More than 4.6 billion people worldwide use the Internet today,
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and in the last 12 months alone, the total number of internet users worldwide has increased by 319 million. This shows that an average of 875,000 new users are added every day. These amazing statistics point to the simple fact that the internet is rapidly taking over the world.
The world of e-commerce has changed due to the growing popularity of using the internet. Smartphones, social media and the like have also contributed to the continued rise of e-commerce.
We're starting to see marketing move from the physical space to cyberspace. So it's only natural that you, as an entrepreneur, would go with the flow. In fact, taking your business to the next level is a smart move.
If you are considering starting an ecommerce business in Pakistan, you have come to the right place to get all the information you need.
Here you will learn everything about starting an ecommerce business in Pakistan including the products you can sell online in Pakistan, why Pakistan is such a good market choice and how Alibaba can empower you to achieve your goals.
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What is eCommerce?
Top Reasons to Invest in Ecommerce in Pakistan
Checklist for Starting an Ecommerce Business in Pakistan
6 Online Marketing Business Ideas To Start In Pakistan
Sell on Alibaba.com
What is eCommerce?
Simply put, e-commerce is any business transaction that takes place in cyberspace. It is also commonly referred to as internet marketing. In today's digital age, e-commerce is definitely not a strange concept. And it's not wrong to say that wherever the internet arrived, so did the idea of online transactions. E-commerce has grown into a huge business with over 4 billion people worldwide using the internet.
As we all know, time is of the essence. Everyone is looking for a faster way or method to get a lot done in the least amount of time. Very few people want to go down the traditional routes of purchasing products now. We have found the process to be time-consuming and unnecessarily tiring .It's easier to shop with e-commerce.
You can now sit comfortably in your room, unlock your smartphone and search online for an ecommerce store with a rich inventory. And with just one click, you can order almost anything you want and have it delivered to your doorstep. And with e-commerce, distance is no barrier. Sellers and entrepreneurs can ship products to you from literally anywhere in the world.
As a seller, you now don't have to rent a building or shop for your business. This means you don't have to worry about the hassle of paying electricity, water, rent, etc. With a smartphone, you can start trading your products and services immediately without leaving your home. Suffice it to say that the tremendous growth of the internet has taken buying and selling to a whole new level.
Today, e-commerce seems to be stifling the physical market. Both buyers and sellers are beginning to look to the internet as a better option for transactions. The reason for this is that online commerce is characterized by its convenience, 24/7 availability, stands out for its time and, most importantly, cost savings. These features give e-commerce an advantage over the physical market.
Top Reasons to Invest in Ecommerce in Pakistan
The internet has penetrated deep into the heart of Pakistan. As of January 2021, there were over 61 million internet users in Pakistan.
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The number of internet users increased by 11 million between 2020 and 2021.
This steady increase in network usage in Pakistan is amazing. And these numbers show no sign of slowing down. This obviously makes Pakistan a fertile ground for e-commerce growth and development.
Pakistan also occupies the position of being the fifth most populous country in the world.
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In addition, the proportion of youth in Pakistan is 64%.
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These stats clearly prove that Pakistan is a gold mine that can provide a great source of income for e-commerce entrepreneurs. Still unsure? Well, here are a few reasons why you should start your online commerce business in Pakistan.
Technology Growth: The digital world is picking up speed in Pakistan. This is in no way surprising as over half of Pakistan's population are youth. This makes it a great place to start any online business. The market for your products will always be available. In addition, the Government of Pakistan is trying its best to create an environment in which online transactions can thrive. Because online transactions have a positive impact on the overall well-being of the economy.
5G broadband network and smartphone availability: After 3G and 4G broadband usage, Pakistan will move to 5G broadband network. This will enable even stronger and faster internet connection Giving people the opportunity to get a smartphone and start using the internet.
Digital Cash Acceptance: Conducting online cash transactions has gained tremendous popularity. Different countries are starting to follow the trend as they can no longer afford to ignore it. Pakistan is one of the countries that have adopted this policy .As a result, many payment gateways have emerged. This will, over time, increase people's trust in digital cash. The result would be a growth in online transfers. And with the ability to transfer funds online, e-commerce will become much stronger and deeply rooted in the system.
