Analysis Document

What is (or will be) the website address and why did you choose the same?

http://egypt.souq.com/eg-EN/

We choose this E-commerce website, because it’s a unique name and also its strange name which will
attract customer.

Is it a personal or a business website?

It’s an E-commerce business website, a marketplace for anyone to sell or buy anything

Who do you want to visit your website?

Simply every person who want to buy or sell anything online without making any effort

What age group of visitors are you trying to attract?

I think we will attract mostly the teenager also the age from 30-50

The goals of the website, what do you want to achieve using this website?

Be the leading in Arab world Profit, publicity and for sure Sell products as many as we can

Who is your target audience?

 Individual Clients
 Corporate Clients
 Supplier
 Media
 Partners

Specify the audience demographics.

Age: 17-55

Audience Location: Arab world covering Egypt, Saudi Arabia, etc

Social Class: Medium and high class

Primary Language: Arabic and English

 How do you plan to market the website?

Social Media

Online Advertising

Offline advertising

Promotions

What separates your company from your competition?

We are more trusted we started since 2005 and Selling in souq sounds a straight forward 123 process ,
find your item in our catalog or punch in the barcode number and you are done, also we have what is
calls SouqSafePay, where it will release funds to the seller only once the buyer receives and approves
the item.

What company properties do you want to emphasize on the website? Please

prioritize.

 Services quality
 Products quality
 Atmosphere
 Products range
 Facilities
Introduction

Souq.com was established in 2005, and ever since it has become the largest online shopping mall in the
Arab world. Situated across the region in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and Jordan, Souq.com is in the
process of expanding to new markets to cover a wider geographical area, empowering both buyers and
sellers by creating further opportunities for business.

Souq.com has fast become a destination where thousands of visitors in the region meet on a daily basis
to buy and sell a diverse product range over a trusted platform that offers various, convenient payment
options coupled with local delivery services that meet both sellers’ and buyers’ individual needs.

Souq.com offers customers a safe, easy-to-use, and fun place to find an exceptional range of leading
brands and products at one’s fingertip with competitive prices. With a strong on-the-ground customer
support base, Souq.com is available to its customers in each market to answer any queries and facilitate
their overall shopping experience from ordering an item to delivering it to their doorstep. Souq.com
applies easy and flexible buying processes, including suitable payment methods, which guarantee safety
and convenience to both buyers and sellers.
 Souq.com supports small to medium enterprises with the opportunity of expanding their business to
wider geographic locations. Souq.com is another medium for them to sell their products and with its
presence in each market, the Souq.com team provides essential support to consumers in a timely and
efficient manner, adding a personal touch to each customer’s experience to create a seamless shopping
experience.

As the spearhead for Souq.com, CEO Ronaldo Mouchawar has developed the largest e-Commerce site in
the region, enabling both business-to-consumer and consumer-to-consumer online transactions in the
Arab world. After 5 successful years in the region, Souq.com has been recognized as an e-Commerce
leader, winning the 2008 Small to Medium Business (SMB) Advisor Award and the Gold ‘UAE Web
Award’ in the ‘Best e-commerce website’ category in 2010 by the UAE Web Awards which recognizes
excellence in web design and development skills in the UAE.

A pioneer in its field, Souq.com has reached significant milestones, and is in the process of further
enhancing the award-winning platform by expanding into a wider geographical region and enriching the
online shopping experience.

Site Functionalities

Souq has more than one section:

Selling in souq sounds a straight forward 123 process: register, add product
name, choose the payment method, done

Art, Crafts & Collectables

 Antiques
 Drawings & Paintings
 Handcrafts, sculpture & carvings
 Islamic, Ethnic and Digital Art
 Maps, Atlases & Globes
 Photographs
 Posters
 Car Electronics & Accessories
Accessories
 Car Audio
 Car Navigation
 Car Video
 GPS Navigators
 GPS Receiver

Computers & Networking

Computer, Laptop & Tablet Accessories

Computer Parts & Components

Computers & Servers

Computers Parts & Components

Networking & Accessories

Printers, Scanners , Hardware & Accessories

Tablets, Laptops & Netbooks

Health & Beauty

 Beauty Tools and Accessories
 Dental Care
 Food Supplements & Nutrition
 Hair Electronics
 Men's Grooming
 Natural Nutrition Products
 Personal Care
 Personal Scales
 Shavers & Hair Removals
 Skin Care
 Vitamins & Minerals
 Wigs
 Bath & Body
 Beauty Gifts Sets
 Hair care
 Makeup
 Perfumes & Fragrances
 Sports Nutrition
 Small Medical Equipments
 Digital Fever Thermometers

Movies & Music

 Cds
 Movies, Plays and Series
 Shoes & Bags
 Backpacks
 Boots
 Business Bags
 Casual & Formal Shoes
 Handbags
 Luggage
 Messenger Bags
 Sandals
 School Bags
 Slippers

Jewelry & Accessories

 Necklaces, Pendants & Charms
 Rings
 Earrings
 Bracelts
 Men's Jewelries
 Loose Gemstones & Diamonds
 Jewelry Accessories
 Jewelry Sets

