Creating an Online Store: 10 Steps from Planning to Launch

You can set up an online store in ten steps: Plan your business model, register your business, choose a store platform, set up your store, upload legal documents, configure payment methods and shipping, enter product data, test everything, and go live. The order matters, because certain requirements—business registration, packaging registration, and legal notices—must be completed before you make your first sale. This guide walks you through all the steps, with checklists and links to the relevant instructions.

The 10 Steps at a Glance

What needs to be clarified before the store is built?

Step 1: Business Model and Cost Calculations

Before the technical aspects come into play, there are four questions to answer: What are you selling, to whom, in which countries, and at what profit margin? Whether you sell to individual customers, business customers, or both will later determine pricing, payment methods, and features. In addition to purchasing and shipping, your cost calculation should also include payment processing fees and the platform’s ongoing costs. You can find a breakdown of all cost categories with sample calculations in the guide “How Much Does an Online Store Cost?”

Step 2: Business Registration, Taxes, and Licenses

• Business Registration: Anyone starting a business must notify the relevant authority at the same time (Section 14 of the German Trade Regulation Act (GewO)). The fee is set by the municipality.
• Tax Office: The municipality notifies the tax office. You must submit the additional tax information, including the tax registration questionnaire, electronically within one month (Section 138(1b) and (4) of the German Fiscal Code (AO)).
• Small Business Exemption: This applies if your revenue in the previous year did not exceed €25,000 and does not exceed €100,000 in the current year (Section 19(1) of the German Value-Added Tax Act (UStG)). It’s best to consult your tax advisor to determine whether this is worthwhile.
• Sales to Other EU Countries: If distance sales to private customers in other EU countries (together with certain services) exceeded €10,000 in the previous or current calendar year, the VAT of the destination country generally applies (Section 3c(4) of the German VAT Act (UStG)); in which case reporting is usually done via the One-Stop-Shop (OSS) procedure.
• Packaging Registry: Anyone selling packaged goods in Germany must be registered in the LUCID registry and enter into a system participation agreement—according to the Central Office, this must be done before the packaging is first made available.
• E-invoicing: As of January 1, 2025, companies in Germany must be able to receive e-invoices. Transition periods apply to issuing e-invoices; invoices to private customers are not affected.

Which online store system is right for my project?

Step 3: Choose a shop system

There are three models to choose from: rental solutions and SaaS building blocks, where the provider handles hosting and updates; open-source systems that you operate yourself or with a service provider; and purchased licenses that you operate yourself. These criteria will help you decide which one is right for you:

For a detailed breakdown of what to check regarding data protection, see our article on GDPR-compliant shop systems; for information on how the pricing model plays out over the years, see the article on shop systems without revenue sharing. If you sell to business customers, you’ll find the most important features in the article on B2B features.

Step 4: Domain, Hosting, and Basic Setup

The domain should be short, easy to remember, and free of third-party trademark rights. An SSL certificate for an encrypted connection (HTTPS) is standard for every online store; certificates are also available for free, such as from the Let’s Encrypt certification authority. During the basic setup, you’ll enter company information, the sender address for store emails, tax rates, languages, and currencies, followed by the logo, colors, and homepage. As long as the store is under construction, it remains closed to visitors.

Our “Getting Started” guide describes this setup in the correct order; the “Design & Layout” and “Designing the Home Page” guides explain the design and home page.

What legal texts does an online store need?

Step 5: Legal Texts and Mandatory Features

An online store for retail customers requires several mandatory disclosures, which must be complete before the store goes live. This overview is not a substitute for legal advice; the texts themselves are typically provided by a lawyer or a legal documentation service.

• Legal Notice: Name, address, email address, registration entry (if applicable), and VAT ID number—easily recognizable and permanently available (Section 5 DDG).
• Privacy Policy: Information regarding the processing of personal data (Art. 13 GDPR).
• Cancellation policy with conditions, deadlines, and procedures, as well as the model cancellation form (Art. 246a § 1(2) EGBGB).
• Terms and Conditions: Not required by law, but common in practice, for example, regarding the conclusion of a contract, delivery, and payment.
• Order button: The button must be clearly labeled with “Place a binding order” or a similarly unambiguous phrase (Section 312j(3) BGB).
• Withdrawal function: As of June 19, 2026, online stores that enable consumers to enter into contracts online must provide an electronic withdrawal function—labeled “Withdraw from the contract” or an equally unambiguous phrase—that is constantly available during the cancellation period, prominently displayed, and easily accessible (Section 356a of the German Civil Code (BGB)).
• EU Warranty Notice: As of September 27, 2026, online stores that sell goods to consumers must prominently display the harmonized EU notice regarding statutory warranty rights and their minimum duration of two years (Art. 246a § 1(1)(11) EGBGB).
• Cookie Consent: Storing information on visitors’ devices—for example, for tracking purposes—is permitted only with consent, unless it is absolutely necessary (Section 25 TDDDG).
• Accessibility: The Accessibility Enhancement Act has been in effect for online stores since June 28, 2025; micro-enterprises that provide services are exempt (§ 3 (3) BFSG).

Our guides “Legal Texts,” “Cookie Banners & Product Safety,” and “Cancel Button” explain how to manage legal texts and cookie banners in your store.

What payment methods and shipping options does a new store need?

