Not long ago, selling online meant hiring someone who knew how to build websites. You paid for the design, then for hosting, then for plugins, then for the developer to come back every time something broke. Many shop owners in Pakistan tried it once, spent a lot, and went back to WhatsApp.
Today you can open a working online store yourself, from your phone, in an afternoon. This guide walks through the whole thing in plain steps, using Krobr as the example, so you know exactly what to prepare and what to expect.
What you actually need to sell online
Strip away the jargon and an online store needs only five things:
- A web address that customers can open and share.
- A catalogue of products with photos, prices, sizes and stock.
- A checkout where customers enter their details and choose how to pay.
- A way to get paid, which in Pakistan usually means cash on delivery or bank transfer.
- A way to manage orders so nothing gets lost between the shop and the rider.
A developer used to stitch these together for you. A store builder gives you all five ready to use, and you fill in your own products.
Step 1: Create your account and your store
Sign up, then create your store by choosing what you sell and giving it a name. Every new Krobr account starts on the Free package. There is no trial that runs out. The Free package allows one store and up to 20 orders a month, which is plenty for learning the ropes with real customers.
The create a store guide walks through each screen if you want to follow along.
Step 2: Choose a design
You do not need to design anything from scratch. Krobr has 17 ready-made themes, and you can open a live demo of each one on the themes page before you decide.
Pick a theme that suits your products. A boutique selling formal wear might want something elegant and calm. A shop selling phone accessories might want something bright and busy. After choosing, you edit the design visually, which means you click on what you want to change and change it. Add your logo, your cover photo and your colours. No code is involved at any point.
Step 3: Add your products properly
This is the step that decides whether customers trust your store, so give it time.
- Start with your best sellers. Ten good product pages beat a hundred rushed ones.
- Use variants for sizes and colours. A single kurta can come in four sizes and three colours, each with its own stock level and, if you like, its own price.
- Turn on stock tracking. Stock goes down when an order is placed, and you get a low-stock alert before you sell out. A size that runs out shows as sold out, so you never promise what you do not have.
- Write short, honest descriptions. Fabric, fit, care instructions and what is included. Answer the questions customers usually ask you on WhatsApp.
- Take clear photos. You do not need a studio. Our guide to product photos with your phone shows how to get good results with a window and a white sheet.
Step 4: Decide how customers pay and receive orders
Shops on Krobr can offer three ways to order:
- Cash on delivery. The customer pays the rider or courier when the parcel arrives. Still the most familiar choice for many buyers in Pakistan.
- Pay by bank transfer. The customer places the order, sees your bank details on their private order page, transfers the money and uploads the receipt. You check your bank and confirm.
- Pickup. The customer collects from your shop during your opening hours.
If you only deliver to certain places, you can limit delivery to specific cities or areas, so a customer in a city you do not serve cannot place a delivery order by mistake.
Krobr records orders and payment proof, but it does not touch the money. Cash and transfers go straight to you.
Step 5: Sort out your web address
Every store gets its own Krobr web address, which is a krobr.com subdomain. That works from day one.
If you want to choose a specific name for that address, picking a custom subdomain needs the Pro package or above. If you already own a domain, connecting it is a paid add-on on Pro and above. Neither is needed to start selling, so do not let it hold you up.
Step 6: Publish and share your link
Once your products, payment options and hours are ready, publish the store. Then put the link everywhere customers already find you:
- Your Instagram and Facebook bio.
- Your WhatsApp Business profile and status.
- A pinned message in your customer groups.
- Printed material in the shop. Krobr Partner can make QR code posters and business cards that point straight to your store.
Every time someone asks "how do I order?", the answer is now one link.
Step 7: Run the shop from your phone
You do not need to sit at a computer to manage orders. Krobr Partner is the management app where you see your orders queue, update products, set opening hours and view reports.
There are also two focused apps you can install on your phone for each store:
- The Orders app, which sends a push notification the moment a new order arrives.
- The Stock app, for checking and updating stock quickly.
If family members or staff help out, you can add them as team members with their own permissions, so your cousin can pack orders without being able to change your prices.
Work in the language you are comfortable with
Krobr's screens are available in English, Roman Urdu, Roman Pashto, Roman Punjabi and Turkish, and each store chooses its own storefront language. If you think in Urdu but type in Roman letters, you can run the whole business that way.
When you want a helping hand
Some owners prefer to have someone sit with them for the setup. Krobr works with support partners who can help you set up your store. They can also collect package payments in cash, which helps if you are not comfortable paying online.
What it costs, and what it does not
Krobr charges a package fee, not a commission on every order. That difference matters as you grow. With a commission, every extra sale hands more money to the platform. With a package fee, your costs stay the same while your sales go up.
Start on Free, and move up when you need more orders, a custom address or a listing on the Krobr marketplace, where shoppers discover stores. Marketplace listing needs a paid package. You can compare everything on the pricing page.
The short version
You do not need a developer to sell online in Pakistan anymore. Create a store, choose a design, add your products with real photos and honest stock, switch on cash on delivery or bank transfer, and share one link everywhere. Then run it all from your phone. The technical part is done for you, so your energy goes where it belongs: into your products and your customers.