What to prepare before building an online store

1. Prepare the product catalog and variants

Start with a sample of the products you plan to sell. Include names, descriptions, categories, prices, images, and any options customers choose. State how many products and variants you expect at launch, and whether you are moving data from an existing store or spreadsheet.

Treat options that have different stock or prices as separate requirements. For example, a blue shirt in medium and a blue shirt in large may each need their own SKU and stock quantity. Explain whether the store also needs bundles, pre-orders, made-to-order items, or downloadable products.

• Who will prepare and upload the product content?
• Which variants change the price or available stock?
• Do products need weight or dimensions for delivery calculations?

2. Decide where stock records will be managed

Describe how you track stock today and whether the same products are sold elsewhere. Identify which records should be the source of stock availability: the online store, an existing inventory system, or another agreed process.

Define when stock should be reserved or deducted, what happens when an unpaid order expires, and how cancellations or returns affect availability. If several orders can arrive for the last item, ask how the agreed checkout flow will handle that case. Multiple stock locations or connections to another system need to be included in the scope.

• Can customers order an item that is out of stock?
• When is stock released after a cancelled or unpaid order?
• Who can correct stock quantities, and do you need a record of those changes?

3. Define payment methods and payment status

List the payment methods you want to offer and any provider accounts you already have. Identify who will arrange the provider account and approvals, and which payment integrations belong in the project. Provider fees and account requirements should be checked with the chosen provider when planning launch.

Agree how the store confirms payment. A checkout submission and a confirmed payment are separate events. Describe how pending, successful, failed, or cancelled payments should appear to the customer and your team. If a method needs manual verification, decide who verifies it and what happens while the order waits.

• Can a customer retry payment on the same order?
• What happens if payment confirmation is delayed or received more than once?
• Who can approve a refund, and how will its status be recorded?

4. Write down delivery and pickup rules

List the areas you serve and whether customers can choose delivery, pickup, or both. Explain how you want to calculate charges: a fixed amount, an area-based rule, an order threshold, or a connection to a delivery service. Any automated integration needs to be agreed separately.

Describe what customers should see before placing an order: delivery charges, available options, and the delivery estimates your business can support. Decide what happens for an address outside your service area and for items that need special handling.

• Which address details are required?
• Are any products restricted to particular delivery options?
• Who updates tracking details or confirms that pickup is ready?

5. Map what your team does after an order

Write the steps your team follows from receiving an order to completing it. Name the person responsible for checking payment, preparing items, arranging delivery, and responding to changes. Specify what customer notifications you need and when they should be sent.

Keep payment status and fulfilment status clear. An order can be paid while still waiting to be packed. Decide which staff roles can view orders, change products, adjust stock, cancel an order, or handle refunds. Admin screens and these permissions should match the responsibilities in your agreed scope.

• Which order statuses do your team and customers need to see?
• What happens if a customer changes an address or cancels before dispatch?
• Do you need exports or a connection to another business tool?

6. Prepare content and a launch test checklist

Gather your branding, product content, business contact details, and the delivery, cancellation, and return information you want customers to read. Assign someone to review the product data and store information before launch. Note any missing content that could delay the schedule.

Agree on test cases for the complete shopping flow, including mobile browsing, variant selection, delivery charges, payment outcomes, order notifications, and stock changes. Use the payment provider’s test environment where available. A test checkout should also be followed through the staff workflow so your team can confirm what happens after the customer places the order.

• Can customers clearly see the total before placing an order?
• Have unavailable items, unsupported addresses, and failed payments been checked?
• Who will review the store and approve it for launch?

7. Agree on budget, deployment, and support

Separate what is essential for launch from features you can add later. Share your budget range and preferred launch date, plus any existing domain or hosting setup. Catalog complexity, integrations, order rules, admin features, and data migration affect the quotation.

You can choose source-code handover and arrange deployment yourself, or have KLUMI LABS handle deployment and hosting setup. Your quotation defines the deliverables, account access, responsibilities, revision scope, and support period. Plan for ongoing hosting, domain renewals, and any payment or other service fees separately from development.

• Who will manage products, stock, and store updates after launch?
• Which accounts and documentation are needed at handover?
• Which later features should be kept outside the first version?

Illustrative example

Walk through one order before defining the store

Use a sample order to describe the normal flow and the exceptions your store needs to handle. This fictional example can help you explain your requirements during scoping.

Product selection

A customer selects one blue shirt in medium. The store checks availability for that variant.

Checkout

The customer enters a supported delivery address and sees the item price and delivery charge before placing the order.

Payment

The order waits for payment confirmation. A failed payment offers the agreed retry or cancellation flow.

Fulfilment

After confirmed payment, staff prepare the item, record dispatch details, and send the agreed customer update.

Exception to clarify

If the order is cancelled before dispatch, the team follows the agreed refund and stock adjustment process.

List which steps should be automated and which are handled by staff. Bring your notes and a sample catalog to the requirements discussion; a complete technical specification is not needed to get started.