Building an online shop: From retail store to online shop — your practical guide for a successful start

Short and concise

• Choose a proven shop system or an e-commerce platform that fits your product range and budget.
• Clearly define your business idea, target group and product categories before you start.
• Design home page, product pages and navigation clearly for maximum usability and conversion rate.
• Plan technology, maintenance, and marketing costs realistically — marketing determines success.
• Build customer service, support and email communication right from the start.

The online shop as an opportunity

Do you run a successful retail store and are thinking of offering your products online as well?

It's an excellent idea.

The step into e-commerce is the logical consequence of reaching out to new target groups and making your business future-proof.

But many businesses and operators are uncertain: Which shop system Is that the right one?

What costs will I have to pay?

And how do I make sure that anyone even finds the shop?

This article is your practical guide.

We'll guide you through the most important steps in an online shop setup, uncover the typical costs and show you what really matters to be successful from day one:
the right marketing strategy.

Definition & idea: What does online shop actually mean?

An online shop is a digital webpage, on which products or goods are sold.

It belongs to online trading and is a fixed part of the modern e-commerce.

Through a webshop, businesses can reach their customers directly and thus build a sustainable online shop.

However, before launching your own online shop, having the right business idea is crucial:
Which product categories will you offer? Which target group do you want to address? What benefits does your offer have compared to other online retailers or marketplaces?

A clear definition of your idea is the first stride for success in the e-commerce market.

Tips, a checklist, and an analysis of potential drawbacks can help with this before you invest time, money, and energy in the endeavor.

The first steps in setting up an online shop

Building an online shop starts at the outset with important decisions.

The key factors are the choice of suitable domain, the right legal form and the appropriate shop system or a complete e-commerce platform.

Even the structure plays a major role: A clear homepage, well-designed product pages and a simple selection for the user improve the usability and increase the conversion rate.

During setup, you should also think about elements like an email address for support or customer service.

From the outset, it is recommended to use a checklist to keep track of all important tasks — from the creation of the designs to frequently asked questions that your existing customers can answer quickly.

With these first steps, you pave the way for your online business and increase the chance of success in your digital store.

The technical basis: Which shop system is right for you?

An online shop is more than just a website.

It is your digital shop window, sales room and cash register all in one.

The most important technical requirement: Speed and usability.

Customers are impatient.

When your webshop loads slowly because you have a lot of products with different variants (sizes, colors), potential buyers leave before they have even seen a product.

Our clear recommendation for the start: Shopify

For online retailers who start with a manageable to medium-sized range of products, in practice, Shopify has repeatedly proven to be the best solution.

Why?

• Sophisticated and user-friendly: Shopify has already considered many of the hurdles of setting up an online shop. Features such as invoicing, data exports, email integration and connection to an inventory management system are often just a few clicks away.
• Performance and stability: The systems are designed to run quickly and reliably without you having to worry about server technology.
• Streamlined checkout process: The purchase process with Shopify is one of the best on the market. It is designed in such a way that as few customers as possible abandon the purchase.

Even if you decide on another shop system, you should use the Shopify checkout as an example.

Target group and product selection: What and for whom do you sell online?

Before you start your own online store, there is a central question to consider:

‍Who are you offering your products to and which are best suited to your target group?

The better you know your potential users, the more targeted you can align your product categories, your offer and marketing measures — this increases the conversion rate and ensures sustainable turnover.

Product selection examples

Use customer reviews, comments, and market analysis to continuously optimize your product selection.

Design and structure: How to make your online shop customer-friendly

The design and the structure of your webshop are decisive for whether customers have a good experience.

A clear, concise setup helps users search specifically for products.

• Use an intuitive navigation.
• Pay attention to mobile-friendliness — responsive websites are mandatory.
• Make use of high quality product pages with clear descriptions and professional images.

A user-friendly online shop is the basis for satisfied customers and increasing sales — so invest in a well-thought-out structure and a convincing design.

When do systems like Shopware or Magento make sense?

If you manage a very large range of products, have complex warehouse processes or several marketplaces like eBay and Amazon you want to control from a central inventory management system, simple systems reach their limits.

Systems such as Shopware or Magento offer more depth — but also more expenses and outlay.

Important tip: Don't try to reinvent the wheel.

When setting up an online shop, rely on tried-and-tested e-commerce platforms.

Order process and payment methods: Smooth and secure

A successful online store impresses with an uncomplicated and secure ordering process.

• Payment procedure: Credit card, PayPal, instant transfer, purchase on account.
• transparency: Clear communication of shipping costs and delivery times.
• security: SSL encryption, certified payment providers.

Legal regulations: What you need to consider as an online retailer

As an online retailer, you are required to comply with legal requirements: GDPR, Impressum, Terms and Conditions, Right of Withdrawal.

Mandatory legal elements

Compliance with all regulations is not only mandatory, but also a quality feature.

The costs at a glance: What do you have to expect?

The cost of an online shop can be divided into three main areas:

• Technical maintenance costs: domain, server, plug-ins.
• Maintenance costs: Product data management, inventory.
• marketing costs: promotion, social commerce, content.

As a rough house number: 100-150 € per month for technology.

However, the decisive lever for success lies in the marketing budget.

90% of your success: Marketing

An online shop without visitors is like a shop on a deserted street.

Therefore, the following applies: 90% of your time and budget goes into marketing.

• Make use of social media platforms (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube).
• Use landing pages for individual products.
• Build a base of existing customers through email marketing.
• Start with organic reach.

Tips for more success in online business

For your online shop to be profitable in the long term, you should:

• Optimize your shop continuously
• Reach your customers with regular email marketing
• ensure a clear structure and good usability
• Measure your conversion rate regularly
• Involve a team or designers if the endeavor becomes too big

This is how you secure an important place for yourself in the e-commerce market and ensure your long-term success.

Focus is everything

Building an online shop is an entrepreneurial endeavor  that is worth it.

The key to success lies not only in technology, but in the commercialization.

Checklist to get started:

• Start smart with a proven shop system.
• Plan costs for technology, maintenance, promotion.
• Focus on marketing and customer service.
• Optimize only when there are enough users.

With this strategic approach, your own online shop is not just a digital extension of your business, but a strong, independent revenue engine.

Securing and growing your online business

Plan ahead and rely on a future-proof e-commerce platform, an optimized homepage and professional customer communication.

This is how you increase reach, conversion rate and sales right from the start.

Get free advice now and take the next step