have impersonators who can easily setup a duplicate account, download your pictures from your real page an upload, making it very easy for your potential clients and customers to be scammed. This has happened to so many people who ended up learning the hard way. But in a situation whereby you have your website it becomes easier to direct people to desist from making payments to you on social media but rather they can login to your site and make payments (that’s if you have integrated a payment API). You will also appear a lot more standardized and professional when you refer people to your website to see more of your products and portfolio. Big time companies will also be interested in working with you. As you don’t appear to them like a junky who simply opened a social media account an is cashing in on it.

beyonce on the red carpet

 

You can integrate so many features on your website

On your website, you have the power to modify and integrate as many features as you like. It’s all about what you believe suits your brand. Recently our Web Development Team, integrated an a secure API channel that allowed a freelance journalist to securely collect donations from people who find his reports and journalism helpful or educative. This would presently be difficult to do either on instagram or Facebook, as all they had to do was put in their card number, either Visa, Verve or Mastercard etc and the payment is made in a secure manner, protecting also the payment details from anyone with malicious intentions.

The above stated reasons and many more are why top celebrities or brands with good advisers, are always eager to setup a website of their own, as they know the value it will add to their brand and business.

Post created by NEW CONNECT. An innovative ICT company, we offer services ranging from Web Design/Development, Mobile Apps Development, Research and Business Consultancy,Digital Marketing, Branding and Multi Media Services etc.
We’re eagerly looking forward to working with you on your next project.

Contact us
Call or Whatsapp +234 808 970 0958
Like our Facebook page @Newconnectnigeria
follows us in instagram @newconnectword

BB naija and the rise of reality Tv shows in Nigeria

Hello everyone, if you have a television set or an at-least an internet enabled device, then you must have come across a reality TV show which is called Big Brother Nigeria or BBnaija. This is one of many Reality TV shows that are sprung up in the last few years. Linda ikeji the popular Nigerian blogger has also recently launched her own Themed “Made in Gidi”, with a few other entertainment companies who have giving it a go. Some have been close to successful and many others flopped for one reason or the other, sometimes ranging from poor planning, weak brand perception or lack of sponsorship etc.

Despite the not so friendly economic situation in Nigeria today, BB naija has managed to retain its solid and unparalleled lead in the reality Tv show business.
For example, a lot goes on during the BBNaija show. Everyone is aware that viewers must vote if they wish to retain or evict their favorite housemates. There are 3 ways to vote on the platform; online (mobile site, website) and offline (via SMS). The former is free while the latter costs ₦100 ₦30 per SMS vote. We can take a cue from the 2017 edition where Premium Times reported that, the 2017 edition of BBNaija recorded 26 million votes in the final week.
The third season of the reality TV show, Big Brother Naija “Double Wahala”, may have made also made billions from viewers. As the host of the show, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, revealed that over 170 million votes were cast in the course of the season, 30 million of it coming in the final week.

Although commentators on social media are suggesting the show may have raked in as much as N5.1billion, that claim could not be independently verified by this medium as we believe that not all of the votes would have come in the form of the paid SMS method of voting.
You must have also noticed the text messages that constantly roll through the screen while the show is on. These cost ₦50 per SMS. Again, let’s do some maths. If in a worst case scenario, only 1 million viewers send such messages on a weekly basis, that’s a potential ₦50 million for the show organizers and third party facilitators (Telecoms providers).
So which ever way it is, the show could be easily described as a success and money maker.
This is due to a number of factors but to keep this post short but educative, we’ll only discuss 2 of them.

bbnaija logo

 

Branding and Publicity:
There are not so many TV shows in Nigeria today, that has the pulling power, or should i say, the ability to attract millions of viewers everyday for up to a period of 90 days that the show airs on TV. And this is not far from the fact that the organizers of the show which in this case is Multi Choice who are also the owners of Dstv and Gotv in Nigeria, put in a lot of effort in branding and promotion of the show. From radio to Tv ads, alongside a massive campaign on online. Even as the show airs for 24 hours a day, a lot of people spend a sizable chunk of their time as the show also has its own dedicated channel. They try to not just package the show in the most organised way possible but they also ensure that they build so much hype and fanfare around the show, before, during and after the show airs. They partner with media houses to constantly discuss issues around the show to ensure it appears on every media platform available. As you must have also noticed that after any contestant is evicted he/she immediately embarks on a media tour to discuss their experience in the house and possible stir up some more drama or controversy which will in turn boost the viewership of the show.

 

BBnaija audition

Planning and Business Development:
The show received a massive amount of criticism in 2018 for being called Big Brother naija, yet it was at that time fully produced in south Africa where the organizers had claimed they had their production facility. But to swiftly respond to that criticism, they opened a new facility in Nigeria so as not to appear stubborn or insensitive to the yearnings of Nigerians who wanted it to be done here in Nigeria. But above all this, one of the smartest things the organizers have done overtime in their selection of the contestants/housemates is to smartly look for people who you could describe as semi-celebrities or people who have good rapports with already established celebrities. Without mentioning names, you must have also noticed some housemates who are very popular on instagram or have been pictured with some notable names in the entertainment industry before being selected to participate in the show.

