Report from the Eihracat17 conference in Istanbul

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Prabhat Shah from Online Seller UK recently presented at the two day Eihracat17 conference in Istanbul. With the world getting smaller technology has no borders so today Prabhat shares his experience of the trip:

In a world where online shopping is expanding every year, small businesses can suffer as they get lost in the cyber world where huge retailers take over. This could be lack of experience, knowledge and capital that these larger retailers have in abundance, which is why marketplaces such as Amazon can provide the perfect platform to start, or expand, a small business.

Online Seller UK can be a massive help when dealing with these online marketplaces. As a small company itself, we have over 10 years of practical experience in selling online, and personally understand the struggle of being seen and known on a platform where thousands of companies are vying for attention. With a flexibility and personal touch that you do not get from larger companies, it is easy to see why we recently attended the Eihracat17 Ecommerce Export conference in Istanbul to explain exactly how we can help.

Ecommerce is growing in Turkey, which is no surprise with a population of just under 80 million! Marketplaces are widely used, such as GittiGidiyor, Hepsiburada, Araba.com and Trendyol, and now Turkey has ambitions to grow its online exports. The Government has a target to achieve 500 Billion dollars by 2023, so Kozadigital organises a 2 day conference to support this, which is held twice a year. I had the amazing opportunity to speak at this conference over the Halloween week in 2017.

Prabhat at the Eihracat17 conference

During my time at the Eihracat17 conference I was able to explain how Turkish companies can export using marketplace platforms such as eBay and Amazon, as this is where I specialise. I was also accompanied by Darren Ratcliffe, head of Digitl, a Manchester based commerce agency. He was able to speak about how to establish a successful ecommerce business in the UK by explaining things such as VAT, what the average customer is looking to purchase online, costs, logistics, payments and import charges. These points are vital when considering an online business as understanding your customer base can lead to more sales, and being aware of the costs involved is essential.

I was able to add to this by talking about Amazon and eBay opportunities for Turkish sellers. Vital issues such as Amazon and eBay best practices, company registrations and VAT were on the agenda of my 4 hour presentation, which I thoroughly enjoyed giving. I explained about obtaining a target consumer base and deciding what you should sell online. I also explained about the most successful way to list items on these sites by optimising your search terms and product listing best practises. I believe all the information I had to share could help many Turkish companies establish an online exporting presence on these sites.

Amazon and eBay Opportunities for Turkish Sellers

This was my first international presentation, and with 200 attendees it was a large audience! With translations available, I was able to offer information to the many representatives present, who were attentive and interested in what we had to offer. Question and answer sessions were available, and most questions centred on logistics and payments due to the nature of exporting.

I was lucky enough to meet many companies such as: ept; Mobpazar; Ozelcan, Just in Case, e-Seker, Hobium, Poy Poy and e-bebek.

Next year I am hoping that some UK digital marketing experts may be able to accompany me to the conference to share their expertise and knowledge, to help these companies expand even further. I feel privileged and encouraged after being a part of such an amazing opportunity to meet and greet these companies on a personal level, and help them begin to establish a presence in the UK and Europe.

My time in Istanbul helped show how we can help with international logistics, payments and managing eBay and Amazon seller accounts. It is exciting that a small Manchester based company can be flexible, adapt to different environments and help sellers all over the world, not just the UK. I hope that we are able to help many other companies establish a presence in the huge world of online selling and make a success of their businesses. Whether you are based in the UK or further afield, we have a personal touch that is unbeatable and a passion that is second to none.

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