eCommerce Startup Checklist: Important Questions to Ask Before You Start Selling Products Online
Table of Content
The global B2B eCommerce market is expected to grow from $32.11 trillion in 2025 to $36.16 trillion in 2026, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 14.5%. (sellerscommerce)
Clearly, B2B eCommerce is on the rise.
B2B sector is witnessing an increasing preference for online purchases. It is a good idea to tap into this market and sell your products online. This opportunity is great for startups and for businesses that are already in the game.
Today, eCommerce is as available for small businesses as it used to be for large-scale enterprises earlier. All you need is to build an eCommerce store that suits your needs.
Key Takeaways:
- A serious eCommerce founder treats the prelaunch question set as a business design tool that clarifies what to sell, who to serve, and how the store will actually make money.
- Evaluating whether each product truly works for online selling forces you to reconcile customer experience, production costs, and shipping economics so weak ideas are killed before they burn cash.
- Building a resilient supply chain by choosing sourcing methods, distributors, and fulfillment models up front turns your store from a static website into a reliable delivery system customers can trust.
- Treating product information, pricing strategy, and legal compliance as core data assets rather than afterthoughts reduces returns, regulatory risk, and margin leakage as the business scales.
- Founders who decide early on their platform, store build plan, marketing mix, scaling capacity, selling geographies, and success KPIs can grow eCommerce operations deliberately instead of reacting to every new order as a crisis.
This blog gives you 16 pointed questions before you start your eCommerce journey with the best possible answers to help you from the word go.
Getting Started – 16 questions to ask before you start selling products online
Setting up an online store is the top priority to sell your products online. But, before you take the eCommerce leap, here are some questions to ask yourself. The answers may lead you to a well-chalked-out business plan and eCommerce startup checklist.
Pro Tip:
Before writing a single line of website copy, document concrete answers to each strategic question in a one-page brief and use it as the master spec when shortlisting platforms, suppliers, logistics partners, and marketing channels.
1. What products will you sell online?
The first step is to identify the products that you want to sell online. For example, if you already have an offline business of office supplies, you can choose to sell online office supplies.
For entrepreneurs who are starting afresh, unique products often perform better online as they cater to specific needs and face less competition. Consider products that you are passionate about, easy to market, or solve a problem.
Just make sure that you conduct market research to assess the need for your product in the market.
2. Can you sell those products online?
Evaluate the logistics of selling your products online. Calculate the overall cost of creating or sourcing the products, including materials, time, and storage. Assess the shipping costs and determine if it aligns with your pricing strategy.
Consider creating an excellent customer experience around your product. Think about how you can provide the best in-person experience through detailed product descriptions, multiple photos, and customer reviews.
3. How will you procure and ship those products?
Decide on the sourcing method for your products. You can either make the products yourself or purchase them from a third party such as a manufacturer or wholesaler.
If you choose to make the products, consider the sourcing of raw materials, storage, and shipping. If sourcing from a third party, thoroughly research suppliers, sample their products and inquire about shipping times and minimum order requirements. Explore eProcurement options with these suppliers.
Consider dropshipping as an option to lower initial investments and inventory management.
4. How will I handle customer support and returns?
Customer support plays a big role in building trust, even after the sale is complete. You need to decide how you will help your customers when they have questions or problems. Will you offer live chat, chatbot support, email, or phone assistance?
It’s also important to clearly define your return and refund policy so customers know what to expect if something goes wrong. If your products come with a warranty or need after-sales service, have a plan in place to handle those requests quickly and fairly. Good support keeps customers happy, reduces complaints, and encourages repeat business.
5. What does the competitive landscape look like?
If other companies are selling the same product as yours, conduct a competitive analysis to understand their business strategy. Search online and on social platforms to find competitors and analyze their strengths and weaknesses.
This way, you will gather information to stand apart from the crowd. Look for opportunities to differentiate yourself through unique products, marketing strategies, or new channels. Stay updated on industry trends and changes in consumer sentiment by reading trade publications and blogs.