Baby
 Baby Clothes
 Baby Safety & Helath
 Baby Toys and Accessories
 Baby Gear
 Baby Gift Sets
 Baby Accessories
 Feeding, Diapering & Bathing
 Baby Bags

Clothing & Accessories
 Accessories
 Athletic Wear
 Baby Clothes
 Dresses
 Eyewear
 Jackets & Coats
 Pants
 Skirts
 Sleepwears
 Swimwears
 Tops
 Underwears
 Women Lingerie
 Uniforms & Work Wear
 Maternity Wear
 Electronics
Audio & Accessories

Video, Home Theater & Accessories

Cameras & Photos

Home & Office Electronics

Home Appliances & Supplies

MP3, MP4 Players Accessories

Projectors & Accessories

TVs, Satellites & Accessories

Home, Kitchen & Garden

Furniture & Décor

Garden & Outdoor Living

Clocks & Compases

Home Appliances & Supplies

Power Tools
Smoking Accessories
Hand Tools
Barbecue Tools & Grill Accessories
Music & Movies
Musical Instruments & Accessories
 Musical Instruments

Sports & Outdoors

 GPS Receiver
 Sporting Goods
 Camping Goods

Beside all these functionalities

 Popular Searches , Log In / Register ,My account , My purchase , My shopping cart , My order
history , My saved list ,My listed offers , recently viewed items or searches , find your item in our
catalog or punch in the barcode number
  The customer service function provides assistance to customers who have problems or
questions related to the purchasing process. This assistance may be needed before, during, or
after a purchase, as illustrated in the following examples:
 Before purchase: questions occurring during use of the product presentation function, such as
product features or use
 During purchase: assistance with the use of the order entry and electronic payment functions
 After purchase: questions about order fulfillment such as order tracking; questions about
exchange or return

Options for providing customer service include telephone number, e-mail.

SWOT Analysis and SWOT Matrix

SWOT analysis is a strategic planning method used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses/Limitations,
Opportunities and Threats involved in a business.
Main elements in the SWOT analysis are:

 Strengths: characteristics of the business, or project team that give it an advantage over others
 Weaknesses: are characteristics that place the team at a disadvantage relative to others
 Opportunities: external chances to improve performance (e.g. make greater profits) in the
environment
 Threats: external elements in the environment that could cause trouble for the business or
project

The following are the strengths of Souq:

 I phone application availability

 Ease of transaction
 Started electronically
 Provides hot items and Deal of the day
 Improve accessibility of products
 Widen area of coverage
 More visibility and advertisement
 7-day FREE Return Policy

The following are the weaknesses of Souq:

 Mobile application is not supported on all devices

 The Site contains advertisements which may despite the user needs
 Not cover the entire Arab world
The following are the Opportunities of Souq:

 Innovation
 New products
 Make more advertisements about the website in media
 Partnership with other websites for more advertisement
 Expansion of services or features offered
 Increase in the number of customers because of wider reach

The following are the threats of Souq:

 Lessen interaction with customers and affect customer relationship

 Online threats such as hackers
 Competition from other companies
 Governmental legislation
 Economic issues

Technical SWOT Analysis:

 Nice and simple Interface

 Guarantees 100% protection to both buyers & sellers
 Convenient payment methods
 Very helpful search engine
 A lots of images are uploaded which in return affect the site performance.
 The overall site is easy to use and user friendly, comprehensive everything you need is there and
the heading of the links are very interrelated to the contents

Based on the SWOT Analysis conducted above, we came up with the following recommendations:

 Partnership with advertising/marketing websites should be established to promote the site and
increase visibility
 Customers should be encouraged to create accounts on the website to access more features.
This is also to reduce the risk of attackers abusing the website.
 Website should include a help section, tutorial section, videos section, etc.

And many more

PEST Analysis

A scan of the external macro-environment in which the firm operates can be expressed in terms of the
following factors:

* Political
* Economic
* Social
* Technological

The acronym PEST (or sometimes rearranged as "STEP") is used to describe a framework for the analysis
of these macro environmental factors.

Political Factors

Political factors include government regulations and legal issues and define both formal and informal
rules under which the firm must operate.

 After the Revolution and the economic crisis it actually cause the business was highly affected.
 Tax policy
 Employment laws

Economical Factors

Economic factors affect the purchasing power of potential customers and the firm's cost of capital.

 Economic growth
 interest rates
 exchange rates
 inflation rate

Social Factors:

Social factors include the demographic and cultural aspects of the external macro environment.
These factors affect customer needs and the size of potential markets.

 population growth rate

 age distribution
 career attitudes
 emphasis on safety
 The wide range of computer and internet
 Different lifestyles
Technological Factors

Technological factors can lower barriers to entry, reduce minimum efficient production levels,
and influence outsourcing decisions.

 R&D activity
 New brands and models will affect the market
 technology incentives
 rate of technological change

E-functionalities

E-searching

Instead of searching on the internet Souq provide a very helpful search to find all the thing you want on
Souq.com, saves members time and effort

E-Payment

 Offering fixed price options, online stores, and Souq SafePay to name a few.

