Opening an online store after running a brick-and-mortar shop: what order should we handle things in?

Build the sequence step by step: First comes tax office and NACE code updates plus the switch to e-fatura. Next secure virtual POS approval from your current physical POS banks or payment aggregators. Then lock in a fixed-desi courier deal. Building the ecommerce site and listing inventory comes dead last.

Edit: asked below, I wrote the answer in the second message.

We made this exact mistake with 2,400 stationery items. We stalled for 4 months trying to list everything and burned 30,000 TL on product photography. Once live, 80% of our orders came from just 35 SKUs. Definitely do not exceed 50 top items at the start.

Before giving any cash to a developer, go tour courier branches tomorrow morning. You're selling glassware; get their breakage liability terms and shipping rates for 1-3 desi packages in writing. You can't price products online without knowing your fulfillment costs.

Three critical things you can't afford to overlook: 1) Bubble wrap and box packaging costs for breakables, 2) Paying two-way freight on customer returns, 3) Payout settlement delays vs. gateway commission rates on virtual POS.

Your accountant is right. Without e-fatura you can't generate the legally required barcoded waybills and invoices for shipping couriers. Try managing web orders with old-school paper receipt pads and you'll hit a dead wall at the packing station by order #20.

Don't be intimidated at all but don't rush into it either. Your brick-and-mortar experience is a huge plus. btw just don't try to put every single shelf from your store online right away; test the waters first with products that are easy to ship.

Inventory and e-fatura integration first, then shipping and POS agreements, and storefront design last. That's the proper order.

The most overlooked point about opening an online store is this: Everything goes well for the first three months; problems arise in the fourth.

If you don't write this down from the start it leads to arguments later. tbh correct me if I'm wrong.

I'll try it.

I don't think this advice fits everyone. Calculate how many months you can survive without revenue, then halve that number.

If you post the result here, it will help others too.

Here's how it went for us. Trying to do this alone is the most expensive way.

I'm also curious if anyone does it differently.

I'd say don't rush. If it's your first time, start small; scaling comes later.

I'm also curious if anyone does it differently.

let's separate the concepts, they're getting mixed up but i mean when making a decision also write down the cost of reversal.

this is my opinion I'm not claiming it's absolute truth.

Let me share what happened to me; it might be useful. Everyone rushing into opening an online store gets stuck at the same point.

If I were you, I'd go this route.

I'm curious too.

Thanks for posting.

I've been down this road, let me tell you. When making a decision, first look at what data you have on hand.

If I were you, I'd go this route.

Could you elaborate on that? Measure first, then divide... When the order is right, the debate ends.

Proven by experience.