This is the era of e-commerce. Pakistan’s handicrafts must be available for everyone around the world. When writing this article, we knew you have a special spot for the Pakistani handicrafts and you want to show the world what ‘made in Pakistan’ actually is. We will tell you all about selling online and focus on how you can best showcase the handicrafts from Pakistan, do not worry you have come to the right place. Selling handicrafts online, but why?

The global demand for unique artisan products is increasing by the day. These unique products speak a different language, and it gives an ethos of authentic luxury. Where is this sudden awareness coming from? Well that’s easy, worldwide the values of ‘global sustainability’ have prompted a change among the young and the well-informed consumers who are more continuing in search for a more sustainable outlook. So as a result, the global economy is increasingly focussed on fair trade, which has created a space for handcrafted products to be promoted and create a demand for such products in the world. However, not just that you may be interested in the benefits of selling handmade crafts online in Pakistan and the world. As we all know the web has penetrated the core of the Pakistani heartland. With internet uses above 70 million in Pakistan, increasing rapidly within a population of 230 million. More people are searching online for different products or they want to connect with those who can help them in creating different and unique products. Displaying your company in the .net world as well as selling online through Pakistan’s very own marketplace ‘Lalaaji.com’ it will bring many benefits such as;

• Enjoy your freedom! Avoid the hassle of commuting to various locations with your stock. Handle everything online, your online web store on Lalaaji will travel for you around the world. Connect with customers from all over the world comfortably from your office/home.
• Selling online gives you the luxury of displaying your products. Allow customers to see and virtually feel the products. This way your brand can raise more recognition and more and more people will like to collaborate with you.
• Unlimited access to ideal customers no matter the city or country. Whether It be Pakistan or a city in the Netherlands you can easily manage everything from your online B2B store. Chatting with customers through ‘lalaa-chat’ without initially exchanging numbers.
• Creating your online presence without any skills required. We have done all the hard work for you. All you must do is make it look presentable the way you like and require it to be. Furthermore, we will be launching trade assurance just for Pakistani sellers for flexible transactions which are safe and secure. 

The above are just a few advantages your business will receive when starting becoming part of Lalaaji.com. This B2B online marketplace will allow you to sell handmade crafts from Pakistan, receiving queries from not just Pakistan but the whole world. There are numerous reasons as to why online presence is inevitable and is key for success, but I will talk about those reasons in a different article. A trader can earn a fortune selling handmade products online from Pakistan. Made in Pakistan, sold to the world is what we say at Lalaaji.com and we are pleased to see thousands are joining Lalaaji.com in this mission.

Few important steps to selling handicrafts online in & from Pakistan.

In order to start selling online apart from having your online presence such as; website/marketplace, there are a few important things which you may have to do beforehand. We outline those steps for you so that you can easily start with your business going online. Whether you are a newbie or established seller in the online world, the following steps will help you have a successful craft business in Pakistan.

Step 1 - Find your niche

Focus is very important in this segment. Offering a variety of products or crafts can be attractive for customers. However, the opposite is quite common for artisans and products related to handmade designs. Having a focus in a narrower range and knowing the ins and outs of it are likely to help your online business. Some may be deceived or are unable to manage their focus. For instance, if you aim to please a wider audience with different needs and wants by including more products your online presence and brand recognition can be perceived as a pawn shop. Therefore, focus on what you can do best and provide specific offers as well as how it can facilitate your segmentation and target marketing processes.

Step 2 – Brand building

Identifying your niche in the first step will allow you to build your brand! We will tell you how.

Once you know your niche your brand can position itself in that area and start building a great brand equity by being recognised as a company with that specific handmade artisan products. However, you must acknowledge the fact that this will not over time, great things take time and so does your brand too. Take the time to understand your company as well as the expertise of your company so that you can nail it in your choses niche. The story of why you can do this very well and why you can edge your competitors; you must convey this message to the world, so customers get to know you. Knowing your company better and better will ultimately resemble your online store, choice of colours, logo and how the company presents itself on social media.

Step 3 – The right pricing

Communicating the right price to your audience is vital. The price can play an important factor whether the customer is with you or not. Therefore, finding the right balance when pricing your products is IMPORTANT! 

Break it down: calculate how much it costs to manufacture the product or how much it costs to source the product and according to that you can calculate which price you would like to put forward. Now, it is vital to know your customers what they have been paying other manufacturers and for what sort of target market they have. Also, at times do not forget to offer promotions associated with product launches. With all this in mind, calculate what it will cost and how much profit you would want to retain from it. 

Step 4 – your products on search engines

Now since you have completed all the previous steps; core business, brand identity, store set up and pricing. Now it is the time to list your products on search engines! 

Customers in Pakistan and around the world should be able to find you. Write simple and attractive titles along with product descriptions that contain the right SEO keywords that a person would type in Google to find your store or products. It is not just the keywords, it is very important you have great photos of the products, because research indicates that having great quality photos will result in increased sales. Furthermore, trust us we know! Always add tags to your listings, because this will also have a huge impact on the searchability of your great photos.

Step 5 – social media & build your online community

The world has evolved from traditional TV ads and newspapers to platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest and many more. Through social media you yourself can tell people about your business and your online crafts. Create interactions with customers by posting and convincing them to your store and let them get to know you by having a solid website and being active in a marketplace where they can also compare you. In the social media area keep tagging and create hashtags to create a trend for your followers.

Step 6 – inventory up to date or OEM service well communicated.

Your ready-made products must always be up to date. You do not want to make your customers wait which can be risky as they may search for alternatives, and you lose out on potential customers. Always be on top of your stock and constantly update with new products. However, if you are offering the OEM service which is like manufacture upon order received then make sure that is communicated well and is executed on the promise as per discussed. Keep adding products and changes in the product catalogues will keep your website fresh and it will attract new customers to your online store.

 

Start selling on Lalaaji.com

Lalaaji.com is here empower SMEs to leverage the power of internet to their benefit. Increase the exports of Pakistan by opening a new world for SMEs. This avenue of trade has been adopted by neighbouring countries and they have excelled their exports, it is time for Pakistan to do the same if they want to stay relevant and competitive. A online B2B marketplace with all the necessary tools and support to successfully grow your business beyond borders. It is cheaper to get a membership on Lalaaji.com, than a flight ticket to Germany or Netherlands for a trade fair. register now