 Souq also has what are calls SouqSafePay, where it will release funds to the seller only once the
buyer receives and approves the item.

 Once a user buys your item, Aramex will contact you to collect the item, once the the items is
delivered to the buyer the funds will be released to your wallet, now it can be transferred to
your bank account.
 A business model
A business model is defined as the organization of product, service and information flows, and the
source of revenues and benefits for suppliers and customers

All the major Ecommerce business models fall under 3 main categories which we will go over briefly.

 B2B - Business to business

 B2C - Business to consumer
 C2C - Consumer to consumer

Souq seems to have more than e-business models:

 Social networks, community and blogging

Companies develop commercial benefits for paid advertising or as a sale channel

 Viral marketing
 Merchant marketing
Competitors

Two of the e-commerce sites that are considered to share the same or almost
nearby functional requirements as Souq

Sukar.com

Sukar.com is the first online private shopping club in the Middle East.
Launched in April 2010, Sukar.com offers exclusive access to unrivalled deals to a rapidly growing
member base, boasting a premium selection of over 700 of the worlds top designer fashion and lifestyle
brands in the women’s, men’s, children’s, beauty, gadgets, and home fashion categories at up to 90% off
retail prices.

Sukar.com is an invitation-only club operating across nine countries, including the GCC, Jordan, Lebanon
and Egypt. A team of over 100 employees (and growing) in the UAE, KSA, US, Europe and Turkey strive
to source the best offers, with discounts of up to 90 per cent on retail prices. Based on the concept
limited time period campaigns of two to three days only, products are offered on a first-come-first-
served basis.
Otlobmall.com

Otlobmall.com is one of the websites owned and managed by LINKonLINE.

As an extension to the success story of Otlob.com, Otlobmall is now available for the comfort and
convenience of the online shopper. They can now shop online for almost anything using Otlobmall.com
and have it delivered to your own address.

When you make an order using Otlobmall.com, you ensure having the best quality products delivered in
the right time and place. You avoid the clutter and the crowd that come with the real-life shopping. And
you save time, effort and money with the promotions we exclusively offer.
Nahel.com

Nahel (pronounced na-hill) is the online, hassle-free shopping experience of choice for people who like
the freedom of huge options together with the comfort of convenience.
Constantly innovative, unfailingly service-friendly, Nahel delivers the safe online shopping adventure
you’ve been yearning for… albeit with a large helping of personality.
Headquartered in Dubai (United Arab Emirates), our drive, determination and ambition are true
reflections of the character of our home city.
In just a couple of years, we’ve gone from being Dubai’s fastest-growing start-up to an established,
trusted name in the Middle Eastern consumer community's hearts and minds.
The Nahel Promise, like the best things in life, is simple – fantastic products delivered at remarkably
competitive prices through impeccable service.
With 10,000 products across 1,500 categories covering the biggest brands and the latest releases, it’s
little wonder we’re the buzzword when it comes to online choice.
From Fashion and Electronics to Health ‘n Beauty, Watches and Gaming, Nahel’s got your desires
covered with simply the widest selection
Growing big, but dreaming even bigger; a youthful team large on aspiration… that’s Nahel for you
Come become a member today and enter a world of brilliant shopping benefits.
P.S. – Nahel is the Arabic word for bee. With us, you’re assured of always being in the hive of online
shopping activity. See what we did there? : )
The following analysis will compare Souq & Nahel- two of the leading multiple goods online e-commerce
sites active in the region. The scope of comparison will be general facts, web & social media analytics.

Souq Vs Nahel

Table 1: compares Nahel & Souq across some general facts. Source: Nahel & Souq websites

Table 2: compares Nahel & Souq websites. Source: Google Double click ad planner

Table 3: Shows the popularity of the two websites, for various demographic profiles, in comparison
to general internet population. Source: alexa.com
Table 4: compares Nahel & Souq across basic social media parameters. (Note: the Facebook facts for
Souq is only for Souq Uae)

Analysis

 Souq has a much wider presence than Nahel, which is focused on UAE/Dubai only.
 High popularity of Souq could be attributed to- early mover advantage, offices across the region,
options for selling as well, broader payment gateway options etc.
 Nahel as a brand is more focused on working class educated females from UAE. Contrast to this
Souq has a broader presence.
SW packages

Features of Volusion:

1) Merchandising:
o Free, ready-to-use templates.
o Unlimited product options.
o Product comparison.
o add to cart.
o Unlimited product photos.
o Showcase your products with vZoom

2) Marketing:
o Serve up daily deals.
o Get found in search engines
o Create coupons and discounts
o Post customer reviews for real-time feedback
o Send enticing emails and newsletters
3) Social and mobile

o Sell your products on Facebook

o Post directly to Twitter and Facebook
o Manage YouTube Videos in a snap
o Like it! Share it! Tweet it!

4) Management

o Stay connected to your customers

o Keep tabs on your inventory
o Process your orders in a snap
o Know where your business stands

5) Security

o PCI Certified to protect your business

o Control access to your store
o Keep your doors open with our 99.99% uptime guarantee