E-Commerce: Trends, Platforms and Best Strategies

 Several studies, especially the report issued by Payfort on the status of payments in 2016, which monitors the e-commerce sector and the payments sector in the Arab world, show that in terms of the number of online buyers, the report tells that with the growth of Internet users in the Arab region, the proportion of buyers  It increased by 14% in 2014 accounts, and this increase is a positive sign that e-commerce continues to grow among the population of the Arab world.

 Egypt continues to lead the total number of Internet users in the region with about 18 million users who go to take advantage of online shopping services, and the United Arab Emirates leads the region, where the percentage of online buyers reaches 70% of the country’s population, and given the number of online buyers  As for the number of internet users in the country, Kuwait is the first with 82% of its population doing online shopping.

 But do you know what e-commerce means?  Learn about setting up your own trading system, are you looking for ways to distinguish it from other online stores?

 Follow us in this text to answer all questions related to the topic.

 Here are the following points:

 Index 

 1- What is e-commerce? 2- The difference between e-commerce and the market 3- Types of e-commerce 4- Advantages of working through e-commerce 5- A step-by-step explanation for setting up your own commerce business 6- Trends that you should always pay attention to. 7- Tips to increase your business  Sales by e-commerce

1- What is e-commerce?

 The word e-commerce is an acronym for electronic commerce, which basically describes commerce that takes place over the Internet.

 This type of business has gained strength and support in recent years, when consumers have noticed that the Internet is a safe environment to buy.

 It is important to agree that e-commerce is an online store, but not every online store can be considered e-commerce.

 There are also several other e-commerce models such as the marketplace, which we will talk about in the next paragraph.

 To make it more clear, an online store is considered an e-commerce when it sells products belonging to the same company, for example: an online store selling Disney products.

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 E-commerce or the market?

 Unlike e-commerce, the marketplace serves as the default interface for many businesses.  That is, the products available there are not from the same company, but are only displayed on the same platform.

 For many entrepreneurs, this model works well, as you do not need to buy a domain and incur other costs that are part of the e-commerce setup, it is enough to enter the products in the chosen platform and promote them.

 Another benefit of selling in the market is that you use the market power of the company to attract buyers, which is much simpler than having people find your e-commerce business.

 Suppose someone is trying to buy casual shoes, it will be very easy for him to find it on Markat.com, when he does the search instead of going to your store.

 Conversely, you do not have the autonomy to decide how your product will be presented to buyers.

 The market may be the best option for those who trade in general products, as you avoid competition and set up your own domain, while e-commerce offers some advantages for those who have a product belonging to a specific market segment, and would like to speak to a more specialized audience.

 But nothing prevents you from having a product that belongs to a specific sector and you want to sell it in a certain market.

 Your online trading model depends on how much time and money you have

3- Types of e-commerce

 There are several business models for those who wish to work through online sales, whether for those who choose e-commerce or those who choose to display their products in the market.

 B2B (Business to Business)

 This concept applies to companies setting up e-commerce activities to sell products to other companies.  It is usually used to sell raw materials as an auto parts store, for example.

 The concept of B2C (Business to Customer)

 The B2C model is the model followed by companies that sell to the end consumer, and it represents the majority of e-commerce patterns.  nike e-commerce is an example of B2C e-commerce

 C2B (Customer to Business)

 It is a reflection of the traditional business model, where the consumer puts his service at the disposal of companies.  A platform for free translators is a good example of this and is based on this type of relationship.  Workana's website

 C2C (Customer to Customer)

 Finally we have the concept of C2C, which deals with the model of relationships between consumers, which is common in discussion forums and marketplace such as OLX or OpenSooq for example (a site intended for people to sell their second-hand goods).

4- Advantages of owning an e-commerce

 Below, we show you some of the benefits of setting up a virtual store to sell products.

 Flexibility in time

 As we mentioned at the beginning of the text, e-commerce is the perfect balance between having your own business and having more time available, where you can set up your virtual store from the comfort of your home, avoid crowding on and off work, and avoid all the obstacles that are common  For those who have financial work.

 Authority

 When you set up an e-commerce, you are free to decide the layout that best suits your product and the interests of your target audience, as well as not having to pay commissions to others.

 Low investment costs

 The benefit of having an online business is that you don't need to worry about costs for electricity, rental property and workers' salaries.

 In the beginning, you just need to buy a domain (domain) and contract an Internet server (modem).  The good news is that both options have reasonable annual packages and you pay about $50 to get started.

