Here’s How You Can Get Started With An E-commerce Biz In The Uae

By Author: virudhae
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With the advent of digitalization, the online retail market is thriving. UAE is the most advanced e-commerce market in the Middle East and North Africa. A study estimated transactions from e-commerce to hit $16 billion in 2019 and grow 23% annually to 2022. Millions of people are opting for online shopping and purchases, which leads to an estimation of 95% of purchases being made online by 2040. This kind of popularity of e-commerce and online purchase widens the scope for establishing many e-commerce businesses. It is opening gates for a lot of entrepreneurs.

Online shopping is excessively chosen by the population of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and especially by the people of Dubai, out of all the seven Emirates. A huge transition is seen in people's preferences, from the traditional way of shopping to online purchases. This transition is evidence and portrayal of scope for entrepreneurs who are looking for a place to start their e-commerce business.

In UAE, there is 0% income tax, 100% repatriation of business profits, 0% corporate tax, 100% total business ownership, and trivial custom duties, making it a ...
... great country to be considered for the set up of an e-commerce business. All of these benefits contribute to making e-commerce websites a profitable venture in the UAE.

Here are six tips which can help you kick start your ecommerce business in UAE:

Identifying Licenses and Jurisdiction

It is essential to choose the territory in which you will provide your products or services. You can either select a free zone or the Mainland authority. A mainland license gives you the authority to sell your products or services directly to the local market; in a free zone, you will have to work with a local provider. You should keep in mind all the factors and see which option would be more beneficial for your business in terms of market reach. One can take the help of Business consultant services in dubai to have a better understanding of the procedures.

Develop a user-friendly E-commerce Website

An e-commerce website is an essential business strategy for many brick and mortar businesses. It helps in growing your business and making it reach a larger population. It is necessary to diversify your selling channels to reach new customers, especially because e-commerce can become extremely competitive.

Developing a website may take a lot of time; nonetheless, it will help you gain new customers and showcase your products or services to the world. To build a profitable and user-friendly website, one should keep in mind the website's usability, web maintenance, secure hosting, and mobile usability, among other aspects.

Ensure Payment Flexibility and Security

Inculcate multiple payment methods and options, ranging from credit cards and digital wallets to cash on delivery. This makes transactions easy for the customer and yourself. It is highly essential to ensure that all online payments are secured with encryption and are set up on a VPN (virtual private network) to avoid hacker threats. Integrated secure payment gateways that include credit card payments and prepaid card systems are the most suitable ways to offer multiple payment options.

Opt for Secure Logistics and Warehouse

The delivery of goods to customers is the most fundamental component of an e-commerce business. To conduct quick delivery of the products, it is important to find logistic services that would ensure the prompt and safe delivery of products.

If you have physical goods to sell, you will need a warehouse to store the products. This also affects your decision about the jurisdiction you choose. After establishing an office and a warehouse, you can construct a reliable logistics system or make a deal with a third - party logistics.

Personalize your Services to local customers

If you are considering UAE for your e-commerce, it is quite evident that you localize your business. Your website should have an Arabic version for the locals to understand and for you to gain a local customer base too. You can offer a whole personalized experience for Arabic speakers. This would help your business be a key differentiator in the GCC market.

Plan out a Business Strategy

A lot of people perceive e-commerce business as a cheaper and faster way of gaining profits. However, they fail to understand that even though there is no need for retail space, there are many other costs to be covered and planned for.

One of the significant costs is customer acquisition. A lot of money is used to execute various marketing and promotional strategies. Other than website/app development costs, there are customer service costs and last-mile delivery costs that need to be included. With the help of an experienced business consultant, you can draw out a perfect business plan with all the project costs covered for your business's smooth running.

Things that look easy are sometimes the hardest to execute. With proper planning and decisions, you can run a successful e-commerce business in the UAE, or rather anywhere in the world.