This for me is a smart business move as the show relies on viewership to be profitable, as sponsors like payporte who where the main sponsors of 2 editions and more recently Bet9ja, are only interested in putting their monies into events or programs that could give them brand exposure which would in turn help in the growth of their sales. And one smart way of doing this, is to target people who have thousands of instagram or facebook followers

For example Going into the Big Brother house after just one day in the house (12 noon July 1, 2019), Housemate Tacha was the most followed among the 21 housemates with 351 thousand followers. Next in line was Kim Oprah with 108 thousand followers. In third place was Mike with 43.5 thousand followers, followed by Mercy at 29.5 thousand followers. Surprisingly, evicted Avala stood at 18.2 thousand while Omashola was 13.3 thousand, same as Ike also at 13.3 thousand. Khafi had 7.898, Diane 7,295, Tuoyo 7,212, Ella 6,998, Frodd 5,368, Seyi 5,015, Esther 4,018, Nelson 3,940, Gedoni 3,300, Sir Dee 3,055, Isilomo 3,015, Thelma 2,901 and Jeff 2,464. There was no recognizable Instagram handle for Jackye as at the time of compilation, so no figure was applicable to her.

This figures above also means that, as soon as they enter the house they would like to use all their social media platforms to solicit for votes, while those ones who are connected to big name entertainers would also receive support or should i say backing. That way many of this celebrities also utilize their social media handles to help sway their followers who are in their millions to vote for their preferred candidates. The celebrity unknowingly has become a Digital marketer/advertiser of the show, but in this case for free.
This is as a result of what we can call “Strategic marketing” in business, and that could have only happened because they must have employed the services of a business development team who must have taken their time to research and then advice the organizers on the best ways to fully profit from the show.

Post created by NEW CONNECT. An innovative ICT company, we offer services ranging from Web Design/Development, Mobile Apps Development, Research and Business Consultancy,Digital Marketing, Branding and Multi Media Services etc.

We’re eagerly looking forward to working with you on your next project.
Contact us
You can also Call or Whatsapp +234 808 970 0958
Like our Facebook page @Newconnectnigeria
follows us in instagram @newconnectword

How to start Dropshipping business in Nigeria

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Many times, you might heard of the word dropshipping and of course wondered what it meant and how it works.The whole concept revolves around owning an E-commerce website of your own but in this case you don’t need to have the products in stock. Yes you heard me right, the product is actually owned by a third party who is actually referred to in this case as your supplier, and whenever a customer pays for an item on your site, you then proceed to pay the supplier who will also handle the shipping of the item to your customer. Now that is sounding more interesting to you, but there’s more things to take note of, and that is what this post is going to address. Whenever one is about to start any business of any kind, you must first consider the environment which in this case is assumed to be Nigeria, hence the reason the post was titled “How to start a Dropshipping business in Nigeria”. Starting a drop shipping business in Nigeria entails that you must think of the payment gateway for your business. Also, it is also important that you know how to handle issues relating to third party suppliers in other to have your products shipped faster.

Of course I know you are curious as to what kind of products to dropship? And if you’re thinking of dropshipping internationally, then you should be aware whether or not you have to pay tax or register your company.

Also bear in mind that, you need to understand if are you going to pay a customs tax on all the products you’re dropshipping in Nigeria especially if you’ll need to import them.

So you probably need relax and carefully read through. If you are yet to subscribe to this blog, i recommend you do, to get more insight tips and ideas that could help to grow your brand, do feel free to join our new community on Facebook.

Straight ahead, what is dropshipping all about and how does it work in Nigeria? In the simplest form dropshipping is selling products without needing to have in .
This is how it works; First you must create an online store and that starts with you building a website with domain name and hosting. After you’ve created an online store and added your products to it. When I say products i’m referring to pictures of items you intend to sell with it’s descriptions.

This is majorly because like we mentioned earlier you don’t need to have product stock in physical. And after this, as soon as you receive an order (paid order) from a customer, all you have to do is contact your third-party supplier (owner of the product) by sending your customer address and paying the supplier from the initial money paid to you by your customer.
The supplier on confirming your payment which is almost instant in most ideal situations will in turn, make the shipment to your customer. Leaving everyone happy with the transactions that took place.
Secondly, if you will be using AliExpress to source for products like many people do, It will not be necessary to contact the seller. All you simply need to do is go ahead and pay for the products and fill your customers’ details on AliExpress as the buyer.

Without wasting time the Supplier on AliExpress will then proceed to package the product and immediately shipped to your customer without them knowing it was actually from AliExpress.

These are 5 simple steps on how to start Dropshipping in Nigeria,
Before we start let me quickly answer some of the frequent questions commonly asked about drop shipping in Nigeria.

Do you need to pay tax dropshipping with AliExpress in Nigeria? The answer is NO! Paying of Tax are for residents in the US.
Will you pay tax duty on products shipped to Nigeria? Still NO! Whatever amount you are to pay on a product will be clearly written on your supplier website. The shipping cost covers the tax duty.
Do you need to register your company as an e-commerce business? The answer is NO and YES! When starting, you don’t necessarily need to register just to save the cost. But when your business starts booming and growing momentum then you should consider registering your business.
In addition to this, some payment gateway might require you to have your business registered before you can start making use of their services. A good example is Paystack.