Favorable Environment for Entrepreneurs: Pakistan has a really great entrepreneurial culture. They also have a government that encourages entrepreneurship. The government is constantly looking for funds to create a conducive environment for entrepreneurs, especially internet businesses. This has boosted the growth of small and medium-sized entrepreneurs promoted in Pakistan.
Great Export System: Pakistan is well known for its exports. Here is a list of top 10 Pakistani exports
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and the revenue generated by each product:
Other textiles and apparel: $4.2 billion (20% of all exports)
Apparel, accessories (not knitted or crocheted): $3.5 billion (16.7%)
Knit or crochet apparel, accessories: $3.3 billion (16.1%)
Cotton: $1.8 billion (8.4%)
Grains: $1.2 billion (5.9%)
Leather/animal gut items: $716.7 million (3.5%)
Copper: $596.7M (2.9%)
Optical, technical, medical devices: $421 million (2%)
Mineral fuels including oil: $393.8 million (1.9%)
Fish: $372.5 million (1.8)
This list proves that Pakistan performs very well in the export field. As an online trader, you can take advantage of this lucrative system and make a fortune.
You can become an exporter by using Alibaba.com. It is the largest B2B online marketplace where you can get your goods to customers and even other companies. These companies may want to buy and sell your products at retail price. You can Also sell raw materials to factories that process them into finished goods.
Checklist for Starting an Ecommerce Business in Pakistan
If you are looking for a way to break into the e-commerce world, Alibaba.com is the best option. This is because it has the largest business-to-business (B2B) marketing platform.
As a business owner, you can use this platform to buy products in bulk and sell them at a retail price. Also, having a strong social media presence will help you sell your products more efficiently and quickly. These are the steps you need to take when trying to build your digital marketing business.
#1: Research
Before venturing into any business, you need to do a lot of research. Ask yourself these questions:
Who is my target group?
What is their financial capacity?
What are your preferences?
How much do I need to start my online trading business?
What are the thriving businesses in Pakistan?
#2: Decide what you want to sell
It's always best to specialize in selling a specific product. For starters, it doesn't help if you don't have a core product to identify with. With a big product, you can focus all your energies on it, so many to attract as many customers as possible to this product.
Additionally, you can avoid the distraction of diversifying your marketing strategy for each product. Still, you can expand and introduce other products over time. But it's good to start with a single product.
#3: Follow the trend
Some products are considered trending. They sell quickly. You need to identify these products and start selling. You can sell at a lower price to attract customers. Then, when demand is high, you can start gradually increasing the price increase. In Pakistan, some products that are always in high demand are groceries and gadgets.
#4: Get a reliable wholesaler
As a retailer, you need to buy the products in bulk. Otherwise, you make little to no profit. Therefore, you need a trusted person to buy your products in bulk from. Alibaba.com can connect you with trusted wholesale suppliers. It is advisable to establish a solid relationship with your supplier. This way they do not disappoint you and sell you quality products.
#5: Decide on the shipping method
The term shipping used here is simply the transport of the goods that a customer orders. There are several ways to ship purchased products. You can transport them by air freight, truck rail freight, etc. AliExpress offers you a variety of ways to ship your products. It is a very reliable means of delivering your products to your customers. Shipping options vary based on cost. Here are some of the shipping methods available on AliExpress:
AliExpress Standard Shipping
China Air Post Registered Mail
Singapore Post
EMS
DHL
POS Malaysia
FedEx
UPS
#6: Create a method to keep your inventory safe
If you buy your products in bulk, you need to keep them in one place until you buy them. This needs to be a safe place where your items won't be stolen or destroyed.
Of course, you can choose to keep them in your home. If there are so many products, you may need to rent a warehouse to store the goods. This is important because you cannot sell destroyed or damaged products. If your customer If he finds out that you have sold him damaged goods, he may lose confidence in you. A safe place to store your inventory should not be overlooked.
