E-Payment System and Internet Shopping in Bangladesh

Influence of electronic payment system over the Internet shopping in Bangladesh is profound and need revisits of policies as well as strategies employed. Therefore, some live debate on this is must and discussion on the pros and cons of e-payment system may bring fruitful solutions with the pace of time.

In traditional banking system, we had everything on paper so we used to rely heavily on the human resources to accomplish tasks of entries, clearing, deposits, document transfer, etc. on time and with accuracy. Fortunately, digitalization and use of Internet as well as intranet network had changed that dismal scenario rapidly in the western developed countries before decades.

Towards Digital Bangladesh
However, in Bangladesh like backward economy, these all and sudden changes were not possible so Bangladeshis have to wait for long to enjoy such advance privileges in comparison to their western counterparts. Fortunately, government of Bangladesh has initiated many vital moves in this direction and given an agenda to make economy and other sectors digital through “Digital Bangladesh” slogan.

Many forward thinkers and people with futuristic visions including entrepreneurs residing within country or in foreign lands have created highly conductive environment and made useful efforts to boost the process of digitalization through invading Internet and telecommunication network or facilities in early days. Later on mobiles became buzzword and sudden proliferation of mobile users taken place.

E-Payment Scenario
Along with other infrastructural facilities in the country, financial system also had taken many vital initiations. Among them banking sector and payment gateways were leaders to revolutionize the scenario of e-commerce by-and-large. Today, majority of money transactions are taking place through electronic cards or Internet across the country. Therefore, it is vital to understand the electronic payment system in Bangladesh before doing any business in the country or investing money.

Challenges on the Road
Yes, things are not always gloomy, as they seem because there are multiple challenges on the road of progress, which people of Bangladesh and other stakeholders of economy have to face, such as:

• Increased rate of cyber crime in this social and educational backward country
• Money laundering like activities due to strict money regulations and rules of land
• Perception of people are not always positive due to backwardness and lack of awareness
• Initial high cost for access because e-card payment as well as Internet payment systems need investment in infrastructure for government as well as financial system and in hardware for end-users.
• Confidence and security of transaction is big issue due to increasing threats from the hackers as well as malicious elements in Internet shopping payment as well as thieves for e-card payments
• Lack of knowledge and skills is a big problem in Bangladesh in using e-payment system where illiterate population is bigger in mid-age and elder people population categories
• Attitude to a new product vary in this small country where new generation is ready to adopt new things easily while older one is still grapples
• To minimize the cash based transaction is a big goal because the lower strata of society occupies a big portion and threats of thieves, robbers, and other non-social elements are bigger in comparison to its neighboring countries like India. Therefore, spreading e-payment tempo in rural areas of Bangladesh is positive move.

Solutions and Implementations
No doubt, government and banks have taken numerous steps to beat the aforementioned challenges, but initiative by Payza Bangladesh has enhanced advancement procedure of e-payment system noteworthy for Internet shoppers and others. Through various schemes like SimplySendBD and Payza e-wallet, this payment gateway providing group has revolutionized the entire scenario of Internet shopping experiences.

Moreover, Payza has boosted the morals of e-commerce providers in Bangladesh and for Bangladesh at admirable levels. The most important thing Payza has done is that it has given highly cheaper yet quality alternative for e-transactions and e-payment to an underprivileged country like Bangladesh.

If you have any questions or comments, we invite you to share them with us by leaving a comment below or joining us on our Payza Facebook and Payza Twitter pages.  

Trends in Online Shopping with Home Delivery in Bangladesh

Online shopping in Bangladesh has outstanding challenges in terms of payment and delivery because in numerous cases both are mingled with each other, as payment takes place once delivery is finished in form of home delivery of goods. Unfortunately, recent market is expanding in terms of goods available and home delivery can’t associate with payment in all cases.

Internet has changed the scenario of people’s lifestyle and way of business doing in the country. Despite the crinkling infrastructure for transport, electricity, and wired Internet network, online activities are flourishing at rapid pace and seem to be parallel to its affluent western counterparts.

Online Shopping Status in Bangladesh

Numerous online shops are working solely on the internet while majority of brick stores enjoy status of click-to-brick shop in modern Bangladeshi society where each home has one person living abroad. Mobiles have made internet ubiquitous. Therefore, people are free to place their selling needs on auction sites, whilst buyers have freedom to purchase products from anywhere and at their convenient time.

