Moving to e-commerce: your first 90 days
Moving from physical to online sales can feel daunting. Here's the first three months, step by step, in a simple plan.
Moving from a physical store or wholesale to selling online is a big step for many businesses. But with the right plan, the first 90 days can be steady progress rather than chaos. Here's a realistic roadmap.
First 30 days: lay the foundation
This is the preparation month. Get clear on what you'll sell and to whom. Start small with your best-sellers — trying to upload your entire catalog at once is the most common mistake.
- Product photos and descriptions get prepared
- Payment and shipping processes are defined
- Basic legal texts (distance sales, returns, privacy) are drafted
Start small
A store that works well with 20 products is far more valuable than a half-finished one with 500. Get the system right first, then expand.
Days 31-60: go live and test
The store is now live. The goal isn't perfection — it's testing the system with real orders. Your first orders give you the most valuable feedback: where do people get stuck, where do they give up?
- The order, payment and shipping flow is tested end to end
- First orders come in from people close to you
- Any snags get fixed quickly
Days 61-90: start growing
The system is settled; now it's time to attract visitors. Social media, small-budget ads and the basic search-engine settings come into play in this period.
Track the numbers
How many visitors arrive, how many order, which product sells most? Tracking these three numbers grounds your growth decisions in reality, not guesswork.
After that: learn and repeat
At the end of 90 days you hold real data, not a guess. Multiply whatever works, drop whatever doesn't. E-commerce isn't a "set and forget" job; it's a muscle that grows through constant small improvements.
Moving to online sales isn't scary at all when you don't try to do it all in one day. Start small, test, then scale — that's exactly what the first 90 days are for.