Launching an e-commerce store without running through a proper checklist is like opening a restaurant without a test menu. Small oversights — a broken payment gateway, missing mobile styles, or no returns policy — can cost you customers and trust from day one. Use this checklist before you go live.
1. Core Store Setup
- Custom domain connected and SSL certificate active (https://)
- Logo, favicon, and brand colours applied consistently
- All product listings complete: title, description, price, SKU, weight, images
- Product categories and navigation menu logical and tested
- Terms & conditions, privacy policy, and returns/refund policy pages live
- Contact page with working form, phone, and WhatsApp link
2. Payments & Shipping
This is where most launches go wrong. Test every payment method end-to-end — including bKash, Nagad, card, and cash on delivery if applicable. A failed checkout is the most expensive mistake you can make.
- All payment gateways tested with real transactions (then refunded)
- Shipping zones and rates configured correctly by location
- Courier integrations tested: Pathao, Steadfast, RedX, etc.
- Order confirmation emails tested and landing in inbox (not spam)
- Inventory tracking enabled so out-of-stock items are managed
3. Content & SEO Foundations
Your store needs to be discoverable from day one. The basics take only a few hours but make a significant difference to organic traffic in the first months.
- Every product and category page has a unique title tag and meta description
- Product image alt text filled in for all images
- XML sitemap submitted to Google Search Console
- Robots.txt file configured correctly (not blocking search engines)
- Google Analytics 4 and Facebook Pixel (if running ads) installed and verified
4. Mobile UX & Page Speed
Over 75% of e-commerce purchases in Bangladesh are made on mobile. If your store isn't perfect on a phone, you're losing the majority of your potential customers.
Test every page on real mobile devices, not just a desktop browser preview. Check the checkout flow especially carefully — thumb-friendly buttons, readable font sizes, and no fields requiring pinch-to-zoom. Run Google PageSpeed Insights and resolve any critical issues before launch.
5. Pre-Launch Testing (Do This the Day Before)
- Place a complete test order through every payment method
- Check all product images load correctly and at full quality
- Test the search function and filter/sort features
- Click every link in the navigation, footer, and email templates
- Check the store on Chrome, Safari, and Firefox on both desktop and mobile
- Verify that abandoned cart emails trigger correctly after 1 hour
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Rifat Ahmed
Web Dev · MetaGenDigital
Rifat specialises in e-commerce development, having launched 40+ Shopify and WooCommerce stores for brands across fashion, food, and lifestyle categories.
