Build your online store
A store that looks real, loads fast, and takes payments and COD.
4 steps to get you moving, each with a resource worth your time and more waiting underneath
Think of this as a friendly starting line, not the last word. Each step gives you the gist, then a resource worth your time from founders who've been there. There's always more underneath, more questions and more resources, whenever you feel like digging in.
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1
Choosing your store platform
Shopify vs WooCommerce vs the rest, pick once.
Shopify or WooCommerce for my first store in India?The gist For a first D2C store in India, default to Shopify unless you already know WordPress cold or need heavy content/SEO customization from day one. Shopify hands you hosting, security, a UPI/Razorpay-ready checkout and support baked in, so you spend your first three months selling instead of patching plugins. WooCommerce looks cheaper on paper, but the 'free' plugin still needs paid hosting, security patching and a developer on call the moment something breaks - a real cost most first-time founders underprice.
Shopify vs. WooCommerce shopify.com Shopify's own comparison page is unavoidably self-interested, but it's the clearest side-by-side of the structural difference that actually matters - hosted-and-managed versus self-hosted-and-owned - before you get lost in feature lists. -
2
Building & setting up your store
A store that looks real and loads fast, today.
Which Shopify theme should I pick for my store, and how much should I customize it?The gist Start free: Dawn is the fastest, cleanest base for a first store and it's tuned for Core Web Vitals out of the box - don't pay for a premium theme before you've sold your first order. Pick by catalog size and category feel (Dawn or Studio under ~50 SKUs, Impulse or Prestige for a bigger fashion or beauty catalog), then customize sections, colours and fonts in the built-in editor rather than hiring someone to touch code on day one. Every 'just one more feature' app you bolt on is a tax on load time, so resist customizing past what your brand actually needs before launch.
26 Best Shopify Themes for 2026 shopify.com Shopify's own current-year roundup, organized by catalog size and industry rather than just 'prettiest theme' - the fastest way to shortlist 2-3 real options instead of scrolling the Theme Store for an afternoon. -
3
Product pages, photography & copy
The page is your salesperson, make it close.
Can I shoot good product photos on my phone, or do I need to book a studio?The gist For most first collections, a phone (rear camera, a tripod, a roll of white paper and window light) gets you launch-ready shots - the gap between amateur and clean isn't the camera, it's a tripod, locked focus/exposure and consistent light, not gear you can't afford yet. Once you're shooting 50+ SKUs a month or need model/lifestyle work, an Indian studio or freelancer (roughly ₹75-300 per image in Delhi/Bangalore, less in Tier-2, numbers change) pays for itself in turnaround and consistency. Start on your phone to validate the catalogue; graduate to a studio when volume or category (jewellery, food, fine fabric) demands control you can't get handheld.
The Complete Guide to Ecommerce Photography shopify.com The single best starting point for founders shooting their own catalogue - covers phone-only setups, budget lighting tricks and when it's time to graduate to a proper studio, all in one guide from the platform most Indian D2C stores run on. -
4
Payment gateways, COD & checkout
Take money smoothly, and tame COD.
Which payment gateway should I actually use, Razorpay, Cashfree, PayU, or just Shopify's checkout?The gist For most Indian D2C brands, Razorpay is the safe default: cleanest checkout UX, native UPI and COD support, zero AMC, and an ecosystem that plugs into Shopify, subscriptions and payouts. Cashfree earns a serious look past roughly ₹10L/month GMV, its headline rates run a shade lower and its payouts/vendor infrastructure is genuinely best-in-class; PayU pulls ahead if no-cost EMI on big-ticket items (AOV ₹5,000+) matters to your funnel. Note Shopify Payments itself isn't available for India-based merchant accounts, so on Shopify you're integrating Razorpay, Cashfree or PayU as your gateway either way, the platform choice doesn't remove this decision.
Best Payment Gateway India 2026: Razorpay vs Cashfree vs PayU dhanaay.com A D2C-specific (not generic SaaS) comparison of the big three Indian gateways, weighing fees, settlement speed and AMC rather than just headline rates. Good first stop before you sign up anywhere.
