Dubai, renowned for its never-ending luxury shopping malls, has the highest number of online shoppers (46%) in the UAE. It is found in a study conducted by Network International that UAE residents make online shopping between 1 to 5 times a week.

Over the last few years, unexpectedly, there has been a remarkable shift towards e-commerce in the UAE. In 2016, online sales in MENA region has reached up to $2 billion with the booming e-commerce markets.

The MENA region is expected to witness outstanding growth over the next five years and the UAE will be the largest market.

Knowing these amazing statistics, if you are interested in setting up your own ecommerce business in Dubai, UAE, take a breath and relax. Setting up an ecommerce business in Dubai  is an effective yet sensible way to make money online.

In this post, I’m going to explain how you can actually set up an ecommerce business in UAE, but also tips you need to create an ecommerce business plan and strategies you can use to generate sales.

Let’s begin!

1. Decide First What You are Going to Sell

Though it’s easier to get into the ecommerce business especially in MENA region, but it doesn’t mean it’s easy to succeed in the world of ecommerce business. For setting up your online business, you have something to sell. So, decide what you are going to be offering.

You can either sell that is unique, or pick something that is already exists but sells in a better, unique way, with excellent marketing strategy. For new business owners, choosing something that is already present is the safest choice as it will take a lot of risks out of the situation.

Ideally, you want to choose something that is already succeeding and you are familiar with the niche, because you will be better able to connect with the target market you are trying to sell to.

2. Find the Right Vendors for Your Product

Once you decided the product, it’s right time to source that product. For many newbies in the ecommerce world, the best way to source products is by using famous e-commerce sites such as Amazon and Alibaba.

These websites get billion of orders and using these websites, you can easily find suppliers for a number of products. You will get a list of suppliers to meet your requirements.

It is important to get crystal clear about what your requirements. Otherwise, you will be wasting your time, as the prices mentioned by suppliers will be very closely tied with the specifications you provide.

And if you change your requirements, chances are, the prices could change dramatically. So, always make sure that you know what exactly what you want, at the very initial stage. It is advised to order some sample products, prior to make a big order, this way, you’ll be able to inspect quality and evaluate how well you can work with the supplier.

3. Research and Prepare

So, you have found your desired product, and sourced your manufacturer. It’s time to create a business plan and research your competitors thoroughly so you know exactly what you are up against. There are many tools that you can use to research your competition. When you have your competitive research analysis, you can easily write a business plan and road map that helps bring your ideas together. A business strategy is important so that you can easily find out how to best move forward and effectively complete.

With a comprehensive business plan available, now is a good time to consider your options for registering your business. Determine your business name and choose the right domain name available. Once you registered your domain and finalized the business name, create a great logo for your ecommerce business.

4. Set Up Your ecommerce Website

Once you have decided how you are going to sell your products and find a supplier you want to do business with long-term, now’s the time to set your online store. You can either set up a Shopify store or consult an agency that offers ecommerce website design and development services.

5. Market Your Business

When you setup your ecommerce website, you need to think about how you are going to get people to actually visit your website. Driving traffic to an ecommerce store is easier only if you are clear about who your target audience is, what influences them most and what demographics do they occupy. When you know this essential information, your marketing efforts will be more focused and it will be easier to spot viable opportunities.

Now you are well on your way and now likely have some sales orders under your belt. It’s time to get serious and more focused. Drive targeted traffic to your ecommerce store and convert that traffic to sales.

6. Choose the Right Software to Stay Productive

Technology can make so much of your work easier. Before you start your ecommerce business, it is advised to look for some effective customer relationship management, accounting project management, email marketing software that you can easily integrate into what you are doing once you launch your business.

Over to You

Building your ecommerce business is a challenging task. From choosing a product, determining viability and sourcing, to building, launching and growing sales, every step involves a lot of effort and determination. Following these easy step-by-step guide can provide you with a clear idea to help you set up a profitable ecommerce business in Dubai, UAE.

So, why not take start your own online store and see how things work for you. Best of luck!