That’s that about that. So let’s look at the steps on how to start a successful dropshipping business in Nigeria.

Research and choose products to Sell
Find trusted Suppliers
Choose a good Selling platform.
Promote your business.
Enjoy making money.

 

Step 1: Research and choose products to Sell
The step is very crucial as failure to do right thing can actually ruin your chances of getting any thing tangible from the business. First and foremost is key that you research the products you intend to sell to know if it is actually in demand. You need to also ensure that it is profitable to market such an item.
Another thing you must have in mind while choosing your products is that it is not wise to start by selling just any product you see. Try as much as possible to check the demand over-time for such products through the use of Google Trend.
It has to be on the market trend. That is, demand for it must be relatively high or at least very stable and the competition for it should be minimal.
I must also add that you don’t necessarily need to have so many items on display to profit from this business model, just ensure that you are targeting products that are in demand and you are good to go.
Having a niche store is also a welcome idea.(a store that focuses on a particular type of products e.g Toy store or ladies wears store). This will allow you to easily Up-sell and Cross-sell customers with similar products.

 

 

Step 2: Find trusted Suppliers
One of the most important factors that will determine if you will succeed of fail in dropshipping is the quality of suppliers you’re working with. Remember that they are the real owners of the product and it is also their duty to ship the product which has been paid for as quickly as possible to your customer, using the customer address you must have provided.
One of the smart ways to spot a good supplier on AliExpress is by always ensuring that you check their seller rate. And it is not advisable that you settle for a seller whose score is below 90% score.

So as you can see, AliExpress is this the best option for anyone interested in dropshipping from Nigeria. Except you have access to a reliable manufacturer or whole-seller in Nigeria that’s willing to work with you.

In this case, all you’ll have to do is promote their products send orders to them, and they will be the one to handle the logistic within Nigeria. Other than that, AliExpress is usually the more realistic option.

Another advantage of using sellers on AliExpress is that most of the merchants there are factory owners or major wholesellers in china, which means that items are reasonably cheap thus giving you room to add your profit margin and make your. The good thing is over 80% of dropshippers use AliExpress so this might be your best choice in Nigeria.
Please also note that, using AliExpress also comes with its own set of challenges! Which of course is the issue of AliExpress long shipping time.
Remember that you can also target international markets or delve in Mini importation business too.

 

Step 3: Choose a selling platform
This part is very important, because this is what determines how your website is going to appear and feel to your customers. And you know the saying “professionalism breeds reputation”. For this I’m going to list two platforms for building your store. They include:

WordPress and
Shopify
WordPress – for this, you will need to get a domain name first. That is, the name of your website, and get a web hosting plan to host your web store.

Your web host determines how your web data is saved online. This is practically like a house for your website while the domain name is like an address to that house.

After your domain name and your hosting account are ready, you can then install e-commerce software (WooCommece plugin) on your website after you’ve must have installed WordPress from your Cpanel.

This can be done through one-click installation. And after that, you can start tweaking the website to your taste even though it sounds easy it is recommended that you get a professional to help set-up your web-store.
Here’s the most important part, after everything is set up, you then need to get the Dropshipping Plugin (AliDropship). Without the plugin, you can’t run your dropshipping business effectively.

Shopify – Shopify is a self-hosted platform and a website builder that allows you create website in not so much time.
This is one of the best platforms for dropshipping if you are a newbie or even a professional. It allows you to focus on your business by branding and marketing your products while they manage your store for you.

Another good thing is that it often comes a 14days trial. You can set-up your store in a few days and start marketing immediately for the first week.

With this, it’s possible to make profits within the 14days and pay your subscription even before the trial expires.
But then, It is always wiser to get a professional to help you with this part as there are a few technicalities involved in this aspect that can’t be listed here as they are ever changing and would require a web developer to help you design

So you can allow us at NEW CONNECT to help you setup everything From the Design to the Integration of all the necessary features needed,in other to get you started in no time while you focus on making your money, We have done things for a number of happy clients who are doing quite well today.(Call or Whatsapp +234 808 970 0958)

 

Step 4: Market your business
Without being told, every business man knows that without effecient marketing of his/her business, no one woul know it exist and as a result of that no one will buy.
You have to take it to them. This entails that you deploy a wholistic marketing approach that will be result oriented, deploying every possible strategy.
You will need a very sound knowledge of Digital Marketing or get an experienced Digital Marketing Expert to handle this aspect for you.

Step 5: Start making money
Finally just like i mentioned earlier, to make the work easier, there is a dropshipping plugin called “The AliDropship plugin”. This plugin is specifically designed for dropshipping.

What it does is that it helps you to import product descriptions, photos, etc from your supplier website to your store.

This can be done with just a click and when a product is sold on your store, it automatically sends the customer details to your supplier. The only thing left for you to do is to pay the supplier.

After that, the supplier then ships the product to your customer address without questions asked and your customer won’t know the product is from a third party.