Online Shopping Behavior of Bangladeshis
However, the nature of Bangladeshis is a bit conservative and people generally don’t put trust on other especially in payment made on internet where receivers are unknown and lots of frauds or scams have been registered before. Moreover, traffic issues are acute in major cities of Bangladesh where a big chunk of online shoppers is residing.

Cash On Delivery Model
Therefore, expecting of buying and picking up the goods are rare thing in practice here. Bangladeshi folks love to deal in face-to-face mode so cash on delivery is highly popular mode of payment in cities as well as in rural areas in particular. There are two benefits of cash on delivery that buyers and sellers both are secure for the payment as well as right delivery at their respective ends while buyers can promptly inform vendors for any sort of fraud or swindle carried out by middle men or any damage occurred during shipment.
Unfortunately, all goods are not possible to ship through this payment method and collect cash, only food items ready to serve, groceries, furniture, and so on items of day-to-day use fall in cash on delivery payment mode. Valuable items are generally purchased either through personal visits or through secure payment gateways in advance payment mode only.

Promise of Secure Payment
Fortunately, Bangladesh payment gateway services like Payza Bangladesh have quite safe and secure online payment method through internet as well via credit/debit cards with bargaining service charges. Even secure e-transactions are possible in rural areas where connectivity and financial infrastructure are issues all times.

Payza Bangladesh has changed the scenario of online shopping in Bangladesh through various payment gateway related schemes unveiled in collaboration with major banks of Bangladesh and government itself. People now no longer need cash on delivery like long and risky routes of online shopping in Bangladesh thanks to Payza Bangladesh and banking network to introduce trust factors among the most privileged people of Asian region.

If you have any questions or comments, we invite you to share them with us by leaving a comment below or joining us on our Payza Facebook and Payza Twitter pages.  

Tips to Keep You Safe While Doing Online Shopping In Bangladesh

Online shopping is worth your time and money when they are in question. Today Bangladeshi lifestyle is changing rapidly and Bangladeshis are simulating lifestyle of developed countries of the world. Therefore, online shopping in Bangladesh is getting momentum gradually. However, it is not par and safe as in western countries. Here are some tips to do it safe and securely.

Today society in Bangladesh, by-and-large, is passing through a transition phase from underdeveloped to a developing and may be as developed at any point of time in near future. Government is functioning in democratic ways and uplifting the life of people in the country through various measures. Education rate is picking new peaks and people are living busy lifestyle as their western counterparts are doing.

Proliferation of mobiles and penetration of Internet are factors pushing e-commerce at new levels. Online shopping in Bangladesh is gradually becoming trend, as almost everything is available and within reach of fingertips or just a click on the web. We can list numerous benefits of online shopping viz. time saving, fuel saving, opportunity to do comparative shopping, and many more in different contexts.

Unfortunately, each coin has two facets so online shopping has some dark shadows looming on Bangladeshi shoppers too. Let’s check some of them in brief here.

Heavy is Suspicious

When you find that any e-commerce store or ads on the web, whether it is on social media or elsewhere, is luring you through offering unbelievably high discounts or incentives, look at them with suspicious eyes. Remember that reputed brands never sale their products at the cheapest rates or offer heavy discounts that make your head wobble.

Usually, brands are passing their savings on brick store investment and other overheads in measurable percentages, never at half or one-third rates. Unfortunately, scammers in Bangladesh are enough and know how to trap new generation shoppers by victimizing them based on their immaturity and freedom offered by illiterate or less educated parents.

This is the best way to save you from possible cheating or frauds. Smart online shoppers are directly logging in with original website or mobile app of the brands, instead of going via other routes. Thus, my next suggestion is secure your log-in credentials.

Secure Surfing
Today half of the online shopping is taking place through mobile devices, smartphones or tablets. Do you know Wi-Fi or mobile connection is considered insecure across the world and it is more vulnerable in, Bangladesh like, developing nations. Always keep your computing devices updated with security software and recommended security measures even though you have wired connection because passwords and credit card credentials are stored in cookies and hackers can access through hacking your system easily.

Cross Check before Big Deal
Bangladesh is not big nation that you can’t collect info of any reputed business using your personal or professional circles. This is imperative particularly when you are going to pay a big amount or making a big deal where your payment is in risk.

