E-commerceDec 27, 202512 min read
E-commerce Website Checklist: Everything You Need to Sell Online
Launching an online store is exciting—until you realize how many pieces need to work together. Product pages. Payment processing. Shipping. Taxes. Inventory. Security. This checklist covers everything.
BTI
Break The Image
Web Design & Marketing
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Before You Build: The Foundations
1. Products Ready to Sell
Obvious, but worth stating: You need products with:
- Quality photos (multiple angles)
- Accurate descriptions
- Prices set
- Inventory counts
- SKUs or product codes (for tracking)
Don't launch without product photos. Phone photos in bad lighting kill sales.
2. Business Basics
- Business entity (LLC, etc.) if needed
- Business bank account
- Tax ID / EIN
- Sales tax registration (state-dependent)
- Basic bookkeeping system
3. Platform Decision
WooCommerce (WordPress)
- Full control and ownership
- More flexible, more complex
- Lower ongoing costs
- Best if you want to own everything
Shopify
- Easier to use
- Monthly platform fee
- Slightly less flexible
- Best if you want simplicity
Not sure which? We'll help you choose →
Essential Website Elements
Homepage
Must-haves:
- • Clear value proposition
- • Featured products or categories
- • Trust signals (reviews, badges)
- • Easy navigation
- • Search bar
- • Clear call-to-action
Common mistakes:
- • Cluttered with too much info
- • No clear path to products
- • Missing trust signals
- • Slow loading (big images)
Product Pages (Where Sales Happen)
Must-haves:
- High-quality photos (multiple, zoomable)
- Clear product title
- Price (prominently displayed)
- Product description (benefits, not just features)
- Add to cart button (obvious, above fold)
- Stock status
- Shipping information
- Customer reviews
Nice-to-haves:
- • Video demonstration • Size guides • Related products • Recently viewed
Shopping Cart
- Product thumbnails
- Quantity adjustments
- Remove item option
- Subtotal + estimated shipping
- Continue shopping link
- Proceed to checkout button
Checkout Process (Where Most Sales Are Lost)
Optimize relentlessly here.
Must-haves:
- • Guest checkout option
- • Minimal form fields
- • Progress indicator
- • Multiple payment options
- • Clear shipping options
- • Security badges and SSL
Common mistakes:
- • Requiring account creation
- • Too many form fields
- • Surprise shipping costs
- • Only one payment option
- • No security indicators
Key Pages
About Page
- • Your story
- • Why trust you
- • Team photos (optional)
- • Contact info
Contact Page
- • Email address
- • Phone (if you take calls)
- • Contact form
- • Business hours
Shipping Policy
- • Shipping methods
- • Timeframes
- • Costs / free thresholds
- • International options
Return Policy
- • Return window (30 days typical)
- • Conditions
- • Process
- • Who pays return shipping
Technical Requirements
Security (Non-negotiable)
- SSL certificate (HTTPS)
- PCI compliant payments
- Regular security updates
- Two-factor authentication
- Regular backups
Speed
Slow sites kill conversions.
- • Page load under 3 seconds
- • Mobile-optimized images
- • Minimal heavy scripts
Check: PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix
Mobile Optimization
70%+ of e-commerce browsing is mobile.
- • Responsive design
- • Touch-friendly buttons
- • Easy mobile checkout
- • Click-to-call
Payment & Shipping
Payment Processing
Essential options:
- • Credit/debit cards (Stripe, PayPal)
- • PayPal
- • Apple Pay / Google Pay
Consider:
- • Buy Now Pay Later (Klarna, Affirm)
- • Amazon Pay
Fees: ~2.9% + $0.30 per transaction is standard
Shipping Setup
Decisions to make:
- • Flat rate vs. calculated shipping
- • Free shipping threshold
- • Carriers (USPS, UPS, FedEx)
- • Handling time
- • Packaging costs
Tools: ShipStation, Shippo, Pirate Ship
Post-Launch Essentials
Analytics
You need to know:
- • How many visitors
- • Where they come from
- • What they look at
- • Where they drop off
- • Conversion rate
Setup: Google Analytics 4 + e-commerce tracking
Email Marketing
Basic automations:
- • Welcome email
- • Order confirmation
- • Shipping notification
- • Abandoned cart recovery
- • Post-purchase follow-up
- • Review request
Tools: Klaviyo, Mailchimp, Omnisend
Inventory Management
Even with 50 products:
- • Accurate stock counts
- • Low stock alerts
- • Oversell prevention
- • Regular audits
The E-commerce Checklist
Pre-Launch
- ☐ Products photographed and described
- ☐ Platform chosen and set up
- ☐ Payment processing configured
- ☐ Shipping rates set
- ☐ Tax collection enabled
- ☐ SSL certificate active
- ☐ Privacy policy and terms published
- ☐ Return policy created
Website
- ☐ Homepage showcases products
- ☐ Product pages complete
- ☐ Cart functions properly
- ☐ Checkout is simple and secure
- ☐ Guest checkout available
- ☐ Mobile experience excellent
- ☐ Site loads fast
Technical
- ☐ Google Analytics installed
- ☐ E-commerce tracking enabled
- ☐ Email automations set up
- ☐ Abandoned cart recovery active
- ☐ Inventory management in place
- ☐ Backups scheduled
Testing
- ☐ Complete a test purchase
- ☐ Test on mobile devices
- ☐ Test all payment methods
- ☐ Verify confirmation emails send
- ☐ Check shipping calculation accuracy
Ready to launch your online store?
We build e-commerce sites on WooCommerce and Shopify. All products set up. All configurations handled. Pick a time to discuss your store.
Jeff Gutowski
30 min with Jeff
30 min appointments
Google Meet video conference info added after booking
Select an appointment time
(GMT-04:00) Eastern Time - Detroit
August 2026
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