Your customers are shopping on their phones. But your website was built for a desktop, then squeezed down. They can't find what they want. The checkout is three taps deep. They leave and buy from someone else.
This isn't theory. It's what happened to Universal Paints, a South African paint manufacturer, until they fixed it.
The Problem: Built Backwards
Universal Paints had a strong in-store reputation. The team gave personal advice. They helped customers pick the right paint for the job.
Online, none of that showed up. The website had overlapping product categories and unclear navigation. Mobile shoppers couldn't find what they needed. The site looked like it was designed for someone sitting at a desk, not someone standing in a hardware aisle with their phone out.
This is backwards. Over 85% of African e-commerce traffic comes from mobile. Most sites are still built desktop-first, then shrunk for phones. The result: frustrated customers and lost sales.
What They Fixed
Universal Paints rebuilt the site mobile-first. They started with the phone experience, not the desktop.
They made navigation obvious. Categories matched how shoppers actually thought about paint, not how the warehouse was organized. The checkout appeared on the first screen. No hunting for a button.
They brought back the personal touch online. Live chat and expert guidance were visible. Customers could ask a question without leaving the site.
The lesson works for any African retailer. Your site should be simple enough that a mobile shopper finds what they want in three taps. Make checkout obvious. Add a chat or WhatsApp button so people can ask questions fast.
How to Apply This Today
You don't need a complete redesign to start winning. Three steps move the needle:
- Open your website on your phone. Can you find your top three products in ten seconds? If not, fix navigation first.
- Where is checkout? It should be visible on every page, not hidden in a menu.
- Add a chat button or WhatsApp link. Customers want to talk to a human. Make it easy.
Simple beats fancy. Mobile beats desktop. Help beats silence.
If you're building or redesigning your online store, think mobile first, then ask: what would a customer actually do? Eka can help you build a website that works that way, or add the automation and AI that lets you help customers at scale.
