How to Start an Ecommerce Business in Pakistan?

If so, then consider starting an E-commerce business today!

E-commerce sales are at an all-time high, both in Pakistan and globally. The recent trends indicate that e-commerce is growing by the day. With close to 14% of all retail sales coming from eCommerce, there's still plenty of room for growth.

However, starting an e-commerce store requires proper planning, expertise, and things like an e-commerce website and eCommerce hosting solution in Pakistan.

This article will give you an overview of setting up an e-commerce store in Pakistan, what essential factors to consider, and even provide you tips on getting sales for your online store.

So, let's get started!

Do Your Research First

Before starting any business, you should know your market, product availability, product delivery methods, and product demand. There's no use in creating an e-commerce store for a product that's not even in demand.

Proper market research will help you avoid competition, improve your website performance and make your website successful in the long run. As the saying goes, "prior preparation prevents poor performance"!

Also, keep in mind that market research won’t be easy. Whether you’re drop shipping, selling your own branded products, or using a warehousing system, you’ll have to create a complete business plan covering all expenses, market conditions, and expansion plans.

Create an E-commerce Website

Besides, having your website will also allow you to grow your brand instead of relying on third-party sites. Designing an e-commerce website takes skill and time, which is why you should get the best web development service for your e-commerce website.

Get the Best Ecommerce Hosting Solution in Pakistan

Once you have your website ready, you'll need the best eCommerce hosting solution in Pakistan to get it live. The best hosting service will ensure your eCommerce site loads fast, helping you develop a professional image.

When choosing an eCommerce hosting solution in Pakistan, make sure your plan contains enough space, RAM and bandwidth for the website to function correctly. Also, make sure that you include an SSL certificate in your hosting package.

Websites with an SSL are more secure and have a better impression than customers. They are also preferred by Google and will rank higher than websites without an SSL.

Choose a Sales Strategy

While each eCommerce site is different, they are all promoted using these strategies:

1. Marketplace Ecommerce

Using a marketplace to promote your website is the easiest way to start an eCommerce business in Pakistan. Before growing your website, you may need an established platform to get your business up and running online.

This is where eCommerce marketplaces like Daraz, Amazon, and Alibaba play an essential role. Since they get the bulk of e-commerce sales, it's much easier to get started selling on these platforms than waiting to promote your business. The upside of selling on eCommerce marketplaces is that your marketing budget will be relatively lower, and you'll get access to more customers.

The downside of these platforms is that you'll have to compete against hundreds of others sellers in the same category. Since everyone is selling at similar prices, it's hard to stand out. You also won't be able to grow your brand, and these platforms take a significant commission on your sales.

2. Website eCommerce

The best eCommerce strategy for brand growth and profitability is selling through your website directly. Instead of relying on third-party platforms, why not sell directly through your website?

You won't pay any commission this way, and your profitability increases. Selling through your website allows you to grow your brand, and you won't face as many competitors during the sales process. You'll also be able to scale your business better when you're marketing through your website.

However, you’ll need to have an excellent marketing strategy when selling directly through your website. So, choosing to market through your website will require a more initial investment, but the returns are worth the effort!

3. Drop-Shipping

Another popular method for starting an eCommerce business is to do drop-shipping. With drop-shipping, you create a website and promote your products without having stock. You can source your products from a cheaper site and sell them at a markup rate.

Dropshipping requires proper integration between your supplier and sales interface, allowing you to generate an income without stocking any products.

One way to make your drop-shipping business stand out is to repackage the products, put your brand logo on them and then deliver them to customers. Drop-shipping requires less investment than keeping stock, but you’ll need to market your products more effectively to earn a profit.

How To Market Your Ecommerce Business

Once you choose an eCommerce sales strategy, you'll need to create a successful marketing campaign to get traffic to your store. Here are professional tips on how to market your eCommerce store online:

- Use social media platforms

Social media platforms are perfect for selling products that customers will buy on impulse, such as gifts, chocolates, or toys.

- Create an SEO strategy

A good SEO strategy will help you grow your brand in the long run. Since most people will search for products online, SEO is profitable for eCommerce stores.

- Use Ads for instant sales

If you need traffic or sales in the short term and don't want to wait six months for your website to appear organically on Google's first page, then target ads. Both Google and Facebook ads are effective, but this often depends on your product type and customer search preferences.

So, what are you waiting for? Create a website, do your research, choose a sales strategy, choose an eCommerce hosting solution in Pakistan and get your eCommerce business up and running.