How to launch a WooCommerce store: from catalogue to first order

Most delays in launching an online store don’t come from development but from data: products, images, prices and shipping rules. This is the order we follow on every WooCommerce project.

1. Catalogue structure before design

First we draw up a list of categories and attributes. A category is “where the product lives” (e.g. Bedding → Duvets), and an attribute is “what you filter by” (size, colour, material). A good structure is the foundation for both filters and SEO.

• Two or three category levels at most.
• Attributes with the same names across the whole catalogue (not “Size” in one place and “Dimension” in another).
• One primary category per product.

2. Product data

For a small range you enter products by hand. For hundreds or thousands of items we build an import from Excel or an automatic connection to your business software, so prices and stock update on their own.

3. Payments

The most common combinations are card payments, cash on delivery and bank transfer. For cards you need an e-commerce agreement with your bank. That process can take a while, so we start it straight away, in parallel with the build.

4. Shipping

Agree the rules before the build: price by weight or by order value, free shipping over a certain amount, local pickup. WooCommerce supports all of it, but the rules have to be clear.

Codema tip Free shipping over a threshold is one of the simplest ways to increase the average basket value. Set the threshold slightly above your current average order.

5. Legal pages and notifications

Terms of sale, privacy policy, returns and the right of withdrawal must be on the site before launch. We tailor customer notifications (order confirmation, shipping, cancellation) to your tone and brand.

6. A test purchase

Before launch we go through the whole purchase on mobile and desktop: search, filters, cart, payment, the confirmation email and the order in the admin. Only when everything passes does the store go live.

After launch

A store without visitors doesn’t sell. We immediately set up Google Search Console, GA4 purchase tracking and the product feed for Google Shopping and Meta ads, so the first campaigns can start without delay.