Tuesday 24 February 2015

Supporting Framework for Online Shopping in Bangladesh

Payza Bangladesh Online Shopping Supporting FrameworkOnline shopping can only flourish in the presence of solid supporting frameworks and adaptability of the people. In Bangladesh, infrastructure development for e-commerce had slow pace in the past, but recent moves of the government and awareness of people have made rapid changes. New generation entrepreneurs have fueled the changes by introducing various e-payment mechanisms with desired security and robust experiences. Let’s go through the past and recent developments.

Today the reach of Internet seems rapid due to proliferated use of handheld and wearable devices. Smartphones and tablets have made Internet ubiquitous and accessible round the clock from anywhere. Therefore, various commercial activities taking place on the handheld devices and the most beneficial segment is e-commerce.

Unfortunately, the fruits of these tech advancements are not dispersed equally in the rest of the world. Bangladesh is one of the countries, which lagged behind in the tech race, due to its adverse political and social situations. Telecommunication and Internet technologies are backbones of e-commerce development in any country and Bangladesh has slow pace of development in this regard. Therefore, Internet access is uneven and limited to specific regions as well as up to specific segments of society.

Deficiencies of Infrastructure
There are visible deficiencies of infrastructural support framework in forms of :
  • Poor electricity network resulting into poor supply
  • Low affordability of online shopping components such as Internet affordability, computing devices’ affordability, and handheld devices affordability have restricted its reach up to affluent class of the society
  • Low literacy level also affecting the usage of Internet and acceptability of online shopping in Bangladesh 
Online Purchase Framework
 It is true that the proliferation of online shopping and online money transaction activities greatly depending on the online purchase framework and the ultimate components of this framework are:
  • Purchase Intentions
  • Purchase Adaptation
  • Purchase Continuance 
These purchase related factors have direct relationships with the behavior and several characteristics such as:
  • Consumer Characteristics: Their life style, motivation, knowledge, innovativeness, involvement, demographics, etc.
  • Product/ Service Characteristics: The product knowledge, product type, layout, frequency of purchase, tangibility, differentiation, price etc.
  • Medium Characteristics: web design, navigation, ease of use, interface usefulness, reliability, security, etc.
  • Merchant and Intermediary Characteristics: Service quality, privacy and security control, brand reputation, delivery /logistics, after sale service, incentive, etc.
  • Environmental Influences: The culture, subjective norm, exposure, attention, image, etc.
If you closely look at these characteristics, you will find that many of them are at backward conditions or lacking at all and its reasons are obvious:
  • Poor national level public key infrastructure
  • Distrust regarding to secure e-transactions whether in local or international currencies
  • Social and technical challenges
  • Lack of legal framework to support
Recent Progress in Bangladesh
Fortunately, in recent past, government and many entrepreneurs within Bangladesh or from foreign countries who have taken deeper interest in the development of online shopping framework in Bangladesh, By being Bangladeshi (citizens/origins) these entrepreneurs have brought some progressive changes by influencing government policies, investing in e-commerce and allied sectors, and changing the mind set of people by-and-large.

For instance, medium characteristics and merchant or intermediary characteristics as mentioned above are contextual and you can see some through changes. Today software developer community of Bangladesh is competing with its neighboring rivals like India and Pakistan at outsourcing fronts. Thus, they are indirectly improving the quality of above mentioned components of supporting framework for e-commerce development. Same way, trusted payment gateway providers are helping not only national level e-transactions, but also improving the user experiences of Foreign exchanges coming from various sources.

If political stability persists and tendency of people improving regarding to online shopping in Bangladesh, days are not far away that shine the overall economy of Bangladesh and lifestyle of the people.

RESOURCE

This article focus on the supporting framework for online shopping in Bangladesh that will give useful insights to web developers as well as entrepreneurs venturing in to e-commerce niche.

Tuesday 17 February 2015

Technical Aspects of Online Shops in Bangladesh

Online shops designing and development technologies targeting smartphones and now wearable devices in advanced countries, but their penetrations in Bangladesh like developing countries are still limited and need revisits on existing technologies itself. Let’s go through the contemporary technologies used in the development of online shops in Bangladesh and their future.

