Start your own online store, one step at a time
By the Anselerate teamLast reviewed 7 October 2026Reading time about 6 minutes
The short answer
Pick what you will sell, choose a shop platform, add clear product pages, set up safe payments and delivery, and write simple policies. Test a full order before you open.
An online shop lets people see your products and buy at any hour. You can start small. A good shop is clear, fast, safe and honest. Here are the steps we follow when we build online shops for clients.
Step 1: Decide what you sell and to whom
Write down your first ten products, your prices and where you will deliver. Know who your customer is and why they should buy from you and not from a big marketplace.
Step 2: Choose how to build it
- A shop plugin on WordPress: a good fit for most small shops. You can edit products yourself.
- A custom system: best when you need bookings, special prices, member areas or links to your own tools.
- A marketplace page: quick to start, but you do not own the customer list.
We can help you choose and build the right one.
Step 3: Make clear product pages
- Use sharp photos from more than one side.
- Write the name, price, size, colour and what is in the box.
- Say plainly how long delivery takes and what it costs.
- Add a clear Buy button.
- Add a short description of each photo (alt text).
Step 4: Set up safe payments
Use a trusted payment gateway. Many Indian shops offer UPI, cards and net banking. We have worked with gateways such as Cashfree and PayPal. Never ask customers to send card details by email or chat.
Step 5: Write your policies
Add short pages for delivery, returns and refunds, privacy and contact. Customers read these before they trust a new shop.
Step 6: Make it fast and easy on phones
Many buyers use a phone. Keep the shop quick to load, keep the checkout short and make buttons easy to tap. Fewer steps mean more orders.
Step 7: Help people find your shop
Give every product its own page with its own title and description. Google can show product information for shops that mark up prices and stock correctly. Share new products on your social pages and by email.
Step 8: Test before you open
Place a real test order. Pay, get the email, check the order in your admin and test a refund. Ask a friend to try it on a different phone.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Show the full price and delivery cost early.
- Use real photos of your own products.
- Show your address, phone number and email.
- Use a trusted payment gateway.
- Keep checkout short.
- Reply to customer questions quickly.
Don't
- Don't hide extra fees until the last step.
- Don't copy descriptions from other shops.
- Don't store card numbers yourself.
- Don't use fake reviews or fake countdown timers.
- Don't skip the return and refund page.
- Don't launch before you test an order.
Questions people ask
How much does an online shop cost?
It depends on the size, the features and the payments you need. A small shop costs less than a custom system. Write to us with your plan and we will give a clear quote.
Can I add bookings or orders by phone?
Yes. A custom system can take bookings and orders and keep them in one list. We build these in PHP and PostgreSQL and also with WordPress.
Do I need to know how to code?
No. You can manage products, prices and orders from a simple dashboard after we hand over the shop.
Which payments can I accept?
That depends on your gateway. Most Indian gateways support UPI, cards and net banking. We will set up the ones you choose.
Will my shop show on Google?
It can, if the product pages are clear, fast and well marked up. We also set up SEO so people can find your products.