Starting a store · Preparation · Catalogue
How to launch an online store: from products to the first order
A practical plan to start an online store: product data, delivery, payments, legal checks and test orders, for new brands and businesses already selling.
Alphabite · Online store design and development team ·
Updated:
To start an online store, first define what you will sell and how you will fulfil orders. Then prepare product data, delivery, payments and the legal and tax requirements, choose a platform and design, and test real orders before launch. Good preparation connects these decisions before they become launch blockers.
1. Establish what is ready today
If you have an idea, first define the products, supplier and customers. You do not need a huge catalogue. You need a real selection for which you can provide information, stock and delivery.
If you already sell through Instagram, a marketplace or a physical shop, use actual customer questions. Which sizes confuse people? What do they ask before buying? When do they message to check stock? Those answers help shape categories and product pages.
| Your situation | Prepare this first |
|---|---|
| New brand | A product selection, supplier, photos, stock plan and someone responsible for orders. |
| Already selling | A catalogue with codes and variants, frequent customer questions and your current fulfilment process. |
2. Prepare product data before importing
A well-filled spreadsheet is more useful than a folder of unrelated images. Distinguish each sellable variant: a black T-shirt in medium and the same shirt in large, for example. Check several different products before repeating errors across a whole catalogue.
| Field | Example / check |
|---|---|
| Name and code | Linen shirt · LIN-BLU-M. The code identifies this particular variant. |
| Category and variants | Shirts → blue → medium. Use consistent size values. |
| Price and stock | Supply the current selling price and identify where stock updates come from. |
| Photos and description | Overall view, details, material, measurements and product care. |
| Delivery | Weight, package dimensions or any restriction that affects dispatch. |
3. Decide how an order reaches the customer
Describe an order from beginning to end: who receives the notification, checks availability, packs it and deals with problems? If those roles are unclear, a new store will expose the same issue to more people.
Define delivery zones, methods, lead times, free-delivery rules and pickup options. For payments, verify business eligibility and the specific payment method rather than just a provider’s logo.
- Which system owns the correct stock figure: the store, warehouse software or another channel?
- How will you handle unavailable items, cancelled orders and refunds?
- Who sees and resolves failed connections to external systems?
4. Separate launch essentials from later improvements
Your first version must let customers choose and buy, and let your team fulfil the order. Write down which features are essential to that process and which can follow later.
For a new physical-product brand, an initial scope might include categories, variants, payment, delivery, notifications and content editing. Loyalty or complex automation can follow if it is not necessary for the first sale. This is an example, not a universal package.
5. Design should answer customer questions
Prepare the logo, visual direction and real product photography. On a phone, check whether someone understands the offer, finds a variant and sees essential information without hunting through menus.
Appearance cannot replace product information. Measurements may matter most for clothing; ingredients for cosmetics; collection and delivery conditions for food. Choose information around your products instead of copying another store.
6. Prepare the business side too
A technically ready website is not automatically a ready business. Before launch, discuss at least the following topics with your accountant, and with a lawyer where needed, for a store selling in Bulgaria:
This is a list for that conversation, not legal or tax advice. Requirements change and depend on your activity, so check the current guidance from the National Revenue Agency (NRA) and the Consumer Protection Commission for your case.
For INARA, we also helped the founders with practical launch preparation: the domain, branded email, payment-provider onboarding and courier setup.
- Whether your payment methods require fiscal receipts and submitting store information to the NRA.
- The right of withdrawal, applicable exceptions and return information customers need before ordering.
- Terms and conditions and the mandatory trader information on the website.
- Personal data under the GDPR: a privacy policy, cookie consent and which data is shared with couriers, payment and marketing services.
- VAT registration where applicable, and the rules for selling to other EU countries.
NRA: requirements for online sellers
7. Test a successful purchase and a failure
Place an order as a new customer on a phone, then process it as a team member. Check totals, notifications and inventory at both ends. Include a scenario where something goes wrong.
8. Watch the whole journey after launch
Review where visitors come from, which products they view and where they stop buying. Compare those observations with actual orders and questions received by your team. A visit alone does not establish purchase intent.
Start with a specific problem: unclear sizing, a missing delivery option, declined payments or slow order handling. Fix it, check the result and use that evidence to choose the next improvement.
Prepare a short project brief
For a first conversation, it is enough to know what you sell, who your customers are, what is already ready, how you will deliver and which task takes the most time today. Add a catalogue or current store if you have one.
We use these details to discuss what you need for launch and what can wait until later. The first conversation is free and without obligation.
Frequently asked questions
What do I need to start an online store?
Products with information, images, prices and stock; a way to deliver and take payment; someone to process orders; and clarity on the legal and tax requirements. The platform and design are chosen around those decisions.
Do I need to register my online store with the Bulgarian tax authority?
Not in every case. The NRA requires information from online sellers accepting payments that require a fiscal receipt. If you do not accept those payments, that obligation does not arise on that basis. Confirm the applicable payment regime with your accountant.
Can customers return products bought online?
For consumer purchases of goods online, the withdrawal period is usually 14 days from delivery. Exceptions include perishable and made-to-order goods. Confirm the rules for your products with a lawyer and explain them before customers order.
How long does it take to create an online store?
It depends on how ready your product data is, the number of integrations, the design scope and how quickly decisions are made on your side. Delays often come from unprepared products, delivery and payments rather than from the website itself.
Can I start an online store with a small catalogue?
Yes. Complete product information, real stock and working delivery matter more than a large catalogue. Expand it once the first orders run smoothly.