Online Store Launch Checklist and Mistakes to Avoid in Nepal

The first fifty orders decide how your online store is remembered. One late delivery, a wrong item or an unreachable shop owner can lose a customer who would have ordered many times. A tidy launch avoids most of these problems. Use the checklist below, then read the common mistakes, so that your first customers have a good experience and tell their friends.

Pre-launch checklist

Products and content

• Every product has clear photos, accurate size, material and colour information.
• Prices are final, and VAT is shown correctly if you are VAT-registered.
• Stock numbers match what is on the shelf.
• Product names are what customers would type, not internal codes.
• Categories are simple and not duplicated.

Payments and orders

• COD works and orders are confirmed by phone before dispatch.
• Any wallet or gateway options are tested end to end, including a failed payment and a refund.
• Test orders were placed on a phone, over mobile data.
• Order emails or messages reach your team and the customer.
• Packing slips and invoices show your business name, address and PAN or VAT number where required.

Delivery

• Delivery areas, charges and times are set and match what your courier really charges.
• You have a plan for remote areas and for customers who are unreachable.
• Packaging suits the products and the journey.
• Someone is responsible for dispatch every day, including on Saturday if you promise it.

Policies and trust

• Return, exchange and refund policy written in simple language.
• Contact page with phone, WhatsApp and address.
• About page that shows who you are and how long you have been in business.
• Privacy statement describing what you do with customer details.

Common mistakes

1. Launching with unreliable stock figures

Selling items you do not have is the fastest way to lose trust. Count stock before launch and keep a safety margin for online orders. If you sell in a physical shop too, agree how counter sales update the website. Our inventory management software page covers stock control in more depth.

2. Promising delivery you cannot keep

"Delivered in 24 hours" looks attractive, but an honest "within 2 to 3 days" with on-time delivery builds a better reputation. Be especially careful before Dashain and Tihar when couriers are overloaded and offices close.

3. Skipping order confirmation

Without a call or message, COD orders arrive at wrong addresses or are refused. Add a quick confirmation step. Many failed orders vanish once the buyer knows you called.

4. Weak product photos

Dark, cropped or copied images drive away buyers and cause returns. Use real photos from several angles in daylight, and show the item beside something that gives scale.

5. No plan for traffic

Launching is not marketing. Decide where the first visitors come from: your Facebook page, WhatsApp status, printed QR codes on packaging, Google Business listing, or paid ads with a modest test budget.

6. Spamming customers

Adding every buyer to promotional broadcasts without consent annoys customers and risks messaging accounts being restricted. Ask permission, give an easy way to stop and keep messages relevant. Our bulk SMS and WhatsApp software page discusses this.

7. Ignoring after-sales

The order is not complete at delivery. Follow up with a short message, answer questions, handle returns fairly and ask for feedback. Customers remember how you fix a problem more than the problem itself.

8. No backup or ownership clarity

Make sure you control the domain, hosting login and admin accounts, and that the site and database are backed up. Store credentials safely, not in a personal chat of one staff member.

The first month routine

When	Do this
Daily	Check new orders, confirm COD, update stock, dispatch, reply to messages
Weekly	Review failed deliveries and returns, top products and search terms, fix photos or descriptions
Monthly	Compare orders by source, check delivery performance, adjust charges and plan campaigns

Know when to improve the store

After a few weeks, look at which pages customers visit but leave, which products get questions and which delivery areas fail most. Improve those first. Small changes to photos, descriptions or delivery messages often outperform a redesign. You can read more about the platform side of this in our overview of ecommerce website projects.

Your next step

Print this checklist, tick what is ready and mark what is missing. Then message WebsNP on WhatsApp at +977 9846280400 if you want help building a store with COD, delivery areas and payment options configured for your business.

Get a demo and quote for Ecommerce Website Software

Tell us about your business and we will reply the same working day with a demo and a clear quote. No obligation.

Chat on WhatsApp

Or call / WhatsApp +977 9846280400

Your name Phone / WhatsApp Email (optional) Business / organisation What do you need?

Request demo

More guides on Ecommerce Website Software