Riwaya is growing fast, and so are the opportunities to build your Islamic e-commerce business by selling on our marketplace. Since its launch in 2021, Riwaya has seen a large increase in sales year on year, helping sellers make thousands in £ every month.
This trend indicates that 2025 is on track to be a stellar year for Muslim e-commerce entrepreneurs. If you want to take advantage of the great opportunity the Riwaya marketplace presents, sign up here.
This guide will walk you through the basics of the onboarding process on Riwaya, including registration, setting up your store, and maximising your chances of success.
Step-by-Step Overview of the Onboarding Process on Riwaya
Step 1: Sign Up
The first step is creating an account on the Riwaya platform. To do this, click on the ‘Sell with Us’ link at the bottom of the homepage.
During registration, you’ll need to provide basic details;
a. Name
b. Company name
c. Email address
d. Contact information
Once you’ve submitted your application, the Riwaya team will review it. If approved, you’ll receive an email confirming your approval. From there, you’ll be redirected to complete the onboarding process.
Step 2: Define Your Brand
In the second step, you’ll need to define your brand to establish a clear identity for your online store. This is an important part of the process as it will shape how customers perceive your business. Here is the key information:
a. First, you’ll need to add your seller information, including your address, city, postcode, and country.
b. Next, focus on crafting your brand identity. This is the foundation of your online store, as it will show on your storefront. Take the time to carefully consider your brand's unique identity and what sets you apart from the competition. Here are a few points to consider when defining your brand:
- Why did you get started?
- What do you offer?
- Who is your target audience?
- What message do you want to convey to your customers?
c. Finally, you will need to add a logo to complete your brand’s visual representation. A well-designed logo not only builds recognition and trust but also reinforces your store's professional image. If you don’t have one, consider creating a logo that reflects the essence of your brand.
Step 3: Complete the Seller Questionnaire
In this step, you’ll need to complete the seller questionnaire, which is an essential part of the onboarding process. The questionnaire helps Riwaya understand your business better, so it can offer support tailored to your specific needs. You’ll be asked to:
a. Provide details about your business history, experience in the industry, and any relevant product details. This information will help Riwaya understand your business better and provide you with relevant support and guidance.
b. Describe the types of products you plan to sell on Riwaya. Be specific about your product categories, target audience, and unique selling propositions (USPs).
c. Indicate your shipping capabilities, including whether you can ship to the United Kingdom and, if so, provide the estimated delivery times for your products.
d. If you want to boost your brand, you have the option to go on the Riwaya podcast, have a blog written about your business or join a group with other Riwaya sellers.
Step 4: Showcase Your Products
In this step, you'll need to showcase your products by including the following essential details. Please note that this will just be the first product and you can add the rest after onboarding is complete:
a. Use clear and concise product names that accurately describe your products.
b. Write compelling product descriptions that highlight the features and benefits of your products. Use keywords that potential customers might use to search for similar items.
c. Then, choose the most appropriate categories for your products to make them easily searchable and help customers find what they need effortlessly. Set competitive prices that reflect the value and quality of your products while appealing to your target audience.
Note: Do not add emojis to the product description as the system does not support them just yet.
d. Upload high-quality product photos. Use professional-looking images that showcase your products from multiple angles without text on them.
Note: Upload product images in WebP, JPG, or JPEG format. Avoid AVIF as the system doesn’t support this format for now.
e. Use relevant tags to categorise your products. Tags help customers easily find the products they are looking for. Some relevant tags for Riwaya could include: Wedding/Nikkah, Ramadan/Eid, Hajj & Umrah, and others.
f. Consider offering quantity discounts to encourage bulk purchases and incentivise customers to buy more.
Step 5: Shipping Details
In this step, you will need to provide the necessary shipping information to ensure smooth transactions for your customers:
a. Define your shipping methods, such as standard shipping, express shipping, and international shipping options (if applicable).
b. Set clear and competitive shipping costs for each method. To attract customers, consider offering free shipping for orders above a certain amount.
c. Provide accurate estimates for delivery times for each shipping method.
d. Clearly outline your shipping policies, including order processing times, shipping destinations, and any potential shipping restrictions.
e. Riwaya offers international shipping! You can add different countries you want to ship to. Keep in mind that you’ll need to set the shipping cost and enter the delivery time for each country separately.
Step 6: Payment Method
In the last step of the onboarding process, you’ll be setting up your payment methods to ensure you can receive payments for the products you sell on Riwaya.
a. First, you'll need to connect your PayPal account, as it is the primary payment gateway used on the platform. If you do not have a Paypal Business account yet, then, you can easily create one by following these steps:
- To create your PayPal Business account, go to this link and Get Started. Simply fill in your first name, last name, phone number, and email address, and create a password.
- After signing up, PayPal will send a verification code to your email - enter the code and submit it to confirm.
- To activate your account, choose Individual Seller and select your business type. Then, provide your basic information, including name, date of birth, nationality, and address.
- After continuing, enter your business details, such as the services you offer or the products you sell. Then continue to complete the setup.
- Once your account is ready, you can start using PayPal and link it to your Riwaya Marketplace store for seamless payments!
Note: All sellers are required to link their PayPal account to continue using the Riwaya platform.
b. If based in the UK, you can explore other payment options, such as Stripe, which enables customers to purchase via Klarna, google/Apple Pay, and other local payment methods.
Disclaimer: Seller stores that are submitted will be individually reviewed within three days following submission.
Additional Tips for Launching Your Online Store Successfully
Here are a few additional tips you can follow to launch your online store successfully:
- Keep up-to-date with the latest Riwaya platform updates and features.
- Regularly monitor your store's performance using Riwaya's analytics dashboard.
- Actively seek feedback from your customers to identify areas for improvement.
- Building a successful online business takes time and effort. Stay patient, and persistent, and continue to refine your strategies as you grow.
Conclusion
The onboarding process on Riwaya is very easy. By following these steps, you’ll be well on your way to running a successful online store in the Islamic marketplace. If you need any further assistance, our team is here to help with onboarding. You can build a loyal customer base by providing high-quality products, excellent customer service, and a positive brand experience.
We hope this guide helps you understand the basics of completing the onboarding process on Riwaya. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact us.
Selling on Riwaya
Planning to grow your Islamic business online? Then, Riwaya offers you a great opportunity to reach your ideal customers.
The onboarding process and setup are quite straightforward, ensuring a better user experience. With low fees, opportunities for free marketing, SEO, and secure payments, you can reach a wider audience.
Still unsure? Why not join and try for the first month free? Do you have some queries? Feel free to reach out and connect to boost your business!
