Before launching an ecommerce website, test a full order on a phone, show delivery and returns details on every product page, publish your policies, check payments, taxes and invoices, set up order emails or WhatsApp updates, make product pages answer size, material and delivery questions, and install purchase tracking. Then ask three outsiders to buy something.
Many launch problems are small. A delivery question with no answer, a checkout field that rejects a valid PIN code, an order email that never arrives. Each one costs a sale, and you will not hear about it. The checklist below finds them before shoppers do.
01. Do product pages answer the questions shoppers ask?
- A clear title and a price that includes or states tax.
- Several photos, including one that shows scale, and a zoom.
- Size, material, care and what is in the box.
- Whether it is in stock, and how soon it ships.
- Delivery time and cost, with a PIN code check if you can.
- A visible returns summary with a link to the full policy.
A question a shopper cannot answer on the page becomes a message to your team, or a lost sale.
02. Are your policies easy to find?
Publish a delivery policy, a returns and refund policy, a privacy policy, terms and a contact page, and link them from the footer and checkout. Have an adviser confirm which legal pages and business details Indian rules require for your kind of store. We are not a legal authority.
03. Does checkout work for your shoppers?
- Guests can buy without creating an account.
- The payment methods your customers actually use are available, such as UPI and cards, and cash on delivery if you offer it.
- Address fields accept Indian PIN codes and formats.
- The form asks for as little as possible.
- Errors are clear and appear next to the field.
04. Are taxes and invoices right?
Check how GST is calculated and shown, that your invoices carry the details your accountant needs, and that discounts and shipping fees are treated the way you expect. Run a few test orders and show the results to your accountant.
05. Do customers hear from you after they buy?
Send an order confirmation straight away, then updates when the order ships and when it is delivered. Many shoppers write to ask where their order is, so a clear update message prevents a lot of repetitive support. WhatsApp order updates can do this in the channel people read first.
06. Will search engines understand your products?
- Every product has its own description, not text copied from a supplier.
- Addresses are clean and readable.
- Product pages use structured data that matches what is visible on the page.
- The sitemap is submitted in Search Console.
- Pages load quickly on mobile.
07. Can you measure what happens?
Install tracking before launch for product views, add to cart, checkout started and purchase. Without it you cannot tell where shoppers drop out. If you plan to follow up on abandoned carts, do it only with the shopper's consent, and keep it short.
08. What should you test before you go live?
- Place an order on a phone with UPI, then with a card.
- Make a payment fail on purpose, and see what the shopper sees.
- Use a discount code, then remove it.
- Order something that is out of stock.
- Change an address after ordering.
- Request a return, all the way through.
- Check every email and message that goes out.
- Load the store on a slow connection.
Then ask three people outside your business to buy something and watch without helping. Our UI and UX checklist covers the same kind of testing for a landing page.
09. Where can an AI assistant help?
An assistant on the store can answer questions about products, delivery and returns while the shopper is still browsing, using your products, policies and order information. It can also send WhatsApp order updates and follow up on abandoned carts when the shopper has agreed to it.
Frequently asked questions
Which platform should I use?
Shopify suits an online store with standard checkout. WooCommerce suits a store inside an existing WordPress site. Custom builds suit unusual requirements.
How long does an online store take?
Our online store projects take four to eight weeks, and are quoted after a call.
Does the AI assistant work with Shopify?
Yes. We confirm the connection to your products, policies and order information on the call.
Should I launch with every product?
No. Launch with the products that are fully described and photographed. Add the rest as they are ready.