6. Who is your target market?
Identify your target market – the group of consumers who are most likely to buy your products. If you already have an established business, utilize analytics to determine your best customers. Conduct surveys or research your competitors to create a hypothesis about the target market. Develop your branding and marketing strategies based on the characteristics and preferences of your target market.
7. What is your value proposition?
Your value proposition is what makes your brand different and better than others in the market. Think about what you’re offering:
- Are you offering lower prices, better quality, or exclusive items?
- Do you provide exceptional customer service or faster delivery?
- Is your brand aligned with a specific mission or lifestyle?
Whatever it is, your value proposition should clearly show why someone should buy from you instead of your competitors. It’s your chance to make a strong first impression and win customer trust.
8. What tools or methods will you use for effective product content and data management?
Managing product content and data is one of the most important parts of running a successful eCommerce store. Your online catalog needs to be accurate, detailed, and consistent.
- Where will you source/retrieve your product catalog data from?
- Will you integrate with data feed management software or Etilize content partners?
- How will you ensure content consistency and taxonomy
It’s important to organize your product information properly using clear categories, descriptions, and images. If your product listings have missing details or incorrect specs, customers may lose trust, return items, or leave negative reviews.
9. What do you need to know about the laws and regulations?
Consult with a legal and financial advisor to ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations. Consider licenses, permits, insurance, sales tax requirements, PCI compliance, zoning laws, and intellectual property protection. Familiarize yourself with the restrictions on shipping and any other legal obligations specific to your industry.
10. How can you decide the online pricing of your product?
Consider the factors like material costs, customer expectations, shipping expenses, taxes, and marketing expenses to decide the online pricing of your product. It is crucial to strike a balance and avoid setting prices too high or too low.
There are several pricing strategies available for eCommerce businesses:
- Cost-based pricing
- Competition-based pricing
- Value-based pricing
- Dynamic pricing
- Bundle pricing
- Consumer-based pricing
Each of these strategies carries its risks and benefits.
Read the blog—-Competitive Pricing: Strategy, Benefits, and Smart Implementation
11. How to choose the right eCommerce platform?
Identify your needs and choose an eCommerce platform accordingly to automate processes. Consider both the front-end and back-end functionality. The front end should provide an excellent customer experience with high-quality product photos, customer reviews, and mobile payment options. The back end should support sales and analytics, payment processing, inventory management, and integration with other systems such as your CRM, ERP, POS or inventory management software.
Read the blog—-How to Choose the Right eCommerce Platform: A Complete Guide
12. How can you build an eCommerce store?
The good news is that you do not need technical or coding knowledge to create your online store. Modern eCommerce platforms can get you started in some easy steps.
Here is how-
- Choose your eCommerce platform
- Design your online store
- Upload your product catalog
- Set up a payment system
- Manage our website content
- Explore software integration (CRM, CPQ, etc.)
Read the blog—Easy Tips to Build an Online eCommerce Store with VARStreet
13. How can you attract customers to your online store?
Once your store is set how will you market it and let the world know about your product? The eCommerce marketing plan depends upon your product, your target audience, and your business goal. Some of the popular eCommerce marketing methods are-
- Natural Searches – Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Paid Advertising – Google advertisements, as well as social media platforms
- Landing pages
- Upselling/Cross-selling
- Affiliate marketing programs
- Email marketing
- Word-of-mouth referrals
During the early stages, optimize your operations for SEO purposes and make full use of any applicable online marketing tools provided by your eCommerce platform. As soon as your enterprise becomes operational, you can explore alternative strategies to determine which approach yields optimal results.
14. Do you have the Resources to Scale?
As your eCommerce business grows, things can quickly become more complex. That’s why it’s important to ask yourself if you have the right resources to scale.
- Do you have a strong team and the right technology to support more customers?
- Are you confident your supply chain won’t buckle under increasing demand pressures?
- Are your systems capable of handling a larger number of orders and customer service requests?
These are important questions because starting an online store is just the beginning. Real success comes from being able to grow smoothly and manage the increased workload without running into problems.
15. Will you Sell Internationally or Locally?
Before starting your online store, it’s important to decide whether you’ll sell only within your country or also to customers in other countries. Selling internationally can help grow your business, but it also adds extra responsibilities.
