14 min
How to Build an Online Shop
WooCommerce, card payments, couriers and VAT invoicing.
Opening an online shop in 2026 is the fastest growing channel for small and mid-size businesses. WooCommerce on WordPress is the dominant platform — flexible, free, with payment, courier and invoicing plugins for the UK and European market. This guide walks through hosting, store setup, payment integration (cards, COD, bank transfer), delivery (Royal Mail, DPD, DHL), VAT-compliant invoicing and SEO that converts.
How to Build an Online Shop
Choose WooCommerce-friendly hosting
Online shops have dynamic content (cart, checkout) that cannot be aggressively cached. Pick BeoHosting STANDARD or PROFESSIONAL with NVMe, Redis cache and LiteSpeed Cache for WooCommerce. Daily backups are critical.
Install WordPress + WooCommerce
One-click install via Softaculous. Run the setup wizard (currency, country, payment methods, shipping). Use a WooCommerce-optimized theme like Astra, Woodmart or Flatsome.
Add products with rich descriptions
Each product needs title, short and long description, multiple photos with alt text, price, SKU, stock, categories and attributes. Enable product reviews for SEO and trust.
Configure payment methods
Set up cards via Stripe or PayPal, wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, plus cash on delivery and bank transfer. Keep COD available since some customers still prefer it.
Set up couriers and shipping
Royal Mail, DPD, DHL and Evri have WooCommerce plugins or label printing tools. Use flat-rate or weight-based shipping; free shipping above a threshold (€47.01) lifts conversion.
Set up VAT-compliant invoicing
Issue a proper VAT invoice for every order. Plugins like WooCommerce PDF Invoices & Packing Slips generate compliant invoices automatically, with the correct VAT rate per country for cross-border EU sales (OSS). Keep records for your tax return.
Run SEO for product pages
Each product is a landing page. Optimize title and meta, use schema.org Product, write unique descriptions (never copy supplier), add text to category pages, run a content blog. Target "buy [product] online" and brand searches.
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(+381) 60 3535 720Why WooCommerce instead of Shopify?
Shopify is easier but more expensive (€30+/month plus transaction fees) and gives you less control over data and integrations. WooCommerce on BeoHosting is €5-10/month with full control and a free plugin for every major payment gateway and courier.
Do I need to issue VAT invoices?
Yes — once you are VAT-registered you must issue a compliant invoice for every order, with the correct VAT rate. For cross-border EU sales the One-Stop-Shop (OSS) scheme applies. A plugin like WooCommerce PDF Invoices automates this.
How much does an online shop cost?
Hosting €7-10/month, domain €15/year, theme €60 one-time, payment gateway 1.5-2.9% per transaction, optional invoicing plugin from €5/month. Total: €200-400 setup, then €150-250/year plus transaction fees.
Can I import products from Excel?
Yes — WooCommerce has a built-in CSV importer. WP All Import handles complex imports with images, attributes, variations. Many wholesalers provide XML/CSV product feeds you can sync.
How do I attract buyers to a new online store?
Combine several channels: (1) Google Ads — Search and Shopping campaigns for people actively searching for your products. (2) Instagram/Facebook ads — excellent for visual products and brand building. (3) SEO — optimize product descriptions for the keywords buyers search. (4) Marketplaces like eBay and Amazon — extra reach for low or no upfront cost. (5) Email marketing — collect addresses and send a newsletter. (6) Influencer marketing — reach out to relevant influencers for reviews. Start with a smaller budget (200-500 EUR/month) and scale what works.
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