--- title: How to start an online store from scratch: step-by-step instructions url: https://blog.krasovskiy.team/en/how-to-start-an-online-store-from-scratch-step-by-step-instructions/ date: 2026-07-14 lang: en source: blog.krasovskiy.team --- # How to start an online store from scratch: step-by-step instructions [Starting an online store from scratch is real](https://blog.krasovskiy.team/zhurnal-pro-internet-marketyng-ta-onlajn-biznes/), even if the budget is limited to a couple of thousand hryvnias, and there is no experience at all. For example, in 2023, more than 12,000 new online businesses were registered in Ukraine, and half of them started with minimal investments: without warehouses, own production or staff. The main thing is not to rush in all directions at once, but to clearly go through several stages: from choosing a niche to the first sales, and we will talk about this later. ## Why you should open an online store in 2026 [2026 is the perfect time to launch](https://blog.krasovskiy.team/efektyvni-instrumenty-dlia-onlain-prosuvannia-biznesu-v-2026/) an online store, and here's why. The e-commerce market in Ukraine and the world is growing rapidly: according to [Statista](https://www.statista.com/), by 2027 the volume of online sales will exceed $6.5 trillion, and the share of Ukrainians who buy on the Internet has already reached 70%. The pandemic has changed consumer habits forever—people now expect speed, convenience, and personalization that brick-and-mortar stores can't provide. For example, 63% of buyers choose online because of the ability to compare prices in one click, and 45% - because of home delivery with no queues. In addition, starting an online store requires much smaller investments than opening an offline point: there is no need to rent premises, hire a large staff or pay for utilities. The starting budget can be from $500-1000, while for a traditional store this amount increases several times. Another significant advantage is flexibility. An online business allows you to test niches, quickly adapt to demand and scale without geographical limitations. For example, if you sell eco-cosmetics, your customers can become not only Kyivans, but also residents of Lviv or Kharkiv, and thanks to integration with marketplaces, even foreign buyers. In addition, customer data (purchase history, behavior on the site) helps to set up targeted advertising and increase conversion - on average 20-30% more effectively than offline. And don't forget about automation: CRM systems, chatbots, and analytics plugins take the routine off your shoulders, allowing you to focus on strategy. [In 2026, online shopping is](https://blog.krasovskiy.team/reiestratsiia-domenu-pokrokova-instruktsiia-2026-roku/) not just a trend, but a necessity for those who want to remain competitive. ### Main advantages of online business Starting an online store is like opening the door to a world where you don't need to pay for rent, hire dozens of employees, or limit yourself by geography. The first and obvious advantage is a **low entry threshold**. Instead of hundreds of thousands of hryvnias to start an offline business, you can start online with 10-20 thousand: a domain, hosting, a basic site on the constructor or WooCommerce. For example, the Shopify platform allows you to start a store for $29/month, and Ukrainian analogues such as Prom.ua — from UAH 500. There is no need to buy goods in advance: dropshipping or custom work remove the risks of remaining with unsold balances. **Global market** is not just beautiful words. Your store is open 24/7, and a customer from another city or country can order an item at 3 in the morning while you sleep. Imagine: a small handmade ceramics shop from Ivano-Frankivsk suddenly receives orders from Canada or Australia — and all thanks to the fact that the site is available online. According to Statista, in 2023 the volume of the global e-commerce market exceeded $5.7 trillion, and this figure is growing by 10-15% every year. Even if you sell a niche product, finding your audience is easier than in a physical store. **Sales automation** is what makes online business scalable. CRM systems like HubSpot or Ukraine's SendPulse automatically send emails with reminders about abandoned carts, offer personalized discounts, and chatbots answer typical customer questions. Payment systems (LiqPay, Fondy, WayForPay) integrate with the site and process transactions without your participation. Even logistics can be automated: for example, Nova Poshta provides an API for tracking shipments, and services like ShipStation aggregate delivery from different carriers. As a result, one entrepreneur can manage a business that handles hundreds of orders per month — without a staff of managers. ## Step 1: Niche selection and market analysis The first step is not to invent a bicycle, but to find a niche where there is already demand, but not too fierce competition. Start with something that interests you: a hobby, professional knowledge, or pain points that you yourself experience as a consumer. For example, if you're into sports, consider niches like sustainable sports nutrition, personalized exercise equipment, or yoga accessories. In 2026, the following segments will grow rapidly: products for pets (+15% annual growth according to [Statista](#)), eco-products (the market is estimated at $12 billion by 2027), as well as niches with high margins - handmade, premium cosmetics or smart home appliances. Use free tools to check the viability of a niche. In Google Trends, look at the dynamics of requests over the last 5 years: if the