You will need to handle cross-border taxes, customs regulations, and international shipping. It’s also helpful to have a multilingual website so customers can shop in their own language. Think about whether you have the right tools and support in place to manage international orders smoothly.
Read the blog—-How can a Multilingual B2B eCommerce Website improve your Web Traffic?
16. How will you Measure Success?
If you want to gauge the success of your eCommerce operations, tracking the following key performance indicators (KPIs) is crucial.
- Conversion rate
- Average order value (AOV)
- Cart abandonment rate
- Customer acquisition cost (CAC)
- Customer lifetime value (CLTV)
- Quote-to-order ratio (for B2B sellers)
Pro Tip:
Translate the recommended KPIs into a live analytics dashboard from day one and review it weekly so decisions on pricing, acquisition campaigns, catalog expansion, and international rollout are always driven by real performance data instead of gut feel.
Tracking these numbers regularly helps you understand what’s working, what’s not, and where you can make improvements to grow your business.
Read the blog—-6 B2B eCommerce KPIs to Track your eCommerce Store
Conclusion
Building and selling your products online can open up a world of opportunities for your business. You can maximize sales and grow your brand by carefully planning your eCommerce store, attracting customers through effective marketing strategies, and continuously optimizing your online presence. Remember to stay customer-focused, provide a seamless shopping experience, and consistently measure your performance to ensure long-term success. Now, it’s time to take the leap and start selling your products online!
Ready to Go Digital? Platforms like VARStreet’s eCommerce solution come equipped with B2B-specific features like rich product catalogs, PunchOut support, CPQ tools, and ERP/CRM integrations, to help you launch and scale efficiently.
FAQs
What are the key steps to launching a B2B eCommerce store?
To launch a B2B eCommerce store, businesses need to select the right platform, upload their product catalog, set up payment and shipping workflows, integrate with ERP/CRM systems, and optimize the storefront for usability and SEO. Platforms like VARStreet streamline this process with built-in automation and supplier integrations.
How do I choose the right eCommerce platform for my B2B business?
Look for platforms that support B2B features like customer-specific pricing, bulk ordering, quote workflows, and ERP integration. Scalability, automation, and CRM connectivity are also critical. VARStreet offers all these capabilities in one unified solution tailored for VARs and distributors.
Why is ERP integration important for eCommerce?
ERP integration ensures real-time syncing of inventory, pricing, customer data, and orders. It reduces manual tasks, eliminates errors, and supports end-to-end automation from quote to cash—making it essential for scalable eCommerce operations.
How can automation improve B2B eCommerce efficiency?
Automation accelerates tasks like order processing, quote generation, inventory updates, and customer communications. It helps reduce operational overhead, improves accuracy, and frees up your team to focus on growth and customer service.
What makes B2B eCommerce different from B2C?
B2B eCommerce involves more complex workflows, including contract pricing, volume-based discounts, approval hierarchies, and longer sales cycles. It requires features like CPQ, multi-tier catalogs, and integration with backend systems such as ERP and CRM.
What kind of customer experience should a B2B eCommerce site offer?
A B2B site should offer intuitive navigation, advanced information retrieval (search and filters), real-time inventory visibility, and self-service tools like quote requests and order tracking. Personalization based on customer history or contract terms is also key.
How do I ensure my B2B eCommerce site is scalable?
Use a platform that supports large catalogs, complex pricing structures, and high order volumes without compromising performance. Scalability also requires backend integration (ERP, CRM), role-based access, and modular workflows—all supported by platforms like VARStreet.
How can I simplify complex product configurations for online buyers?
A CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) engine helps buyers select the right components, bundles, or specifications without confusion. It ensures compatibility, enforces pricing rules, and simplifies the checkout process—all while minimizing support requests.
What kind of data should I track to improve eCommerce performance?
Track metrics like conversion rates, average order value, cart abandonment, top-selling products, and customer lifetime value. Use real-time dashboards and analytics tools to monitor trends, identify bottlenecks, and drive informed decision-making.
