What to prepare before ordering an online store
LightSEO · Launch preparation
What to prepare before ordering an online store: an owner's checklist
Half of launch delays come from waiting for materials from the owner rather than from the developer's work. Here is the full list of what to gather in advance so the project moves fast instead of stalling.
2-3 days
to gather the whole list
×2
faster launch with materials ready
Block 1
Products and catalog
A price list or supplier file. An XML, XLSX or Prom.ua export is the key document of the project. It fills the catalog in hours instead of weeks of manual work.
Photos of at least your top 20 products. Real photos in even lighting are enough to start. The supplier file will pull in the rest.
A list of categories the way YOU see them. A specialist will build the final structure around search demand, and your view of the product range is the starting point.
Prices and markup. Decide before launch: one price for everyone or wholesale/retail, and whether there will be launch promotions.
Block 2
Brand and content
Name and domain. Short, easy to pronounce, without hyphens if possible. Check in advance that the domain is available in the .ua / .com.ua zones.
A logo – if you have one. No logo is no blocker: a simple text logo for the start takes a day, and "real" branding can be finished later.
2-3 websites you like. The fastest way to explain the style you want to a designer is to show examples, your own or your competitors'.
"About us" texts as bullet points. Who you are, why customers should trust you, where the products come from. Skip the literary style – 5-7 sentences of facts are enough, and editing is our job.
Blocks 3-4
Organization and access
Sole proprietor (FOP) and bank account. Connecting online payments and fiscalization requires a business account. Registration through Diia takes one day, and it is best done before the project starts.
Shipping and return terms. Which carrier you ship with, who pays for shipping, how many days customers have for returns. Both shoppers and Google Merchant Center review need these pages.
Contacts for the website. A business phone number (preferably separate from your personal one), email, working hours, messengers.
Access to an email for services. Google services and ad accounts are registered to it. Set up a separate work mailbox instead of using your "personal one from 2009".
Nothing on this list is a blocker: you can launch while gathering materials along the way. Still, every item you have ready takes a day or two off the project timeline.
Gathered at least half of the list? You can start
At the briefing we will go through every item and tell you what is critical now and what we can calmly finish after launch. After that – 14 days, and the store is taking orders.
📝 Book a briefing
Free consultation. We will send you this checklist as a handy file after the call