Drop shipping has proven to be a good residual stream of income when done the right way and following the proper channel.

The Issue of Payment Gateway
The payment gateway is still the greatest hindrance to several online businesses in Nigeria. However, in the case of dropshipping there are few ways around that. They include:

Paypal and
Paystack
PayPal – this platform is the most widely accepted payment gateways but unfortunately it’s not visible in Nigeria. However, there has been a way around that. Which I’m sure few people are currently aware of.

If you’re not, I have a PayPal report on how to set up your PayPal account that receives payment in Nigeria. Although it’s going to cost you a fee, a tiny fee in that matter… You can check the price here!

Alternatively, you can use…

Paystack – this platform accepts payment by default only in Nigeria. But if you want to receive payment internationally, you need to create an account with them and have your business registered with CAC and also have a corporate bank account in your business name.

After this, you can then send them a request for receiving international payment. If everything goes well, you can start receiving payments within 24 hours.

 

Finally we at NEW CONNECT believe that It will be a great pleasure to work with you on your next Research and Business Development, Branding and Web Design/Development Projects.
Contact us
You can also Call or Whatsapp +234 808 970 0958
Like our Facebook page @Newconnectnigeria
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Why you’re yet to land that dream job

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Hello everyone, today i’ll be discussing briefly why many graduates with good or decent CV’s are still struggling to get that dream job they have so much craved for, or in many other cases, are still unable to get one at all. It is also important to state clearly, that the reasons i’ll be discussing, will not apply to every case, but is actually meant to point out this things and proffer possible solutions to them. So without wasting much time, here are the possible reasons why you are yet to get your dream job.

 

Personal Development and Technical Skills
Why it is laudable that you made a First class or Second Class Upper etc, you should know that there are thousands of other graduates who have made the same grade or better, and so it begins to come down to many other factors like the years of work experience (which we’ll discuss later in this post), possession of any technical skills and even professional certifications relevant to your field.
This situation therefore makes it harder for any employer who have advertised for a certain position and about 70 people who are all qualified show up for the interview, to ignore other candidates who could boast of having one or more technical skills and settle for you who has non.
Developing yourself in one technical area or the other doesn’t only mean that you’ll have much more to offer their organisation, but it is also a bold statement, which tells them that you value personal growth and development, thus making you a potential asset to the organisation’s operations.
So be it the learning and certification in Digital Marketing, Web Design/Development or even Desktop publishing, your employer wants to see that you’re equipped enough to offer something special.

Practical Knowledge and Work Experience
I know what you always say when you see a company advertise a vacant position with a minimum work experience of 5 years, “how is a fresh graduate supposed to have 5 years working experience”. Yes, you’re right, but why not see it from the angle of the employer, who has invested millions of Naira or Dollars. And needs a sensitive position to be filled, one that also requires that you supervise others. Now my question will be how do you supervise people if you have little or no idea as to the practical side of the business. I’m sure you don’t need to be reminded that many of the theoretical and often obsolete things you were thought in school is quite different in most cases from how things work in the field.
So why not approach organisations, in the capacity of an intern, which is more readily available as many companies use to save cost and sometimes as a strategy for recruiting their workforce. They like to know if you’re dedicated, or a team player like everyone claims to be, knowing that they are not under any obligation to hire you permanently if you don’t perform.
Finally, the whole idea of internship for you should not be primarily to make money (just in case they don’t pay at all), but rather it is to help increase the years of work experience that you have and also to get you up to speed with the practical knowledge needed to thrive in the business, which will in-turn better position you to get that job you’ve always wanted.

Lack of Networking Skills
Like the old saying goes “no man is an island of himself”, and this is because no matter who you are or what your societal status is, you will always need others in one way or the other.
This is the reason why many top business men always belong to either a Lawn tennis, polo or Golf club etc. With the main aim of networking with other people who might be relevant in one way or the other to the growth of their business empires.
This is one of the major reason why it is recommendable that everyone, be it a fresh graduate or an employee of a company should strive to associate and network with other people who might be of help in getting you that job. Never be ashamed as a graduate to politely tell friends or relations that you’re currently looking for a job. It’s also ok to smartly tell them your qualification, as you never know who might link you to that lucrative job offer.

You can also open a Linked’in account and try to be active, so as to position yourself to grab any good opportunity that passes by. All this and many more are important as i will like to remind you that your situation will never change until you’re angry enough to do something about it. So go out there, take action as improving on these areas discussed above will help you become more visible and trust me, in no time you will land that dream job.

For Digital Marketing Training, Web Design Course or Graphics Design Training, You can also Call or Whatsapp +234 808 970 0958
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How to build a professional Website for your business

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Often times Small businesses are usually confused on how to go about the task of getting a website for their businesses, as it could sometimes get a little tricky when they see different web design companies promising to build them a website with very low budgets.Sometimes some could promise something as low as N20,000 and then the businesses are often tempted to think, ‘oh this is a great deal, we’ll just accept it. After all what we just want is a website.

In this post we’ll try to give you some helpful tips on how to setup your on website for your business and also try to highlight some of the mistakes any business owner, big or small must try to avoid.

