15 min
How to Create an Online Store
WooCommerce, card payments in the US, and shipping.
Launching an online store in the US requires more than just adding products to a WooCommerce site. You need card payment integration with a US gateway like Stripe or Square, automated sales-tax calculation, and reliable shipping with carriers like USPS, UPS and FedEx. This guide covers all 10 steps from idea to launch.
How to Create an Online Store
Pick a niche and products
First, decide what to sell and who your target audience is. Research the market — check the competition, demand and margins. A niche can be broad (e.g. clothing) or narrow (e.g. personalized T-shirts). For beginners in the US we recommend focusing on a niche where you have knowledge or passion. Start with 20-50 products.
Register a domain
Pick a short, memorable domain relevant to your products. For the US market, a .com builds the most trust with customers, while .shop or .store can work for retail brands. Avoid hyphens and numbers. On BeoHosting you can register .com, .net, .shop and other domains with free WHOIS protection.
Pick a hosting package
An online store needs reliable hosting with strong performance. We recommend BeoHosting STANDARD or ULTIMATE with enough space for the product catalog, SSL for secure transactions and LiteSpeed for fast page loads. NVMe SSD ensures faster product-image loading, daily backup protects your data.
Install WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a free WordPress plugin that turns your site into a full online store. Install: in cPanel install WordPress via Softaculous, then in WP admin Plugins → Add New, search "WooCommerce", install and activate. The setup wizard automatically guides you through currency (US dollars), country, payments and shipping.
Pick a store theme
The theme defines the look of your store. For WooCommerce we recommend: Astra (fastest, free, 100+ store starter sites), Flatsome (premium, e-commerce specialized, drag-and-drop builder), or Flavor (modern, minimalist, great for smaller stores). The theme must be responsive — 70%+ of online purchases in the US come from mobile.
Add products
In WordPress admin go to Products → Add New. For each product add: title, detailed description, price in US dollars, category, tags and at least 3-5 quality images (recommended 800x800px). Use SEO-optimized titles and descriptions with the keywords customers search. For variable products (size, color) use WooCommerce attributes and variations.
Set up payments (cards, wallets)
For the US, set up multiple payment methods: Stripe or Square for credit and debit cards — WooCommerce has free official plugins for both. Add PayPal as a familiar checkout option, and digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay) to cut friction on mobile. For B2B orders, offer ACH bank transfer.
Set up shipping
In WooCommerce Settings → Shipping create shipping zones. For the US: USPS, UPS and FedEx are the most-used carriers, with real-time rate plugins available for each. Set flat rates (e.g. $5-9), free shipping above a threshold (e.g. $50 — proven to lift AOV), and local pickup if you have a physical location.
Add legal pages (terms, privacy)
US e-commerce best practice requires: Terms of Service (rights and obligations of buyer and seller), Privacy Policy (how you use personal data — CCPA/CPRA and GDPR where applicable), Return & Refund Policy, and Business Information (legal name, address, contact). WooCommerce has templates for these pages you can customize.
Launch marketing
A store without marketing has no customers. Start with: Google Ads for actively searched products, Instagram/Facebook ads for visually appealing products, SEO on product pages for organic traffic, email marketing (collect emails from day one with a 10% signup discount). Set up Google Analytics 4 and Meta Pixel to track conversions from day one.
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(+381) 60 3535 720How much does it cost to open an online store in the US?
Minimum startup costs: hosting from $55.92/year (BeoHosting START), .com domain from $16.30/year, WordPress + WooCommerce are free. Total, you can launch a functional online store for under $61.11/year. Premium themes cost $30.56-$81.48 one-time. For card payments, Stripe charges 2-3% per transaction.
Do I need a registered business for an online store in the US?
Yes, to operate an online store properly in the US you should register a business entity — most owners choose a sole proprietorship or an LLC. You will typically need an EIN (federal tax ID) from the IRS, a state business registration and a business bank account. Card processors require a legitimate business. Forming an LLC costs roughly $50-$500 depending on the state and can often be done online in a day or two.
What is the best CMS for an online store?
WooCommerce (WordPress) is the best choice for most online stores in the US. Free, the largest plugin ecosystem, full US English and US-dollar support, and native integrations with major payment processors (Stripe, Square, PayPal). Alternatives: Shopify (simpler but more expensive with transaction fees) and PrestaShop (good for larger stores, steeper learning curve).
How do I accept card payments in an online store?
To accept card payments in the US the fastest path is a modern gateway like Stripe, Square or PayPal — no merchant-bank contract needed up front. Process: create a Stripe or Square account, verify your business, install the official WooCommerce plugin and connect with your API keys. You can be live the same day, then optionally add a dedicated merchant account later for lower rates at higher volume.
What hosting is best for an online store?
For an online store you need hosting with: SSL (required for secure payments), fast servers (LiteSpeed for fast product pages), enough space for product images (minimum 10 GB), daily backups (data-loss protection) and 99.9% uptime. BeoHosting START or STANDARD packages meet all these requirements from $55.92/year.
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