By Andrew Bourne, Country Head, Zoho South Africa
South Africans spend more time online than anyone else in the world – averaging more than nine hours a day in front of their screens. But while screen time is up, attention is stretched thinner than ever. With endless scrolling through content, brands are under pressure to spend heavily on digital advertising just to stay visible.
It’s not surprising: digital now makes up nearly 40% of total ad spend in South Africa, up from 36% in 2022, as companies shift away from traditional media toward online platforms, especially social media. According to Statista, the local digital ad market is expected to reach $2.23-billion (almost R40 billion) in 2025 and continue to expand at 6.02% annually through to 2028.
However, more spending isn’t always the answer. Many small and medium-sized e-commerce businesses are finding better results by narrowing their focus, learning from customer behaviour, and building trust.
Here are five smart, strategies to grow your e-commerce business:
1. Find a niche and stick to it
Broad targeting inflates costs and dilutes your message. The most successful small e-commerce brands don’t try to please everyone – they serve a clearly defined audience with specific needs. Whether that’s pet owners in Johannesburg or eco-conscious parents in Cape Town, narrowing your focus means you can tailor your messaging, build loyalty, and avoid wasting budget on people unlikely to buy from you in the first place.
“We always advise starting small, focusing on a niche, and only growing once you’ve built traction,” says Andrew Bourne, Country Head for Zoho South Africa.
2. Use free e-mail tools to build relationships
E-mail marketing remains one of the most cost-effective ways to reach customers, if you use it well.
Start small: send a warm welcome e-mail, follow up on abandoned carts, and offer helpful tips or product suggestions. Some platforms allow you to email thousands of contacts each month at no cost, helping you build a loyal customer base without upfront investment.
3. Pay attention to customers behaviour
You don’t need to guess why people leave your site without buying. Simple tools like heatmaps, click tracking, and quick surveys reveal where users get stuck or lose interest. Even small changes – like tweaking a call-to-action or simplifying checkout – can dramatically improve conversions.
Once visitors become customers, customer relationship tools such as Zoho CRM can help you keep track of interactions, automate sales processes, and nurture leads, turning one-time buyers into long-term supporters.
4. Use content to answer questions and build trustContent isn’t just about search rankings – it’s about connection. A blog, FAQ page, or resource guide lets you speak directly to your customers. Share useful tips, answer common questions, and show how your products fit into real life.
Even one helpful article a week is enough to bring in traffic and position your brand as the go-to in your space.
5. Leverage AI for smarter decision-making
AI isn’t just for big corporations anymore — it’s accessible and practical for small e-commerce businesses, too. AI-enabled tools can help analyse your customer data in real time, predict buying trends, and even recommend the next best step — from sending a personalised product offer to flagging when it’s time to restock.
Instead of spending hours on manual tasks, let AI handle the heavy lifting: automate follow-ups, spot high-value leads, and get insights that help you make faster, smarter decisions. That way, you can spend less time crunching numbers and more time growing your business and connecting with your customers.
6. Let your customers speak for you
Nothing builds trust faster than social proof. Highlight reviews and testimonials, invite feedback, and create spaces for genuine conversations whether on your website, social channels, or product pages. When people see that others value what you offer, they’re far more likely to buy.
Growing your e-commerce business doesn’t have to mean spending more. With a clear focus, helpful content, and a better understanding of your customers, you can build something more sustainable than short-term reach: strong relationships that lead to long-term sales.