Get a custom Domain
This is important as some people are often times tempted to think that they can start with a free domain name and later on upgrade, but you know, these free domain names come with extensions like .wordpess.com or .blogspot.com so for example when you get their free domain what you will have will be something like www.lawyerchamber.blogspot.com. On seeing that extension on your web address no potential client/customer will take you seriously, as you could not even afford to buy your own domain name, then they begin to wonder how such an extablishment would be able to offer quality service to them. So it’s advisable that from the very beginning you get your own custom domain name, which sets the tone for a business that is really driven by purpose. It will also make your business appear more professional and also encourage people to give you a try. So just incase you don’t know how to go about the process of getting a domain name as there are some other technicalities you might need to consider while registering one, it is also wise to get a competent hand to help you get a domain name.

Choose a suitable Hosting plan
As soon as you get to this stage, it is important to note that there are many hosting companies out there, and there are also many hosting plans to choose from. Which brings us to the need to carefully choose a hosting plan. As the nature of website you intend to build for your business will determine the type of hosting plan that will be suitable to it. For example a website which will need to process payments and also store or contain sensitive customer data like card details, will need a more secure hosting plan, and also a site that will need to handle so many picture or video uploads like E-commerce and music download site respectively will need to be not just secure but also have a very high disk space (for storage). So choose carefully or you could get a third party to help you with the selection and purchase of a suitable hosting plan for your web project.

Define your budget
Like with every other project, it is wise to set aside a budget for your website design/development. Just like we hinted briefly at the beginning of this post, you will come across people promising very low prices to help you develop your website. While this is not bad but could sometimes leave you frustrated and cheated at the end of the day. There are many things that goes into every professionally designed website you see out there from quality graphics, content writing, or search engine optimization (seo), down to features that have to do with functionalities of the site, for example we once recommended to a client that we designed and integrate a chat portal in their website which will pop-up as soon as a visitor logs into their website. This was to enable them chat real time with the site visitor, and get feedbacks instantly. Overtime the client called back to appreciate our recommendation as it helped to build trust which was initially lacking in their line of business (REAL ESTATE). Yes it cost them more but it transformed their business in no time. So before you jump on offers or set out to build your website always consider all the necessary things that you would need your website to do for your business and set aside a commensurate budget for it.

Get a reliable Web design/Development company
This is more or less the most crucial part of the process. It is important that you are cautious when entrusting the task of building your website to anyone. There are a number of things you might want to consider, for example their previous jobs, that is projects they have completed also the way and manner in which they answer your questions or talk to you will make you know if they have a culture of ensuring customer satisfaction or not, as that is important in the event that you need a few things to be fine-tuned or adjusted to your taste (based on initial agreements). Most importantly, ensure that you are not carried away by cheaper pricing as cheap doesn’t always mean useful. So take your time and never be in a rush it’s your project remember.

Leave a comment below and feel free to contact us for Web Design/Development and Branding Services. +234 808 970 0958 (whatsapp)

How to grow online sales pt 1

Hello there, today we’ll be discussing on a topic which we believe can help to transform both large and small business owners. Many businesses we’ve come in across in recent time, both small and large scale often complain of low patronage even after they have built a website and also invested in online advertising through their social media platforms. This situation is caused by various factors which we’ll recommend solutions that have been tested and trusted overtime. There are dozens of ways you can make more sales online, many of which you can implement right away. Some of these tips are more focused on specific strategies you can implement, whereas others are more generalized. So whether you sell physical goods or manage a service-based business, here are some actionable techniques you can use to increase online sales performance.

Offer a Money-Back Guarantee where possible
Oftentimes, many people desist from purchasing things from sites because they are not sure it will perform or serve them satisfactorily, and in sensing that there could be a risk of losing their money in the purchase of such an item, many of them back out, thereby making you lose a potential customer who could have increased your revenue with his/her patronage.
So what many business do in some occasions to curb occurrences like this is to offer money-back guarantees, which will in turn show the customer how confident you’re about the quality of the product and thereby increasing their trust for your business.

Be Honest in Your Sales Copy
This might sound a little unattainable in today’s ever competitive market place where everyone is desperate to grab the attention of the consumer out there. One is left to wonder if it is possible to be honest. Yes it is, and it is also crucial in the process of building trust and loyalty with the customer. Many of whom have fallen victim of scams online or product/service whose impact was exaggerated, and therefore a finding it increasingly difficult to trust adverts which they come across online. So being honest, straightforward, and approachable in all your sales copy, from your homepage (website) to your email campaigns.as much as possible will make people see that you’re credible and many would always want to come back to buy from you and many at times refer others to you.

Get a mobile App
People often thought that Mobile Apps are exclusively for big companies, and as such they will not be able to afford it. They also do not understand the key importance of having one for their business. Well the truth is, as it is today, most people spend more time on their phones than in front of laptops/desktop computers. Thus making it important that every businesses need to make efforts in ensuring that they strategically take their products to their potential customers or audience as the case may be. Be it blog/news site, E-commerce, Churches, Music streaming sites, E-medicals/pharmacies, or Tv streaming etc. they all require a mobile app to be able to reach their maximum potential, and it’s strategic if you can Develop a mobile app for all three major stores today being Windows, Apple and Andriod app stores, but if you can’t do all at once, it is usually advisable that you develop for the Android store first as many people use Android phones compared to those who use other operating systems. This is one of the most potent ways of driving up online sales as you can now develop very sophisticated mobile apps today for very affordable prices.

