By Richcom Technology · Updated 19 October 2026 · 4 minute read
A successful online store starts with clear decisions about what you sell, who buys it and how orders are fulfilled. This small business website planning guide helps you prepare those decisions before development begins. Use it to write a brief that a developer can price and test against, rather than choosing a design and discovering missing requirements later.
| Decision | Prepare before development | Acceptance check |
|---|---|---|
| Catalogue | Approved product sheet and images | Correct units, variations and prices |
| Payments | Approved provider and account ownership | Success and failure flows checked |
| Delivery | Regions, collection and charge rules | Correct options shown to a buyer |
| Handover | Content owner and care arrangement | Staff can manage the agreed tasks |
Start with the customer’s task
Describe the customer you want to serve and the purchase they need to complete. A shop selling a few standard products needs a different catalogue from a business selling configurable equipment. Write down your delivery regions, typical order size and the questions buyers ask before paying. These details shape navigation, product information and checkout.
Consider an office supplier might need buyers to compare pack sizes, check availability and choose delivery or collection. Turn each step into a requirement: a clear unit of sale, accurate stock wording, useful filters and a visible fulfilment choice.
Prepare the catalogue before the design
Build one consistent product sheet with a unique product code, name, category, description, price and image reference. Include variations such as size or colour as separate, clearly related records. Specify whether prices include any applicable charges and who approves changes. Do not rely on a developer to infer the meaning of a supplier spreadsheet.
Choose a manageable first catalogue. A smaller set of complete listings is easier to check than a large collection of missing images and inconsistent prices. Identify which products need compatibility explanations, downloadable information or a buying guide. Those questions can become useful articles linked from the relevant category.
For the next part of this decision, read Content Hubs and Internal Linking: A Practical Small Business Guide.
Agree what the package includes
Separate the website build from the services needed to run it. Confirm the page count, product-upload allowance, design revisions, integrations and handover. Record who supplies the domain, hosting, logo, written content and product photography. Ask how additional products or features will be priced.
Richcom’s current website offer starts at $150 USD as a one-time package. Check the service page for the exact scope and delivery terms before purchasing. Domain, hosting, payment-provider arrangements and other third-party costs should be confirmed separately; a starting price is not a promise that every possible store feature is included.
Map payments and fulfilment
Write down the payment methods your business is approved to accept. Confirm the account holder, settlement arrangement and who owns the gateway account. Give your developer access through the agreed secure process. Avoid pasting passwords or payment secrets into the project brief.
Next, define delivery regions, collection options and what happens when an item is unavailable. Decide who receives order notifications and who updates customers after dispatch. For Richcom Software service purchases, payments are processed by Richcom Technology through richcom.lk. Customers should understand that destination before following the checkout link.
A worked brief: a small office-supplies store
Suppose your first release contains paper, printer consumables and desk accessories. Customers need to understand whether an item is sold individually or in a pack. Some consumables also need a model-compatibility explanation. Your brief should identify those differences before anyone creates a product template.
Specify the minimum fields for each category. Paper might need sheet size and pack quantity; consumables might need the exact supported models and verified manufacturer references. Give the developer approved examples. Do not ask them to infer compatibility from a product name or photograph.
Now define acceptance in customer terms: a visitor can find a product on a phone, understand the unit price, choose an available quantity and see delivery information before payment. The store owner can identify the resulting order and contact the customer. This is a much stronger launch target than a list of attractive pages.
Keep the second release separate. Loyalty programmes, complex bundles and marketplace connections can be assessed after the basic ordering flow is stable. Writing them into a future-work list prevents a modest first project from becoming an undefined build.
Use a launch checklist
Test the complete customer journey on a phone and a desktop. Browse a category, open a product, choose a variation, change the quantity and check the cart total. Review shipping choices and validation messages. Arrange payment testing through the provider’s supported process, including unsuccessful and cancelled payments.
Confirm that order records and customer emails show the right items, amounts and contact details. Check the contact form, policy links, images and important navigation paths. Assign someone to approve the launch and someone to monitor early orders. Keep an agreed recovery plan available if a release causes problems.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need all product information before starting?
Prepare a representative sample early and agree a deadline for the full catalogue. Missing content can delay delivery or limit what can be checked.
Should every business start with a mobile app?
Start with the customer journey. A mobile-friendly website may cover the initial requirement. Consider an app when there is a specific repeated task it can improve.
What happens after launch?
Assign responsibility for content changes, backups, updates and order handling. Agree ongoing support separately from the initial build.
Turn the plan into a practical next step.
Compare the current scope, requirements and delivery terms before choosing your package.