E-shop: what you need to start selling online

Before you write a word of product copy, a truth that will save you time and money: the hard part of an online store is not making it look nice. It is the moving parts behind the pay button — the card processor, the courier, the legal pages, the VAT, the stock. Those decide whether you sell or spend your days chasing problems. Below is everything you actually need, in the order you will need it, written for anyone selling into the Greek market — with real names and real numbers.

1. The paperwork first: registration and tax number

You cannot legally sell online without a registered business. In Greece that means opening activity with the tax office under the right activity code (typically 47.91 — retail via mail order or internet), registering with GEMI, and issuing invoices through a provider connected to myDATA, the tax authority's e-invoicing platform. Talk to your accountant before the site is built, because how receipts are issued affects how the shop connects to your accounting. Selling across the EU adds VAT-per-country (the OSS scheme) to the picture. If you are launching from outside Greece, the equivalents in your own country apply — the principle is the same.

2. Domain and hosting

The domain is your identity — pick it carefully. For a Greek shop a .gr (or a .com if you have an eye on markets abroad) is the norm. Do not cut corners on hosting: a store carries traffic, images and simultaneous orders, so you want a plan that survives spikes (Black Friday, the holidays) and comes with SSL, daily backups and real support. A cheap shared plan that buckles mid-promotion costs you at the exact moment it matters most.

3. The platform: WooCommerce, Shopify or custom?

There is no “best” — only the right fit for your case:

• WooCommerce (WordPress): flexible, low entry cost, plugins for local couriers and invoicing — but it needs upkeep and updates to stay secure.
• Shopify: quick to launch, rock-solid, no server worries — but it carries a monthly fee and is less flexible for local specifics like myDATA invoicing or cash on delivery.
• Custom build: when you have particular needs — a large catalogue, ERP integration, B2B pricing — and you want the shop to work exactly the way your business does.

4. Payments — what a Greek customer expects

Card details never touch your site; a certified processor handles them. In the Greek market the realistic options are:

• Cards via a bank (Alpha, Piraeus, Eurobank, National) or fintech such as Viva.com and Stripe — with interest-free instalments where it makes sense.
• IRIS — instant account-to-account payments, increasingly popular and cheap to process.
• PayPal — expected by anyone buying internationally or wanting extra buyer protection.
• Cash on delivery — still widely requested in Greece. Decide deliberately: it lifts sales but also cancellations and refused parcels. A small COD fee filters out the non-serious.

5. Shipping and couriers

This is where carts are won or lost. Set up an agreement with one or two couriers (ACS, Geniki Taxydromiki, ELTA Courier, Speedex) and connect them so a shipping voucher is created automatically with each order. You also want:

• Clear shipping costs in the cart — plus a free-shipping threshold (say, over €39) that nudges the average order up.
• Automated status emails: “order received → shipped → tracking number”.
• A returns policy — EU law gives buyers a 14-day right of withdrawal on distance sales, no reason required.

6. The legal pages — the “boring” part that saves you

• Terms of use & returns policy written for your shop — not copy-pasted from someone else.
• Privacy & cookie policy (GDPR) with a proper consent banner that loads no tracking before the visitor clicks accept.
• Business details on show: legal name, tax number, company registry, address, phone and email — and an unambiguous “order with obligation to pay” label on the checkout button.

7. Products: photos and descriptions that sell

Your customer cannot touch the product — they buy with their eyes. Photos are half the sale: clean, well-lit, a consistent background, several shots per product and zoom on the details. Descriptions need what it is, what it solves, dimensions, sizes, materials — not two words. Write them for both the human and Google: every product is a page that can rank for its own name. Structured data, honest titles and unique descriptions from the start beat any bolt-on SEO later.

8. Stock and life after launch

Decide early how stock is updated — by hand or automatically from your till or ERP — because selling something you do not have is the surest way to lose a customer. And remember: a store does not “finish”, it runs. Orders, customer questions, product updates, security, backups. Before you open, be clear on who does what: you handle products and orders, someone reliable handles the technical side.

The pre-launch checklist

1. Business registered, correct activity code, e-invoicing connected ✔
2. Domain in your own name & reliable hosting with SSL and backups ✔
3. Platform chosen (WooCommerce / Shopify / custom) ✔
4. Payments: cards, instant transfer, PayPal, cash on delivery ✔
5. Courier connected, shipping costs & free-shipping threshold in the cart ✔
6. Terms, 14-day returns, GDPR consent banner ✔
7. Product photos & descriptions, SEO groundwork ✔
8. Stock, operations & support plan ✔

Frequently asked questions

Do I really need cash on delivery? Not strictly — but a lot of Greek shoppers still expect it. Start with it plus a small fee, measure cancellations, then decide.
WooCommerce or Shopify? Shopify if you want speed and zero server worries; WooCommerce or a custom build if you need flexibility and tighter control over local invoicing and payments.
I'm not technical — will I get stuck?No, as long as someone owns the technical side from the start. You only need to add a product and read an order — nothing more. If you'd rather hand the whole thing over, see what we build or just get in touch.