Show Off Customer Testimonials to win trust
What could be more potent in convincing a potential customer/client than showing them testimonials and feed backs from those who have tried your products/services ? In today’s social media environment, customer feedback has never been more important. Fortunately for you , this means that your satisfied customers can provide you with one of the most strategic weapons in your arsenal, which is testimonials.
Having group of satisfied customers who are willing to talk about their experience using your products can many at times be more valuable than writing some of the most captivating pitches, as people are more moved by the stories or recommendations of others who have really tried your products. So always try to see if you can get testimonials from customers who are happy and try to share it on your website and social media handles, it would go a long way in helping to convince many customers.

Try to create a Sense of Urgency
People around the world are often pre-occupied with so many activities on a daily bases and are such they also tend to procrastinate. And that often spreads to even their shopping attitudes. More people would tend to respond positively if they are told that this product edition is only available for only a limited period of time. Also people like to know or feel like they are getting the best possible deal, and as such, it would be smart to sometimes give out massive or substantial discount for a limited period of time or for a limited amount of products in stock. So you can say ‘ first 10 people to buy will get 25% discount’. Many people would want to quickly seize that opportunity to buy so as to enjoy that product at a discounted rate. Trust us when we say, that everyone like’s great offers

Good Site arrangement and easy Checkout Process
This is a very crucial factor that has impeded the growth of many online start-ups and businesses. As many do not understand the importance of carefully arranging their site in a manner that will make it easy for the site visitor to find what they are looking for. People will only purchase what they can find, review and then checkout. Sophistication doesn’t necessarily mean crowded, with things littering the whole place. While it’s a great idea to make your site as beautiful as possible with all the necessary functionalities, it is also vital that you try to ensure that it is as simple as possible, with every arranged under the right categories, and also the right section.
it is also vital that the checkout process is as straight forward as possible because according to a recent study conducted by Business Insider, approximately $4 TRILLION worth of online merchandise was abandoned during checkout processes, of which about 63% of that where said to have been potentially recoverable. This is a staggering statistic, and one that gives us insight as to how crucial it is to ensure that your checkout process is hitch free and with less cumbersome registrations.

Provide customers with Many Payment Options as Possible
Yes the customer is convinced and about to pay but you only have just one payment option, which they might not have. So rather than join many other businesses who are constantly losing customers as a result of having a mono payment option, it is wiser that you endeavor to provide them with as many payment options. Having security in mind you will find a wide range of payment Api’s, so you can get advise from professionals on the best ones to select and how to function, their limitations and cost. You will definitely need to get some help in the integration of different robust Payment Api’s. So take action today as you put an end to losing valuable sales on online.

Contact us today for Branding consultancy and web design/development services +234 808 970 0958 (whatsapp)

How to grow your brand pt 1

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Many at times when we come across small business owners, we realize that they don’t understand the importance of branding to their business, and to that effect, many of this businesses struggle and eventually die, as it becomes increasingly difficult overtime to compete in the already crowded market-place. Majorly because they could not distinguish themselves in their line of business, which primarily one of the key things that proper branding does for you.
Many of this small business owners believe that there is a link between successful businesses and strong branding, and sometimes aspire to build a brand that creates similar success for themselves, but at the end you hear them say “oh, that company is big, and we are still small, and so, we don’t need all that branding thing for now, maybe when we become big then we can start branding” . This shallow mindset has in no small measure, killed very promising businesses/ideas, as they struggle to keep up with properly branded entities, whom the average consumer is more comfortable patronizing.

Your brand identity
Branding is simply a way of distinguishing your business from the others. It goes beyond just designing a logo, but rather it also involves creating a unique perception and way people feel whenever they come across your business. It could also represent your promise and commitment to your consumers. It could also be called the business’ ‘identity’, but only on the understanding that it embodies the core of what the business is and its values, not just what it looks and sounds like. Consumers of all sorts of businesses are so sensitive nowadays that they can see through most attempts by companies to gloss, spin or charm their way to sales.

Some of the benefits that a carefully defined brand can bring can sometimes be likened to a scenario of when two people fall in love with each other.

It is always special when consumers connect emotionally with a brand, as it could make them loyal to that brand and therefore lead to increased sales and revenue for the brand.
A strategically built brand also has the ability to sometimes be able to protect your price in times when competitors rely on promotional discounts to drive sales.
You can also leverage on the power of your brand to introduce new offerings or extend your range.
Below are helpful tips that could help you build your brand

You need your Logo and brand colors
It is always important that as you start, you will need to hire a good team to help you design a good logo that reflects your vision for the company or one that sends a special message to you or your target market. It is always important that it is neatly designed and possibly contains your brand color, just the same way you can easily relate color blue to Facebook, and color red to Manchester united.

