How to get your first 100 customers for a new online store in the UAE
Practical, low-cost ways to win the first 100 customers for a new UAE online store: people you know, Instagram, WhatsApp, Google and small ads.
By the Samay.ae teamUpdated 10 min read
Your first 100 customers will not come from one big launch. They come from many small actions, repeated for a few weeks: personal messages, daily posts, fast replies, a few honest reviews and a small ad budget.
Here is how to get customers for a new online store in the UAE: start close to home and work outwards. Sell to people who already trust you, then to their friends, then to strangers on Instagram and Google. Spend on ads only once you know which product people buy.
These are the ten channels we suggest, roughly in the order to use them:
- People you already know.
- Instagram.
- WhatsApp.
- Google search.
- Small paid ads.
- Marketplaces such as Amazon.ae and Noon.
- Markets, pop-ups and events.
- Partnerships with other brands.
- Email and a welcome offer.
- Referrals from happy customers.
Tip: Before you start marketing a new online store, check it can turn visitors into buyers. Prices, delivery fees and delivery times should be clear, and checkout should work on a phone. Our online store launch checklist lists 40 checks.
Start with people who already know you
Your first buyers are most likely to be people who know you, or know someone who does. Use them to test everything.
- Soft launch. Open the store to 30–50 people a few days before you announce it. Message them one by one, not in a group.
- Ask for honest feedback. Ask three questions: Was anything confusing? Did delivery arrive when promised? What would stop a stranger from buying?
- Collect your first reviews. Ask every early buyer for a short review with a photo. Never write fake reviews or buy them.
- Give a launch offer with an end date. For example, free delivery for the first week. Use a discount code such as FIRST, so you can count who used it.
A personal message works better than a post. For example: "Hi Noura, I have finally opened my online store for handmade candles: [link]. Delivery is free this week with the code FIRST. I would really value your honest opinion, even if it is critical."
Use Instagram and WhatsApp to reach new customers
Both cost nothing but time. That makes them the right first channels for a new store.
- Post on a plan. Three reels or posts a week, plus daily stories. Show the product in use, behind the scenes and customer photos, shared with permission.
- Make buying one tap away. Put your store first in your bio links, add a link to every product story and write the price in captions.
- Work with small creators. Choose creators whose followers live in the UAE and match your buyers. Ask whether they hold the permit the UAE Media Council requires, and give each one a personal discount code to track orders.
For reply templates and a full plan, see how to sell on Instagram in the UAE.
- Put your chat link everywhere: your bio, your store, your packaging and your business cards. Reply fast, with a product link.
- Post on your Status. Share new arrivals and packing videos. Only interested people look, so it never feels pushy.
- Build a broadcast list with permission. Ask buyers if they want offers on WhatsApp, and add only those who say yes.
Our guide to selling on WhatsApp in the UAE has message templates for each step.
Get found on Google from the first week
Google brings people who are already searching for what you sell. It is slow at first, often taking months, but it keeps working once it starts. Set up the basics now:
- Add your store to Google Search Console, Google's free tool that shows how your store appears in search. Submit your sitemap (the list of your store's pages). A well-built store creates it for you, usually at yourstore.ae/sitemap.xml. If you cannot find yours, ask your developer.
- Name products the way people search. "Black linen abaya with pockets" can be found. "Style 07" cannot. Add Arabic names if your buyers search in Arabic.
- Write your own descriptions. Do not copy the supplier's text. Answer the questions customers ask you in DMs.
- Connect Google Merchant Center, where you send your product list so products can appear in Google's Shopping results. Send it as a product feed, a list that updates itself, so prices and stock stay correct.
- Create a Google Business Profile if customers can visit you, such as a shop, showroom or pickup point.
SEO (getting found on Google) is a skill of its own. Our SEO guide for UAE online stores goes step by step.
Run small paid ads on one product
Ads speed things up, but they burn money if you start too wide. Wait until you have a few orders and reviews, then:
- Pick one product, your best seller or the one with the best reviews.
- Set a budget you can afford to lose while you learn. For example, AED 50 a day for ten days.
- Send ads to the product page, not to your DMs or home page.
- Show ads again to people who visited. This is called retargeting. It needs the Meta pixel (a small piece of code that tells Meta who visited your store), with a cookie banner so visitors can agree to tracking.
- Check results after a week. Keep what pays for itself and stop the rest.
How much can you pay for one order?
Work out your break-even point before you spend. Say you sell a gift box for AED 200. After the product, packaging, delivery, payment fees and any VAT, AED 90 is left. That AED 90 is the most you can spend on ads to win one order without losing money.
If your ads cost AED 60 per order, you keep AED 30. At AED 120 per order, you lose money, unless that customer comes back to buy again.
