Don’t know how to start ecommerce business in UAE?

Before guiding you on how to start an ecommerce business in UAE, let me tell you why you should prefer the local market here, instead of the UK & USA markets.

So Why Should You Start an ecommerce Business in UAE?

The UAE’s e-commerce market is booming! With a population hungry for online shopping and the government supporting entrepreneurs, there is plenty of opportunity for new sellers.

The UAE eCommerce marketplace is growing 100% faster than other marketplaces like KSA and Egypt.

If you’ve got a brilliant product idea or a passion for building a future empire, then this blog and marketplace are for you.

I’ll walk you through the important steps of starting an e-commerce business in the UAE, from marketplace selection to finding your perfect product and making your first sale.

Okay? Let’s Start… 

1: Create a Winning Business Plan

Here’s the thing. Imagine finding a treasure without a map.

Chances are, you are going to end up lost, looking for an oasis, only to find a mirage. It’s obvious… it doesn’t help.

Yet…

Most of the time, we jump right into the action overlooking the need for a map, a compass. Or a plan that keeps us accountable. More importantly, on the right path! 

Now, when it comes to ecommerce, people follow trends and make their business plans, select products, etc. accordingly. 

When each and every aspect, from your product selection, marketing strategy, sourcing and logistics, to your budget, is equally important…

The good thing is that each one is flexible. You just need to get an idea of how it all fits together. 

And if you’re looking to create a winning business plan, you can always reach out to me, or any other qualified ecommerce expert who knows his/her stuff. 

Just avoid the so-called “gUrUs” and you should be doing good. 

2: The Legalities of Starting eCommerce Businesses in UAE

Most probably you would be thinking about the government laws. And questions like…

1: Do I need an ecommerce license?

2: Do I need an Import Export License for sipping products from China to UAE?

Well, those are the two most common questions I get. Now, I know you’d have many more questions that keep nagging you and diverting your focus away from starting your business.

That’s completely fine. And this famous quote best says it.

“Everything Starts from (ZERO)”

So stop overthinking and just start from Amazon. Because Amazon doesn’t require an ecommerce license. (Didn’t expect that, right?)

But if you were to start your business on multiple ecommerce platforms like Amazon, Shopify, Noon, and others then you’d need an ecommerce license.

And for that, there are 2 types of licenses that you can get.

1: Mainland

2: FreeZone

If you’d be interested to know more, I’m just a text away.

3: Choose eCommerce Marketplace

• Shopify
• Noon
• Carrefour
• Cartlow
• Dubai Store
• And many more 

But before you even start picking your options, you need to assess your needs and situation.

For example…

If you are a person with a valid Emirates ID (only), then you can only sell on Amazon. But if you are a business owner who has a registered company, you can sell on as many marketplaces as you want.

And these are just relevant basics that I’ve put in front of you. The details vary from person to person. So if need be, told ya, I’m just a text away.

4: Product Selection

This is where people literally forsake data, stats, and all logic. Trends. Trends. Trends. 

That’s what they run after. And just like trends come and go, most ecommerce businesses who follow those trends SURELY go.

Well, it’s simple. Use your expertise. Not virality. Remember, what goes up, comes down. And the slower it goes up, the slower it comes down. 

Products that shoot up after going viral, usually hit rock bottom before you even know it. 

Usually what happens is when you’re ready with a lot of inventory, ready for the sales to come in, the lifespan of the product is already done. 

And this hard-hitting reality then slowly, brutally murders your ecommerce dreams, leaving you thinking it’s never going to work for you.

So here’s the golden rule – Always select the niche or product, where you have good knowledge and experience. And PLEASE look into its data!”

• Brainstorm what are you passionate about. 
• What problems can you solve with your products?
• Note down all your ideas, no matter how crazy they may seem! 
• Then, research those ideas to see if there’s a viable market for them. 

Keep analyzing. And you’ll find gaps in the market where you can offer something unique and valuable to customers.

5: Product Sourcing

Once done with the product hunting, then comes sourcing. And talking about sourcing, it’s obvious. The lower the price you get, the more profit you can expect. 

That said, there are 2 ways to source products:

1: Local Markets

2: International Markets

And just like product research, sourcing is another key to success in ecommerce.

Because it’s as simple as this. Even if you select a best-selling product if you can’t source it at a good price, you’d be left with little to no profits. Not something we want. Right?

6: List Your Products

Once you’ve selected your product and found good sourcing options, the heavy lifting is done. This is where it starts to get easy. 

So now you have to list your products on Amazon. And for listing your products on Amazon you need the following details.

• Product Title
• Product Images
• Product Description
• Product Specifications
• Product ID (UPC, EAN GTIN)

And yeah, if you don’t have a product ID, just let Amazon know. They will allow you to list your products without ID as well.

When you list your products, keep the Listing Optimization Score in mind. It should be between 7 to 8. And if you’re wondering how to check the score, you can use Helium 10 for it.

7: PPC Campaign (Marketing)

This is the fuel that gets your business running. It’s the most important step after hunting & sourcing.

Because you’re definitely not the only person to sell a unique product that the world has never seen or heard of. 

Even with low competition, there will be hundreds of other sellers who will be selling the same products as yours. So you’d have to market yourself, be it through PPC campaigns and/or branding.

8: Account Management

Although I can go hours and hours about selling on Amazon and raking in millions, this one’s the last for today. 

And it’s about maintaining your Amazon Account Health.

Might sound complex, but it isn’t. You can check it through the performance section within your Amazon Seller-account Dashboard. And then improve it. Trust me, it’s very simple.

A quick question, do you know why Amazon is the World’s #1 ecommerce marketplace?

Customer Service Support. Yes, Amazon provides top-notch customer service support to all its customers, making sure they get what they order.

And that’s exactly what you must do to maintain your account health.

Conclusion

So that’s all for today. But please, take action. Get started. That’s the only thing that’s gonna get you ahead.

And if you’re stuck anywhere, or need any help, we can talk. And don’t worry. I won’t be charging you money for it. Here’s the link if you wanna book a free call.

Well, I’ll be straightforward. I also teach people how to sell on Amazon & Shopify. So if you found value here and would be interested, I’d love to talk.

And since you read all the way until here, here’s your FREE access to my eCommerce Private eCommerce WhatsApp Community.

Let’s kickstart that online business you’ve been dreaming of, together!