 There are also several ready-made templates for your store available online, which means that you do not need to incur costs for programming and design work, as long as you choose the right tool for you!

 viable sales

There are also several ready-made templates for your store available online, which means that you do not need to incur costs for programming and design work, as long as you choose the right tool for you!

 viable sales

 To carry out a sale in a physical store you need a period of time to reach the person, follow him while he is evaluating the products, offer him the benefits and finally pay.  In the online store, the buying process is more dynamic, and you can achieve many sales from the same advertisement, especially realizing sales simultaneously.

 In the case of physical products, the more sales you want to make, the more investment you will need to set up your warehouse, but if you choose to trade through digital products, that product may generate revenue while it is available for entry and use.

 Disadvantages of owning an e-commerce

 As in any business, having an e-commerce also has its drawbacks, especially when we talk about physical products.  It is important that you weigh everything to make sure that the benefits are worth the investment.  Perhaps it is good for you to look for other models of business.

 Create a warehouse

 One of the main problems of having an e-commerce is the need to have a warehouse of products to meet the demand of buyers, for two reasons: you don't know yet what products are hot selling, maybe you don't have the physical space in your home to store everything.

 But do not worry, as there are some options to overcome this problem, the first of these options is to sell deposited products, you place the products of different people and display them in your store,

5- A step-by-step explanation of creating your own e-commerce system

 Creating an e-commerce is very smooth as in our how-to guide on how to create a blog.  Here are the detailed steps:

 Buy a domain

 As with any website, choosing a domain should relate to the product you will sell in your e-commerce business, and it should be a simple and easy to remember name.

 Domain purchase must be done through Godaddy or name.com, if you have a site where you can create a path for your store, for example: www.  xxxxxxxxxxxx/store

 Choose an e-commerce tool

 If you do not have technical knowledge in software, we highly recommend you to use e-commerce tools.

 In addition to many possibilities for customization, these platforms have all the functionality you need to get started.  There are services such as those offered by Muslim Arts, Surf Five, and Afada that provide smart solutions for creating an online online store.  You can study all of those sites and decide which option best suits your needs.

 A very good tip for you, is to search for groups on Facebook on the subject of e-commerce, so you get to know the opinions of other people who use these services and so you can make a decision based on more facts and knowledge.  (Soon we will have a post here on the blog, dedicated to talking about platforms and setting up online stores here on the blog, always follow us!).

 Choose payment mode

 Through the same e-commerce tool, you can set up payment options for your products including credit card payment, invoice … etc. We remind you that it is important to offer as many payment possibilities for you as possible, provided that these methods do not negatively affect your profits or affect the logistics  in business.

 Choose your product type: physical or digital

 Choosing the product that you will sell can be the first step of the e-commerce setup process and can be the last, but it is certainly one of the most important stages, as it affects the distribution and logistics stages.

 Physical products are the most common option. This is the type of market that we are more familiar with. They are consumer goods that last for a long time or not, such as books, food, clothes, shoes, etc.

 Other products are distributed online, and are usually educational content such as e-books, online courses, software and subscription services.

 To learn more about the online digital market, click here.

 In addition, the logistics business is simpler, in the case of digital products sales have the potential to grow, and there is no limit to the number of deals you can make, as the launch of your product does not depend on the presence of a warehouse, while it is available for sale, can generate revenue for you.

 On the other hand, these products are more vulnerable to hacking, fraud and massive online distribution.  Therefore, more care should be taken in distribution operations.  Some distance education platforms such as Hotmart Club have some techniques to prevent this type of business from taking place, but it is worth noting that piracy

Trends you should always pay attention to

 In the coming years, the electronic market may undergo changes to suit the needs of consumers.  Learn about some trends and how you can cope with them.

 Responsive e-commerce day in and day out

 Although the majority of people access the Internet using mobile devices, many virtual stores are not well adapted to smaller screens, as is the case with a smartphone.  The trend is that this reality will change in the coming years, as responsive design is one of the elements that greatly affects the user experience.

 New ways to pay

 There are some international companies like Apple, Amazon and Paypal trying to test new ways to pay on their products.  In short, the idea is that the consumer does not need to use credit cards and can use a thumbprint or any other type of identification to complete the purchase.  The goal of this change is to fully increase credibility, and reduce the fraud that can be associated with credit card.

 Consumer behavior analysis

 This element is not a trend anymore, as it is part of the reality of those who work with online sales.  Some equipment such as Google Trends, which shows searches with higher results at the moment, and Google Analytics, which detects the behavior of visitors within your page, can give you valuable information about your audience and help you attract more customers.

Conclusion

 If you are going to create an e-commerce then in this post you have seen the first steps to get started.

 But it is important to know that in order to stand out from the market, you need to go a lot differently than “usual”, and constantly study the market to provide a service that has a high value for your audience.  If you're just getting started, check out our tips for making your first sale online.  See you soon in another post.

 Peace, mercy and blessings of God.