eCommerce has grown to be a big deal in Nigeria. With more people doing their shopping online, the market has become saturated with so many players. While the big players still dominate the space, so many others are springing up, being innovative with their offerings and creating a niche for themselves, with the hopes of making a name in the industry.
Here’s Jesse Yusufu of classifieds platform, Yakata.com.ng, who’s confident that his startup has the potential to take on top players in the ecommerce industry.
In this interview, he tells us more about the platform, and his journey into entrepreneurship.
Tell us a little about yourself
I’m Jesse Yusufu, founder of Yakata.com.ng. I love delivering value to people wherever I find myself. I have a wide range of interests, all of which have made me a better person.
Tell us about Yakata.com.ng and what you’re offering
Yakata.com.ng is offering a unique experience in the online classifieds market. Our main focus is to empower every buyer and seller to independently connect online and offline. We also have zero tolerance for scammers, and we work to drastically reducing it on our platform by carrying out thorough verification of each product and service.
We also compare prices of items posted on our platform with market prices, and if we feel the seller is offering a ridiculously low price to scam people, we delete the product and block the seller. We are working hard to make our site safe for sellers and buyers to trade online.
What inspired the idea for this?
I have heard a lot of people and close friends complain about their experiences with existing classifieds sites, and the main issues borders on trust and security. So, I took up the challenge to create something that will give people the experience they would love to have on an online classifieds site. This is what led me to begin Yakata.com.ng.
There are a number of big players in Nigeria’s e-commerce industry. What stands Yakata out?
Yakata.com.ng first of all is a 100% Nigerian owned company. Yakata is 97% Secured and Safe. When you trade on our platform, you are dealing with real individuals and businesses not scammers. What gives us joy is when buyers and seller are satisfied.
While I would not like to disclose our marketing strategies, we have carefully mapped out what will make us the leading and the most preferred online classifieds site in Nigeria.
So far, how has the response been from Nigerians?
We were overwhelmed, especially within the first month of our launch. A lot of people expressed their excitement the first time they visited our site. The feedback so far has been positive.
What challenges did you face starting out and how did you overcome them?
Starting any business is not as easy as some people think, especially in Nigeria. There are so many things you need to overcome in order to remain viable and sustainable. When I started, I was basically multitasking. But now I have learned how to delegate and outsource tasks.
How do you market the platform, and so far, what has proven to be the most successful form of marketing?
We use different marketing methods for our platform, including Facebook, Google adwords, Twitter and word of mouth. We employ different medium for every campaign. While Google adwords might not be so effective for some marketing campaign, another medium might be perfect for it. So, it’s really all about testing. That’s what we are still doing, looking for what works best.
How has the entrepreneurship experience been?
The experience so far has been rewarding. Entrepreneurship to me is an adventure. I have started a number of ventures in the past, from blogging, to sport forum and sports magazine. None of these see the light of the day, but giving up was not an option.
I am so glad that Yakata.com.ng is getting the desired result and success. Remember we are not defeated when we fail, we are only defeated when we give up. So, I will continue to venture into anything I feel will give value to Nigerians.
Describe your most exciting entrepreneurial moment
For me everyday presents itself with a unique opportunity to be excited about. I confront everyday with a challenge to make that day exciting. Somebody once said, “success in a day does not give you free launch everyday”. So I arm myself with necessary tools to face everyday’s challenges as they come.
What’s your advice for aspiring Nigerian entrepreneurs?
I will say every entrepreneur needs to be focused and passionate about his venture. You have to first of all believe in your product before anyone would believe in you.
