The ecommerce industry has witnessed remarkable growth in recent years, accelerated in large part by the Covid-19 pandemic, which pushed the industry to levels originally anticipated for 2025. A significant driver of this growth has been cross-border trading, with one out of every four items now being purchased by international buyers, constituting 25% of online sales. The value of cross-border ecommerce is projected to surpass $2.1 trillion in 2023, up from $1.9 trillion in 2022. This presents a unique opportunity for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Online export sales are not merely an additional channel but a vital one that facilitates reaching new clients worldwide and scaling up businesses rapidly. However, entering this arena comes with its challenges and requires acquiring the necessary knowledge to fully exploit its potential. Questions arise on how to reach new clients in new countries, manage shipping, handle technical aspects of online sales, and more. Selecting the right online sales channel becomes pivotal. While establishing an independent online store has its advantages in terms of brand uniqueness, it demands substantial budgets for global marketing. Notably, among the world’s top 10 retail websites, only 5 are independent sites owned by global giants like “Samsung,” “Apple,” and “Ikea.” The other 5 are online marketplaces that offer SMBs a smoother entry into global sales, providing tools, guidance, and, most crucially, traffic. For instance, eBay grants sellers access to over 133 million buyers across 190 markets, which surpasses the entire population of the United Arab Emirates by over 13 times. It also allows sellers to tap into markets with high purchasing power, such as the USA, the UK, and the EU countries, where average purchase sizes are significantly larger than in local markets. Moreover, ecommerce platforms like eBay offer sellers a trusted brand with high customer credibility, a user-friendly platform for business operations, including category insights, marketing tools, and fulfillment solutions. To further support businesses in the UAE, eBay has introduced a special growth program tailored for regional enterprises looking to succeed in online sales. Participants in the program will receive a personal Growth Advisor at eBay for one year, a complimentary 3-month subscription to an eBay Store, and an auto listings service. These benefits, valued at thousands of dollars per participating business, are offered at no cost to small and medium-sized businesses in the UAE seeking global success through eBay. It is important to note that achieving success in online sales requires time, continuous learning, and ongoing improvements, mirroring the path of any other business endeavor. Private Wolf | facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Linkedin
