Kudos to the brain(s) behind this forum. Its long overdue in Nigeria.

More and more businesses are moving online, due to the popularity and/or success of brands like Jumia, Konga and others who spend millions on adverts and hype and have managed to woo the growing population of Nigerians who browse the Internet daily on their latest smartphones.

Compared to several years ago before the advent of GSM in Nigeria, when Internet access was a mirage and very slow when available, there is now no excuse for your business not to have an online presence.

I've worked with a few companies who wanted to convert their brick and mortar stores to estores, and the results have been somewhat mixed.

While the  PROS include  lower cost of operation and  wider access to a large customer base, the major CON seems to be conversion: getting people to trust your brand/store and buy from you.

I have observed that majority of customers will prefer to pay on delivery, but this is oftentimes not very convenient for mom-and-pop stores who cannot ship without upfront payment.

As such, majority of those who buy online are focusing on the big names who have money to throw around on adverts and logistics, and sidelining the many small businesses who have decided to tap into this new niche.

Its a double edged sword of sorts. Personally, I believe that the more online stores we have, the greater choices consumers will have as to where to get their goods.

However, a situation where the big names are cornering the market before the new entrants even have a chance to take a foothold is very worrying.

A rating and reviews system will go a long way in helping these new stores win the confidence of their prospective customers, who will then not mind paying upfront to buy from them.

I believe with time, this forum can offer such feedback/ratings for all the online stores we have n Nigeria.

Once again, thanks to the initiators for this wonderful forum.