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Starting Your First Online Shop
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Frequently Asked Questions for Starting Your First Online Shop

Scan the categories below and jump straight to what you need.

Getting Started

  • What is an online shop? – An online shop is a website or app where customers browse products, add to cart, and pay securely.
  • How do I choose my niche? – Pick a focused niche with demand, manageable competition, and clear customer pain points.
  • What business model should I use? – Options include inventory, dropshipping, print‑on‑demand, or digital products.
  • How much does it cost to start an online store? – Expect costs for domain, hosting/platform, theme, apps, marketing, and payment fees.
  • Do I need a registered company to sell online? – Not always; you can start as a sole trader, then incorporate when ready.
  • How long does it take to launch? – A simple store can launch in days; complex builds take weeks.
  • What are the essentials to launch? – A domain, platform, payment gateway, shipping setup, legal pages, and core products.

Domain & Hosting

  • How do I choose a domain name? – Keep it short, memorable, brandable, and easy to spell with a relevant TLD.
  • Do I need hosting for my shop? – Hosted platforms include it; self‑hosted solutions require your own hosting.
  • What is SSL and do I need it? – SSL encrypts data; yes, every ecommerce site needs HTTPS for trust and security.
  • Can I use my existing domain? – Yes, point DNS records to your shop platform or server.
  • Should I buy multiple domain extensions? – Consider key variants to protect your brand if budget allows.
  • What if my desired domain is taken? – Try creative alternatives, add a keyword, or look for a premium resale.
  • Will changing domains hurt SEO? – It can; mitigate with 301 redirects and updated sitemaps.

Platform & Build

  • Which ecommerce platform should I choose? – Popular options include Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento, and Squarespace.
  • Can I build a shop without coding? – Yes, drag‑and‑drop builders and themes handle most needs.
  • Is WooCommerce better than Shopify? – WooCommerce offers flexibility; Shopify offers simplicity and managed hosting.
  • What theme should I use? – Choose a fast, responsive, accessible theme suited to your catalog size.
  • Can I migrate from Etsy or eBay? – Yes, most platforms support product and order import tools.
  • How do I add custom features? – Use apps/plugins first; commission custom code for unique needs.
  • Should I use a headless ecommerce setup? – Consider it for complex UX, performance, or multi‑channel experiences.

Design & User Experience

  • What makes a good online shop design? – Clean navigation, clear hierarchy, fast pages, and strong product imagery.
  • Do I need a logo before launching? – A simple, legible logo is enough; refine branding over time.
  • How many products should I show on the homepage? – Feature key categories, bestsellers, and new arrivals, not everything.
  • How important are product photos? – Very; high‑quality, consistent images boost trust and conversions.
  • Should I use product videos? – Yes, short demos reduce uncertainty and returns.
  • How do I reduce cart abandonment? – Simplify checkout, show costs upfront, and offer guest checkout.
  • Do reviews help conversions? – Yes, verified reviews and UGC increase trust and sales.

Products & Inventory

  • How do I write product descriptions? – Use benefits‑led copy, specs, and keywords customers actually search.
  • What product photos do I need? – Multiple angles, close‑ups, scale shots, and lifestyle images.
  • How do I manage inventory? – Use your platform’s stock control, SKUs, and low‑stock alerts.
  • Should I allow backorders? – Only if you can meet promised lead times and set expectations.
  • What is a SKU? – A SKU is a unique stock‑keeping unit to identify each product variant.
  • How do I handle variants and options? – Create structured variants (size, color) with clear pricing and stock.
  • Can I sell digital downloads? – Yes, enable digital products and secure, time‑limited downloads.

