Ready to build a store that actually sells? This guide walks you from idea → launch → first sales, with practical checklists, templates, pricing math and a 30-day launch plan you can follow today.
Quick overview — what you’ll do
- Choose a product & business model (inventory, dropship, POD, digital).
- Validate demand quickly.
- Choose sales channels and tech (store platform, marketplace).
- Set up legal, payments, and tax basics.
- Build the store (product pages, checkout, policies).
- Launch with testing + an initial marketing push.
- Measure, refine and scale.
Step 1 — Decide what you’ll sell & how (choose a business model)
Pick one product line and one business model. Common models:
- Stock & ship yourself (inventory): higher margins, more control, need storage and shipping.
- Dropshipping: supplier ships for you — low startup cost, smaller margins, quality control risk.
- Print-on-demand: good for apparel/prints — low inventory, design-focused.
- Digital products: eBooks, courses, templates — high margins, no shipping.
- Marketplaces-only: sell on marketplaces (Takealot / Amazon / Etsy) — discoverability but fees and competition.
Pick the model that matches your budget, time and tolerance for logistics.
Step 2 — Validate demand (fast, cheap tests)
Before building a store, check that people will buy:
- Search keywords: see if buyers search for the product (Google, YouTube, marketplace search).
- Check competitors: are other stores selling similar items? Are they getting reviews?
- Run a small ad test: create one ad pointing to a simple landing page to measure click interest.
- Sell a small batch locally or on a marketplace to test supply, pricing and margins.
- Ask potential customers (surveys, WhatsApp groups, Facebook groups) — 10 quick interviews beat guessing.
If tests show interest, proceed.
Step 3 — Choose channels & platform
Decide where customers will buy:
- Own store (best long-term control):
- Shopify — quick to launch, apps, secure.
- WooCommerce on WordPress — flexible, cheaper hosting, more control.
- Wix / BigCommerce / Squarespace — easier builders, fewer advanced features.
- Marketplaces (fast traffic):
- Local marketplaces (Takealot / YeboYethu / etc.), Etsy (crafts), Amazon (if available).
- Social commerce: Instagram Shop, Facebook Shop, TikTok Shop — good for impulse buys and ads.
Recommendation: start with one owned store + 1 marketplace or social channel to diversify.
Step 4 — Legal, finance & admin basics
Do these early so you don’t hit problems later:
- Choose a business name and register it if required.
- Open a separate business bank account.
- Understand local tax rules (income tax, VAT thresholds). Keep records from day one.
- Choose payment gateways (allow cards, local EFT and international options).
- Create a simple bookkeeping flow (spreadsheet or accounting app) and back up receipts.
Tip: keep personal and business finances separate from day one.
Step 5 — Source products & shipping
If physical products:
- Find suppliers: local manufacturers, wholesalers, or dropship suppliers. Order samples to check quality.
- Negotiate MOQs and lead times.
- Decide packaging: branded packaging vs plain, include receipts and return slips.
- Choose couriers: compare price, delivery time, tracking and returns handling. Offer at least 2 shipping options if possible (standard + express).
- Plan returns & warranties: make it clear in your policy who pays for return shipping and under what conditions you accept returns.
If digital products: choose delivery method (direct download, email, membership area).
Step 6 — Build the store (practical checklist)
- Domain & hosting / platform account — pick a memorable domain and secure SSL (https).
- Theme & design — pick a clean, responsive theme. Prioritize mobile design.
- Navigation & categories — simple menu, search, filters (price, size, color).
- Product pages — create templates (see product page copy template below).
- Shopping cart & checkout — minimal fields, support guest checkout, show shipping & taxes before payment.
- Trust signals — reviews, secure checkout badge, clear contact info, returns policy.
- Install analytics & tracking — Google Analytics / GA4, Facebook Pixel (if you plan ads).
- Email capture — add an exit popup or banner with a lead magnet or discount.
- Test transactions — place 3 test orders (card, EFT, mobile) and check receipt emails + fulfillment flow.
Product page copy & layout (use this template)
- Title: short + keyword (e.g., “Eco Cotton T-Shirt — Unisex”)
- Price & stock status (show savings if discounted)
- Short value prop (1 sentence) — what problem it solves.
- Product images + gallery — 4–8 images, lifestyle + closeups.
- Buy box: Add to cart button, size/variant selector, quantity.
- Key benefits bullets (3–6) — quick skim.
- Full description — specs, materials, care, sizing chart.
- Shipping & returns line — “Free returns within 14 days.”
- Social proof — reviews, star rating.
- FAQ & technical details
- Cross-sell — “Customers also bought…”
Step 7 — Price your product (example math)
A simple formula: Selling price = (costs + shipping + fees) / (1 − desired profit margin).
Example (step-by-step):
- Cost price = R200.
- Shipping per order = R50.
- Sum cost + shipping = 200 + 50 = R250.
- Desired profit margin = 40% → 0.40.
- 1 − margin = 1 − 0.40 = 0.60.
- Price = 250 ÷ 0.60.
- Multiply numerator and denominator by 10: 2500 ÷ 6 = 416 remainder 4 → R416.67 → round to R417.
Add payment gateway fees (example 3% of R417 = 0.03 × 417 = 12.51 ≈ R13) and consider rounding to a psychological price (e.g., R419 or R429). Always check competitor pricing and perceived value.