Ray of Hopes
Fortunately, among the misty online environment in Bangladesh, Payza Bangladesh like entrepreneurs have taken right steps to offer secure and easy online shopping experiences in pure Bangladeshi contexts. Moreover, such payment gateway in Bangladesh have made money transactions cheaper and safe through forming alliances with local and international banks.

Social Media & Online Shopping in Bangladesh

Bangladeshi entrepreneurs are facing many challenges while establishing their own independent online shopping websites. Against these, social media networking sites like Facebook offers cheaper and more viable alternatives for them. Thus, social media have boosted the online shopping trends in the Bangladesh at initial stage and now e-commerce stores are following the trends and establishing full-fledged stores.

In recent past, Bangladesh was a country of deprivation in terms of modern technologies and affluent lifestyles. It was blessed by its unstable political and scanty natural resources against the dense population.

After 2007, gradually scenario has changed due to penetrations of ICT, proliferation of mobility, and initiatives of government as well as some entrepreneurs. Now, Bangladeshis are enjoying broadband connections, mobile Internet access through 3G/4G technologies, Internet banking, credit/debit card payment, bKash, and Payza Bangladesh like secure payment gateways for local and international money transactions.

Role of Social Media – Facebook
Besides these advancements, popularity of Facebook in Bangladesh has added more advantages for online shoppers as well as online business entrepreneurs. Facebook has offered the cheapest alternative for the online shopping store startups and it was started with clothing items including traditional dresses like Salwar Kameez, Sari, etc. No doubt, there were women entrepreneurs at first place who were running home based boutiques.

Practical Examples
If you look at the practical examples, the first name comes is of Safwan Rizvi of Hardstyle Revolution brand, as she is enjoying approx 15K customer support through Facebook page initially and now through her own website. She has achieved such popularity within the shortest span of three years.

Another woman entrepreneur who had recognized the immense potential of Facebook pages was the owner of Style World, as she had started her journey from 2005 through Facebook, and had captured customers beyond the country borders. Therefore, you can find more than 600K likes on her Facebook fan page of her business Style World.

The story similar to it was that of Andeem, which is an established fashion brand in Banani enjoying its own flagship store. The Andeem was a brainchild of Eemam Ahmed and; Farah Deeba, which had started on the Facebook initially, and eventually turned in to the reputed brick as well as online shopping destination for Bangladeshis. Thus, Facebook is playing vital role in providing a feasible and viable platform for the female designer as well as other female entrepreneurs for quick and reliable exposure.

Reasons Behind
Social media or social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. are providing different opportunities for businesses to augment their brand and create an online reputation through transparent communication with their potential audience/customers. For instance, creating Facebook business page cost nil against establishing a website or a physical store. Administrative or overhead cost of online venture through Facebook page is nothing unless you hire one or two fellows to manage the day-to-day affairs and SMO campaign.

Moreover, Facebook page bring transparency and live dialogue between the business and audience through freedom of expression, as anyone can express her experiences with brand and show likeness or dis-likeness through comments, Like button, or sharing the post placed on the Facebook account. Recently, Facebook has taken some initiations to provide payment and other options through its paid services using online and other standard payment methods.

Growth Factors of Online Shopping in Bangladesh

Establishing and running a physical store is becoming daunting in Bangladesh. Therefore, many entrepreneurs including women think of online shops due to emerging trends and ease in shopping, shipping, and payment through secure online payment gateways. There are other several factors contributing in the rapid growth of online shopping stores in Bangladesh.

If we look at the statistics of population in Bangladesh compared to its natural and other economic resources, we can find greatly skewed graph. In other words, high density in terms of population is hindering its growth for small to big businesses. Among them retailing businesses are affected the most.

Adverse Factors for Brick Store Growth in Bangladesh

One thing for brick-and-mortar store is true that they have to spend a lot on establishment of physical store. Moreover, selection of right location like place in good locality, parking facilities, easy access of main road, movement of highly prospective consumers, etc. are some vital factors that determine the sustaining or growth of the business.

At other hand, customers who are residing a bit away from the brick store may avoid commuting in heavy traffic of Bangladeshi cities. Moving from one store to another in order to select the right product and do some bargaining in costs may prove costly at the end if they spend more on fuel.

