There is no doubt that e-commerce is booming globally, especially in Dubai, which is one of the most developed countries in the world and is growing exponentially in every aspect, from businesses to technology. The majority of the customers prefer online services, and it is expected that 56% of organizations expect their profits to come from e-commerce websites within the next three years. Starting up an e-commerce website isn’t time-consuming or difficult but doing your homework is crucial for a successful implementation.
Before we get into details, we will have to know what exactly e-commerce is. Is e-commerce a successful investment in the UAE market? E-commerce is an online platform where the products and services are sold to the customers in exchange for money and data to execute the transactions. Investing in an e-commerce business is a wise choice as the whole world is transforming into a digital era. We have successful e-commerce websites like Amazon, Apple, Namshi, and many more in UAE. It is estimated that by the end of 2022, there will be at least a 23% hike in e-commerce sales in UAE thus increasing the success rate.
If you are considering starting an E-commerce website in Dubai, then continue reading to know more.
- Designing a website that matches your product profile
It is one of the crucial things to consider before developing an e-commerce website. Your website should be attractive, which means the color scheme you choose should complement the products or services you showcase. For example, financial and tourism websites will look great with blue, as this color is gentle, engaging, and reassuring, and black would look attractive for premium and high-end goods.
Using quality pictures and animations is also one of the key elements to make your e-commerce website stand out despite huge competition in Dubai.
- User friendly
Developing an e-commerce website need not have complex designs and functions. Simple, informative, and user-friendly options meet the user’s expectations. Easy filtering and search bars also increase the functionality of the website. A website that is easy to access whether you are using a desktop or a mobile is important. Most of your customers are mobile users, therefore, a website should be created considering this in mind.
- User safety and security
None of your customers wants to risk their information leaking or their computers or phones catching bugs because they browsed your e-commerce website. In an e-commerce business, you store a large volume of data about your products and about the customers who register to buy from you, so safety is one of the fundamental requirements.
It is also necessary to secure your website as unsecured websites do not give you good SEO results. Google also flags websites without an SSL certificate and HTTPS protocol. By doing so, you might be missing potential customers as they will be unable to access your website.
- Payment options
Dubai and most Middle Eastern countries do not have many payment options compared to the rest of the world. Therefore adding most of the possible options to your e-commerce website will ease the customers who are looking forward to purchasing from you. Visa and MasterCard are the most popular payment methods available on any e-commerce website, whereas other options such as American Express, JCB, and Mada are limited. Cash on delivery is also one of the payment methods available in the market.
- Optimizing eCommerce websites before and during development
It might sound complicated, but this simply means checking the loading speed of your e-commerce websites. If a web page takes up to five seconds to load, the probability of visitors bouncing increases by 90%. Hence it is necessary to maintain the performance of your website. Another technique to increase the performance of your site is by adding the right keywords to the content, titles, descriptions, and even images. It will improve the SEO of your website.
- Service and product description
An e-commerce site without adequate information on the products has very little chance to thrive in the UAE market. There are many competitions on the online platform, and it is mandatory to portray your products in a unique and distinguished manner. Users who visit your website should find it as a reliable and confident source to purchase. It’s always best to have detailed information on the product you market to sell.
- Registration
Providing your e-commerce website with a registration option will enable easy access for your users also save necessary information like order history, shipping address, wish list. For those who do not wish to register to avoid emails and notifications, many e-commerce websites have a guest user option too. There are also sign-in options with social media for quick registration. Therefore choosing which works best for your business is essential. Keeping it simple is the key.
- CMS integration
In addition to managing your visual and written content, a content management system (CMS) can also manage your marketing documentation. You can update your e-commerce website by editing or adding new information on products or introducing new products, and these changes will reflect automatically when your website goes live. Using a CMS can also help your employees respond quickly to customer queries.
- User generated reviews
This feature is crucial to give a positive impression of your e-commerce website. Users can get to read the feedback on the purchase made by the previous customers or drop in the experience of their services acquired. It will make your web store a reliable platform to buy the product.
- Marketing strategy
A good marketing strategy, developed along with the website, can give you an edge on your first sales, regardless of whether you are new to the retail business or launching a website based on your physical store. It is always best to figure out your marketing strategy for your e-commerce website early on before developing your website for the best results. A marketing strategy for your website can be done on many platforms such as Google ads, Facebook, Instagram, and many more. Writing blogs regarding your business in Dubai also works well by choosing relevant topics.
We know that there is always going to be an upgrade in terms of structure, functionality, and features in an e-commerce business to attract potential customers. The agency you choose in Dubai should be capable of building both a beautiful and functional web store for you if you decide to hire an e-commerce website development company. Professional web developers will guide you through the process in terms of the latest trends. Therefore, choose wisely.