graph is growing steadily or has seasonal peaks (for example, "electric bikes" take off in the spring), this is a good sign. In the Keyword Planner from Google Ads, estimate the volume of search queries - from 1 thousand to 10 thousand queries per month for niche keywords indicates sufficient demand. Pay attention to the cost per click (CPC): if it is higher than $1, competitors are willing to pay for traffic, so the niche is profitable. Start your competitor analysis with the three or four biggest players in your niche. Study their sites with [SimilarWeb](#) or [SEMrush](#): where they get traffic from (organic search, social media, advertising), what keywords they use, how often they update their inventory. Pay attention to weak points: for example, if competitors do not offer free shipping or product personalization, this is your chance to stand out. Don't ignore feedback on their social media pages — customer complaints ("long wait for a response," "no size") will tell you where you can do better. Define the target audience using the "personas" method. Imagine your ideal customer: age, gender, income, location, interests. For example, if you sell organic baby cosmetics, your persona would be a 25-35-year-old mom with an above-average income who lives in a big city, reads healthy lifestyle blogs, and is active on Instagram. Test your guesses with social media polls or tools like [Facebook Audience Insights](#) to reveal real-world demographics of audiences interested in similar products. ### Market and competitor analysis tools To understand if your product is needed in the market, start with free tools. **Google Trends** will show the seasonality of demand: for example, the demand for "electric bicycles" in Ukraine increases by 30% from April to June, and "warm socks" - in October-November. Compare the regions: in Lviv, people search for "takeaway coffee" 2 times more often than in Kharkiv. **Google Keyword Planner** (free with an advertising account) will give the volume of searches - for example, "buy wireless headphones" is searched 12 thousand times a month, but "wireless noise canceling headphones" - only 1.5 thousand. This will help narrow the niche. For a deeper analysis of competitors, use paid tools. **SEMrush** or **Ahrefs** will show which keywords the competitors are ranking for, how much traffic they get (for example, the site "Rozetka" collects 40% of traffic for the request "buy a smartphone Kyiv") and which pages they have the most popular. Pay attention to backlinks - if a competitor has a link from Nova Poshta or Epicenter, this is a signal of a partnership that should be repeated. **SimilarWeb** will evaluate the total traffic of competing sites, the sources of visits (organic search, social networks, advertising) and even the countries where the customers are coming from. For example, if 60% of a competitor's traffic comes from Facebook, you should run targeted advertising there. ## Step 2: Business registration and legal aspects In order to legally sell online in Ukraine, you need to register a business - most often choose a FOP or LLC. FOP is easier: a minimum of documents, quick registration (1-3 days) and lower taxes. For this, you will need a passport, TIN, application form No. 10 and a receipt for the payment of the administrative fee (about UAH 850). You can register online through [Diia](https://diia.gov.ua/) or in the National Center for Social and Environmental Affairs. An LLC is more complicated: a statute, a founding agreement, notarization of signatures and more time (up to 10 days) are required. The cost of registering an LLC is from UAH 3,000 to 5,000, depending on the lawyer's services. The choice of form depends on the scale: FOP is suitable for starting, LLC — if you plan to attract investors or work with large counterparties. ![online business 2026](https://blog.krasovskiy.team/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/iak-zapustyty-internet-mahazyn-z-nulia-pokrokova-instruktsiia-inline1.jpg) For the FOP online store, choose one of three taxation systems: a single tax (group 2 or 3), a general system or a simplified VAT system. The most popular is group 3 of the single tax: the rate is 5% of income (without VAT) or 3% + VAT (if you are registered as a VAT payer). The annual income limit for group 3 is UAH 7.8 million (in 2026). If you exceed it, you automatically switch to the general system (18% income tax + 1.5% military levy). For group 2 (the rate is 20% of the minimum, in 2026 — 1,420 UAH/month) the income limit is 1.5 million UAH. The general system is advantageous if you have large expenses (for example, for the purchase of goods) that can be taken into account when calculating income tax. Separately - about licenses and permits. For most goods (clothes, shoes, electronics) they are not needed. But if you sell alcohol, tobacco, medicines, jewelry or baby food, you will have to get licenses. For example, for alcohol — from UAH 780 per year (for sole traders) to UAH 55,000 (for LLCs). It is also necessary to register the cash register (POS) - this is mandatory for everyone who accepts cash or cards. The exception is if you are on a single tax of groups 2 or 3 and your annual income does not exceed UAH 1 million (then you can issue fiscal checks through [State Register of the Tax Administration](https://tax.gov.ua/)). Do not forget about the contract with the payment aggregator (for example, Fondy, WayForPay) - without it, you will not accept online payments. ## Step 3: Choosing a platform for an online store Choosing a platform is the foundation of your online store, which depends on the ease of use and scalability. The most popular options are **Shopify**, **WooCommerce** and **OpenCart**. