10 Questions to Ask Before Building Your eCommerce Website

Your ultimate 2025 guide to preparing your online store the right way.

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Launching an eCommerce website isn’t just about picking a design and adding products.
It’s a strategic project that connects multiple layers — business planning, logistics, technology, and customer experience.

If you’re just starting your online journey, this guide will help you identify the key decisions before spending time and money.
Let’s go through the 10 questions every business owner should ask before building an eCommerce website.

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1. What Are You Selling - and Who Is Your Ideal Customer?

Before choosing a platform or a developer, clearly define:

• What exactly are you selling? Physical products, digital downloads, subscriptions, or a mix?
• Who are you selling to? Local customers, international buyers, or a niche audience?
• What’s your unique value proposition? What makes your store different?

Knowing your buyer persona will influence everything — design tone, product presentation, payment options, and even your choice of platform.

Example persona:

“Women aged 25–35 who buy sustainable jewelry online and prefer fast, eco-friendly delivery.”

✅ Pro Tip: The clearer your niche and audience, the easier it is to choose between Webflow, WordPress, or Shopify later.
(If you’re still exploring platforms, read: Webflow vs WordPress: An Unbiased 2025 Guide)

2. Which eCommerce Platform Is Right for You?

Not every platform fits every business model.
The best choice depends on:

• How customizable you want your site to be
• Whether you’ll handle maintenance or want a no-code solution
• Your long-term goals (scalability, integrations, cost)

Here’s a quick comparison:

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✅ Pro Tip:
If design precision and speed matter most — go with Webflow.
If you want control and integrations — WooCommerce is unmatched.
If you need to sell fast — Shopify is a safe start.

For a deeper comparison, see my article: Webflow vs WordPress: An Unbiased 2025 Guide

3. What Payment Methods Will You Offer?

Payment convenience directly affects your conversion rate.
In 2025, customers expect instant, trusted, and localized payment options.

Popular payment solutions include:

• Global: Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay
• Regional (Europe): Klarna, Mollie, Monri, Revolut Pay

✅ Checklist for payment setup:

• Offer at least two options (e.g. card + PayPal)
• Clearly show SSL certificate security (if unsure what that is, read What is a Domain and What is Hosting?)
• Test checkout flow on mobile devices

💡 Frictionless payments = fewer abandoned carts.

4. How Will You Handle Shipping and Delivery?

Shipping is where many online stores lose profit or customers.
Plan it before you launch, not after.

Ask yourself:

• Which regions or countries will you ship to?
• Will you offer free shipping or use flat rates?
• Which courier integrates best with your system (BEX, DHL, D-Express, FedEx)?
• Do you want to automate label generation and tracking?

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✅ Pro Tip:
Automating your logistics saves hours every week — and prevents shipping errors.

5. Is Your Website Mobile-Friendly and Fast?

Over 75% of eCommerce traffic now comes from smartphones.
Your store must perform flawlessly across all devices.

Mobile optimization checklist:

• Responsive layout — no cut-off text or misaligned images
• Larger touch-friendly buttons
• Popup forms that are easy to close
• Lightweight animations (avoid heavy scripts)

If you’re using Webflow, responsiveness is built in by design.
For WordPress/WooCommerce, choose a lightweight theme and test it with Google PageSpeed Insights.

⚡ Pro Tip: Fast = profitable. Even a 1-second delay can reduce conversions by up to 7%.

6. How Will You Manage Inventory and Product Data?

Inventory chaos kills customer trust.
Before launching, decide:

• Will stock updates be manual or automated?
• Do you need ERP integration (e.g., syncing stock between warehouse and store)?
• How will you handle backorders and out-of-stock items?

Example scenario:
If you have multiple suppliers, connect their product feeds via REST API or XML — this ensures real-time updates and accurate availability.

✅ Pro Tip:
If your catalog has more than 100 SKUs, automate it. Manual updates quickly become unmanageable.

7. What About SEO and Website Performance?

Even the most beautiful store fails without visibility.
SEO is not an afterthought — it’s a foundation.

[OVDE SLIKA – SEO performance dashboard illustration]

SEO essentials for eCommerce:

• Optimize each product title, description, and image alt text
• Use short, clean URLs (/shop/product-name)
• Add structured data (schema) for products and reviews
• Write category descriptions with real keywords
• Compress images and use WebP format

✅ Bonus Tip:
Both Webflow and WordPress can achieve strong SEO.
Webflow gives you clean, semantic code by default.
WooCommerce gives you more control with plugins like Rank Math or Yoast SEO.

Learn more about SEO differences here: Webflow vs WordPress Guide

8. How Will You Handle Legal, Tax, and Compliance Pages?

Compliance builds trust — and keeps you out of trouble.
Every store should include:

• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions
• Refund & Return Policy
• Cookie Notice

If you sell in the EU, you also need GDPR compliance and correct VAT setup.
Tools like WooCommerce Tax or Stripe Tax can automate this.

✅ Pro Tip:
Include these links in your footer and checkout page. Google uses them as trust signals for ranking.

9. How Will You Market and Grow Your Store?

Launching your store is just the first step.
Without consistent marketing, even great products remain unseen.

Marketing channels to plan:

• SEO and blog content (build long-term visibility)
• Paid ads (Meta, Google, TikTok)
• Email marketing and abandoned cart recovery
• Influencer or affiliate programs
• Popups for lead capture (use tools like Mr.Brabus PopUp Plugin)

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✅ Pro Tip:
Set up Google Analytics, Search Console, and Meta Pixel before launch — data is your best marketing asset.

10. What’s Your Maintenance and Growth Plan?

Many store owners forget this part.
But eCommerce success depends on long-term performance and security.

Your maintenance checklist:

• Backup regularly
• Update plugins, themes, and CMS
• Test checkout and payment monthly
• Review speed and performance quarterly
• Track analytics and conversions

🧠 Pro Tip:
Having a trusted developer or agency for ongoing maintenance ensures your store stays fast, secure, and profitable.

✅ Final Thoughts

Building an eCommerce website isn’t just about design — it’s about making smart decisions before you start.

By asking and answering these 10 questions early, you’ll save time, money, and frustration — and build a store that actually converts.

Whether you choose Webflow, WordPress, or WooCommerce, make sure your foundation is solid.
Need professional help planning your next store?
👉 Start your project with me

🔗 Related Reading

• Webflow vs. WordPress: An Unbiased 2025 Guide
• What is a Domain and What is Hosting — and Where Webflow Fits In
• Mr.Brabus PopUp – Free WordPress Plugin

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