When you're ready to open your online store, there are two main areas you'll want to set up:
- The E-Commerce Control Panel – where you’ll add your products, manage inventory, configure payment options, and more.
- The Website Builder – where you’ll design the layout and appearance of your online storefront.
Think of the E-Commerce area as your warehouse, and the Website Builder as your storefront—both work together to give your customers a seamless shopping experience.
Let’s walk through the steps to get your shop up and running!
SETTING UP YOUR ECOMMERCE
STEP ONE
Add Your Logo & Branding
Make your email receipts look professional by adding your logo through the branding section.
STEP TWO
Set up payment method, shipping option, & sales tax
To ensure you get paid properly, you’ll need to configure your merchant, shipping, and tax settings. You’ll find all of these under the Payment tab in your control panel.
- 💳 Merchant Setup
Add a payment method so your customers can check out easily! Choose from options like credit/debit cards or offline methods (cash, Venmo, etc.).
👉 Setting Up Your Merchant Guide
- 📦 Shipping Method
Offer flat-rate or percentage-based shipping—and you can set up multiple options to give your customers flexibility.
👉 Setting up Shipping Methods Guide -
🧾 Sales Tax
Set up sales tax to be collected at checkout based on your local requirements. Not sure what to charge? It's always a good idea to check with a tax professional.
👉 Setting Up Sales Tax Guide
STEP THREE
Create Your Products
Start adding the products you want to sell in your store!
📸 Pro Tip:
Add Product Photos & Descriptions
Clear, high-quality product images and compelling descriptions help shoppers feel confident and informed. Use multiple angles when possible, and write titles with keywords to improve your SEO!
STEP FOUR (optional)
Set Up Stock Tracking
Selling limited-quantity items? Enable stock tracking to avoid overselling.
STEP FIVE (optional)
Fine-Tune Your Settings
Make sure everything is running smoothly by adjusting your store settings.
👉 ECommerce General Settings Guide
BUILDING YOUR RETAIL WEBSITE
🛍️ BUILDING YOUR ONLINE RETAIL WEBSITE
1. Create Your Pages
Start by creating the pages where you want to sell your products, then add product blocks to those pages.
2. Try on Templates
Once you've added content, test out different templates to see what suits your style. You can always change fonts, colors, and more later.
3. Customize Your Design
Make your website look and feel like your brand! You can update everything from fonts to background patterns.
👉 Change Colors
👉 Update Fonts
👉 Choose a Background Pattern
👉 Upload a Custom Background
👉 Upload a Favicon
4. Add Your Domain Name
A custom domain (like www.photobiz.com) helps your business look more professional.
👉 Buy a Domain from PhotoBiz
👉 Use a Domain You Already Own
💡 Note: After setting up your domain, it may take 24–48 hours to fully connect.
5. Set Up SEO & Analytics
Get your site discovered by adding meta info and connecting to Google tools for tracking and optimization.
👉 Setting Up SEO
👉 Adding Meta Data
👉 Google Analytics Setup
👉 Set Up Webmaster Tools
BEFORE YOU LAUNCH
Take a moment to preview and test your store like a customer would. Make sure:
- Products are showing up correctly
- Checkout works smoothly
- Product photos look sharp and professional
- Order confirmations are branded and accurate
- Your store feels polished and user-friendly