Five more ways to win your first customers
Marketplaces as a shop window
Amazon.ae and Noon bring shoppers who are already searching. You pay a referral fee on each sale, set by category. On Amazon.ae, for example, the fee for apparel was 15% at the time of writing, plus a closing fee per item. Check Amazon.ae's current fee table before you list.
Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism launched the Dubai Traders programme with Noon and Amazon in September 2024 to help new online sellers. It brought on more than 2,400 new sellers in its first year.
Use marketplaces to be found, and your own store for repeat orders. Check each marketplace's rules before you contact buyers or put leaflets in parcels. Our comparison of Amazon, Noon and your own online store explains the trade-offs.
Markets, pop-ups and events
Weekend markets, community bazaars and mall pop-ups let people touch your product. Ask the organiser which permits you need. Bring a QR code that opens your store, with a market-only discount code, and ask visitors if they want updates on WhatsApp.
Partnerships
Find brands that sell to the same people but not the same product. A perfume brand and an abaya brand can make a joint Eid gift box. You can also swap small cards or samples in each other's parcels. Offer ready-made gift boxes to companies before Ramadan, Eid and National Day.
Email and a welcome offer
Ask visitors for their email in return for a small welcome offer, such as free delivery on the first order. Then send three short emails: the offer, your story and your best sellers. Many stores can send email offers and reminder emails for unfinished orders themselves, so check what yours does before you pay for extra tools.
Referrals
Put a personal code on a card in every parcel. For example: "Give a friend AED 25 off, and get AED 25 off your next order". Referral tools can track this for you once orders grow.
A 30-day plan to get customers for a new online store in the UAE
| Week | Focus | Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | People you know | Soft launch to 30–50 people. Fix what they find. Ask every buyer for a review. |
| Week 2 | Instagram and WhatsApp | Post three reels and daily stories. Contact 10 small creators. Start a WhatsApp list with permission. |
| Week 3 | Google and ads | Set up Search Console and Merchant Center. Improve product titles. Test ads on one product. |
| Week 4 | Partners and repeat orders | Pitch two partner brands or a market stall. Set up your welcome emails. Review your numbers. |
Then plan around the seasons. If you launch in autumn 2026, a busy season is close. 11.11 falls on Wednesday 11 November. White Friday and Yellow Friday usually run in the last ten days or so of November, and Black Friday is 27 November. Eid Al Etihad is on 2 December, and the Dubai Shopping Festival usually runs from early December to mid-January. Ramadan 2027 is expected to start around 8 February. Our UAE sales calendar has every date and what to prepare.
What to measure each week
| Number | What it tells you | How to work it out |
|---|---|---|
| Visits | How many people reach your store | Your store's reports show it |
| Conversion rate | How many visitors buy | Orders ÷ visits × 100. Six orders from 600 visits is 1%. |
| Cost per order | What ads cost to win one order | Ad spend ÷ orders from ads. AED 500 ÷ 5 orders = AED 100. |
| Average order value | What each order is worth | Sales ÷ orders. AED 3,000 ÷ 15 orders = AED 200. |
| Repeat customers | Whether people come back | Customers with two or more orders |
There is no single "good" conversion rate. Compare your own numbers week by week, and fix the biggest leak first. Also ask each new customer how they found you; one question in your confirmation message is enough.
Turn first customers into repeat customers
Selling again to someone who already trusts you is usually easier than finding someone new. Your first buyers can also bring their friends.
- A thank-you note in every parcel. Handwrite it for your first 100 orders, and add a code for the next one.
- A check-in message. A few days after delivery, ask if all is well. Fix any problem fast.
- Early access. Give past buyers first access to new collections and sales such as White Friday.
- A simple reward. For example, a gift with the third order or a birthday offer.
Every store we build comes with discount codes, gift cards, customer accounts and email offers ready to use, and we show you how to run them. See what every store includes.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get the first sale on a new online store?
It depends on your product, your price and how many people you can reach. If you tell people you know on launch day, the first orders can come within days. Sales from strangers through Google usually take months, so set up the Google basics in week one.
How much should I spend on ads for a new online store in the UAE?
There is no fixed amount. Start with a small budget you can afford to lose while you learn, on one product, for a week or two. Then compare your cost per order with the profit on each order, and only spend more on ads that pay for themselves.
Do I need a permit to work with influencers in the UAE?
Influencers who advertise for payment in the UAE need a permit from the UAE Media Council. Before you pay a creator, ask whether they hold it. Rules change, so check the Media Council's current guidance before you agree a deal.
Why is my online store getting visitors but no sales?
Common causes are delivery fees that appear only at checkout, too few payment options and weak photos. A lack of trust signals, such as reviews and a return policy, also stops sales. Ask a friend to buy something on their phone while you watch. Fix the moment where they hesitate.
Is Instagram or Google better for a new online store?
Use both, for different jobs. Instagram is faster: you can reach people this week and learn what they like. Google is slower but brings people who are already searching, and it keeps working without daily posts.