Skip to main content

First shop launch

This guide helps you calmly check the first shop after seller registration. You do not have to make everything perfect right away. For the first launch, it is important to complete five short steps: create a published category, add the first product, prepare the product for sale, check payment, and check delivery or order receiving.

Who this guide is for​

This guide is for you if you have already registered as a seller or created the first shop from the cabinet.

There are two common scenarios:

  1. you registered as a seller, and FastyShop already created the first shop;
  2. you previously logged in as a buyer and then moved to shop launch from the cabinet.

In both cases, after the shop is created, you need to open the seller cabinet and check the first shop.

If you are not sure yet where shops, settings, and the seller section are located in the cabinet, first open the Seller cabinet map.

What should already be ready​

Before the first launch, these things should be ready:

  1. a FastyShop account;
  2. access to the cabinet;
  3. the first shop;
  4. legal details that you entered during seller registration or shop creation.

If you have not registered as a seller yet, start with Seller registration.

What counts as the first launch​

The first launch does not mean the shop is already fully finished.

For the first launch, it is enough to:

  1. open the shop in the seller cabinet;
  2. check the name, contacts, and basic settings;
  3. complete the five shop launch steps;
  4. open the storefront as a buyer;
  5. make sure the buyer understands how to place an order.

After that, you can gradually improve the catalog, descriptions, and sales terms. At the start, you do not need to add the entire assortment: one clear published category and one well-prepared product are enough for the first check.

If you are just starting, the first shop usually works on the Free starter plan. You do not need to study tariffs before every setting, but it is useful to know where to check limits when the shop starts growing.

Before the steps: open the first shop in the cabinet​

Log in to the FastyShop cabinet and go to the seller section.

If you have one shop, the cabinet may open its workspace immediately. If you have several shops, select the needed shop from the list.

On the shop page, find the main actions: products, categories, orders, settings, and opening the storefront. Shop details and the public page are explained in more detail in the Shop and storefront section.

If you are already on the home page of a specific store, use it as a short launch check: open the storefront, look at published categories and products, then return to the missing checklist steps. The store home is explained in more detail in Cabinet home.

Before the steps: check the name, contacts, and basic settings​

Open shop settings and check:

  1. shop name;
  2. shop phone number;
  3. shop email;
  4. short description, if it is already filled in;
  5. details that the buyer will see before purchase.

The buyer should understand who they are buying from and how to contact the shop.

Legal details and seller verification are also important for trust in the shop. This article mentions them only briefly. You can read more in the Seller profile and legal details section.

Five shop launch steps​

The seller cabinet may show a Shop launch block. It shows five steps that help bring a new shop to its first orders.

Step 1: create and publish a category​

A category helps the buyer understand where to look for a product. For example, Flowers, Gifts, Clothing, or Cosmetics.

For launch, it is important not only to create the category but also to publish it. If the category remains a draft or is archived, a published product inside it may not appear on the storefront.

Check that:

  1. the category name is short and clear;
  2. the category fits the first product;
  3. the category is published;
  4. the parent category, if there is one, also does not block the product from being shown.

Read more: Product categories.

Step 2: add the first product​

The product card explains to the buyer what you sell. The first product does not have to be perfect, but it should be understandable.

Fill in at least:

  1. category;
  2. product name;
  3. price;
  4. description or short description;
  5. stock;
  6. primary image, if it helps the buyer make a decision.

Do not use only a photo instead of a description. The buyer needs to understand the size, composition, purpose, or other important product details.

Read more: Creating and editing a product.

Step 3: prepare the product for sale​

You do not need a large catalog for the first launch. One clear category and one product that the buyer can open and understand are enough.

The product is ready for sale when it is not just created, but can participate in an order. Check that:

  1. the product is published;
  2. the product belongs to a published category;
  3. the price looks correct;
  4. stock is filled in;
  5. if the Available to order setting is enabled, you are really ready to accept such an order after stock reaches zero;
  6. required category fields are filled in if the cabinet requires them.

