SECTION 01
What an ecommerce store is
An ecommerce store, or online store, is a website or app where a business shows its products, takes orders and collects payment without the customer visiting a shop. It is open every hour, reaches buyers in every city your courier serves, and records every order, customer and payment in one place.
In Pakistan, most ecommerce stores sell through three channels at once: their own website, social media such as Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, and sometimes a marketplace like Daraz. The website is the one channel the business fully controls: its domain, prices, design and customer list.
The pages shoppers see: home, collections, product pages, search and policies.
The dashboard where you manage products, stock, orders, customers and discounts.
Where the shopper enters an address and pays online or chooses cash on delivery.
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How an online ecommerce store works, from visit to delivery
A shopper finds your store through search, an ad or a social post, opens a product page, chooses a size or variant and adds it to the cart. At checkout they enter a name, phone number and address, see the delivery charge and the total in PKR, and pay with a card or wallet or choose cash on delivery.
The order then appears in your dashboard. You confirm it (for COD, often by phone or WhatsApp), pack it, hand it to a courier and add the tracking details. When the parcel is delivered, the courier collects the cash for COD orders and settles it to you, and the order is marked complete.
Google, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp or a marketplace listing.
Product page, cart and checkout on a phone.
Card, JazzCash, Easypaisa, bank transfer or cash on delivery.
Confirm, pack, ship, track and settle.
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Types of ecommerce stores
Ecommerce stores differ by who they sell to and how they source products. Knowing which one you are building helps you choose the right platform, payment methods and delivery setup.
A business selling its own products to shoppers, such as a clothing, skincare or electronics brand.
Sells products bought from suppliers or wholesalers, often across many brands.
Sells to other businesses in bulk, usually with bank transfer and larger orders.
Sells courses, downloads, bookings or services instead of parcels.
SECTION 04
Your own store vs a marketplace vs social selling
A marketplace such as Daraz brings shoppers to you but charges commission and fees on each order, and the customer relationship stays with the marketplace. Selling only through Instagram or WhatsApp costs nothing to start, but every order is taken by hand in messages and is hard to track as you grow.
Your own ecommerce store sits between the two: you pay a monthly platform fee, keep your margin and customer list, and send your social and marketplace buyers to one place where they can order on their own. Many Pakistani brands use all three, with their own store as the home base.
SECTION 05
What you need to make an online store
You don't need a developer or your own servers. You need a few business decisions and a handful of accounts, most of which you can set up in a day.
What you'll sell, where it comes from, your costs and your selling price in PKR.
The software that runs your store: storefront, checkout, dashboard and hosting.
Your own address, such as yourbrand.pk or yourbrand.com.
Cash on delivery plus at least one online method: JazzCash, Easypaisa or cards.
A courier account, delivery charges and a returns policy.
Delivery, returns and refunds, privacy, and real contact details.
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How to create an online shop, step by step
1. Choose a niche and check demand on Instagram, Daraz and Google. 2. Pick an ecommerce platform and choose a theme. 3. Add products with clear photos, original descriptions, variants and PKR prices, and group them into collections. 4. Connect your domain. 5. Turn on cash on delivery and connect an online payment method with your own merchant account. 6. Set delivery charges and publish your delivery, returns and contact pages. 7. Place a full test order on your phone. 8. Launch to your followers and customers, then grow with social media, ads and search.
On Eekaam you can do all of this from one dashboard: pick a theme, add products, connect a domain, and offer cash on delivery, bank transfer, JazzCash, Easypaisa through AssanPay, GoPayFast or Stripe. You can send each COD order a WhatsApp confirmation, and courier booking works with BlueEx.
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Online selling platforms in Pakistan
The main options are hosted store builders such as Eekaam, Shopify and Wix; self-hosted WooCommerce on WordPress; and marketplaces such as Daraz. Hosted builders handle hosting, security and updates for a monthly fee. WooCommerce is free software but you run the hosting and maintenance. Marketplaces need no website but take commission.
For a Pakistani business selling mostly to Pakistani shoppers, the deciding questions are whether the platform bills in rupees, how well it handles cash on delivery, and whether it works with JazzCash, Easypaisa and local couriers. Our comparison of the best ecommerce platforms in Pakistan goes through each option.
Fastest to launch; monthly fee; hosting and security included.
Most control; you or a developer run hosting, updates and security.
Built-in shoppers; commission per order; no store of your own.
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What an ecommerce store costs
Budget for the platform, a domain, payment gateway fees on online payments, courier charges, packaging, and marketing. On Eekaam, plans start at Rs 1,960 a month with hosting and SSL included and a 0% transaction fee, and new stores get a 3-day free trial with no card needed. Payment gateways and couriers charge their own fees under your agreement with them.
The costs that surprise new sellers are returned COD parcels, which cost you delivery both ways, and ads that bring orders which are never confirmed. Confirming orders before dispatch and tracking your return rate matter as much as the platform fee.
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Common mistakes when starting an online store
Most failed launches come from the same few problems, and none of them are about design.
Write your own: it helps buyers and search engines.
Show shipping costs and delivery times before checkout.
Confirm by phone or WhatsApp first.
Place a real test order on a phone before you share the link.
Start with items you can reliably stock and deliver.
SECTION 10
Questions, answered
What is an example of an ecommerce store?
Any brand website where you can add products to a cart and check out, such as a clothing brand's own site with cash on delivery. You can see live Pakistani stores built on Eekaam on our examples page.
Can I make an online store for free?
You can try one for free: Eekaam's 3-day trial needs no card. Running a store long term costs a platform plan, a domain, and payment and courier fees. Selling only through social media is free to start, but it doesn't give you a store shoppers can order from on their own.
Do I need a registered business to open an ecommerce store in Pakistan?
You can start selling as an individual. Payment gateways and business bank accounts usually ask for business documents such as an NTN, so most sellers register once they want to accept online payments. Check current requirements with FBR or a tax adviser.
Is an ecommerce store better than selling on Daraz?
They do different jobs. Daraz brings shoppers but takes commission and keeps the customer. Your own store keeps your margin, brand and customer list. Many sellers use both.
How long does it take to make an online store?
With a hosted platform, a simple store can be ready in a day: theme, a few products, payments and delivery charges. Payment gateway approval can take longer, so start with cash on delivery and add online payments once approved.