Today you can launch an e-shop in an evening. But most new online stores close within their first year — not because of technology, but because of badly calculated costs and no plan for where customers will come from. Here is the order in which we launch stores with our clients.
1. Product and business model
- What you sell and to whom. The narrower and clearer the audience, the cheaper the advertising.
- Where the goods come from — your own production, a wholesaler, dropshipping.
- Margin. It pays for free shipping, discounts, advertising and returns.
- Competitors. Check who sells the same products on Heureka and Zboží.cz (the main Czech price comparison sites) and at what prices.
2. Business licence
To sell goods you need a trade licence (živnost — for regular trade it’s the “free” type, wholesale and retail) or a company. Some goods, such as alcohol or food, need additional permits. We cover how to get a trade licence in a separate article: trade licence in Czechia.
3. Platform: Shoptet or WooCommerce
- Shoptet — a rented, ready-made Czech platform. A fast and inexpensive start; the platform takes care of the technical side. According to Shoptet’s price list, paid plans start at 440 CZK per month excl. VAT (Basic plan, up to 100 products).
- WooCommerce — your own store on WordPress. More expensive to start, but full freedom in design and features and no monthly platform fee — just hosting.
A detailed comparison is in our article WordPress or Shoptet.
4. Costs
One-off: store development (with us from 35,000 CZK on Shoptet and from 60,000 CZK on WooCommerce — see current pricing), product texts and photos, a logo if needed.
Monthly: platform plan or hosting, payment gateway fees, add-ons and integrations, and advertising — the cost new stores underestimate most.
5. Mandatory texts — in Czech
- Terms and conditions (obchodní podmínky) — delivery, payment, complaints and the consumer’s right to withdraw from the purchase within 14 days.
- Privacy information (GDPR).
- A cookie banner with consent — analytics and advertising cookies only with the visitor’s consent.
- Seller details — name or company name, IČO (company ID), address, contacts.
A store for Czech customers has to be in Czech. Don’t copy terms from another store: they won’t match your business and they are protected by copyright.
6. Payments and delivery
- Payments: a payment gateway (GoPay, Comgate, Shoptet Pay on Shoptet) for cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay, plus bank transfer and cash on delivery (dobírka).
- Delivery: Zásilkovna, PPL, Balíkovna, Česká pošta, in-store pick-up. Pick-up points are very popular in Czechia.
7. First customers
- listing on Heureka and Zboží.cz;
- Google Shopping via Merchant Center;
- PPC advertising on Google Ads and Sklik — the fastest source of first orders;
- SEO — results in 3–6 months, but cheaper in the long run;
- social media — especially for products that sell visually.
