In advanced countries, majority of citizens trade online — exiting the conventional way of trading, which is to walk into a shop or a market. While that is not the case yet here in Ghana, selling and buying online is gradually becoming accepted and patronised than most people thought.
Thanks to some of the popular websites such as olx.com.gh and tonaton.com, which allow people to post ads for free, several Ghanaians are joining the world of online market, thereby selling and buying both new and used products, which range from mobile phones to cars, from personal services to commercial services.
The gradual development in technology and the fast speed of its penetration have given Ghanaians the opportunity to comfortably trade from wherever they find themselves, once they have access to the internet.
Although the shops and markets are still the biggest places to trade in Ghana, as pertain to the western world, Ghana’s emerging online trading can take over in few years to come.
But this will depend on access to internet, the backbone of online shopping. Needless to say that the more people get access to the internet, the bigger the online market becomes.
Benefits
Apart from the comfort, the many Ghanaians trading online give to the seller a wide variety, far than even the biggest market in the country can offer.
To the buyers, they are able to go through these websites to compare prices and pick up the best bargain, something that will take much time in the physical market and which is sometimes even impossible.
Challenges
In spite of the many benefits, the infant online market is still fraud with challenges. Key among them is the issue of trust.
While it is easier to sell and buy online, the lack of a concrete address system means that people can exploit the system to sell fake products to less suspecting clients.
This explains why many people shy away from shopping online. The few that do also have bitter-sour memories, with some transactions ending up in courts.
While this will take time to wane, it is instructive to note that the success of online shopping, which comes with enormous advantages over the traditional mode of shopping, will depend on how trust is built into the process.
This explains why a solid, efficient and effect home address system is needed.
Beyond that the oversight institutions for online marketers need to be empowered to do their work more effectively.
This involves being able to detect and track down perpetrators, punishing them and putting in place measures that make it difficult for such acts to be committed in the first place.
In addition, patrons of online shops will have to be properly educated on the challenges of shopping online. This way, they will be able to detect and avoid dubious traders.
Keep up the excitement
All in all, it is great that the present and previous administrations have seen the benefits of ICT and have pushed and continue to push for every part of the country to be connected to the internet’s global village.
It is surely exciting and soon, not only will millions of Ghanaians be trading among ourselves, but we will be trading with the world — buying and selling things to and from people far across the ocean.
The smartphones and tablets, which are in our hands, are making selling and buying online quicker and hustle free.
And with the excitement increasing by the day, almost everybody can soon sell and buy while on the move.
Author: KEKELI BINA-AGBOADA
