How to plan an e-commerce system

Below, we’ve compiled the most common elements for planning an e-commerce system. In this post, we’ll cover the following topics.

• Define your business goals and target audience.
• Structure your product catalogue effectively.
• Tailor the system to customer segments.
• Plan for logistics and shipping integrations.
• Streamline price and inventory updates.
• Choose the right platform or consider custom development.
• Account for returns, payments, and marketing needs.

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When business owners first consider setting up an online shop, many focus almost entirely on aesthetics. They picture sleek designs, elegant colour schemes, and polished product images. While presentation does matter—no one wants to shop in an amateur-looking digital space—it’s only the tip of the iceberg. Beneath the surface lies a complex structural foundation that needs thoughtful planning to ensure your online store not only looks good but also operates efficiently, scales smoothly, and meets the unique demands of your products and customers.

Understanding off-the-shelf systems

One of the first decisions you’ll face is whether to go with a pre-built, off-the-shelf e-commerce platform. These platforms are powerful and come packed with features, user-friendly dashboards, and integrations designed to cater to a wide range of needs. On paper, they promise a quick and convenient way to launch your online shop. In practice, however, they’re often more intricate than they appear. The sheer number of features, options, and settings can feel overwhelming—especially for those without a technical background. It’s not uncommon for business owners to struggle with fully unlocking their platform’s potential.

That said, off-the-shelf solutions offer undeniable benefits. They’re typically well-documented and supported by large user communities. Regular updates and security patches ensure ongoing improvements, and they often integrate seamlessly with third-party tools like payment gateways and loyalty programmes. For businesses with standard requirements, these platforms can provide a solid starting point—provided you’re willing to invest the time to learn and navigate their complexities.

Thinking structurally about your products

A common mistake when building an online shop is prioritising the design before considering how your product catalogue will be structured. Different products have unique attributes that require specific attention. For instance, selling clothing involves managing sizes, colours, and materials, while electronics may require technical specifications, warranty details, or compatibility notes. If you skip this step and focus solely on visuals, you may discover later that your chosen platform struggles to support your product data or organise it in a user-friendly way.

To avoid this, take the time to map out your product data in detail. Ask yourself questions like:

• What categories make sense for my products?
• What attributes do customers frequently filter by?
• How detailed should product descriptions be?
• Should certain attributes be searchable or comparable side-by-side?

By addressing these considerations early, you’ll ensure your e-commerce platform can handle your products efficiently, and you’ll make it easier for your web development team to deliver a solution that fits perfectly.

Tailoring to your customer base

Your customers’ needs are as important as your product structure. Are you selling to both retail buyers and wholesalers? Do some customers require bulk discounts or access to exclusive product ranges? If so, you’ll need a platform that supports differentiated user roles, segment-based pricing, or unique promotional rules for different buyer groups.

Implementing these features in some off-the-shelf systems can be tricky, so it’s crucial to identify your customer requirements upfront. This will guide you in selecting a platform with the necessary functionality or the flexibility to add custom extensions later. By planning ahead, you can provide a seamless shopping experience for every segment of your audience.

Managing logistics and delivery integrations

Shipping logistics often receive less attention than they deserve. While it’s tempting to focus on homepage aesthetics, efficient order delivery plays a far more significant role in customer satisfaction.

If you plan to use specific delivery services—whether local couriers or international logistics providers—make sure your platform supports integrations like automated shipping labels, real-time tracking updates, and dynamic shipping rates. These aren’t features you can easily bolt on later; they require thoughtful planning from the outset.

Handling price updates and large catalogues

For businesses with large or dynamic product catalogues, maintaining accurate pricing can be a challenge. Seasonal goods, high-turnover inventory, or fluctuating supplier costs may require frequent updates. Manually adjusting prices for a large catalogue is time-consuming, so choose a platform that supports batch updates, integrates with supplier databases, or offers efficient import/export tools.

While most off-the-shelf platforms include these capabilities, they can be complex to master. If regular price updates are central to your business model, consider investing in training or even custom solutions to streamline these processes.

The case for custom development

At some point, the complexity of your product offerings may outgrow the capabilities of off-the-shelf systems. For instance, a furniture retailer offering customisable options like materials, finishes, and sizes might find it difficult to manage these attributes within a generic platform. Similarly, implementing unique business rules—like extended warranties for specific combinations—might require extensive workarounds.

Custom-built e-commerce systems address these limitations by tailoring every element to your specific needs. From bespoke data models to customised checkout workflows, a custom solution can simplify the management of complex attributes and improve efficiency. While the initial investment is higher, the long-term benefits often outweigh the costs.

Additional considerations for a holistic approach

Beyond the basics, consider peripheral but important factors like:

• Returns and refunds: Will your system need to generate return labels, track returns, or handle restocking fees?
• Payment methods: Do you need support for buy-now-pay-later options or alternative gateways?
• Content and marketing: If you plan to produce blog posts, tutorials, or educational content, choose a system that integrates your marketing seamlessly with your product catalogue.

Incorporating SEO into your e-commerce plan

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a critical component of any successful e-commerce system. From the outset, your platform should be designed to rank well in search engines, making it easier for potential customers to find your products. This means optimising product pages with relevant keywords, crafting unique and engaging meta descriptions, and ensuring that your site structure supports easy navigation and indexing by search engines.

It’s important to note that just because a system is labelled "SEO-ready" doesn’t mean it will perform well immediately. What matters most is laying the right foundation for future SEO efforts. This includes ensuring your platform supports clean URLs, image optimisation, mobile responsiveness, and other essentials. Building these basics into your system from the start ensures you have a solid base for ongoing SEO success.

Laying a strong foundation

Creating a successful online shop requires more than just aesthetics. It involves addressing the finer details that form the backbone of a smooth, scalable e-commerce operation. By carefully considering product structure, customer needs, shipping logistics, and pricing strategies, you can make an informed decision about whether to use an off-the-shelf platform or invest in a custom solution.

This thoughtful approach not only helps you choose the right system but also ensures effective communication with your development team. Instead of vague requests for a “nice shop,” you can specify requirements like, “We need category filtering,” or “We need batch price updates.” This clarity saves time, reduces confusion, and ensures a final product that is visually appealing, efficient, and aligned with your business goals.

Thinking structurally isn’t about limiting creativity—it’s about laying the groundwork for a stunning, user-friendly, and growth-ready online presence. With the right planning and foresight, your e-commerce venture will be set for long-term success.

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As an experienced web design agency, we’ve learned that clients often struggle to articulate exactly what they need—not because they lack insight, but because they’ve never had to think about their business in this way before. This is completely understandable; it’s not their area of expertise, it’s ours. That’s why we prioritise open communication and take the time to guide them through the process, helping them uncover and articulate the structural, operational, and product-level details that will inform the best possible solution.