The future of e-commerce appears optimistic within the UAE. Among the rapidly-growing MENA region, the UAE boasts to be one of the most important B2C e-commerce markets. With a huge 9.5 million web user base and a 96.4% web penetration rate, the UAE e-commerce market is anticipated to keep up double-digit growth through 2022.
Having a market price of over US$10 billion, the UAE managed to exceed Saudi Arabia despite having a solely simple fraction of the latter’s population size. Consistent with reports, 3.2 million adult population indulges in online shopping.
With such positive growth forecasts on the e-commerce economy, it’s time to begin your online business. However, to control wrongfully, you want to acquire a trade license from a Free Zone or mainland before continuing. Here are five steps on how you can set up an e-commerce business within the UAE:
1. Choose the correct jurisdiction and acquire a trade license
Choosing between a Free Zone and the mainland can entirely rely on the character of your online business. A mainland provides you the liberty to trade or sell your product and services on to the native market whereas a Free Zone license would force you to figure with an area distributor. In this case, consider the influences from which your business can profit more in terms of market reach and scalability.
2. Develop, build, and launch your website
The most vital side of your e-commerce business is your website. It may take time to test & build your website, however, it’s worth the time and energy because it can function as your platform to showcase your product or services, a platform to achieve and gain customers, and your primary tool for creating profits. Therefore, to build a profit-generating website you have got to keep the following things in check – its user-friendliness, net maintenance, secure hosting, and mobile usability among different things.
3. Include online payment gateways
As an e-commerce business, it’s necessary to give customers different payment choices. Integrated secure payment gateways that embrace MasterCard payments and postpaid card systems are the foremost convenient ways. Another payment choice is cash-on-delivery (COD), which comes in handy during other times.
4. Secure supply, storage, and delivery
If your online business involves a physical product to sell or trade, it’s obligatory to possess correct warehousing to store your product. This issue is equally vital while deciding the jurisdiction to set up your company. Once you secure a warehouse and workplace house, a subsequent issue on your list is to ascertain a reliable supply system to make sure that the products are delivered efficiently to your shoppers. You can go for a third-party supplier or build your own.
5. Market your product or services
Once your business is prepared to roll into the market with everything in check, everything still boils right down to your selling strategy. The most effective way is by targeting the correct market for your product and services. Consequently, make an effective marketing plan that aligns your product and services to the requirements and needs of your target shoppers.
These are some of the steps you would like to contemplate before beginning an e-commerce business within the UAE.
Conclusion
Lastly, doing it right with the assistance of experts will ensure the successful establishment of your e-commerce undertaking. So, it is sensible to seek professional guidance from a reliable business setup firm. The company formation specialists will provide professional advice for your licensing options in the UAE as well as direct you through the entire process.
Setting up a business is exhilarating and it’s getting quicker, easier and cheaper all the time, which is great for YOU, the entrepreneur. At SPC Free Zone, we will support you to understand your circumstances relating to your UAE residency situation and requirements (which can affect how you set up your business); what you are wanting to sell online, and whether those products are apt for the UAE, and understand who your target markets are, e.g., individuals, government or private sector businesses. All of these pieces of information can and will affect the type of e-commerce license that you will need.
To get started with setting up your own e-commerce business contact us now at 80077239.