Alternatively, you can try drop shipping. This way, you don't need a warehouse to carry your inventory. With drop shipping, a consumer's order is routed directly to the wholesaler to the supplier. The products are then shipped directly from the suppliers to each consumer.
#7: Choose the right channel to get your products to consumers
You can create a website where you will sell your retail goods. You can also use social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and the like to get your goods to consumers. If you decide to create a website, you need to do the following:
You need to buy a domain name and get good hosting services for your website.
You need a registered name and you also need to install a good content management system (CMS) like WordPress.
When you buy a website, make sure you:
Note the site extension. Do you prefer '.pk' or '.com'?
Buy a good domain name. This will give your customers a first impression of your company.
Make sure you purchase a hosting service from a trusted company.
Install Secure Socket Layer (SSL). This tells you that your website is safe and secure for use.
Buy a website with a great theme. This will make it very easy for your customers to navigate your website and buy what they want.
#8: Start promoting your products
The importance of social media in advertising cannot be overstated. With a large number of people on social media, you have a very large audience. If you run a website, make sure your website content is search engine friendly. That means that they must be SEO-optimized.
You need to design your content in such a way that whenever a question about your product or service is entered into the Google search engine, your website will appear at the top of the search engine results page (SERP).
This generates traffic and can lead to more sales of your products. You can advertise by offering discounts to your customers. Discounts increase the popularity of your products. People are always looking for cheaper items.
6 Online Marketing Business Ideas To Start In Pakistan
Before getting into the ecommerce industry, you need to consider what kind of online marketing business ideas are very profitable. Some of them include:
Children's clothing: In 2018, the birth rate in Pakistan averaged 3.51 children per woman.
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Due to the constant growth in population, children's clothing is always in demand.
Selling Shoe Materials: Pakistan has high raw material production for shoes. You can export these raw materials to shoe manufacturers. Building an e-commerce store around this can be very profitable. You can get the raw materials at a cheaper price and then sell them to a higher price.
Trade in Gadgets: With the massive increase in technology, gadgets like smartphones, laptops, pads and the like are easily purchased as soon as they become available. IT is on the rise in Pakistan and many people are beginning to see the opportunities in this sector. You can import the gadgets and sell them at a higher price in your e-commerce store.
Marketing of Textile Materials: Pakistan is a big textile producer. Textile production was not affected by the pandemic either. You can benefit greatly from this field by acting as a supplier of textile materials for garment companies. You can earn a lot of money by shipping textiles to manufacturers to earn.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) sales: Pakistan has bagged $100 million worth of export orders from the sale of PPE. Due to the terrible coronavirus, the demand for protective equipment is increasing. Governments are ordering their citizens to buy and use them Also Pakistan has the raw materials and is one of the top suppliers of PPE. You can also take advantage of this and start selling these protective gears in an e-commerce store. You can even export them to other countries.
Herbal Medicine Sales: The global herbal medicine market was valued at US$138350 million in 2020.
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This figure ($218940 million) is expected to almost double by the end of 2026. You can create a niche for yourself by trading in herbal medicine. It has a demand locally and internationally as well.
Sell on Alibaba.com
Alibaba.com's goal is to provide small business owners with the support they need to sell their products in Pakistan without the stress or excessive capital.Alibaba.com is a platform that cares deeply about small businesses and as such seeks to provide them with a platform for To offer transactions without such high costs.
With the help of Alibaba.com, you can buy in bulk and sell at retail prices in Pakistan. Learn more about Alibaba e-commerce platform and start your online trading business.
References: 1.https://datareport.com/global-digital-overview2.https://datareport.com/reports/digital-2021-pakistan3.https://www.census.gov/popclock/print.php? component=counter4.https://www.undp.org/content/dam/pakistan/docs/HDR/NHDR_Summary%202017%20Final.pdf5.http://www.worldstopexports.com/pakistans-top-10-exports/ 6.https://tradingeconomics.com/pakistan/fertility-rate-total-births-per-woman-wb-data.html7.https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/herbal-medicine-market- size-sale-2021-drivers-challenges-and-their-impact-on-growth-and-demand-forecasts-in-2026-2021-02-07
