Most women in business fear embracing technology or have ‘technophobia’ due to a lack of trust with the online community and lack of capacity building skills.
Vivo Woman CEO and Co-Founder Wandia Gichuru said that customers tend to carry out their research from social networks before deciding whether to purchase the products or services.
But if the e-business activity lacks consistency limits the level of reliability and trust.
Women and hesitant to embrace technology
She said most women, either as entrepreneurs or as customers, are hesitant to engage in electronic business activities due to fears of making deliveries to ‘unknown’ customers and the constraints of customers asking or demanding refunds.
There are unlimited advantages on the e-commerce platforms for women, including visual and creative content and storytelling. Embracing such avenues will increase their access to sales, especially during these harsh economic times,” said Gichuru.
Gichuru was among the guest speakers during an interactive virtual knowledge exchange session on Cross-Sector Partnerships in East Africa to advance women’s economic resilience through digital platforms organized by New Faces New Voices (NFNV) – Kenya in partnership with Women Win.
Kayana Creative Founder Patricia Okelo noted that women in business lacked technology-know-how in developing e-commerce models when selling their products or services online.
Other gender constraints include the cultural barriers and the scarcity mentality mindset that lead to anxiety and fear of running a business online.
“There are lots of educational programs on how to effectively use online platforms in running a business on social media platforms. Many hybrids and virtual learning are specifically meant to equip the female gender with essential knowledge on how to sell their products online.
Most women in business who have taken advantage of such training have built a diverse online presence and are running successful businesses thanks to social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook,” said Okelo.
Okelo further noted that research is a crucial element in running an online business. It guides one on their target market and makes them understand their customer preferences and strategies to consider when conducting business.
WomenWork Kenya Co-Founder Asha Mweru stressed the need to build internal and external partnerships between businesses that harness skills and knowledge to drive innovation and solve technology challenges. This is essential to focus on immediate impact and needs by understanding that content is critical when selling products and services online.
“People are beginning to realize that there are a lot of benefits in selling their products online. While digital platforms are like stages, all you need to do is to establish your customer base. Always remember that a journey of a thousand steps starts with products that people love and value,” said Mweru.
A recent study on consumer spending by MasterCard reveals that nearly 79 per cent of Kenyan consumers are shopping more online since the onsite of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The study further indicates that ‘Data, apparel, healthcare, banking and other FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) have seen the highest surge of online activity. An overwhelming 92% of consumers in Kenya said they had paid for data top-ups online, 67% for clothing and over 56% said they had bought computers and other equipment.’
Dubbed ‘Market Exchange: Interventions through digital platforms, the virtual session is part of an ongoing knowledge exchange series aimed at building collaborations and advancing women’s resilience through cross-sector partnerships in East Africa with local government and successful women entrepreneurs.
The virtual sessions are organized by New Faces New Voices (NFNV) – Kenya (a women’s network established by Graca Machel Trust) in partnership with Women Win.
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