From idea to first sale in 10 steps

Before you spend, prove people want it. Check search demand, study 5 competitors, read their 1–3★ reviews for gaps, and try to pre-sell or collect waitlist emails. If 20 strangers give you an email address, you have a signal.

Hold inventory (best margins, more cash tied up), dropship (low risk, thin margins, less control), print-on-demand (no stock, design-led) or sell digital products (near-100% margins). Your model shapes everything after.

Hosted (easy, monthly fee), open-source (control, more upkeep), marketplace (built-in traffic, less brand) or creator platform (digital). Match the platform to your products and skills, not to hype.

Short, sayable, broad enough to grow into, with a matching .com and clear of trademarks in your market. Grab the social handles the same day.

Choose a fast, mobile-first theme. Set your logo, two brand colours and two fonts. Your homepage needs one promise, one hero image and one button. Write an About page with a real face.

Searchable titles, benefit-led descriptions, 3+ consistent photos, clear variants, reviews and FAQs. Price from your all-in cost per order, not from a competitor's tag.

Connect a payment gateway, offer wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal) where available, set shipping zones and a free-shipping threshold, and configure sales tax/VAT/GST for where you sell.

Privacy, terms, refunds and returns, shipping and contact pages. Add trust signals: secure checkout, a clear returns window, real contact details and reviews.

Run through the full checklist, place a real test order on mobile, check every email notification, connect analytics and Search Console, then go live, ideally 4–6 weeks before a peak sales date.

Start with people who already know you, then communities, content, SEO, email and partnerships. Turn on paid ads only once organic sales prove the offer, and keep spend below your break-even ROAS.