Our expectations over contemporary modern Bangladesh e-commerce development may seem overwhelming. However, present awareness of people, interests of government, and efforts of entrepreneurs have changed entire scenario. No doubt, B2B have bright future due to exports with foreign countries of the rest of the world. In fact, B2G has the highest share, as government is the biggest buyers of the goods and services using online roots and people take benefits of it in return.

Technical Aspects of the growth of the online shops in Bangladesh
Now, we have clear picture of the target audiences and path of growth of e-commerce storefronts in Bangladesh. If we are going to explore the technical aspects involved in the e-commerce growth at present, we may find following things.

  • Server Technologies is growing, but at slow pace, due to challenges of modern changes in hardware as well as software in this niche
  • Connectivity is improving at good rate because of introduction of 2G/3G technologies for the mobile and other users. This improvement has reduced the burden over cable network and forced services providers to be competitive without declining quality further
  • Designing and development technologies are at the fastest pace because outsourcing industry is observing phenomenal growth. Entrepreneurs have enough options for the selection of programming language, OS platforms, responsive designing, and money transaction facilities or payment methods/payment gateways

Programming and Databases Management
 Affordability is the main detrimental factor for the spread of e-commerce or Bangladeshi online shopping websites, open source is the ultimate solution for that and PHP is obvious one. Initially majority of online storefronts in Bangladesh have adapted primitive PHP open source software like OsCommerce, X-cart, Zen Cart, etc. At present, we can see introduction of BigCommerce, WooCommerce, VirtueMart, and mainly Magento changing the landscape of online stores for B2B, B2C, and B2G sectors alike.

At Present:
  • Majority of online shops in BD are responsive and offering advanced features as well as functionality for perfect e-commerce experiences. 
  • Advance search, quick and secure check out, reliable payment methods, personalization, and superb database management for small to big data is promising traits of the present e-commerce websites or web portals in the BD. 
  • Adaptation and implementation of modern encryption technologies have made e-transactions secure and safe at all levels.

RESOURCE

At present B2C ecommerce is taking off and hitting new targets rapidly despite its slow growth in the past. This article will give you useful insights on the recent progress of IT software development technologies for the online shops in Bangladesh

Monday 9 February 2015

Online Shops in Bangladesh—An Emerging Business Sector

Ecommerce - online shops
After prolonged sufferings, Bangladesh is observing phenomenal growths in e-commerce and related activities on commercial fronts. Changing mind sets and advent of technologies have changed the scenario of overall economy and lifestyles of common man. At present many online shops in Bangladesh are performing excellently and serving people in great ways. Let’s check how and what they are doing.

In past, Bangladeshi economy was performing the worst due to high inflation rate, mindset of Bangladeshi towards startup entrepreneurs, high interest rates, and lack of platform for entrepreneurs to address their issues. However, recent moves from government and awareness of globalization among the new generation and affluent society of Bangladesh have given birth of many unique and modern businesses and uplift of economy by-and-large.

Governments in recent past have initiated many schemes to establish modern IT infrastructure and Internet framework along with technological advancement in telecommunication including 2G/3G network for smart handheld devices. At other hand technologies became cheaper and affordable despite desirable improvements. These have made good recipe for entrepreneurs to invest and get some fortunes from it. Many residential and non-residential Bangladeshi have invested in various sectors of economy and technologies. However, the significant growth was observed in e-commerce or online shops in compared to other emerging fields.
                                                                   
Reasons behind the Raise of Online Shops in Bangladesh
Just like other society of the word, economic growth in Bangladesh has changed the lifestyles of the Bangladeshi. Therefore, you will observe the scarcity of time, rush of commuters, increase in urbanization, frequent shutdowns due to political unrest, and thirst for more in modern Bangladesh. This has led people to take shortcuts and help of modern communication technologies to grease their day-to-day chores. 

Proliferation of smart mobile devices has brought everything on their fingertips/mouse tips and online shopping in Bangladesh is becoming trendy. People love infinite search options, comparative shopping options, home delivery or click to brick type shopping, and most importantly personalization on e-commerce portals along with personalized incentives.

