How to start an online shop: a practical checklist

Starting an online shop is much less daunting when you do things in the right order. Most people jump straight to “which platform?” and get stuck. Sort the foundations first and the platform choice almost makes itself. Here's the sequence, with the tools for each step.

1. Nail the name

Your name carries everything else, so spend a little time here. Aim for something easy to say, spell and remember, with a matching domain free. Our business name generator suggests ideas and hides the taken ones; the rules behind a good one are in how to choose a domain name.

2. Get the domain (and the email)

Register your domain — see .com or .co.uk to choose the ending — and set up a professional email address on it at the same time. orders@yourshop.co.uk beats a free webmail address on every order confirmation you'll ever send.

3. Work out your prices before you build anything

This is the step that decides whether the shop makes money, and it's free to do now. Calculate your true cost per item and the price you need to charge with the product pricing calculator, and read how to price a product so margin and markup don't trip you up. If you'll sell on marketplaces too, the combined pricer shows what to charge on each so the fees don't eat your profit.

4. Choose where the shop lives

Now the platform question, with eyes open. All-in-one builders are quick but cost more over time and lock you in; your own site (e.g. WordPress + WooCommerce on standard hosting) is portable and usually cheaper per year. Compare the real numbers for your volume with the platform cost & lock-in tool, and weigh it up in Wix, Squarespace or your own website.

5. Build, secure and polish

Set up the shop, add your products with good photos and honest descriptions, and connect a payment provider (Stripe or PayPal are the usual starting points). Make sure the site has a free SSL certificate (essential for taking payment), a favicon, and the legal pages a shop needs — generate a privacy policy and terms with the privacy & terms generator.

6. Launch, then tell people

Do a few test orders end to end, check the confirmation emails land in the inbox, then open the doors. Launching is the start, not the finish — share it, ask early customers for reviews, and keep improving.

The shortcut for steps 2–5

Domain, hosting, SSL, email and one-click WooCommerce, set up together and plainly priced, gets you from “name” to “ready to add products” fast. That's exactly what Centaur is built to do — and with no lock-in, the shop stays yours.