How to set up an online store

The platform is the technological foundation of your store. The choice depends on your product volume, budget, customisation needs and your team’s technical capacity. There is no universally superior option — only the one that best fits your context.

SaaS options like Shopify offer speed to market and managed infrastructure. Open-source solutions like WooCommerce or PrestaShop provide greater control but require technical management. For complex projects, headless platforms like Medusa or commercetools allow fully custom experiences.

A well-structured catalog is critical for navigation, SEO and conversion. Every product should have professional photography, unique benefit-oriented descriptions, clear variants (size, colour, format) and coherent categorisation.

Invest time in defining your taxonomy before uploading products. Well-thought-out categories, tags, filters and attributes make browsing easier and reduce bounce rates. PIM (Product Information Management) tools help manage large catalogs efficiently.

Offering the right payment methods directly impacts conversion. In markets like Spain, credit/debit cards and Bizum dominate. Internationally, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay and local methods like Klarna or iDEAL can make or break a sale.

The technical integration must comply with PCI DSS standards. Gateways like Stripe, Adyen or Redsys handle compliance complexity and provide well-documented APIs. Evaluate per-transaction fees, monthly fixed costs and the checkout experience they deliver.

Logistics is the link between the digital sale and the customer’s physical experience. Defining a clear shipping strategy from the start prevents operational issues and recurring complaints.

Decide whether you’ll manage warehousing internally or use a 3PL (third-party logistics) provider. Configure shipping zones, rates (flat, weight-based, free above a threshold), delivery timeframes and your returns policy. Integrations with carriers like DHL, FedEx, UPS or local providers automate label generation and tracking.

Every online store operating in the EU must comply with a set of legal obligations. Non-compliance can lead to financial penalties and loss of consumer trust.

Before going live, run a full audit: check page speed, the mobile purchase flow, transactional emails (order confirmation, shipping, returns), correct tax application and the functionality of coupons or promotions.

Set up analytics tools (GA4, server-side tracking), conversion pixels for paid campaigns and an error monitoring system. A soft launch with a small group of real users lets you catch issues before the public opening.