Create your slogan
It is vital that you create a memorable slogan that expresses your mission and purpose. your slogan or catch phrase also makes it easier for consumers to easily identify your brand even when the name wasn’t called, just like Sterling Bank’s “The one customer bank”or Airtel’s “The smart-phone network”. So do ensure that you take out time to think about it before putting out one or simply hire people who are experienced in brand building.

Building your online platform is crucial
It is no longer news that the average modern day adult cannot do without his/her mobile phone, not just because of calls, but also to browse the internet. Which therefor makes it important for every serious business/brand to have a strong online presence. First and most importantly, you will need to get a professionally designed website, which will serve as your office online to tell people about your business and possibly schedule appointments with,You also need to build a community and also keep them engaged in a manner that will make them interested in your goods or services. It is also wise that you hire experienced digital marketing experts or at least get some training on how to become a pro digital marketer, to ensure that you don’t waste limited resources doing hings the wrong way.

Integrates your brand identity into everything you do.
From branded T-shirts to face caps, note books or souvenirs, it is important that you seize every opportunity to showcase your brand, it helps in making your brand appear more corporate and organized. There is always a better perception of your company/brand when you are for example hired to do some electrical installations, and your team appears at the site with branded overalls and safety helmets. This will help even during negotiation as it gives clients the impression that your brand is organised and well run.

Strive to build long-term relationships with your customers.
Many at times in a desperate bid to make sales and break even in no time, business owners are often tempted to look for short cuts, which sometimes means that they compromise the quality or promised quantity of their goods or service, which in turn will leave that client with a sour taste in their mouth and therefor will make that consumer unwilling to patronize you again. So it is better to build trust and and establish a long term relationship with the client. When consumers trust you, they loyal which could be the difference between survival and demise of a business, especially when faced with very stiff competition.

Innovation is key
Innovation is sometimes a complex word, but could simply be translated as the ability to solve problems/challenges in very smart ways. It is always important that you keep looking for ways to innovate either with your product offerings or in the way and manner you reach out to your consumers. It could either come with you embedding a live chat portal on your website, to enable visitors easily ask your stand-by agents questions in real time and get immediate feed backs or it could also come in form of you re-organizing your production unit to become more cost effective. In a nutshell, your ability to constantly innovate is directly linked to the chances of your brand to survive tough times.

Networking is a vital tool for growth
From, engineering to catering or even artist, networking has always and will continue to be a tested and trusted way of growing your brand. It is important that you get to connect with other people in your field/niche in other to get up to speed with some of the latest trends and ideas that will shape the future of your business. Registering and attending forums,events, seminars or trade fairs are proven ways of connecting and showcasing your brand to potential clients/customers, as it’ll also afford you the opportunity of interfacing with them one on one, and get to get a first hand review of your products. So why not be on the lookout for events around you where you can get to the more people about your products.

Finally it is important to let you know that while it is commendable that you do some of the above listed ideas yourself, it is also wise that you hire some branding experts to help you in areas that requires some level of expertise and experience to be able to reap the full benefits of branding your business.
Contact us today for Branding consultancy and web design/development services +234 808 970 0958 (whatsapp)

Why your website has not helped your business

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Many times, I come across business owners, News media firms, and E-commerce operators who often wonder why they have invested in building a website but still don’t see any meaningful results, some often conclude that it’s all a waste of resource building or maintaining a website. Most of this people start making a huge mistake with the selection of a Web developer, from that point, every other thing is bound to produce all the wrong outcomes. You must know that a website is like a house, which before construction commences, requires adequate planning and with the right team of professionals. This post will briefly discuss some of the reasons why your website is not getting you the desired results for which it was built.

Poor content: A website like we know is like the online representation of your brand and what it stands for. It requires some level of planning and also carefully prepared content.

The content of your site will determine if your site visitor will be captivated and want to read or browse more or if they will lose interest and log out. Thus meaning that you need the expertise of a professional who could help you plan and put together the content of your site, in a manner that your target audience will find engaging and yet informative. At this point, it automatically means that one of the major reasons why your site has not helped to transform your business is probably because of the poor quality of content on display.

Graphics: This is the artistic side of web development and design, it involves being able to illustrate ideas using neatly designed pictorial representations. Most top web developing firms understand this, which is the reason why they have a team of in house graphics designers, to help conceptualize and bring to life, beautiful ideas using graphics. As a pro- graphics team would know that each picture/graphics is an important component that could help to captivate your site audience, thereby making them take the required action on your site like, registering for an event, purchasing an item or downloading a file. While some quacks might not see the need to hire talented graphics designers to save cost, thereby making the final work (Your website) Looking poor and un-appealing to anyone who logs into the site.

Arrangement: This refers to the layout of your site. You should know that many people who are visiting your site probably in search of one product or services have also opened some other site in a new tab. Making it very key that yours website is designed in a manner that makes it quite easy for people to easy search for what they might need. The categories in the menu to the color scheme, and also the Call to actions (buttons they press to take action), must all be neatly arranged to enable the site visitors surf through your site and get the required information or product they might be searching for.

