Published: · Updated: · 2 min read
The technical part of an online store is often ready sooner than the decisions it needs: what is sold, how, at what delivery price and what happens on return. This checklist gathers those decisions so the project does not stall right after it starts.
Organise product data
Each product needs a name, description, price, image, category and any variants. In one spreadsheet with one structure — that turns import into hours instead of weeks. Decide in advance which system is the source of stock information: the store itself, a warehouse program or manual updates.
Map the order journey
Decide whether guest checkout is available (it usually increases completed orders), which details customers enter and what they see after successful and failed payments. The fewer mandatory fields, the more completed orders.
Choose payment methods
Commercial approval from the bank or provider and a merchant account are needed before technical integration — this takes days to weeks, so start in the project’s first week. The business should control the accounts and access. Account for the commission too: it is not in the proposal but affects your pricing. Cash on delivery remains a popular option in many Georgian stores.
Define delivery rules
List service zones (Tbilisi, regions, abroad), rates, free-delivery thresholds, pickup and information shared with couriers. The simpler the rule in the first version, the sooner the store launches; complex schemes can be added later. Reflect data sharing with couriers in the privacy policy.
Prepare policies
Publish accurate payment, delivery, returns and privacy information based on how the business actually operates — not a template you do not follow. Payment providers often require these pages, and for buyers they are the main source of trust.
Plan testing
Before launch test prices, discounts, stock, cart, every payment outcome (successful, cancelled, failed), notifications to buyer and admin, order statuses and refund handling — on a real phone as well. What creates a store’s cost: how much an online store costs; the service itself: online store development.