• Feature
• Start Up

How To Create Your Own VTU Website In Nigeria

by Folarin Olalekan

October 28, 2020 6

A lot of people are searching for new ways to earn additional income. This is why VTU businesses are becoming common in Africa. If you are reading this post, there is a huge chance that you are at best thinking about having one.

However, running a successful SME in Africa demands that you expand your reach, which in turn widens your audience. One of the ways to reach a wider audience, hence, increasing your chances of closing more sales is by building your website.

What You Need To Get Started

The term “VTU” is an acronym for “Virtual Top Up”. It is a business that allows the vendor to top up the mobile lines of a customer with data or airtime.

Below are a few things you will need to create your VTU website:

·         A reliable internet connection

·         A Laptop, Desktop, or Smartphone

·         A Domain Name and a Web Hosting plan

·         A VTU business account

·         CMS (Content Management System)

Tips To Creating Your Own Vtu Website In Nigeria

Contrary to general assumptions, you do not need to be a tech guru to learn how you can create your own VTU business in Nigeria. Today, several web hosting platforms like WordPress and Google Blogger have made the entire process simple. With just a few clicks and some drag and drop features, you too can begin creating your own VTU website.

Below is a step by step guide to building your VTU website:

1.    Create Your Own Vtu Business Account

The first step to creating your own VTU website in Nigeria is creating a VTU business account through a sponsor site. You can register your account through sites like Top Up and Earn or Salary4life. Registering on both platforms will require you to pick a registration package that may cost a one-time fee of N5,000.

Each sponsor site has its commission rates, hence, the importance of researching to find what suits you.

2.    Register A Domain Name And Pick A Web Hosting Plan

There are several hosting platforms like GoDaddy and Whogohost that allow you to register your domain name. However, we recommend the latter since it is a Nigerian web hosting platform. A domain name is the address of your website that allows users to access your website. It often ends with the .com or .ng extensions such as www.xyz.com.

Pick a domain name, visit Whogohost to search if the name you chose is available, and pay for it. You should note that you will need to renew your payment each year.

3.    Choose Your Preferred Website Creation Platform

There are several website creation platforms available online, and it is easy to get overwhelmed with the decision to find the perfect one. If you have little or no idea about building a website, you should opt for simple platforms like Google Blogger or WordPress.

This is because they both have the simplest web creation interface and are open-source platforms. In other words, you don’t have to pay a dime to use these platforms to build your VTU website.

4     Map Your Domain Name To Your Web Creation Platform

Now that you have a domain name and you have chosen your preferred web creation platform, the next step is known as mapping. Mapping allows you to keep your registered domain name with the company you purchased it. Furthermore, it points to the domain to load your website on your preferred web creation platform.

In other words, mapping your domain name leads internet users to your website creation hosting platform. However, you will still need to renew your domain name registration each year to the company you purchased it.

Every web creation platform has its guide on how to map your domain name, so, you will need to take a look at yours.

5     Choose Your Preferred Payment Gateway

There are several payment gateway options for any SME in Africa. Some of the most popular are Paystack, Ravepay by Flutter, or the traditional Bank Deposit/Transfer. We recommend that you opt for the Paystack payment gateway if your business is in Nigeria. Firstly, you will need to create a business account on the website of your preferred payment gateway.

Afterwards, you can select your preferred payment gateway on the website creation platform. A payment gateway is a technology that online vendors or merchants use to accept credit or debit card payments.

However, if you are using WordPress, you will need to install an e-commerce plugin, preferably the woo-commerce plugin. Then you will need to link your payment gateway account to your woo-commerce plugin. We recommend using the Paystack payment gateway because it is simple to set up even for a newbie.

6     Create Your Products

Now that you have your site running, the next step is to create varieties of your VTU business services in the form of products. For instance, you will need to create a product for every network such as MTN, 9mobile, Airtel, Glo, etc. You can also create top-up products to help customers pay utility bills like PHCN and so on.

Each website creation platform has a unique guide to creating a product. For instance, if you are using WordPress, all you need to do is sign into your account. Afterwards, click on the “products” tab at the menu options of the backend of your website. Click the “Add New” option and fill in the details necessary.

Make sure you click the “Publish” option whenever you are done creating your product. This will ensure that your product appears on your website.

7     Test Your Payment Gateway Setup

You should test your payment gateway set-up to ensure that it is properly configured. Make a test payment of your product to see if it reflects in your account. Please note that it may take between 2 to 5 business days for the payment to reflect in your account.

8     Promote Your VTU Website

Strategic product promotion is crucial to the success of any SME in Africa, and yours is no exemption. You should invest as much as you can to promote your business.

We believe that we have been able to break down the process of creating your own VTU website in Nigeria. You can have your website running in as little as 24 hours if you are a pro at this. However, if you are a newbie, the steps given above might take a couple of weeks.