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Online Store Launch Checklist: 46 Things to Check Before You Open
Most launch-day problems are small and avoidable: a shipping rate that was never set, a checkout that only works on desktop, a contact form that goes nowhere. This checklist collects those small things in one place so you can tick them off before anyone else finds them. It works for any store platform (Shopify, Squarespace, Wix, WooCommerce or a marketplace shop) and is arranged as a four-week plan, though you can move faster or slower.
If you are building on Shopify specifically, pair this with our Shopify store setup checklist, which follows the admin menus step by step.
Week 1: Foundations
Business basics
- ☐ Store name chosen and searched (no one else is using it, and the social handles are free)
- ☐ Domain name bought (a .com runs about $16 a year)
- ☐ Checked whether you need a business registration, DBA or sales tax permit where you live
- ☐ A separate bank account or at least a separate card for store spending
- ☐ A dedicated email address for the store that you actually check
Products
- ☐ Final product list for launch (3 to 10 items is plenty)
- ☐ Cost per product written down, including materials, time, packaging and fees
- ☐ Prices set with room for a discount or a sale
- ☐ Stock on hand, or a clear plan for made-to-order lead times
Week 2: Build the store
Platform and design
- ☐ Platform chosen and the right plan picked (see Shopify Pricing Plans Explained if you are choosing there)
- ☐ A simple theme, ideally free, with your logo or a clean text wordmark
- ☐ Two or three brand colours and one or two fonts, used consistently
- ☐ Navigation menu with no more than five or six items
Product pages
- ☐ At least four photos per product, same shape, main photo on a plain background
- ☐ Descriptions that cover size, materials, care and shipping time
- ☐ Variants (size, colour) set up and each one priced
- ☐ Inventory tracking turned on for physical goods, off for digital
Pages every store needs
- ☐ About page
- ☐ Contact page with a working form or email
- ☐ Shipping policy (where you ship, how long it takes, what it costs)
- ☐ Returns and refund policy
- ☐ Privacy policy and terms of service (most platforms provide templates; read and adjust them)
- ☐ FAQ page answering the five questions you expect most
Week 3: Money and delivery
Payments
- ☐ Payment provider connected and identity verification completed (this can take a few days, so do not leave it to launch day)
- ☐ Payout bank account added and confirmed
- ☐ Checked which payment methods appear at checkout on a phone
- ☐ Tax settings reviewed for the places you sell to
Shipping
- ☐ Shipping zones set only for places you will actually ship to
- ☐ Rates decided: flat rate, free over a threshold, or calculated
- ☐ Package weights and sizes entered
- ☐ Packaging supplies bought and one test parcel sent to a friend
- ☐ Processing time stated on product pages and in the shipping policy
Week 4: Test and open
The test order
- ☐ Placed a real test order on your phone, paid for it, then refunded it
- ☐ Order confirmation email reads well and has the right store name and contact
- ☐ Shipping confirmation email checked
- ☐ Every link in the header, footer and menu clicked once
- ☐ Checkout tried with a discount code
Technical checks
- ☐ Store looks right on a phone, a tablet and a laptop
- ☐ Page titles and descriptions written for your homepage and products (this is what search engines show)
- ☐ Favicon added
- ☐ Analytics connected so you can see where visitors come from
- ☐ Password protection removed and the store set to live
First-week marketing
- ☐ Five or more pins ready for Pinterest with clear titles linking to product pages
- ☐ Launch post written for your personal and store social accounts
- ☐ A short email or message to friends and anyone who said "tell me when you launch"
- ☐ A plan for what you will post in week two, so launch is not a one-day event
Launch day, hour by hour
Pick a weekday morning rather than a Friday night, so you are awake and available if something goes wrong. A simple schedule:
- Morning: remove the password, load the store on your phone from a different network (mobile data, not your Wi-Fi), and buy one cheap item for real. Refund it once it goes through.
- Midday: publish your launch post and send the message to friends and early supporters. Pin your first pins.
- Afternoon: watch analytics and your inbox. Reply to every question within the hour today, even if you cannot keep that pace later.
- Evening: write down what confused people and what broke. That list is your to-do list for week two.
If you are launching a marketplace shop instead
Most of this list still applies if your first shop is on Etsy or another marketplace. Skip the domain, theme and payment-provider items (the marketplace handles them) and spend the saved time on the parts that matter more there: titles and tags that match what people search for, the first five photos, shop policies, and an About section with a real face or workshop photo. The test order still matters: buy your own listing or have a friend do it, so you see the exact emails and download or shipping steps a customer sees. If you plan to add your own store later, read Shopify vs Etsy for Beginners to see what changes.
The five most-missed items
| Missed item | What happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Payment verification not finished | You can sell but payouts are held | Start verification in week 3, not launch day |
| Shipping zone left empty | Customers see "no shipping available" and leave | Add at least your home country with a flat rate |
| Test order skipped | Broken checkout found by a real customer | Order on your own phone and refund it |
| Contact form never tested | Questions vanish | Send yourself a message |
| No plan after launch day | A busy day, then silence | Schedule posts for weeks two and three before you open |
Ready to build?
If you have not picked a platform yet, Shopify is a common first choice for small stores because the payment, shipping and policy steps above are built in. Use the trial to work through this list before the paid plan starts.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to launch an online store?
Working a few hours a week, most people can go from nothing to live in two to four weeks. The slow parts are photos, policy pages and payment verification, not the software.
How many products do I need to launch?
Three to ten. A small, well-presented range is easier to launch and easier to market than a large one.
Do I really need all the policy pages?
Yes. Payment providers often require them, customers look for them before buying, and they protect you when a return or dispute comes up.
Should I launch before everything is perfect?
Launch when everything on this list works, not when everything is perfect. Design polish can come later; a broken checkout cannot.
What should I do the day after launch?
Check your analytics, reply to every message, post the second piece of content you planned, and start on the next batch of pins or posts. The first month is about building a habit, not hitting a number.