As we often think of it these days, it is the most convenient and time saving method of buying and selling of online goods and services through online portals for merchants and customers. An e-commerce business is selling things on the internet, that is, it is an online selling. Sellers put their products for sale and customers can easily purchase it. Such examples may include Sapphire, Limelight, Daraz, Etsy and Amazon. The funny thing is, the parcel gets delivered right to your door. Now all of that wandering around here and there trying to find what you want in the market has turned out to be pretty handy. Using just your fingers, you can search, review, and make purchases of products from your smartphone, laptop or tablet.
The past few years have witnessed a huge boom in the e-commerce businesses. Just as people made huge online purchases during the dark days of the pandemic, when physical contact was prohibited for safety reasons, they did so again in the year. They even started ordering online groceries, which is still a thing. People can also keep updated with the new trends which are happening worldwide all the time thus making e-commerce a wonderful way to sell.
Types of e-commerce
Ecommerce basics should be learnt by newbies. There are four types of E-commerce businesses. It helps us to understand these models and build the business on solid grounds.
Business to customer (B2C)
E-commerce business that sell directly to customer is when businesses sell to customers directly like Amazon.
Business to business (B2B)
Such as the business which is a wholesaler, sells products to businesses that resell the product on behalf of the company.
Customer to business (C2B)
This is when a customer sells its services or product to a business. A good example of this model is bloggers and influencers who sell themselves to a brand and get promoted to write on their behalf.
How to Start up an e-Commerce Business in Pakistan today?
Consumer to Consumer (C2C)
Product selling online through websites such as sites that allow people to sell their products or services directly to each other such as Facebook marketplace and eBay. This is what such businesses fall under.
Why is it right for you?
The following are the reasons why e-commerce business is an awesome opportunity for Pakistani merchants.
An inexpensive way to sell.
It is much cheaper to set up an e-commerce store compared to a physical store, for which you need to provide rent. Apart from this, expenses when it comes to physical stores like upping put a signboard, improving shop aesthetics, with fixtures or other props, electricity bills, and upping rent. These expenses are taken out of monthly earnings by merchant. However, an e-commerce business takes less effort, spends less money and you will need to have a creative mind.
Operate 24 hours
The e-commerce store is open to you 24 hours; otherwise happens, which is good. It is possible for any customer of any time of the day or night to purchase. There is no time limit in which both the revenue added to the business. Once merchants do not monitor, data is updated automatically to be viewed later by business owners.
It can be displayed in touch with wide range of audience.
You can reach many markets (nationally) or many customers (internationally) as an e-commerce business. Physical stores can serve their customers from a specific area that come in streets. Therefore, e-commerce is the greatest innovative channel for reaching a huge audience and increasing the business market.
‘How to start an ecommerce business today in Pakistan?’
Step 1: Make a product selection
There are so many options available for retailers to choose from that they tend to get confused. You need to have a market survey for product popularity and which one is selling high and more popular in market. Soon a merchant selling trending products on the internet has to have the outburst of his competitors. The same business lines starts to be imitated by other vendors and you can start to find many stores offering similar products, making business survive a difficult thing. But this does not exceed a year and therefore, think up something inventive and inventive. Do something that cannot be replaced, and that is pretty difficult to replicate. The mind that knows from the core is what constitutes your identity.
If you take the example of clothing brands, designs are thrown at you all the time, new and creative with new patterns, just to keep the customers involved. In the pool of competitors, all top brands are following the same lines to survive. It is crucial that you think something out of the box, to think something unique, to offer something unique.
Step 2: What is in trend
Filter out all that is not relevant and focus on one that has to do with a business you are keen to explore. If merchants have a total awareness of the customers’ likes and dislikes, then they can generate good revenue. If Pakistan market is your target then clothing, fashion accessories, cell phones etc. are trending products. Some people follow celebrities fashion statement, while others prefer to do it in their own way. Once you realize who your target customers are, the following is something to try to determine what products they tend to buy most frequently and write down the list of products and think how they can be improved to offer a new flavor.