Pricing & Tax

  • How do I set prices? – Calculate costs, target margin, competitor benchmarks, and perceived value.
  • Should I show prices with or without tax? – Match local norms and be consistent site‑wide.
  • How do I handle VAT or sales tax? – Use platform tax settings to apply rates by location and product type.
  • Do I need to register for VAT? – Register when you hit thresholds or sell cross‑border as required.
  • How do discount codes affect profit? – Model margins after discounts and shipping to stay profitable.
  • What is MAP pricing? – Minimum advertised price is a brand’s policy limiting how low you can list.
  • Can I offer subscriptions? – Yes, use subscription apps for recurring orders and predictable revenue.

Payments & Checkout

  • Which payment providers can I use? – There’s a huge range such as Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna, and local gateways.
  • Do I need a merchant account? – All‑in‑one processors handle it; dedicated merchant accounts are optional.
  • Should I offer Buy Now, Pay Later? – BNPL can lift conversions; evaluate fees and your audience.
  • Is guest checkout important? – Yes, it reduces friction and improves completion rates.
  • How do I prevent failed payments? – Use card update tools, retries, and alternative payment methods.
  • Can I accept bank transfers? – Yes, enable manual payments with clear instructions and order holds.
  • Is PCI compliance required? – Yes; using hosted checkouts reduces your PCI scope significantly.

Shipping & Logistics

  • How do I set shipping rates? – Offer flat rate, free over a threshold, or real‑time carrier quotes.
  • Which couriers should I use? – Choose reliable carriers in your region plus tracked options.
  • Can I offer free shipping? – Yes, bake the cost into pricing or set a minimum spend.
  • How do I print shipping labels? – Use platform integrations or shipping apps to generate labels.
  • Do I need shipping insurance? – Insure high‑value orders or fragile items to reduce risk.
  • How do I handle lost parcels? – Create a policy for replacements/refunds and file carrier claims.
  • Can I offer local pickup or delivery? – Yes, set pickup points or local delivery with clear time windows.

Marketing & SEO

  • How do I get traffic to my shop? – Combine SEO, paid ads, social, email, and partnerships.
  • How do I do keyword research? – Target buyer‑intent keywords for categories, products, and problems.
  • What on‑page SEO matters most? – Unique titles, meta descriptions, H1s, internal links, and fast pages.
  • Do product reviews help SEO? – Yes, fresh UGC adds long‑tail keywords and trust signals.
  • Should I start an email list? – Yes, capture with popups, lead magnets, and checkout opt‑ins.
  • Do I need a blog for ecommerce? – Helpful content can drive organic traffic and educate buyers.
  • What is a sitemap and do I need one? – A sitemap helps search engines discover your pages; submit it.

Analytics & Conversion

  • Which analytics should I use? – Use platform analytics and tools like GA4 for deeper insights.
  • What KPIs matter most? – Track sessions, conversion rate, AOV, revenue, and CAC vs. LTV.
  • How do I set up conversion tracking? – Install pixels for ads and enable enhanced ecommerce events.
  • What is A/B testing? – It compares variants to improve conversions with data, not guesswork.
  • How do I reduce bounce rate? – Speed up pages, match search intent, and improve first impressions.
  • Should I use heatmaps? – Yes, heatmaps and session recordings reveal UX issues to fix.
  • How do I improve average order value? – Use bundles, cross‑sells, volume discounts, and free‑shipping thresholds.

Customer Service & Returns

  • How do I handle customer support? – Offer email, chat, and self‑service FAQs with fast response times.
  • Should I use live chat? – Yes, it answers pre‑purchase questions and boosts conversion.
  • What is a good returns policy? – Be clear, fair, and easy; specify time frames and item conditions.
  • Can I offer exchanges? – Yes, streamline exchanges to save the sale and delight customers.
  • How do I manage warranties? – Display warranty terms and automate registration where possible.
  • Should I use a helpdesk system? – Yes, ticketing and macros keep support organized and quick.
  • How do I collect customer feedback? – Send post‑purchase surveys and monitor NPS/CSAT scores.

