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Guide

Online store: where to start without losing focus

The most common mistake when starting is not the wrong technology, but the wrong first step. A sequence that has proven itself in small businesses.

Request assessment ↗Online shop
Quote on request6 to 12 weeksAs of 2026
In short

Getting started with an online store doesn't begin with technology, but with a week of tracking: what repeats, what costs the most time. Then a single, clearly defined process with a measurable goal — only with clear scope do quotes become comparable at all.

01 — Getting started

Where to begin

  1. Name the bottleneck

    Not the most interesting thing, but what takes the most time. A week of tracking what repeats delivers a more realistic list than any workshop.

  2. Define a small scope

    One process, one measurable goal. What works gets expanded — what doesn't costs little.

  3. Survey the starting situation

    What content, data, and access is available. For an online shop, this is the factor that most strongly influences effort and timeline.

  4. Decide who is responsible

    For the implementation and for operations afterward. Without this definition, every system becomes outdated.

  5. Only then request proposals

    With a clear scope, proposals become comparable. Without it, you get numbers that have nothing to do with each other.

02 — Fit

When it's worth it

  • The process in question occurs at least weekly.
  • It follows rules you can write down — even if there are exceptions.
  • Today it's manual work that no one enjoys doing.
  • There's one person who decides, not three who need to coordinate.
  • You can name what would tell you it worked.

03 — Checklist

Clarify before the first quote

  • What should improve? In one sentence, no jargon.
  • How will you know? One number that should change.
  • Who decides? One person, not a committee.
  • What budget is available? A range is enough — it makes quotes comparable instead of arbitrary.
  • By when? And what the deadline depends on.
  • Which systems are involved? And who has access to them.
  • What do you already have? Content, data, preliminary work — this reduces the cost.

04 — Questions

Frequently asked questions

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Can we migrate from an existing shop?

Yes, with transfer of products, customers and order history. Redirects from the old product URLs are important — without them you lose the visibility of the previous pages.

05 — Next

Related pages

Online shop by region

Next step

Send us a few sentences about your project.

We read every inquiry ourselves and respond personally. No sales team, no callback form into the void.

Send inquiry ↗ office@pipeline-solutions.at OR +43 681 207 64 203