In conclusion it is vital that you start the process of building a website for your business by picking the right Wed development team, Who will take your brief, analyze it and then carefully execute in a professional manner that will give you the right results on investment.

feel free to contact us as we offer the best prices for Web Design/Development and training etc.
+234 808 970 0958 (whatsapp)

Why your site needs a mobile app.

Many times you hear during a Tv commercial, a company urging you to download their mobile app from the Android play-store or the Apple or windows store, and then you wonder why it is of huge importance to their businesses. This post will try to highlight a few reasons why you need to get your business a mobile app today.

Boost Sales
Without sales or patronage of your business, it is impossible to make profits, thus making it impossible for your business to thrive. With recent studies showing that the majority of people who surf the web, do it using their phones, which automatically translates into the fact that, business who have taking the bold step of designing a mobile App will stand a better chance of selling their products when compared to those ones who do not have. With a generation who are constantly glued to their mobile devices, businesses need a dedicated platform that could help to capture their attention and also get them to perform certain task. This means that online transactions could be seamless thus making it possible for some of them to consider coming back to your app to make purchases, which means you are very likely to gain more customers. The more customers and visitors you have, the more sales you will generate.

 

Brand Perception

This is one of the often ignored but important parts of business. How your brand is perceived goes a long way in determining if people would want to do business with you and most importantly how much they are willing to pay. When people realize that your company or business has a mobile app, it goes a long way in giving them the impression that you are a big and well structured business. Many people are only willing to pay more, when they are convinced that your brand has the capacity to handle their project and also offer them premium service. Developing a mobile app for your business can help in improving your brand’s identity. Thus making you get the best in terms of pay, from clients.

 

Traffic

You must have come across notifications on the apps installed on your android or i-phone showing that there is something new. Many blog/news sites have this as a way of luring you back to the site. It could be breaking news or new products in the offering, these things help you to maintain the visitors coming to your site, as many people click on your mobile app whenever they see that notification signal out of curiosity which could later lead them to purchasing something on the site. These are some of the reason why smart bloggers and e-commerce operators usually ensure that they develop a mobile application for their websites/blog to retain the loyalty of their site visitors.

In conclusion, it has become important that you don’t just get your business a website, but you also get a mobile app for your site, as it will help to grow the perception and improve the ease of doing business with your business.

feel free to contact us as we offer Mobile Apps Design/Development at very affordable prices.
+234 808 970 0958 (whatsapp)

Why you should own a website

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In the digital world we live in today, owning a website has become a necessity for every business owner, whether big or small. If you own a business and don’t have a website, you are probably losing a number of great opportunities that could potentially transform your business. A website itself can be used to accomplish many different marketing strategies to help your business grow. The web as we have it today has a far wider reach than any other form of advertising. It is no longer enough to rent an office space and expect people to come searching, you need a website to help publicize your business. Your website will be the center of your company`s online presence; through it, you advertise your business around the Web or social networking sites. Below are some of the ways a website could help transform your business.

 

Credibility

A website is important because it helps you establish credibility as a business, which means looking real and authentic. Imagine having a conversation with a potential client, and they get to ask you the address of your website, and then you reply, telling them you have none. It will instantly give them the impression that you’re either not a serious brand, or you have something to hide. By building a website you are giving your business the opportunity to tell consumers why they should trust you and the testimonials and facts to back up those opportunities. As most people usually assume that every properly set-up business should have a website since the vast majority of businesses do, at least the vast majority of big companies we know do. There are actually still quite a few small businesses that don’t have a website and without one this is exactly what they will remain. If you don`t have a website that you can refer people to potential customers are going to assume that you are a small time company that does not take their business seriously. Once you establish this reputation it is going to be hard to make sales. Thereby making it of very high importance that you strive to get your company a neatly designed website as the more professional your website is, the more advantages you can gain.

 

Accessibility
Your website unlike your physical store or office space is open for business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. Your website helps to bring in potential clients/customers even after office hours. Many E-commerce stores perform better than physical stores in your neighborhood, majorly because it is able to offer service for 24 hours in a day. Take for example a bride to be, looking for a make-up artist or event planner, she might not have the time to go look for a physical office at first but could go online looking for one regardless of the time of the day, as websites don’t shut-down for the day, or go on holiday. Since your website is operational around the clock, from the convenience of their homes, your customers and clients can easily access your website and services.

 

Convenience
What Many entrepreneurs don’t realize today is that people are become tired of the idea of  driving around looking for different stores that are available to shop in, but are increasingly becoming comfortable with the idea of  or sitting in the comfort of their homes and shopping for the products they need. Smart businesses realize this and thus have their own website housing their products and services so that potential customers can browse online for the products they want, and in no time a transaction is initiated and completed.

 

Marketing
Having a website has become an essential tool in the modern era of the internet. As we have an ever growing population of people who are surfing the web, most brands are now making it a priority to market their products and services to the online community. It is not just a potent tool for advertising, but it could help you to build a pool of loyal followers, how you could easily update on the latest range of products you have added to your collection.

In conclusion, strive to get your business a website, in other not to miss the golden opportunity of capitalizing on the limitless and borderless potentials of the internet, also ensure that you get the right team to execute this task for you.

feel free to contact us as we offer trainings on all the above.
+234 808 970 0958 (whatsapp)