26 steps to your live store

Create a one-page customer persona that includes demographics (age, location, income), psychographics (interests, values, pain points), and buying behavior (where they shop, how they discover products, what triggers a purchase).

Generate a shortlist of 3–5 product ideas that align with your customer persona, then validate demand using trend data and marketplace research.

Identify your top 5 competitors and analyze their pricing, marketing channels, product range, customer reviews, and positioning. Create a comparison spreadsheet.

Brainstorm 10–15 brand name ideas, check domain availability, and register your top choice.

Compare the top platforms against your budget, technical skill level, and growth ambitions. Pick one and create your account.

Create your logo, select your brand colors (2–3 colors), choose your fonts, and document your brand guidelines.

Create or source product images for your entire catalog. Use mockup tools for lifestyle shots and social media assets.

Research and document your target keywords for each product page, collection page, and blog topic. Optimize your page titles and meta descriptions.

Write (or generate and edit) your homepage copy, product descriptions, about page, and key email templates.

Set up at least one payment provider and integrate it with your store. Test a purchase to make sure everything works.

Connect your store to at least one social commerce channel. Set up your product catalog on that platform.

List your products on at least one marketplace and set up inventory syncing with your main store.

Generate and publish your privacy policy, terms of service, and refund policy. Link them in your site footer.

Set up your shipping strategy: choose carriers, set shipping rates, configure delivery zones, and set up tracking.

Set up an inventory tracking system and decide on your fulfillment strategy: self-fulfillment, third-party logistics (3PL), or a hybrid.

Set up invoicing that automatically generates professional invoices for every order.

Create your refund policy, set up a returns management system, and publish your policy on your site.

Set up a post-purchase feedback system — automated emails, surveys, or on-site feedback widgets.

Set up a review collection system, create a strategy for gathering testimonials, and add trust badges to your store.

Choose your primary social platforms, create a content calendar, and set up scheduling tools.

Set up product recommendation widgets on your product pages, cart page, and post-purchase page.

Set up email marketing software, create your core automated flows (welcome, abandoned cart, post-purchase), and add email capture to your site.

Set up a referral program for customers and optionally an affiliate program for creators and influencers.

Set up automated abandoned cart email sequences and optionally push notifications or SMS reminders.

Run a speed audit on your site, identify the biggest performance bottlenecks, and fix the top issues.

Install analytics tracking on your site. Set up conversion tracking for purchases, add-to-carts, and email signups.