Launching an online store: a 24-point checklist
In short
- A store is not a site with a buy button — it is a process: catalogue, payment, delivery, returns.
- The most common launch mistake is never placing a real test order with a real payment.
- Expect 5–8 weeks, half of which goes on content and photography.
This is the list we use to sign off our own projects before launch. Work through it even if someone else is building your store.
Catalogue
- Categories match how buyers search, not your internal product codes.
- Filters use attributes people actually filter by, not every field you have.
- Product variants (size, colour) live inside one product, not as separate listings.
- Every product has at least three photos and a description worth reading.
- Prices are visible without opening the product page.
- Out-of-stock products do not vanish — they show as unavailable.
Cart and checkout
- Buying is possible without creating an account.
- The order form is short — everything else you can confirm by phone.
- Delivery cost is visible before the payment step.
- Pickup points load from a list rather than being typed by hand.
- After ordering, the buyer sees a confirmation and receives an e-mail.
- The cart survives a page reload.
Payment and delivery
- The payment gateway is connected and verified with a real transaction.
- Cash on delivery is available if your audience expects it.
- Delivery terms exist as their own page.
- Return terms are written out — a legal requirement and an objection removed.
Place a real test order with a real card to a real address, and follow it all the way to the dispatch e-mail. This finds more problems than any other kind of testing.
Technical and SEO
- Categories and products have unique titles and descriptions.
- Product structured data with price and availability is in place.
- Images are compressed to WebP and lazy loading is on.
- The site opens on mobile in 2–3 seconds.
- GA4 e-commerce tracking is configured: view, add to cart, purchase.
- A sitemap exists and has been submitted to Search Console.
Right before launch
- Indexing is open (check robots.txt and meta tags).
- A backup has been taken.
- Contact details and opening hours are current.
- Someone is responsible for processing orders on day one.
We build stores on WordPress and WooCommerce: no platform subscription, full access to the code.