Current Online Shops in Bangladesh
For instance, high turnover of ClickBD is indicating love of Bangladeshi for online trades and shopping. CellBazar has grabbed wide sects of Bangladeshi society and covered urban as well as rural areas in these days. Numbers of products and services listed on CellBazar makes it the biggest e-commerce portal in Bangladesh. 
Besides simple B2C ecommerce portals, Bangladesh has variety of other e-commerce web presence like Akhoni, Bikroy and BD Giftshop online market places where you can get daily deals and other discounted deals for range of other brick and online stores just like Groupon in Australia and other western counterparts.

We can’t underestimate the contributions of entrepreneurs who have made online shopping and its payment or money transaction safe and secure, like Payza has done recently. Thus, cumulative approaches have changed the scenario of Bangladeshi society by introduction of online shopping stores and other Internet related activities. 

RESOURCE

No doubt, government and its agencies are working as the biggest contributors in form of B2G e-commerce and help in the boost of online shopping awareness among the people who approaches the government services and want better results. This article focuses on the evaluation of past and present scenario for online shops in Bangladesh.

Wednesday 4 February 2015

Online Shopping In Bangladesh—Path from Dark Past to Shining Future

In world history, communication technologies have advanced the life of human race in many aspects, and its influences are continuing until today. Unfortunately, Bangladesh had started lately in compared to rest of the world. The scenario of Internet usage and online shopping in Bangladesh was grim before a decade. However, recent moves of government and entrepreneurs have shaded rays of hopes in new generations for a bright future. Let’s take a review that what happened and what will be in next days.

Origin of the Bangladesh and its political history has granted it poor and backward status in compared to its ultimate neighbors. Low literacy rate and adverse social profiles have hastened its march to bright future significantly. Lack of essential infrastructure is apparent in Bangladesh since its inception. Information and communication technology sector is suffering heavily since the beginning. However, in May 2006, a ray of hope emerged when Bangladesh was connected with submarine cable for Internet.

Despite such opportunity, social and economical condition of Bangladesh was not in favor of advance Internet usage due to lack of network and related technologies like high quality modem and 3G networks for mobiles. User profiles were restricted up to affluent class of people. People of higher qualifications and profiles were surfing net regularly so chances of proliferation of online shopping in Bangladesh were deemed until the 2010.

Changes Begun
Afterwards, political will-power and attitudes had changed and government, under the pressures of sizable neo-generation entrepreneurs, have taken steps to developed Information and Communication Technology infrastructure, begun strategy debates, and invested heavily in due course. The maturity of citizens and political stability has infused great will power in to the improvements of the conditions of online shopping in Bangladesh.

Role of NRBD
At present, sizable portion of literate people living abroad and spending the big part of their fortunes to literate their relatives and people of next generation. Their dreams are to simulate lifestyle of the western countries at some extent. Thus, e-commerce storefronts are mushrooming rapidly on the horizon of the web of the Bangladesh. No doubt, there are not robust and secure online shopping experiences exist in compared to its western counterparts, but initiation is there.

 Present Scenario of Online Shopping in Bangladesh
The present scenario of e-commerce is favoring online shopping of essential commodities and fashion apparels greatly. Therefore, online dress shopping, online T-shirt shopping, and buying shoes online are trendy activities of e-commerce shoppers. Of course, trust and security level for online shoppers are a bit low so online shopping by home delivery and online shopping by cash on delivery are favorite mode of payments in Bangladesh.

Online Payment in Bangladesh
Surely, credit/debit card payments and net banking options exist in the e-commerce world of Bangladesh, but usage are limited. The same scenario is blinking for the online money transfer service from the foreign countries and vice verso. Fortunately, some entrepreneurs from Bangladesh and its non-resident citizens have initiate some highly trustful and secure payment gateways and online money transfer portals of offer viable and feasible options for the online shopping and money transfer growth.

No doubt, past and present government agencies have supported such movements from entrepreneurs and encouraged them for secure online money exchange activities. It is noteworthy that Bangladesh is not supporting crypto-currency exchanges due to threats from extremists’ activities, but has trust on reliable 3rd party payment gateways providers because they can furnish critical data when demanded in extreme situations to the nodal government agencies, but protect data from the miscreants and hackers.
 

RESOURCE

This article focuses on the situations of the online shopping in Bangladesh and have torched the scenario from past to present. Such insights not only help people used to do online shopping or currency conversions, but also the e-commerce development community.