PIPELINEGuide
Online Store: Process, Approach and What We Need from You
The process for an online shop from initial inquiry to live operation — including what you need to provide for it to work.
An online shop project runs in 4 steps: from “Product range and workflows” to “Test orders”, totaling 6 to 12 weeks. Each step ends with clear approval before the next one begins.
01 — Process
The steps in detail
Product range and workflows
How many products, which variants, how shipping and returns currently work.
Choose platform
Based on product range size, integration needs, and who will maintain the shop later.
Setup
Shop, payments, shipping, integration, legal texts.
Test orders
We process test orders — including returns, cancellations, and payment failures.
02 — Participation
What we need from you
- A contact person who can make decisions — not just forward them.
- Access to the affected systems, in time and not on launch day.
- Real examples from daily business — the messier, the more useful for testing.
- Two to four hours for coordination, distributed over the project duration.
- An answer to the question of what success means. Without it, nothing can be assessed afterward.
03 — Scope
What's included
- Set up on a platform that fits your size, not the largest one
- Payment methods actually used in German-speaking countries
- Shipping and tax logic including delivery thresholds for EU shipping
- Integration with inventory management or accounting
- Legal texts, right of withdrawal, and button solution correctly implemented
- Accessibility according to WCAG 2.1 AA — mandatory for shops in B2C business
04 — Questions
Frequently asked questions
How many products are still manageable without expensive additional systems?
Up to a few hundred products, the standard features of common platforms are perfectly sufficient. Only with several thousand products with complex variants is it worth looking at specialized inventory management.
How does VAT work for EU shipping?
Above the threshold, tax is paid in the destination country, usually through the One-Stop-Shop procedure. The store must calculate tax rates correctly for each country — this is set up during setup and isn't a detail you patch afterward.
What does ongoing operation cost?
Platform fees, payment providers, hosting and maintenance are ongoing costs, even before the first order comes in. How much that is in each case depends on the chosen platform and the product range — we calculate this transparently in the quote so there are no surprises.
Shopify, WooCommerce or something else?
Shopify if you want to start quickly and can live with the ongoing fees. WooCommerce if you already run WordPress and have someone who does updates. With complex inventory management, it's worth looking at specialized systems. There's no answer that's right for everyone.
Does our shop need to be accessible?
Yes, very likely. Online shops in consumer business are explicitly listed in the Austrian Barrierefreiheitsgesetz (Accessibility Act), which has been in effect since June 28, 2025. The exemption for micro-enterprises applies to services, not to product sales. Violations can be penalized with administrative fines up to 80,000 euros.
Can we sell internationally?
Yes, that's a matter of setup, not platform: languages, currencies, shipping zones and tax rates per target country need to be configured properly — we plan that in from the start if desired.
What about returns?
The cancellation policy and the technical process for returns are part of the legally compliant basic setup. How you handle returns in practice remains your decision — we implement what you define.
05 — Decision
How to move forward
The most affordable next step is a conversation, not a quote. Twenty minutes is usually enough to clarify whether a project makes sense, what scope it involves, and whether we're the right fit.
If we're not, we'll say so. An honest no costs less than a project you abandon after three months — for both sides.
Next step
Initial assessment, no obligation.
Briefly describe what you need. You'll get an honest answer about what's realistic and what it will roughly cost.