• The ORB Team
• Ecommerce

Starting An Online Store: What To Plan Before You Build

Starting an online store is a big step, but the build is only one part of it. The businesses that launch smoothly are usually the ones that sorted out the practical details first: what they are selling, how they will get it to customers and what happens when something goes wrong. Planning these things before a single page is designed saves time, money and a lot of rework.

Here is what to think through before you build.

Your Products And How You Describe Them

Start with a full list of what you will sell at launch. For each product, gather:

• A clear name and a written description in your own words
• Good photos, ideally several angles on a plain background
• Prices, including any sale prices
• Variations such as size, colour or material
• Weight and dimensions, which you will need for delivery costs
• Stock levels, if you plan to track them

This is often the slowest part of the whole project. Getting it ready early means the build can move quickly. Avoid copying manufacturer descriptions word for word, as many other sites will be using the same text and it does little to help you stand out in search.

How Your Shop Will Be Organised

Think about how customers will browse. Will they shop by category, by brand, by occasion or by price? Sketch out a simple structure with no more than two or three levels. A clear menu helps people find things quickly and gives each category page a chance to rank in Google.

Choosing A Platform

For most small and medium shops, we recommend WooCommerce, which runs on WordPress. It is widely used, flexible and you own your site outright rather than renting it. It handles products, payments, stock and delivery rules, and there are extensions for most extra needs. Hosted platforms can suit some businesses too. The right choice depends on your products, your budget and how much control you want.

Taking Payments

Decide how customers will pay. Most shops offer card payments through a provider such as Stripe or PayPal, and many add Apple Pay and Google Pay because they make checkout quicker on a phone. Check the fees for each provider and how quickly the money reaches your bank. You will need your business bank details ready to set these up.

Delivery And Collection

Delivery is where many new shops get caught out. Work out:

• Which couriers or postal services you will use
• Whether you charge a flat rate, by weight or offer free delivery over a certain spend
• Whether you will ship outside the UK
• If local customers can collect in person
• How long orders take to dispatch

Be clear about delivery costs early in the shopping journey. Unexpected charges at checkout are one of the most common reasons people abandon a basket.

Returns And Your Legal Duties

Selling online comes with specific rules in the UK. Customers generally have the right to cancel most orders within a set period, and you must give certain information before they buy, including who you are, the total price and how to cancel. GOV.UK's guide to online and distance selling for businesses sets out what you need to do. Write your terms and conditions, returns policy and privacy notice before launch, not after.

Stock And Fulfilment

Decide who will pack the orders and where. If you already run a shop, will online stock come from the same shelves? If so, you need a way to keep numbers in step so you do not sell something that has already gone. If you sell to trade customers as well as the public, you may need separate prices or accounts. We cover this on our pages about websites for retailers and wholesale websites.

Hosting That Can Cope

Online shops ask more of a server than a simple brochure site. Every basket, search and checkout adds load, and a slow shop loses sales. Choose hosting with fast servers, daily backups and room to grow when a promotion goes well. Our premium website hosting runs on fast UK servers with daily backups and autoscaling, and we manage it for you.

How People Will Find You

A new shop does not get visitors on its own. Plan how you will bring people in during the first few months. That might be:

• Telling existing customers by email and in store
• Social media posts and ads showing your products
• Search ads on Google for your key products
• Writing helpful category and product content for SEO, which builds up over time

A Realistic Budget

Remember the running costs as well as the build: hosting, payment fees, extensions, delivery supplies, marketing and your own time. It is better to launch with a smaller range done properly than a huge catalogue with thin descriptions and poor photos.

Ready To Build

Once you have these answers, the build becomes much simpler. You will know exactly what the shop needs to do, and you will avoid costly changes later. If you want to talk it through, take a look at our page on online store web design or our website builds. Every shop we make is built by hand, and you deal with the person building it from start to finish.