Factors Favoring Online Shopping in Bangladesh 

As we have seen that brick stores have hard time to flourish more in Bangladesh, online shopping has more favor against those odds. With the advent of technologies, establishing online store is quite cheaper while higher proliferation of mobile devices has made Internet access easy and instant.

Therefore, Bangladeshi online shoppers prefer purchasing from e-retailers many durable and shippable products like electronic gadgets, home appliances, personal assets such as clothing, jewelry, and other accessories. Today we can witness innumerable other products on small to big online stores or web portals due to growth of the online shopping trends in Bangladesh.

The most favorable factor for the growth of online shopping is the evolution in payment system. For instance, easy payment through M-banking, Internet banking, credit or debit card payment, bKash, cash on delivery, and various schemes offered by reputed payment gateway operators like Payza Bangladesh have not only encouraged Bangladeshis to do online shopping, but also made e-payment secure and smooth.

Due to involvement of government, banking sector, and reputed payment gateway entrepreneurs like Payza have changed the scenario of online shopping in Bangladesh and encouraged many women entrepreneurs to jump into the highly rewarding field on e-commerce.

One more factor is easy acceptance and transaction of international currencies through Payza Bangladesh like payment gateways have encouraged IT service providers to grow and add fuel in the growth of economy of the Bangladesh. Moreover, they have made online shopping storefront development highly competitive hence cheaper and with quality.

Finally, high penetration rate of social media like Facebook have encouraged start-ups, small businesses, and many enterprises to explore the unexploited audience through creation of Facebook fan pages and using its social networking services to boost the online shopping in Bangladesh.

Online Shopping in Bangladesh Empowering Women

Online shopping trends have started a bit late in Bangladesh, but have begun with clothes like Salwar Kameez and saris of different home based boutiques ran by women entrepreneurs. However, the female contributors of online businesses come from all folks – teachers, doctors, students, homemakers, IT Professionals, designers, etc. and contribute in the growth of Bangladesh through their online ventures.

Bangladesh is 3rd world country with adverse economic conditions and under the influence of unstable political and social regimes even though the presence of democracy. Therefore, women in Bangladesh have the least privileges to grow freely compared to western developed world.

Growth of ICT
Fortunately, recent stability of democracy and will power of government has brought rays of hope in form of introduction of information and communication technologies (ICT). Internet and mobile usage are now becoming norms here gradually. Therefore, new areas of business opportunities are opening day-by-day and new generation entrepreneurs from outside the country as well as from within the country are gaining immense benefits. The most beneficial area by the growth of ICT is e-commerce and high proliferation of online shopping storefronts in Bangladesh is giving its solid evidences. Online shopping ease the life of an average citizen by reducing traveling time, reduction on traveling expenditure, and break the boundaries of locality through country wide or worldwide access of shopping options.

Ease in Payment
Recent intrusions of robust payment gateways like Payza Bangladesh have freed Bangladeshis from security related issues as well as money topping problems through its innovative schemes for online shoppers in Bangladesh. Moreover, growth of mobility has assured entrepreneurs to take easy and cost-effective approaches in their online shopping experiences.

Growth Cycle of Online Shopping in Bangladesh 
In Bangladesh initially, common commodities like clothes and electronic items have gained attention of online business entrepreneurs and among them women are pioneer. In the year of 2010 many housewives, working women, and some female students have taken forward steps to make e-clothe stores viable through ultimate online opportunities of social media emergence. Facebook has helped them to create web pages and provide trustworthy platform to begin.

They have begun with their traditional dresses including Salwar Kameez and empowered themselves to jump into the sea of e-commerce through their own e-commerce websites by offering secure and robust user experiences for online shoppers in Dhaka and rest of Bangladesh gradually. Now, banks, government agencies, and other foreign entrepreneurs from Bangladesh have extended helping hands to empower Bangladeshi women for e-retailing and establishing online marketplaces for all sorts of products including online dress shopping in Bangladesh, online t-shirt shopping in Bangladesh, buy shoes online in Bangladesh, etc.

In results of such efforts, many mega e-commerce stores has come into the picture such as Akhoni, Cell Bazar, ClickBD, Bikroy, etc. up to the 2013. Rapid digitalization across the private and government sectors, proliferation of mobiles, and influence of neighboring countries and their growth are some factors, which have increased the participation of women in various arenas including political, social, and economical as a whole.