Step 6: Set up payment methods

A common mix includes credit cards, PayPal, purchase on account or direct debit, prepayment, and digital wallets such as Apple Pay or Google Pay; the European payment method Wero is a recent addition. Two rules apply to online stores serving individual customers: At least one common and reasonable payment method must be available at no extra charge; otherwise, fees for payment methods are invalid (Section 312a(4) of the German Civil Code (BGB)). Furthermore, no fees may be charged for SEPA transfers, SEPA direct debit, and payment cards within the scope of the EU Interbank Fee Regulation, no fees may be charged (Section 270a of the German Civil Code (BGB)).

You should initiate contracts with payment providers early on, as the provider reviews the merchant account before activation. Fees are charged per payment, usually as a percentage plus a fixed amount. Our guide on payment methods describes how to set up payment methods, assign them to shipping methods, and restrict them by country or customer group; what merchants need to know about Wero is covered in our article “Accepting Wero in Your Online Store.”

Step 7: Set Up Shipping

• Shipping providers: Clarify terms and conditions, pickup arrangements, and label printing; having a second provider serves as a backup in case of service disruptions.
• Defineshipping methods and shipping costs by country or country zone, including a possible threshold for free shipping.
• Transparency: In distance selling, you must indicate whether shipping costs apply and specify their amount, provided they can be calculated in advance (§ 6 PAngV).
• Specify realisticdelivery times and organize returns.
• Packaging: The quantities reported in the packaging register should match the actual shipments.

Our article on the difference between postage and shipping costs explains what distinguishes postage from shipping costs. The “Shipping & Delivery” and, for deliveries to other EU countries, “Taxes & OSS” guides show you how to set up these features in your store.

How do I prepare product data correctly?

Step 8: Create Products

Product data is usually the most time-consuming part of the project—and the part that customers see most directly. For each product, you’ll need:

• a clear title and a unique description highlighting the key features,
• images for which you hold the usage rights,
• the total price and, for goods sold by weight, volume, length, or area, the unit price (Section 4 PAngV),
• product safety information: the manufacturer’s mailing address and email address; for manufacturers outside the EU, the responsible person; product identification details including an image; and warning and safety instructions (Art. 19 of the Product Safety Regulation, effective December 13, 2024),
• variants such as size or color, delivery time, inventory, and—for price comparisons and Google Shopping—the GTIN.

It’s better to import larger product ranges rather than enter them manually. The guides “Create & Manage Products,” “Product Attributes,” “Prices & Customer Groups,” and “Import & Export (CSV) ” outline the individual steps.

What should I test before going live?

Step 9: Testing

Step 10: Going Live

To go live, cancel the test orders, switch payment and shipping providers from test to live mode, and lift the restriction on visitors. Next, submit the sitemap to Google Search Console, set up the product feed for Google Shopping if needed, and enable analytics tools only with user consent. It’s best to closely monitor the first few orders until all processes are running smoothly. For help with this, refer to the guides on SEO & Redirects, Google Merchant Center & Product Feed, and Processing Orders.

How XONIC Supports You at Launch

The XONIC Shop System has been developed by XONIC Solutions GmbH in Chemnitz since 2005. With the packages, the shop runs on servers managed by XONIC in Germany (Frankfurt am Main); shop data and backups are stored exclusively in Germany. An order button in accordance with Section 312j of the German Civil Code (BGB), a cancellation button, and a cookie consent form with a true opt-in are standard features in all packages; the standard templates comply with WCAG 2.1 AA standards. The system is integrated with 19 payment providers offering over 50 payment methods, more than 11 shipping carriers, and 14 inventory management and ERP systems; marketplace integration can be added starting with the Professional package. For business customers, the system offers customer groups, tiered pricing, net price display, and automated VAT ID verification. According to the pricing page, a standard setup can be completed in 1–3 business days; the system can be tested in advance in a free 30-day trial environment with sample data. Packages start at €149 per month with no revenue share (annual payment, net, as of October 2026)—details are available on the pricing page, and step-by-step instructions can be found in the guides.

Frequently Asked Questions About Setting Up an Online Store

Sources

• § 14 GewO: Obligation to File a Business Registration
• § 138 AO: Notification of Gainful Employment
• § 19 UStG: Small Businesses
• § 3c UStG: Place of Delivery for Intra-Community Distance Sales
• Central Packaging Register Foundation: Mail-Order and Online Retail
• Federal Ministry of Finance: Questions and Answers on E-Invoicing
• § 5 of the German Distance Selling Act (DDG): General Information Requirements
• General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679
• Art. 246a § 1 EGBGB: Information Obligations for Distance Contracts
• § 312j BGB: Obligations toward Consumers in Electronic Commerce
• § 356a BGB: Right of Withdrawal
• § 25 TDDDG: Protection of Privacy in Terminal Equipment
• § 3 BFSG: Accessibility Requirements and Exceptions
• § 312a BGB: General Obligations in Consumer Contracts and § 270a BGB: Fees for Non-Cash Payment Methods
• § 6 PAngV: Distance Selling and § 4 PAngV: Base Price
• Dortmund Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK): Product Safety – New Regulations Effective December 2024 and Regulation (EU) 2023/988 (GPSR)
• Let's Encrypt: Free, Automated, and Open Certificate Authority