How do you choose the right e-commerce platform for your product catalog and budget in India?
Match the platform to the catalogue and to who will edit it. WooCommerce on WordPress suits a shop you will run and extend with plugins. A hosted shop suits a team that will not patch software. A custom build suits a checkout no plugin matches. Keep hosting and the gateway fee as separate monthly lines.
| Situation | Usual platform | You still pay separately |
|---|---|---|
| You will edit products and want plugins | WooCommerce on WordPress | Hosting, domain, gateway charges |
| You do not want to patch the shop software | A hosted shop platform | The platform bill, plus apps it meters |
| Checkout or catalogue rules no plugin matches | A custom build | Design and development, then hosting |
A done-with-you build is the guided selling-site build. A bespoke catalogue is e-commerce website development. This guide stays the sequence. It does not replace either offer.
How do you register a brand domain and size your e-commerce hosting plan?
Register a short brand domain you can say aloud, then point DNS at the hosting account before you build. Size the plan for product photos, checkout spikes and mail, not an empty homepage. Shared plans fit a small catalogue. A busier shop needs store hosting. Do not buy a plan you cannot restore.
- Pick a name customers can say and spell. Prefer the domain you will print on the invoice.
- Register it in the business name, and turn on the lock so it is not transferred by mistake.
- Point DNS at the hosting account only after the account exists. An unpointed name is not a broken shop.
- Choose hosting for the photo library and for checkout, not for a one-page teaser.
- Confirm backups and who restores them before you import products.
Current e-commerce plan shapes and prices stay on e-commerce hosting. This article does not copy them. Add 18% GST on the invoice when you do order.
How do you configure product categories, HSN/GST tax slabs, and UPI/card payment gateways?
Create categories that match how customers shop, then give each product the HSN and GST rate your chartered accountant confirms. Do not copy a slab from a blog. Rate notifications change, including some from 1 November 2026. Connect a gateway with UPI and cards, and place a small live test order before launch.
| Item | What to enter | Do not |
|---|---|---|
| Categories | The words a buyer would use, not your internal codes | One category per product |
| HSN and GST | The code and rate your CA confirms for that product | A guessed slab, or a rate copied from another SKU |
| Gateway | UPI plus cards, in the shop's currency (INR) | A test key left on after go-live |
| Invoice | Your GSTIN on taxable bills | Someone else's registration number |
WooCommerce gateway clicks, including UPI, are on UPI payments on WooCommerce. Use the keys from your gateway dashboard, not a screenshot in a tutorial.
How do you set up pan-India pincode shipping zones and courier integrations?
Split delivery by pincode, not by a single national rate. A typical setup has local, regional, rest-of-India and remote or unserviceable groups, each with its own charge or a courier rule. The shipping-zone guide shows the WooCommerce screens. Confirm with your accountant how GST applies to delivery, because operator and courier cases are not the same rate.
- List the pincodes you actually serve. Mark the rest as unserviceable or as a quoted shipment.
- Create zones for local, in-state or regional, and the rest of India.
- Attach a flat rate or a courier method to each zone. Do not leave a zone with no method if you claim to deliver there.
- Put a heavy product and a light product through checkout and read the shipping line.
- Ask your CA how the 1 November 2026 delivery notifications apply before you hard-code a tax class on shipping.
The screen-by-screen version is WooCommerce shipping zones for India. Courier brands and their rate cards change. Connect the one your warehouse already uses.
Which legal pages (return policy, privacy policy, terms, GSTIN) are required before launching?
Before the first order, publish return and refund terms, a privacy policy, terms of use and a shipping policy. Show the seller's legal name, address and a working contact. Tax invoices need your GSTIN. These pages are part of the shop, not a task for the week after you advertise.
- Return, refund and cancellation rules a buyer can open before paying.
- Privacy policy covering the checkout form, and terms of use for the website.
- Shipping policy that matches the zones you configured, including what you do not deliver.
- Footer identity: legal name, address, phone or email, and GSTIN on taxable invoices.
Do not paste another company's policy. If a lawyer has not reviewed the text, say so internally and still do not launch with a blank page.