These have boosted the empowerment of women, their families and overall community at the end. Therefore, today we are witnessing rapid growth of online shopping among the folks due to women working in the areas of teachers, doctors, students, homemakers, IT Professionals, designers, etc.

Influence of Customer Satisfaction and Usability on Internet Shopping in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is experiencing transition from traditional shopping to Internet shopping.

For any business, which wants to jump into the Internet shopping in Bangladesh has to face unique expectations of Bangladeshis and infusing usability aspects in web designing using the best technologies, practices, and following modern trends.These are sure ways to hit success.

Craze for Internet shopping in Bangladesh is spreading like wild fire due to improved scenario of information and communication technologies (ICT) and its network with the help of government as well as many entrepreneurs. Mobile and its technology growth are adding more fuel in the flame to put all fantasies of Internet in palms of the Bangladeshis at cheaper and affordable rates.

Moreover, Bangladesh government is seeing and selling dreams of digital Bangladesh by anchoring its majority of services on the Internet or intranet giving mobile accessibility as bonus. Some banks and private entrepreneurs like Payza Bangladesh are offering secure and super-fast payment gateway services along with multiple other Internet payment options. In sum, overall scenario seems glorious and hopeful to last for longer.

Meanwhile some researchers and agencies have taken initiatives to study the various factors influencing the growth of Internet shopping in Bangladesh. Among them customer satisfaction and usability have prime importance so I would like to spend some time of discussion on these two factors in this post.

Usability and Customer Satisfaction

Technically customer satisfaction is related directly with the ROI of the business because existing customer retention is cheaper against acquiring new one and customer retention comes only through customer satisfaction. Business can satisfy its customers only through addressing their expectations, through perceived value of the company, and branding of the company.

At other hand customer expectations are directly linked with the quality of products/services and support provided by the company. In present study, it has found that customer satisfaction in Bangladesh depends upon some independent variables like:

• Variety of Product: For traditional shopping, moving everywhere finding variety of products is tough for Bangladeshis due to various factors like product availability, spending on fuel, and time consumed on traveling. Thus, internet shopping in Bangladesh is gaining ground to access numbers of variations in the products and qualities of the products.

• Product Information: Bangladeshis like to know products thoroughly as they don’t have physical access of product. Therefore, providing them detailed information regarding product quality, after sale services, and prices matters more than anything else does. They also prefer to discuss on the social media or like to see reviews of product elsewhere on authority sites.

•  Cheap Price: Comparative shopping is natural tendency in Bangladeshis too. Therefore, offering some cheaper rates can lead business to win battle at first place, but for long run cheap prices must be associated with good quality or services for sake of customer loyalty.

• Security: This issue is more skeptical for the Bangladeshis due to social and political backwardness of the society. However, recent initiatives of government, banks, and some scrappy entrepreneurs like Payza Bangladesh to offer secure payment gateways and payment options suitable to the country, its people, and nature of the businesses prevailing.

•  Comfort: Internet shopping itself offers home/office/on-the-go comforts of shopping, but user experiences, shipping/delivery, and payment options provide utmost comfort or satisfactions to the customers. Fortunately, many have learnt these lessons in recent past and are implementing the latest web and mobile development technologies to offer greater degree of comfort to their Internet shoppers.

• Time: In recent fast-paced life style, none has enough time to go out for physical store shopping. This is very true for Bangladeshis too, for new generation in particular. Thus, Internet shopping is gaining ground rapidly in Bangladesh.

• Energy Consumption: Internet shopping save time as well as personal energies of shoppers that is spent moving outside and at far distances.

• Travel Necessity: In fact, Internet shopping in Bangladesh is more prolific in urban areas compared to rural areas. The reason behind is traffic jams in the cities and e-commerce elements that factor inherently. Thus, home delivery is gaining ground in Bangladesh for this very reason to save time, fuel, and health by just avoiding jam and its polluted environment.

Technically usability of Internet shopping is directly related to the online shopping outlets or e-commerce web portals. Therefore, the quality of e-commerce websites or mobile apps is affecting the usability. Fortunately, today Bangladesh is one of the leading outsourcing software development services provider countries. Thus, by taking advantages of the talented pools, businesses are offering excellent quality, user experiences, and usability features and functionality on their online identities as well as on mobile apps for their businesses.

