Getting Started Guide 2 of 8
How to Create Your First Online Store, Step by Step
You already know what you want to sell. What's missing is a simple, honest path from "I have an idea" to "customers can order from me right now." Here it is, in order.
Quick answer
Creating your first online store takes six practical moves: pick a short list of what you'll sell, set up your business profile with real contact details, add clear photos and prices, turn on a payment option (UPI is enough to start, with Cash on Delivery if you deliver locally), write two or three honest policy lines about delivery and returns, and preview everything on your own phone before you share the link on WhatsApp or Instagram. You do not need a developer, a big budget, or a finished brand identity to do this — you need a short list, real photos, and a way to get paid.
Before you start: what you actually need
Forget the long "everything you need before launching a business" lists. To get your first store live, you need four things, and you probably already have most of them.
- •A short list of what you're selling. Five products or three service packages is plenty for launch day.
- •A phone with a decent camera. Daylight near a window beats any studio setup for a first store.
- •A way to get paid. A UPI ID is enough on day one; add other options later.
- •A number or email customers can actually reach. WhatsApp Business works well for this.
Notice what's missing: a logo, a finished brand name, a big budget, or a developer. Those help later. They should not block you today.
Next step: if you're still unsure what to call your business, our guide to choosing a business name covers that separately — come back here once you have a working name., then Learn to sell products online.
The 6-step setup path: zero to live store
This is the order that gets you live fastest, without missing anything a customer would notice.
Step 1
Pick your first items
Step 2
Set up business profile
Step 3
Add photos and prices
Step 4
Turn on payments
Step 5
Add delivery & return lines
Step 6
Preview, then go live
1. Pick your first items
Choose the products or services you're most confident about — the ones you'd recommend to a friend without hesitation. Launching with your five best sellers is stronger than launching with fifty half-described items.
2. Set up your business profile
Add your business name, a short description of what you do, your city or delivery area, and a phone number or WhatsApp link customers can use immediately. This is the section customers check first when they're deciding whether to trust you.
3. Add clear photos and honest prices
One clean photo per item, taken in daylight against a plain background, outperforms five blurry ones. Write the price in rupees clearly, and mention if it includes tax or delivery so there are no surprises at checkout.
4. Turn on a payment option
Enable UPI so customers can pay instantly from any app — PhonePe, Google Pay, Paytm all work the same way. If you deliver locally, offering Cash on Delivery alongside UPI removes a common hesitation for first-time buyers.
5. Add delivery and return lines
Two or three plain sentences are enough: how long delivery takes, whether you deliver pan-India or only locally, and what happens if something arrives damaged or wrong. This alone removes a large share of pre-order questions.
6. Preview on your own phone, then go live
Open your store exactly the way a customer would — on a phone, not a laptop. Try placing a test order. If that flow makes sense to you, it will make sense to them. Then share the link. On Futkar you can go live with a Pocket Website in minutes.
Choosing your first products or services
A common mistake is trying to list "everything" before launch. That delays your first sale by weeks. Instead, sort what you offer into three buckets:
Best sellers
What people already ask you for repeatedly.
Easy to fulfil
Items you can deliver reliably without stress.
Easy to explain
No long explanation needed to understand the offer.
Launch with items that satisfy at least two of the three. Everything else can join the catalogue in week two, once you've seen how customers respond. If you're selling physical products specifically, our guide to selling products online goes deeper into catalogue, pricing, and stock. If you're offering a service instead, see how to sell services online.
It's also fine to launch with a mix of both, if that's genuinely how you work — a tailor who sells ready-made kurtas and takes custom stitching orders doesn't need to pick one identity on day one. Just be clear in each listing which type it is, so customers know whether they're buying something ready to ship or booking your time.
Setting up payments so you actually get paid
A store without a working payment option is just a catalogue. Here's the minimum that removes friction for Indian customers:
- •UPI first. Almost every customer already has a UPI app installed, so this is your fastest path to being paid instantly.
- •Cash on Delivery for local orders. It builds confidence with first-time buyers who haven't ordered from you before.
- •Card and net banking, when you're ready. Useful once you're shipping beyond your city, but not a launch-day requirement.
Whatever you enable, test it yourself with a small real payment before you announce your store. A payment step that fails silently is the single fastest way to lose a first customer.
Building trust from day one, without a track record
New stores have no reviews and no history, which makes customers cautious. You can still earn trust in your first week:
- •Show a real photo of yourself, your workspace, or your shop — not just product shots.
- •Reply to the first few enquiries quickly, even if it's just to say "checking and will confirm in 10 minutes."
- •Ask your first three happy customers for a short written or voice-note testimonial you can share.
- •Keep your contact number and city visible — hiding this makes buyers assume the worst.
Trust compounds. Each honest interaction in week one makes week four's sales easier.
Three first stores that went live fast
First-time shop owner
A stationery shop with no website
Had a physical shop but relied only on walk-ins. Listed 15 fast-moving items, added UPI and Cash on Delivery for the neighbourhood, and shared the link with existing regulars on WhatsApp within a day.
Instagram DM seller
A jewellery seller moving off DMs
Was taking orders entirely through Instagram DMs, which meant lost messages and unclear pricing. Moved the catalogue to a store link in her Instagram bio, keeping DMs only for custom orders.
Hobby-to-business
A home baker testing demand
Started with just 4 cake flavours and one delivery slot per week. Kept prices simple and round, added a short "how orders work" note, and expanded the menu only after the first month of steady orders.
Mistakes first-time store owners make
Waiting for "perfect"
A live store with 5 items beats a planned store with 50 that never launches.
No working payment link
Test every payment method yourself before sharing your store.
Hiding contact details
No phone number or city listed makes buyers assume it's untrustworthy.
Skipping the mobile preview
Most of your customers will visit on a phone. Always check there first.
Related tools to use while you set up
More Getting Started guides
FAQs
Your first store doesn't need to be perfect. It needs to be live.
Start with Futkar and get your storefront, payments, and customer contact set up in one place.
No large upfront investment. No developers required.
More in Getting Started
How to Start an Online Business in India
From idea to first sale
Sell Products Online
Catalogue, pricing & delivery
Sell Services Online
Packages, bookings & deposits
Choose the Right Business Name
Names people find and trust
Put this guide into practice
Publish products, offers and WhatsApp CTAs on Futkar — one link for every customer.