Launching a Shopify store is more than adding products and publishing. Customers in India compare options quickly on their phones, so small gaps in pricing, delivery information or trust signals cost orders. Use this checklist before you go live.
1. Get the product pages right
- Write a clear title that says what the product is, not only the brand name.
- Use sharp photos from several angles, compressed so pages stay fast on mobile data.
- Describe sizes, materials, what is in the box and who the product is for.
- Add descriptive alt text to product images.
2. Set prices, tax and payments for India
Show prices in INR and confirm with your accountant how GST should appear on prices and invoices for your business. Then decide which payment methods to offer. Indian shoppers commonly expect UPI and cards, and many also look for cash on delivery. Availability depends on the payment gateways that Shopify supports for your business, so check this early rather than the day before launch.
3. Make shipping and delivery clear
- Set shipping rates and free-shipping thresholds you can sustain.
- State realistic delivery times and which locations you serve.
- Explain how returns, refunds and exchanges work before checkout.
4. Add trust pages and policies
Publish shipping, returns, privacy and terms pages, along with clear contact details and your business information. Buyers use these to decide whether a small store is safe to order from, and Indian e-commerce consumer rules expect sellers to be transparent. Check the current requirements for your business type.
5. Cover the SEO basics
- Give every product and collection a unique title tag and meta description.
- Write short, useful collection descriptions instead of leaving them empty.
- Use clean, readable URLs and link related products and collections together.
- Submit your store's sitemap in Google Search Console after launch.
6. Install tracking before you spend on ads
Set up Google Analytics and the Meta Pixel, ideally with the Conversions API, and confirm that add-to-cart, checkout and purchase events fire correctly. Running Meta Ads without reliable tracking makes optimisation guesswork.
7. Make it easy to ask a question
Many buyers want to check size, stock or delivery before ordering. A visible WhatsApp chat link on product pages and in the footer gives them a fast way to ask, and gives you a direct line to customers who are close to buying.
8. Place a test order
Before launch, place a real test order on a phone. Check the checkout, payment confirmation, order emails and how the store looks on a small screen. Fixing a problem now is far cheaper than fixing it after your first campaign sends traffic.