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, and the choice depends on budget, technical skills and future plans. **Shopify** is a cloud-based SaaS solution that requires no server or hosting setup. Suitable for those who want to start quickly: register, choose a tariff (from $29/month), choose a template — and the store is ready. Advantages: intuitive interface, built-in payments (Shopify Payments), security and 24/7 support. Cons: limited customization (no access to the code), transaction fees (if you don't use Shopify Payments - from 0.5% to 2%), and for each additional functionality you will have to pay (or buy paid apps). Ideal for startups and small businesses that don't want to mess with technical nuances. **WooCommerce** is a free WordPress plugin that turns your site into a full-fledged online store. Advantages: full control over design and functionality (thousands of free and paid themes and plugins), no transaction fees (you only pay payment systems), the ability to integrate with any services. Disadvantages: hosting (from $5/month), basic knowledge of WordPress (or money for a developer) is required, and as traffic grows, you will have to optimize the site yourself. Suitable for those who plan to scale their business and want flexibility - for example, add a blog, forum or custom product filters. **OpenCart** is a free CMS specially created for e-commerce. Lighter than WooCommerce, but more flexible than Shopify. Advantages: simple interface, a large number of free modules (payment, delivery, SEO), multilingual support "out of the box". Cons: Fewer themes and plugins compared to WooCommerce, weak community support (especially in Ukraine), and serious modifications will require a programmer. An option for those looking for a balance between simplicity and customization, but not willing to pay for Shopify. Tip: before making a final choice, test the demo versions of the platforms or use the free trial periods (Shopify - 3 days, WooCommerce can be installed on a local server). Pay attention to the cost of additional tools: for example, Shopify has an email marketing plugin for $20/month, while WooCommerce has free counterparts. And remember: the cheapest platform at the start can become the most expensive to maintain when the business starts to grow. ### How to set up an online store on WooCommerce To run an online store on WooCommerce, start by installing the plugin: In WordPress, go to Plugins → Add New, find WooCommerce and click Install, then Activate. After activation, the settings wizard will start - fill in the basic data: currency (for example, hryvnia), payment methods (Stripe, PayPal, cash on delivery) and delivery (Nova Poshta, Ukrposhta, courier). Do not forget to include taxes: for Ukraine it is usually 20% VAT, but check the current tax requirements. The next step is choosing a topic. Focus on speed and adaptability: Astra, Storefront (free from WooCommerce) or Flatsome (paid, but with ready-made store templates). Install a theme via "Appearance" → "Themes" → "Add New". After activation, go to Theme Settings and customize colors, fonts, and logo - it will take 10-15 minutes. If you need additional features (for example, product filters or multilingualism), install plugins: WooCommerce Product Filter (for sorting), WPML (for translation) or Yoast SEO (for optimization). Optimize each product for SEO: add a unique description (at least 200 words), meta tags (title and description via Yoast SEO), alternative text to images (for example, "black Nike Air Max sneakers") and structured data (Schema Pro plugin). Configure permalinks: in "Settings" → "Permalinks", select the format "/%postname%/" - this will improve indexing. Don't forget speed: compress images (Smush plugin), enable caching (WP Rocket or LiteSpeed Cache) and choose hosting with SSD and PHP 8.0+ support (eg Hostinger or SiteGround). Done! Now your store is up and running, but don't forget to regularly update plugins, test speed (via Google PageSpeed ​​Insights) and analyze user behavior (Google Analytics + Hotjar). The first sales will appear in 2-4 weeks if you have optimized SEO and launched advertising (for example, Facebook Ads or Google Shopping). ## Step 4: Purchase of goods and logistics Purchase is what makes your online store profitable. There are two main ways: wholesale purchase or dropshipping. Wholesale is profitable if you are ready to invest 10-50 thousand UAH at the start, store the goods in your own warehouse or use fulfillment services (for example, [Rozetka Fulfillment](https://fulfillment.rozetka.com.ua/) or [Prom Fulfillment](https://prom.ua/fulfillment)). Dropshipping is when the supplier ships the product directly to the customer, and you only forward the order. Minus: smaller markup (10-30% versus 50-100% in wholesale) and dependence on the speed of the supplier. The platform [AliExpress](https://www.aliexpress.com/) is suitable for a start, but look for Ukrainian suppliers on [Prom.ua](https://prom.ua/) or [Zakupki.Prom](https://zakupki.prom.ua/) — the delivery will be faster and the cost will be lower. ![e-commerce](https://blog.krasovskiy.team/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/iak-zapustyty-internet-mahazyn-z-nulia-pokrokova-instruktsiia-inline2.jpg) When choosing suppliers, pay attention to the minimum order quantity (MOQ), delivery times and reviews of other sellers. For example, if MPZ is 50 units, and you plan to sell 10 per month, it is better to look for another