Security & Fraud Prevention

  • How do I keep my shop secure? – Keep software updated, use strong passwords, and enable 2FA.
  • What is 3‑D Secure? – It adds an extra cardholder verification step to reduce fraud.
  • How do I stop chargebacks? – Use AVS/CVV, fraud screening, clear descriptors, and tracking.
  • Should I store card details? – Avoid storing raw cards; use tokenisation via your gateway.
  • Do I need regular backups? – Yes, schedule automated backups of database, theme, and assets.
  • How do I handle data breaches? – Have an incident plan, notify users, and rotate credentials fast.
  • Is a CDN safe for ecommerce? – Yes, CDNs improve speed and add DDoS protection layers.

Performance & Scaling

  • How fast should my shop load? – Aim for sub‑2s on mobile for key pages.
  • What slows shops down? – Unoptimised images, heavy apps, render‑blocking scripts, and cheap hosting.
  • How do I optimise images? – Use modern formats, compression, responsive sizes, and lazy loading.
  • Can my site handle traffic spikes? – Use scalable hosting/CDN and cache strategy; stress‑test before promos.
  • Should I minify CSS/JS? – Yes, minify and defer non‑critical scripts to speed up pages.
  • What is core web vitals? – Metrics like LCP, CLS, and INP that impact UX and SEO.
  • Do apps slow my store? – Extra apps add scripts; keep only essentials and audit regularly.

International & Localisation

  • Can I sell internationally from day one? – Yes, but start with a few countries you can reliably ship to.
  • How do I show local currencies? – Use multi‑currency features and geolocation to auto‑display prices.
  • Do I need translated content? – Translate priority pages and product info for key markets.
  • How do I handle international taxes? – Configure region‑specific VAT/GST rules in your platform.
  • What about customs and duties? – Clarify DDP/DDU at checkout and show landed cost where possible.
  • Will shipping times hurt conversions? – Set accurate ETAs, offer tracking, and add expedited options.
  • Can I localise promotions? – Yes, tailor pricing, holidays, and bundles to local calendars.

Content & Merchandising

  • How do I merchandise categories? – Use filters, sort options, badges, and curated collections.
  • Do I need size guides? – Yes, detailed, accurate size charts lower returns.
  • What is cross‑selling vs. upselling? – Cross‑sell related items; upsell higher‑value alternatives.
  • How often should I update the homepage? – Refresh seasonally or around campaigns and new arrivals.
  • Should I use limited‑time offers? – Scarcity and timers can lift urgency; use ethically.
  • What is social proof? – Reviews, ratings, UGC, and trust badges that increase credibility.
  • Do I need gift cards? – Yes, gift cards add cash flow and attract new customers.

Mobile & Apps

  • Is mobile traffic important? – Yes, most ecommerce sessions are mobile; design mobile‑first.
  • Do I need a mobile app? – Not to start; a fast PWA or responsive site is often enough.
  • What is a PWA? – A Progressive Web App adds app‑like speed and offline features.
  • How do I improve mobile checkout? – Use express wallets, auto‑fill, and minimal fields.
  • Should I support Apple Pay and Google Pay? – Yes, they reduce friction and boost conversions.
  • How do I test on devices? – Test across iOS/Android and popular browsers using emulators and real phones.
  • Are push notifications useful? – Yes, use web push and app notifications for opt‑in promos.

Integrations & Automation

  • Which tools should I integrate first? – Email marketing, reviews, analytics, and shipping labels.
  • Can I connect to marketplaces? – Yes, sync listings and inventory with Amazon, eBay, and others.
  • How do I automate emails? – Set flows for welcome, abandoned cart, and post‑purchase.
  • What is an OMS or ERP? – Systems that centralise orders, inventory, and accounting.
  • Can I sync stock across channels? – Yes, use multi‑channel inventory tools to avoid overselling.
  • How do I connect my POS? – Use POS integrations to unify in‑store and online sales.
  • Should I use webhooks or APIs? – Yes for custom workflows, real‑time syncs, and reporting.