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Setting up your own online store is the way to sell without paying commission to marketplaces and to build a direct relationship with your customers. The technical side of building the site is only part of the job; before you can start selling, several official and operational steps also have to be completed. You will find all of them below, in order.
#1. Company and tax registration
To sell online on a regular basis you need to be registered for tax. You can set up a sole proprietorship or a limited company; which one suits you depends on your turnover and ownership structure. Your tax certificate (vergi levhası) is requested when you apply for a virtual POS and when you sign a shipping agreement, which is why this is the first step.
#2. Virtual POS (online payments)
To accept credit card payments you need a virtual POS, the online card-payment service, from a bank or a payment institution. The application usually asks for your tax certificate, your signature circular or signature declaration (the document showing who is authorised to sign for the business), and for the legal texts to be live on your site. That is why the POS application is often completed after the site is ready.
#3. Shipping and delivery
You need to sign an agreement with one or more shipping companies and set your shipping fee and delivery time. Once the site is integrated with the shipping companies' systems, the shipment record and tracking number are created automatically from the order screen.
#4. Legal texts and registrations
- Distance sales contract and pre-contract information form: Mandatory when selling to consumers; the right of withdrawal and return conditions are set out here.
- Seller information: Your trade name, address, contact details and tax or MERSİS details (MERSİS is the Central Registry System that assigns companies their registration number) must be visible on the site.
- KVKK privacy notice and cookie information: Required because you process personal data for memberships and orders (KVKK is Türkiye's Personal Data Protection Law).
- ETBİS registration: Businesses selling online must register with ETBİS, the Ministry of Trade's Electronic Commerce Information System.
- İYS registration: If you plan to send campaign emails or SMS to your customers, you need to register with İYS, the Message Management System that records consent for commercial messages.
#5. Product content
What affects sales most is the product page. For each product you should prepare clear photos, a descriptive title, attributes such as dimensions and material, the price, stock and, where relevant, size or colour options. If you have many products, this preparation can take longer than coding the site.
#6. Platform: ready-made package or custom site?
| Ready-made e-commerce package | Custom-developed site | |
|---|---|---|
| Getting started | Fast; you pick a template and enter products | Requires analysis, design and development |
| Cost structure | Monthly or yearly subscription | One-off development fee + hosting and maintenance |
| Design | As far as the template allows | Specific to your brand |
| Special requirements | Limited to the features the package offers | Developed to fit your needs |
| Who is it for? | Few products, a standard sales flow, a quick start | Custom pricing, a dealer structure, multiple sellers, custom integrations |
If you are thinking of running a marketplace store and your own store side by side, have a look at marketplace vs your own online store.
#What determines the cost of an e-commerce site?
- The number of products, categories and variants
- Whether the design is based on a ready-made template or made for your brand
- Payment, shipping, accounting or e-invoice and marketplace integrations
- Custom features such as campaigns, coupons, memberships and dealer pricing
- The number of languages and currencies
- Yearly costs: domain, hosting, SSL, maintenance and virtual POS commissions
We explain which items in a quote are one-off and which are recurring costs on our pricing page. For a site ready to sell, with payment, stock and shipping management, see our e-commerce service.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need a company to set up an online store?
To sell on a regular basis you need to be registered for tax; you can set up a sole proprietorship or a limited company. A tax certificate is also requested for virtual POS and shipping agreements.
What documents do I need to set up an online store?
Usually a tax certificate and a signature circular or signature declaration, and for the virtual POS application a distance sales contract, return conditions and contact details published on the site. You also register with ETBİS.
Should I choose a ready-made e-commerce package or a custom site?
If you are starting with few products and a standard sales flow, ready-made packages are fast and sufficient. If you need things like dealer pricing, a multi-seller structure or custom integrations, a custom-developed site is a better fit.
How long does it take to launch an online store?
It depends on the number of products, the integrations and whether the content is ready; the timeline is given in writing in the scope document at the start of the project. Virtual POS approval also affects the timeline.