One of the many aspects of development is that it is rapid. There was a time when transactions would happen only through the barter system. Then came a time when currency evolved, and then trade and commerce would take place on a local or neighborhood level. Then routes were devised geographically on land and sea and much later through airways, and trade grew out of the stoic neighborhood. Then came the internet as revolutionizing as the Big Bang itself. Today trade and the world are bound to nothing. This is best understood in the realm of E-commerce. The typical brick-mortar shop is going virtual and entering a marketplace where customers across the globe can shop products and services and pay for the same in varied ways.
If you still ask yourself why now must you go online? Look around, and you will know the answer. The pandemic is the classic example of why one must build a robust digital presence. When the entire mode of operation for establishments came to a halt because of them derivatively depending solely on physical transactions and administrations, some business owners assessed the environment and Cost of Developing a Website and quickly switched to becoming an E-commerce entity; some are on the verge of doing it, while some who could not adapt to it, have already perished.
Shopify in UAE contends to be the primary platform for business owners to run their E-commerce store thanks to its unique and unmatched features. This article will dive right into setting up a Shopify online store in UAE.
Shopify in Dubai is synonymous with the term E-commerce itself. It is the leading software to host your E-commerce business. It is effortlessly simple to operate on. It provides everything from promoting the online store to selling and shipping the products to the consumers, opting for a particular pricing plan, and once you have Started Your Online Store on Shopify, your business is all set to make a mark in the world commerce. The cloud-based software functions on a monthly subscription model and gives business owners running their online store on Shopify, access to an admin panel where one can feed store data, add products and process orders, making it easy to use and put up an easy learning curve so that your store is up and running quickly.
How to set up your online Shopify store in the UAE?
The procedure for registration, obtaining the E-commerce license, and running the business depends majorly on what one is selling and the location from where the business will be operated. Setting up an online business in Dubai starts from applying for a license under the E-commerce sector. The steps involved are as follows:
(1) Choosing the right kind of company
There are several options that UAE provides you cut-stitched as per your business needs. For example, you can register your company under a limited liability company, branch of a foreign parent company, or as a representative office. The plans you have for broadening your entity and the markets you possess access to determine which form of business you wish to register works optimally for you. Generally, limited liability Company Registration in UAE is preferred more by business owners since they can be established in the free zones, which offer industrial-specific features for growth.
(2) Developing Website
To set up an online store in Dubai, one will need to develop a website that becomes an online store. It involves registering a domain name, which usually is also the business’s name. While doing so, do remember that the name you choose must be respectful and follow the cultural, social, religious beliefs of the target audience and people in general.
(3) Deciding the Location
While deciding upon the location, you have two options. You can register your E-commerce business under free zones or outside the free zone. Now each form offers its own set of services and limitations. While a company registered under the Free Zone can operate its activities inside the Free Zone solely or outside UAE, experiencing neither restriction in import and export of goods nor import/export duties; a Mainland company is an inland company that can conduct its business activities in the local market of UAE and outside UAE. Therefore, this is a highly calculative decision one has to make to analyze all the terms and conditions of all the forms of business registered in the UAE.
(4) Registration of the name of the E-commerce company
Before getting the license, you must also register the company’s name, which must be relatable and easy to remember for your target audience.
(5) Choose a physical office in Dubai
Now you must wonder when online stores needed a physical premise? You are halfway right. An online store does not need the traditional brick-mortar shop for operation. However, as per legal compliance administered by the Dubai authorities, one does need a legal address (office).
(6) Approving License
Once you have completed and submitted your application after meeting all the requisites, it will take around 7 business days to get your license approved.
(7) Bank Account and Payment Gateways for E-commerce
Like any company, you will need a bank account and therefore will have to open one. The local banks offer good opportunities for opening accounts for offshore companies. Although you will be operating online, you will have to set up credible Gateways for Your E-commerce website in UAE. It includes features like cash on delivery (COD), credit cards, wallets, and other prepaid card systems such as Paypal, Stripe, Skrill, and many more.
A certified Shopify Partner agency based in UAE, like Pro Web, can assist you in setting up your Shopify store easily, with their vast experience of serving clients for over 10 years across the UAE and GCC. On the general glance, after you have met all the legal compliances for starting your online store in UAE, you will have to create your Shopify Store Account, curate and add your products, create essential pages like for contact, about the brand, FAQs, and policy pages, customize your Shopify online store with a theme that suits your business and brand best, set up shipping details, tax details and lastly the payment gateways. That is it! Your online Shopify Store in UAE is up and running.
Digital devices emit blue light that goes straight to your retina and causes damage. Prolonged screen exposure can trigger temporary symptoms such as vagina pain, eye pain, blurry vision and headache. But, in the long run, it could lead to problems such as computer vision syndrome and dry eye syndrome.