Step 8 — Checkout, taxes & policies
- Show shipping and tax calculations before the customer enters payment details.
- Offer multiple payment methods (card, local EFT, mobile money if relevant).
- Create and publish: Privacy Policy, Terms & Conditions, Shipping Policy, Returns Policy and Refunds. Keep these short and customer-friendly.
- Add Affiliate/Promotion disclosure if using affiliate links or sponsored products.
Step 9 — Launch checklist (test everything)
Before going live:
- Place test orders and check emails (order confirmation, invoice, shipping update).
- Mobile test: buy flow on phone.
- Load speed test: optimize images & caching.
- Spellcheck product copy.
- Ensure analytics/Pixels are firing.
- Have shipping labels & packing workflow ready.
Step 10 — Launch marketing (first 30–90 days)
Start with a tight plan—don’t scatter resources.
Day 0 launch activities:
- Email launch to friends, contacts, waitlist.
- Social posts (Instagram + Facebook + TikTok): 3 launch posts + Story coverage.
- 1–2 launch promotions (discount for first 100 customers or free shipping threshold).
- Run a small ad test (R200–R1,000) driving to best product pages to measure CPC, CTR, conversion.
Ongoing channels to focus on (pick 1–2 to start):
- SEO / content — product guides, comparison posts, blog that answers buyer questions.
- Paid ads — Meta/Instagram, Google Shopping. Start small, measure ROAS.
- Email marketing — welcome series + cart abandonment.
- Social content — short-form video demonstrations, unboxing, user UGC.
- Marketplaces & influencers — list where your audience shops and test micro-influencers.
Templates: essential emails
Order confirmation (short):
Subject: Thanks — Your order #123 is confirmed
Body: Hi [Name], thanks! We received your order #123. Estimated delivery: [date]. Track here: [link]. Contact us: [email / phone].
Shipping update:
Subject: Good news — your order #123 is on the way
Body: Hi [Name], your package shipped via [courier]. Tracking: [link]. Expected delivery: [date].
Cart abandonment (short):
Subject: You left something behind…
Body: Hi [Name], your cart is waiting — items may sell out. Complete your order now: [link] — use code SAVE10 for 10% off.
Review request (7–14 days after delivery):
Subject: How’s your ? — quick 1-minute review
Body: Hi [Name], hope you love . Could you rate it? Your review helps small businesses like ours. [link to review]
Step 11 — Measure what matters (KPIs)
Track these from day one:
- Traffic (total + channel)
- Conversion rate (visitors → buyers)
- Average order value (AOV)
- Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) for paid channels
- Return rate & refund rate
- Repeat purchase rate & Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)
- Gross margin and net profit
Benchmarks vary by industry; your goal is to improve conversion and lower CAC.
Step 12 — Customer service & operations
- Offer clear contact options (chat, email, phone).
- Create canned responses for common questions (shipping time, returns).
- Track fulfillment time and shipping accuracy.
- Ask for feedback and act on it.
Step 13 — Scale & automation
When you have repeatable sales:
- Consider 3PL / fulfilment partners to handle storage and shipping.
- Automate inventory & reorder points.
- Expand to new marketplaces and international shipping (if profitable).
- Create subscription offers or bundles to increase LTV.
- Hire support or outsource marketing tasks.
Startup cost example (realistic ballpark, step-by-step)
Low-to-mid budget example (South African Rands):
- Domain (1 year) = R150.
- Hosting / platform fees = R1,200.
- Running total: 150 + 1,200 = R1,350.
- Premium theme / small customisation = R800.
- Running total: 1,350 + 800 = R2,150.
- Useful apps / plugins = R500.
- Running total: 2,150 + 500 = R2,650.
- Product photography / samples = R300.
- Running total: 2,650 + 300 = R2,950.
- Initial stock (example) = R5,000.
- Running total: 2,950 + 5,000 = R7,950.
- Shipping supplies (labels, boxes) = R300.
- Running total: 7,950 + 300 = R8,250.
- Initial marketing (ads) = R2,000.
- Final total: 8,250 + 2,000 = R10,250.
You can start cheaper (dropship/POD/digital) or scale up costs for professional help.
30-day launch plan (exact weekly tasks)
Week 1 — Research & setup
- Finalise product and supplier.
- Validate demand (ad test or pre-orders).
- Register domain, set up platform, choose theme.
- Create basic pages: Home, Shop, About, Contact, Shipping & Returns, Privacy.
Week 2 — Product content
- Write 10 product pages (best 3 first).
- Take product photos & write descriptions.
- Set pricing, shipping rules, and tax settings.
- Add analytics & email capture.
Week 3 — Testing & pre-launch
- Run 3 test orders.
- Create launch emails and social content.
- Prepare ad creatives (1 image ad, 1 video ad).
- Create discount code or launch offer.
Week 4 — Launch & promote
- Publish store & send launch email to list.
- Run small ad campaign and measure CPC/CPA.
- Post daily on social channels and monitor customer questions.
- Fulfill first orders and request reviews.
Final checklist (copy & use)
- Niche & product validated
- Supplier & sample checked
- Domain & store set up with SSL
- 3 product pages live and optimized
- Payments & checkout tested
- Shipping rates and return policy published
- Analytics & pixels installed
- Email capture + welcome sequence in place
- Launch marketing plan + ad creatives ready