Zha Agabe-Granfar, founder of boutique digital and design solutions agency Verge, shares her top advice for SMEs seeking to thrive in the digital space: trust is king.

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During a recent webinar on the future of ecommerce in Papua New Guinea, Verge’s Zha Agabe-Granfar talked about the work her business had done to bring online sales to PNG Fishing Tackle, a fishing, outdoor equipment and sporting goods company in Port Moresby.

Before building this solution, she said, PNG Fishing Tackle had built up a strong and engaged community of over 20,000 Facebook followers, a mixture of local Papua New Guineans and expatriates. They knew who their clients were and what they needed, so they built on that knowledge when launching their online shop.

Ecommerce is gaining momentum in PNG, but, as Agabe-Granfar said, the country is still at the beginning of this technological shift. This is due to the small number of people who own a credit card, and to the fact that not many feel comfortable buying online.

Companies seeking to conduct ecommerce need to make sure they are perceived as trustworthy right from the start. In the case of PNG Fishing Tackle, Agabe-Granfar observed, it had already earned its customers’ trust – buyers knew they were in good hands.

‘If you are really serious about business and about growing your business and being a scalable solution then compliance should be a matter of fact.’

From the roots up

Verge’s Zha Agabe-Granfar

Having a clear concept of what a business can offer and clear information about customers and their needs allows entrepreneurs to work on projects that are viable and scalable.

‘It’s really important to get down to the basics and the viability of any business that you want to do, including the availability of the technology you want to deploy, because it’s about supporting and enhancing a business case.’

Companies not only need to deliver on their promises but also follow regulations. Businesses need an IPA registration certificate and other paperwork to get a bank account, explained Agabe-Granfar.

‘In the age of digital transformation, we have to get really granular and really specific about who your clients and potential customers are.’

Verge’s founder says that the ‘tendency for many entrepreneurs is to think about compliance as a headache’ but it should be the other way around.

‘If you are really serious about business and about growing your business and being a scalable solution then compliance should be a matter of fact,’ she said.

Marketing strategy

‘In the age of digital transformation, we have to get really granular and really specific about who your clients and potential customers are,’ said Agabe-Granfar. ‘Targeting an impossibly large market segment or trying to sell to everyone will rarely work.’

As an advertising and promotional tool, platforms such as Facebook can be leveraged, but they require a business owner to educate themselves on what marketing tools are available and how to use them to their advantage.

‘The volume of content that goes through Facebook is such that you have to put money down so that your ad is seen,’ she said. ‘Your content gets lost without paid advertising. Paid advertising is not a dirty thing, you just have to use it properly to target those interested in your product and service.’

Agabe-Granfar said that, in PNG, businesses that have been running for a long time are attached to traditional media but, she suggested, it was worth considering a mix of online and traditional media advertising. Constantly asking who is your audience and where you can reach it is key to find the best places to advertise, she said.