Ways to Boost Online Shopping in Bangladesh

Just overcoming the infrastructural problem is not key to successful e-commerce development, but real secrete lies in the creation of conductive environment that enable and encourage customers to do online shopping and Bangladesh now needs it. Let’s see what we can do to boost the purchase intentions of the people of Bangladesh regarding to online shopping including offering outstanding payment options.

It is true that Bangladesh has set back in e-commerce march with advent of technologies due to its political and socioeconomic turmoil in the past. Now, government and people of Bangladesh are trying to link country with rest of digital world through development of supporting framework for online shoppers and other Internet based activities such as secure money transactions.

However, investing and trying to create good infrastructure for online shopping in Bangladesh is not only one key of success. In fact, we need something more than that to populate e-commerce culture in this country. Among the many factors that influence the culture of online shopping in Bangladesh, creating a thirst or say, developing customer purchase intention is the major one. Let’s check what can assist businesses or organizations to boost the online shopping intentions among the people of Bangladesh.

Geography and Demography of Target Audience

It has observed that young, educated, and only high income groups take part in online shopping or Internet related activities. No doubt, some retired officers and high income middle aged people use e-commerce, but their numbers are limited. These groups of people mostly located in the urban areas of Bangladesh.
Therefore, it is mandatory to make Internet affordable and accessible across the country so middle class people of society can afford it. No doubt, recent mobile or handheld devices craze has opened new fronts to access Internet in the remote and rural areas through 2G/3G as well as other mode of cellular connections.

Attitudes of Target Audience/Customers

Researchers have found that certain attitudes influence the intentions of the people towards e-commerce and e-transactions and they are:

•  Benefits/advantages
• Consequences/ensues
• Privacy
• Security
• Willingness of Interactions

Unstable socioeconomic and political conditions have created lots of distrusts among the people and money transactions need the high security guarantees. No doubt, many residents, and non-resident Bangladeshi entrepreneurs have good work in this regard and offered dependable and long-term solutions.

Social Support
Here role of social culture, government, and media is critical. If they all work in positive directions and create highly conductive environment for the online shoppers, everything can turn in to the favor of vast e-commerce business opportunities for present and future generations.

Legal Support
It is true that hackers, mischievous people, and anti-social elements are prevailing in every society and in each country. Therefore, adequate laws and implementation infrastructure are essential to offer secure environment for online shopping activities in Bangladesh. Fortunately, recent moves of government and interests of businesses have pushed the matter in right directions and in right dimensions.

IT Supports
March of Internet related technologies are in rapid pace across the world. People are adapting and used to smartphones, tablets, and even wearable devices besides traditional laptops/desktops for their Internet related needs. If support of IT software and hardware is adequate in terms of creating quality products at affordable rates, the market of online shopping in Bangladesh can be flourishing at amazing pace.

RESOURCE

If we look at the people of Bangladesh, we may find that there are lots of efforts need to be done by businesses and entrepreneurs besides the government agencies in this regard. If we look at the above given factors, we will find that security is the prime concern of the customers or Internet users in Bangladesh. This article offer different suggestions on the ways to boost online shopping in Bangladesh therefore, this article may give you useful insights for further work in this regard.

Supporting Framework for Online Shopping in Bangladesh

Online 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.

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

Payza Bangladesh—PayPal Alternative in Bangladesh

At one hand, credit/debit cards are facing security threats everywhere and they are more pronounced in Bangladesh like country. At other hand, Bangladesh can’t allow cryptocurrency and other international payment methods where tracing where about of senders or sometime receivers are not available for security agencies. Thus, Payza is the fittest solution for the Bangladeshis and simulate the services of PayPal indeed!

Bangladesh is densely populated country, if we calculate population density per sq. km. Fortunately it has average age of 23 and its scrappy young generation heading towards rapid socioeconomic changes along with political ambiance. Awareness, education, and influence of entrepreneurs within and outside the country are bringing rapid changes in the lifestyle and the ways people think and behave.

Brick and mortar businesses are now converting to brick-to-click and e-commerce ventures by recognizing the upcoming trends and mood of Bangladeshis. Invasion of mobile Internet has made easy to go online and perform the desired online shopping from anywhere and at any time. Now, just tell me who would like to go outside to deal with traffic mesh and burn fuel albeit with wasting valuable time in moving shop-to-shop.

