How do you set up an e-commerce site? A step-by-step roadmap

From company type to virtual POS, from product photos to a courier contract: what you need to do, in order, to start selling online in Turkey.

Setting up an e-commerce site is not just picking a theme and uploading products. The site itself is perhaps a third of the job. The rest is the company, payments, shipping, photography and bringing in customers. Get the order right and you save both time and money.

1. Company and tax registration

To sell online on a regular basis in Turkey you need to be a registered taxpayer. Most people start as a sole proprietorship and move to a limited company as the business grows. The virtual POS application also asks for your tax registration certificate. Talk to an accountant about which company type suits you, and start this step before the site, because the paperwork takes time.

2. Choose your platform

There are three routes: ready-made e-commerce packages rented by the month, open-source systems, and custom software written for you. A ready-made package gets you started quickly; with custom software everything is built around your needs. We compared which suits whom in our post on ready-made versus custom e-commerce.

3. Domain and brand

Choose a domain that is short, memorable and not misspelt when you say it over the phone. Check whether the same name is free on Instagram too. Be sure to register the domain in your own name.

4. Virtual POS and payments

To take card payments you have two options: get a virtual POS from a bank, or work with a payment provider. With a bank POS the commission is usually lower but the application takes longer. With payment providers the application is quick. Many stores use both together. Adding cash on delivery and bank transfer as options also reduces cart abandonment.

5. Courier contract

You cannot run e-commerce on retail shipping rates. Sign a corporate contract with a courier company. Having your site integrated with the courier means the tracking number goes to the customer automatically and spares you a stream of phone calls.

6. Product photos and descriptions

The customer cannot touch the product; they decide by looking at the photo. Your own shots, rather than low-resolution images from the supplier, both build trust and lower the return rate. We covered this in our post on how product photos affect sales. Do not copy the descriptions from the supplier either; Google does not favour copied text.

7. Legal texts

A distance sales contract, a pre-sale information form, return conditions, and privacy and KVKK texts (KVKK is Turkey's personal data protection law) must all be on the site. Businesses that sell from their own website must also register with ETBİS, Turkey's Electronic Commerce Information System. Having a lawyer prepare these texts is the soundest approach.

8. Marketplace integration

If you will also sell on marketplaces such as Trendyol and Hepsiburada, Turkish, stock and orders need to be managed from a single panel. Otherwise you may sell the same product in two places with only one left in stock.

9. Measurement and advertising

Customers do not turn up just because the site is open. Set up Analytics and conversion tracking before you go live, so you can see which ad brings in sales. The first customers mostly come from Google Ads and Instagram ads; SEO then reduces your dependence on advertising over time.

Before you go live

• Place a real order with your own card and refund it.
• Place the order from a phone; check whether anything snags at the payment step.
• Check that the order, shipping and return emails go out properly.
• Test that a product is closed for sale when stock runs out.

We handle the site, payment, shipping, photography and advertising parts of these steps under one roof. Details are on our e-commerce website page.