Online Shop Launch Checklist: Before You Go Live

Most online shops don't fail on launch day because of the design. They fail quietly in the first month: a checkout that breaks on one phone, a courier option that isn't there, a missing returns button that turns a customer complaint into a problem with the regulator. I've launched shops for small businesses in Bulgaria and across the EU, and the difference between a smooth start and a messy one is almost always a checklist. This is mine — the one I go through before any shop goes live, updated for the rules that apply in 2026.

If you're about to buy an online shop, or you already have one waiting to launch, use this as a test. Anything you can't tick is either a job for you, or a question for whoever is building it.

The legal basics that must be on the site before the first order

Shoppers in the EU are protected by the same core consumer rules, and an online shop is a "distance contract". Before you take a single order, check that these are in place and easy to find:

• Full trader details: company name, registered address, company ID (in Bulgaria, the ЕИК), VAT number if registered, email and phone.
• Terms and conditions written for your shop, not copied from a competitor.
• A privacy policy that names the tools you actually use (analytics, payments, courier, email marketing).
• A cookie banner that lets people refuse non-essential cookies as easily as accepting them.
• Clear information about the 14-day right of withdrawal and how returns work.
• Final prices in euro, including VAT, with delivery costs shown before checkout.

I cover each of these in more depth in my guide to what a business website legally needs in Bulgaria and the EU. For a shop, two newer rules deserve their own sections.

The new withdrawal button (in force since 19 June 2026)

EU Directive 2023/2673 added a requirement that many shops still haven't noticed: if customers have a legal right to withdraw from an online purchase, the shop must offer an electronic withdrawal function — essentially a "withdraw from contract here" button. It has applied since 19 June 2026.

In practice it has to be clearly labelled, available for the whole withdrawal period, and easy to reach — either permanently on the site or in the customer's account. The customer confirms who they are and which order (or which items) they're returning, then presses a second button labelled something like "confirm withdrawal". The shop must then send a confirmation by email or another durable medium without undue delay, with the date and time it was received.

Product pages: what GPSR expects you to show

The EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) has applied since 13 December 2024, and it covers distance sales — including your own shop, not only marketplaces. For each consumer product, the listing should show:

• the manufacturer's name, postal address and an electronic contact (email or web address);
• if the manufacturer is outside the EU, the responsible person in the EU;
• a picture of the product and its type or identifier (model, batch or SKU);
• any warnings or safety information that appear on the product, packaging or instructions.

If you resell products from suppliers, collect this data before launch. It's much easier to add a "manufacturer" and "safety information" field to your product template now than to fix 400 listings later.

Checkout, payments and delivery

This is where money is won or lost. Every extra field, surprise fee or broken button costs orders. Before launch, I place real test orders — with real cards, on real phones — and so should you.

Also check invoicing: can the customer enter company details for an invoice, and does your shop hand the order to your accounting or fiscal setup correctly? Talk to your accountant about this before launch day, not after.

Speed, mobile and accessibility

Most shop visits happen on a phone, often on a mobile connection. Open your shop on an older mid-range phone and time how long a product page takes to become usable. Compress product photos, avoid heavy sliders, and make sure the "Add to basket" button is visible without scrolling.

Accessibility is no longer optional for many online shops. The European Accessibility Act covers e-commerce services from 28 June 2025; microenterprises offering services (under 10 staff and up to €2 million turnover) are exempt, but everyone else needs a shop that works with a keyboard and a screen reader, has readable contrast and labelled form fields. Even if you're exempt, those fixes help every customer. If you're unsure where you stand, my website accessibility service starts with a look at your shop and a quote.

Findability: Google, tracking and trust

A shop nobody finds is an expensive catalogue. Before launch:

1. Give every category and product a unique title and description written for people, not keyword lists.
2. Make sure the sitemap is generated and submitted in Google Search Console.
3. Set up analytics that respects cookie consent, and test that purchases are recorded.
4. Connect your Google Business Profile if you also have a physical store — here's how to get on Google Maps.
5. Add trust signals that are real: your address, a phone number that's answered, clear delivery times and honest reviews.

The launch-week checklist

Print this and go through it with whoever built your shop:

• Three real test orders placed and refunded: card, cash on delivery (if offered) and a company invoice.
• Withdrawal button tested end to end, including the confirmation email.
• Every product has price in euro, stock status, photos, manufacturer details and any safety warnings.
• Delivery prices and times match what the courier actually charges.
• Terms, privacy policy, cookie banner and trader details live and linked in the footer.
• Mobile speed checked on a real phone; images compressed.
• Backups running, admin passwords strong, two-factor login on.
• Someone named is responsible for answering orders and emails in the first week.

A launch isn't the day the shop goes online. It's the day the first stranger buys something without calling you.— the test I use for every shop

Next step: test what you have

If your shop is already built, or you have an old one you're thinking of replacing, run the free website check first. It takes a couple of minutes and flags speed, mobile and basic SEO problems, so you know what to fix before customers find them.

If you're starting from scratch, I design and build shops and business websites from €890, usually live in 2–5 weeks, with 3 months of free care after launch so the first real orders aren't a leap of faith. You'll find how I work on my web design page, and smaller fixes to an existing shop start from €90.