partner. Always order samples: the quality of the product and packaging often differs from the photo in the catalog. If you work with China, expect 20-40 days of delivery by sea or 7-15 days by air (the cost is from $5 per kg). Logistics in Ukraine is the easiest — [Nova Poshta](https://novaposhta.ua/) covers 95% of populated areas, and the cost of delivery starts from UAH 45 (up to 0.5 kg). Alternatives: [Ukrposhta](https://ukrposhta.ua/) (cheaper, but slower), [Meest](https://meest.com/) (for international shipments) or courier services like [Glovo](https://glovoapp.com/) (for fast delivery within the city limits). Connect the Nova Poshta API to your site — it automates the creation of invoices and saves time. If volumes are large, agree on corporate tariffs: for example, at Nova Poshta, discounts start from 100 shipments per month. ## Step 5: Payment Settings and Security Connect payment systems so that customers can pay online. The most popular in Ukraine are **LiqPay** and **WayForPay**. Both integrate with most CMS (Shopify, WooCommerce, OpenCart) in a few hours: register on the service website, fill in business data (TIN, UDR statement, account details), sign the contract and receive API keys. For LiqPay, the fee is 2.75% for each transaction, for WayForPay - from 2.5% (depends on turnover). If you plan to work with foreign clients, add **PayPal** - it is connected via a plugin or manually using the documentation, the commission is 3.4% + 0.35 EUR per payment. Payment security is not something you can skimp on. First rule: **SSL certificate**. It encrypts the data between the client's browser and your server so that hackers can't intercept card numbers. A free certificate from **Let's Encrypt** is installed in 10 minutes through hosting (for example, Hostinger or Cloudflare), paid options (DV SSL from $10/year) provide additional guarantees. Make sure the site opens via **https://** - browsers mark unsecured pages as dangerous and customers will simply leave. Test payments before launch. Create a test card in LiqPay (number **4242 4242 4242 4242**, CVV - any three digits) and try to make a payment for $1. If everything went without errors, you can open a store for customers. Don't forget to specify the payment system support contacts on the website: customers often call if they see an incomprehensible error during payment. ## Step 6: Promotion of the online store and attracting customers The store has been launched - now it is necessary to find out about it. Start with SEO: optimize pages for queries that customers are actually looking for. For example, if you sell organic cosmetics, don't just write "face cream", but "natural cream for dry skin with hyaluronic acid" - this way you will be in the top for long queries with low competition. Use free tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest to find keywords with 100 to 1000 searches per month. Write meta tags (title, description), add alt-texts to images and write unique product descriptions - Google loves it. Don't forget about the site's loading speed: according to Google, 53% of users leave a page if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load. Test your speed with PageSpeed Insights and fix critical errors. Contextual advertising in Google Ads will give instant traffic, but requires a budget. Start with small amounts — for example, UAH 300–500 per day — and test different ads. Create a search advertising campaign for keywords with high commercial intent ("buy wireless headphones Kyiv", "order a gift with delivery"). Use ad extensions: add prices, category links, reviews - this increases CTR by 10-15%. Don't forget about remarketing: set up a campaign for people who have already visited your site but didn't buy. According to statistics, the conversion of remarketing is 2-3 times higher than that of regular advertising. Social networks are not only about posts, but also about sales. On Instagram and Facebook, run targeted ads to an audience interested in your niche. For example, if you sell sportswear, target people who follow fitness bloggers or go to gyms. Use video ads: 15-30 second videos convert 20-30% higher than static images. Run Stories with limited offers ("Today only - 20% off your first order") and add a "Buy" button. Don't ignore TikTok: even if your audience isn't teenagers, the platform works great for viral sales and showcasing products in action. Email marketing is the cheapest way to get customers back. Collect the email base through a pop-up on the site ("Get a 10% discount for subscription") or after the first purchase. Send personalized emails: For example, if a customer bought children's toys, offer them related products ("Your child will love this coloring book"). Use automation: after registration, send a series of 3-5 emails (congratulations, overview of popular products, discount for the first order). According to Mailchimp, the average ROI of email marketing is 36 hryvnias of profit per 1 hryvnia spent. Do not spam: 1–2 letters per week is optimal, otherwise clients will unsubscribe. - **Keywords:** use the [Google Keyword Planner](https://ads.google.com/aw/keywordplanner) tool to select phrases. Look for keywords with 100 to 10,000 searches per month and low competition (Competition is Low or Medium). For example, instead of the broad "buy sneakers" it is better to "buy Nike Air Max 90 Kyiv sneakers". Add negative keywords ("used", "cheap", "repair") to weed out irrelevant traffic. - **What to track in GA4:** traffic sources, on-page behavior, conversion by segments (new vs returning customers, mobile vs desktop).