If the product is published but the category is not published, the buyer may not see the product on the storefront. That is why the category step and the product step are connected.

Read more: Product publication and How to check a product on the storefront.

Step 4: set up a payment method​

The buyer needs to understand in advance how they can pay for the order.

In the current version, payment methods in FastyShop are manual seller instructions. FastyShop does not accept money for goods or delivery, does not charge the buyer's card, and does not confirm payment automatically.

Check that:

  1. at least one payment method is enabled;
  2. the instruction is written in human language;
  3. the payment method fits your real process;
  4. the payment method is compatible with the needed delivery or pickup;
  5. the text does not promise online payment inside FastyShop if it is not available in the interface.

FastyShop can help with starter settings, but they do not mean the terms automatically fit every shop. The seller must personally check and confirm that the current payment methods can be shown to buyers.

Read more: Payment methods.

Step 5: set up delivery or order receiving​

The buyer should understand how they will receive the order: by pickup, delivery to an address, or another method you are ready to fulfill.

Check that:

  1. at least one delivery or order receiving method is enabled;
  2. the method name is clear to the buyer;
  3. the instruction explains what will happen after checkout;
  4. the buyer's address is requested only where it is needed;
  5. the delivery price, if there is one, is stated clearly;
  6. the order receiving method matches your real process.

As with payment, starter settings help you begin faster, but they do not replace the seller's check. If the terms do not fit, change them before sending the link to buyers.

Read more: Delivery methods.

After the five steps: open the storefront as a buyer​

After checking the shop, open the storefront. You can do this from the cabinet through the Open storefront action if it is available for your shop.

Look at the storefront as a buyer:

  1. is it clear whose shop this is;
  2. is it easy to find the first product;
  3. does the product card open;
  4. is it clear how to add the product to the cart;
  5. are there any empty or random texts.

Do not judge the storefront like a designer. At the first launch, it is more important to understand whether anything prevents the buyer from placing an order.

After the five steps: understand how the buyer will place an order​

Open the buyer path from product to order.

Check:

  1. the product can be added to the cart;
  2. the cart opens;
  3. the buyer sees what they are going to order;
  4. payment and order receiving terms do not look empty or unclear;
  5. after checkout, the order should appear in the seller orders section.

If you are not ready to accept real orders yet, do not send the link to buyers. First check the catalog, contacts, and terms.

What you do not have to do right away​

For the first launch, you do not have to:

  1. add the entire assortment;
  2. study complex reports;
  3. make all texts perfect;
  4. prepare detailed instructions for every product;
  5. fully polish the appearance;
  6. wait for additional hints in the cabinet.

It is better to launch a clear minimum, check it, and improve the shop step by step.

What to do if...​

You do not see the shop in the cabinet​

Check whether you completed seller registration or shop creation. Then refresh the page and log in to the cabinet again.

If the shop still does not appear, go to the shop list if it is available. If the shop is not there either, contact support and say which step you stopped at.

You entered the cabinet but do not understand which shop is open​

Check the shop name at the top of the page or in the shop list. If you have several shops, choose the one you want to prepare first.

The storefront does not open​

Return to the cabinet and check the basic shop settings. Make sure the shop exists, has a name, and has at least a minimum catalog.

If the storefront still does not open, try refreshing the page. If the problem repeats, contact support.

The shop has no categories or products​

Create one category and one product manually. You do not need a large catalog for the first launch.

Payment or delivery is already filled in, but you are not sure about it​

Open payment and delivery settings and check the text, enabled methods, payment compatibility with delivery, and buyer instructions. If the starter terms do not fit your shop, change them before publishing the storefront for buyers.

Do not invent details at random. Check the documents and correct the information in the cabinet if you see a mistake. Then open the Seller profile and legal details section to understand how the legal profile is connected with document verification.

You are afraid to show the shop too early​

First show the shop to yourself or someone on your team. Check one product, the cart, and the order. After that, you can send the link to the first buyer or continue filling in the shop.