Obstacles in the Way

However, Internet shopping in Bangladesh is not quite easy, as it seems, literally in other countries particularly in western counterparts. In USA, you can use PayPal like payment gateways freely and securely whether you are a US citizen or not. Unfortunately, it is not true in Bangladesh because PayPal and others do willingly not exist in the economy. Bangladesh is highly sensitive and protective economy in Asia. Therefore, it avoids international players who become cause of dollar drains, instruments of terrorism, and adverse in the interests of the country at this stage.

Another reason is mindset of Bangladeshis who believe that each entrepreneur invests only for sake of fatty profits and they hardly place trusts on other money transfer or payment methods. For these very reasons, payment on delivery and brick-to-click like models resume much. Other factors such as opening merchant account and payment gateway account for a business or buyer is tedious to do.

Unique Nature and Condition of Bangladesh

At other hand, Bangladeshis love to do quick online shopping instead of waiting for long in traffic mesh. They love to have simple payment process even they don’t have permanent bank account. The demand for such extreme level simplicities without missing security concern of bank, people, and government was challenging to translate in solid reality.

Role of Payza Bangladesh

Fortunately, Payza Bangladesh has taken bid to create bespoken solutions for Bangladesh in its own circumstances. What Payza Bangladesh has done? It has implemented e-wallet concept where anyone can create account with Payza Bangladesh, simply by visiting a teller in bank or registering online by filling essential info and identity/authentication. You would have multiple options to topple money in your account in bank or online. 

Now, you are ready to do online shopping, transfer money to your relatives/friends, or withdraw money coming from others. If you have cryptocurrency and you want to covert it in Taka (local money), you can take help of Payza Bangladesh with minimum charges. In fact, this e-wallet concept absolutely eliminates the merchant account from the default online payment system and you have to just deal with a reputable international payment service provider in your local Bangladeshi environment with your own ways.

Bangladeshi PayPal

Payza Bangladesh is feasible solution for the exporter, non-residential Bangladeshis, and offshore service providers like software designers, developers, Internet marketers, and many. Perhaps, Payza Bangladesh is highly sought after solution for the outsourcing industry, which desperately needs Bangladeshi PayPal in absence of real PayPal.

Payza Bangladesh - Makes You Save on Sending Money Anywhere

Payza Bangladesh has introduced quite simple yet powerful services under the feature of instantly send money to your loved ones with the least charges existing on the planet for such services. This also breaks the myth of digital divide through technological advancements.
‘SimplySendBD’ where you can

Role of Mobiles

The recent onset of mobile devices usage among all the strata of the society including Bangladeshis, have raised the hopes of some feasible solutions using mobile network. Except smartphones, most of the mobiles are affordable and easy to use for the low-literate Bangladeshis. Initially, it was considered as the dividing technologies for poor and rich. Unfortunately, reverse became true and mobile have filled up the gaps.

Today M-Banking is gaining ground in third world country and easy access of Internet through mobile devices have created a place for big payment gateways to enter in these low-strata population of society easily. Just as Indian government has done in Andhra state, Bangladesh is going to implement its G2P payment system using the modern tools and technologies including mobiles and G3 connectivity.

Cost-Effective Sending Money Options

Fortunately, some entrepreneurs have initiated wise and advanced steps towards this direction and Payza Bangladesh is a front-runner. Payza has made sending and receiving money cheaper and quick through SimplySendBD because you don't need to spend more than 2% or $10 even if you want to send $2K. Apart from cost-effectiveness, easy topping options and quick delivery through various modes including cash pickup and home delivery. In due course, Payza Bangladesh has established 5K retail locations across the country.

Inexpensive and convenient remittance options have made receiving of huge aids like $1.4 billion from developed countries quite easily and affordable. This is a significant improvement in alleviating poverty program. Besides foreign aids, migrant Bangladeshis send approx $11.65 billion money to their home county in one year.

These SimplySendBD and e-wallet like features/schemes of Payza Bangladesh is one of the welcome steps towards empowering this emerging economy. Thus, Payza Bangladesh has created conductive environment for the e-commerce in Bangladesh where anyone can pay, send, and receive money at the comfort of their home and within the shortest laps of time.