Before you start selling, the right setup
Selling products isn't just adding a cart to your site. If the catalogue structure, payment and shipping flow, returns process and legal obligations aren't set up right from the start, fixing them later is costly. In this service we make the pre-launch decisions together and produce a written plan that whoever builds your store can apply directly. We don't promise sales; we show why each decision was made.
Decisions first, platform second
The platform is the last decision on the list. Catalogue, payment, shipping, returns and the legal checklist are settled before it.Scope written in the quote
The topics to be covered are written down item by item; anything outside the scope is priced separately.A written plan with reasons
The reason for every decision is written down. Whoever builds the store can apply the plan directly.If you don't need it, we'll say so
If you're not ready for a site with a cart, we'll tell you and suggest a middle path: a catalogue with orders taken by form.
What's included
What the service covers
The items below are the service itself; which of them fall within scope is settled in the quote, based on your products, how you sell and the state of your current store.
Needs and Readiness Analysis
We listen to your products, how you sell and your team's capacity. Whether you really need a site with a cart, or whether a catalogue with orders taken by form is enough, is stated clearly in the first meeting.
Catalogue Structure
The product and category tree, variant logic (are size, colour and material separate products, or options of one product?) and filtering needs are planned from the start.
Payment and Shipping Flow
We plan which payment methods you accept, which shipping integration you use, what the shipping fee depends on and how delivery times are shown.
Returns and Exchange Process
We define where the customer starts a return, who pays the return shipping, how the returned item is checked and at which step the money is refunded. Exchanges are written up as a separate flow.
Legal Checklist
A list of the mandatory texts, such as the distance sales contract, pre-information form, and return and withdrawal terms; plus which text appears on which page and at which approval step.
Integration and Operations List
We list which connections are needed between the payment provider, shipping company, stock and reconciliation, and who manages each one; the customer service flow is included too.
Platform Comparison
Once your needs are clear, suitable platforms are compared on cost and limitations in a single table, and you get one firm recommendation.
Written Plan and Setup Support
The decisions, with their reasons, become a plan that whoever builds your store can apply directly; we answer your questions during setup.
Process
How we work, in four steps
The process is never a black box: what is done at each step is clear, and the scope is written in the quote.
Introduction and current state
We talk about what you expect and your budget, and listen to your products, how you sell and your team's capacity. If it isn't a fit, we'd rather tell you "you don't need it".
Scope and plan
The topics to be covered are agreed, and the work is written down item by item.
The work
Decisions are made together and written down with their reasons; the platform comparison comes after these decisions.
Setup support and launch check
We answer your questions while the plan is being applied; before launch, the store is checked against the plan using a checklist.
Platform comparison
Ready-made platform, or custom build?
Both come at a cost; we show in a single table where each would hold you back in your situation. The decision is made once your needs are clear.
Fast setup, bundled integrations
It speeds up setup and offers payment and shipping integrations as a bundle. In return come a monthly fee, design limits and difficulty moving your data elsewhere.
What we look at in the comparison
- Monthly fee and commission structure
- Catalogue and design limits: variants, filters, page layout
- Whether payment and shipping integrations are ready-made
- How portable your data is
Full control, longer setup
It lets you set up the catalogue and flows exactly as you want. The cost is a longer setup time and responsibility for maintenance.
What we look at in the comparison
- Setup time and initial cost
- Who is responsible for maintenance and updates
- Setting up payment provider and shipping connections one by one
- Your team's technical capacity
Guide
E-commerce consulting: the structure to set up before you start selling
Most businesses that decide to sell products start by asking which platform to choose. Yet the platform is the last decision on the list. Before it, it needs to be clear how the products will be grouped, how payment will be taken, how shipping will be shown, how returns will be managed and which legal texts must be ready. If these decisions are made after launch, every correction can mean rebuilding the store. In this post, we explain which topics e-commerce consulting covers, and in what order.
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What is e-commerce consulting?
E-commerce consulting is a pre-launch planning service in which decisions on the catalogue, payment, shipping, returns and legal obligations are made together, before you start selling online or rebuild an existing store. The aim isn't to sell you software, but to find together which software and which flow suit your business. The work starts by listening to your products, how you sell and your team's capacity; the output is a plan that explains why each decision was made and that whoever builds the store can apply directly. Behind a site with a cart there is an operation — stock, reconciliation and customer service; consulting makes that operation visible from day one.
Why is the catalogue structure the first step?
The catalogue structure is the backbone that determines how your store is read by both customers and search engines. If the category tree is too deep, customers can't reach the product; if it's too flat, filtering doesn't help. Variant logic is set up here too: will options such as size, colour and material be separate products, or variants of one product? This decision directly affects stock tracking and product URLs. In consulting, we review your current product list together and clarify which details are mandatory for every product, which attributes become filters, and whether the category names match the language your customers search in. In a well-built catalogue, adding a new product is routine; in a badly built one, every product becomes an exception.
How should the payment, shipping and returns flow be planned?
Payment and shipping are the first real hurdle customers face after filling their cart. Which payment methods you accept, how instalment options are shown and how reconciliation with the payment provider works are decided before setup. Whether the shipping fee depends on the order total, weight or region, and how delivery times are explained on the product page, are also planned at this stage. Returns are the side of the store that either builds trust or breaks it: where the customer opens a request, who pays the return shipping, how the returned item is checked and put back into stock, and at which step the money is refunded should all be defined from the start. Exchanges are a separate flow; whether a new order is opened or the existing one is updated — we write that down too.
What does the legal checklist cover?
The legal checklist brings together in one place the mandatory texts and approval steps a site that sells online must have. At a minimum, the list includes:
- The distance sales contract and the pre-order approval step
- The pre-information form and a record that the customer has seen it
- A page that clearly sets out the return and withdrawal terms
- The KVKK privacy notice, and which points require explicit consent
- Areas where invoice, delivery and payment terms are visible
The content of these texts should be prepared with your legal adviser; our job is to plan which text appears on which page, at which step and with which consent checkbox, and to surface anything missing before setup.
Ready-made platform, or custom build?
The platform comparison is done once your needs are clear; that's why it comes last on the list. Ready-made platforms speed up setup and offer payment and shipping integrations as a bundle; in return come a monthly fee, design limits and difficulty moving your data elsewhere. A custom build lets you set up the catalogue and flows exactly as you want; the cost is a longer setup time and responsibility for maintenance. The right choice depends on your product range, the complexity of your variants, your integration needs and your team's technical capacity. In consulting, we compare the options in a single table, show where each would hold you back in your situation, and finish the work with one firm recommendation.
E-commerce consulting with Octofly
E-commerce consulting is one of Octofly's optional add-on services. We put your corporate site live with packages whose price is known upfront, a design tailored to your brand, and mobile-friendly, pre-generated fast pages; SSL, hosting and daily backups are included. When you decide to start selling, you plan the catalogue, payment, shipping, returns and legal checklist with the same team and a single point of contact. Texts, services, the gallery, FAQs and the blog are managed from the panel; your invoice is issued as a corporate e-archive invoice. Get in touch; we'll get back to you the same day.
Questions about e-commerce consulting
What exactly does e-commerce consulting cover?
Pre-launch decisions: catalogue structure, payment and shipping flow, returns and exchanges, a legal checklist, an integration and operations list, and a platform comparison. The output is a plan that explains the reason for each decision and that whoever builds the store can apply directly. Advertising management and marketplace account management are not part of this service.
Do you build the store?
This is a pre-launch decision and planning service; the plan is written so that it can be applied whoever does the build. Who does the build — your own team, the chosen platform's setup support or an implementer — is decided together with the platform choice and set out in the quote. We answer your questions during the build.
I already have a store; does it apply to restructuring it as well?
Yes. Your existing catalogue, payment, shipping and returns flows and legal texts are compared against the same checklists, and any gaps or contradictions are identified. It doesn't matter which platform your store runs on; if we need access to anything, we'll tell you upfront.
Do I really need a site with a shopping cart?
Not every business does. E-commerce is an operation, not a page: stock, shipping, returns, payment reconciliation, customer service. If you don't yet have the setup to run these, publishing your products as a catalogue and taking orders by form or WhatsApp is a good intermediate step. We'll say this openly in the first call; if it isn't a fit, we'd rather say "you don't need it".
Do you write the legal texts?
No. Our job is to plan which text appears on which page, at which step and with which consent checkbox, and to surface anything missing before the build. The content of texts such as the distance sales agreement, the pre-contract information form and the return terms should be prepared with your legal adviser.
Will my sales increase?
We don't promise that. Sales depend on the product, price, demand and your operation; nobody can guarantee them. What we can promise is the work itself: decisions are written down with their reasons, checklists are complete and there are no "we hadn't thought of that" surprises at launch.
Do you recommend a particular platform?
There's no platform decided in advance. Once your catalogue, payment, shipping, returns and integration needs are clear, the suitable options are compared on cost and constraints in a single table; where each would get stuck in your situation is shown, and it ends with a single binding recommendation.
Why isn't the price listed on the page?
The scope of these services varies from business to business: the state of your current site, competition in your industry and your goals differ. Rather than announcing a fixed figure and later saying "that's out of scope", we work out the scope together and give you a clear quote.
Is a long-term contract required?
No. Scope and duration are set out in the quote; if you don't want a commitment, we can work period by period. If you stop early, you are only charged for the work already done.
Let's define the scope together and send a clear quote
Let's talk about your products and how you sell, and write down item by item which topics will be covered. If you're not ready for a site with a cart, we'll tell you that too.