Selling online: what a small shop really needs

A small shop can start selling online with a limited set of products and an orderly way to take orders. There is no number of products or channel that suits everyone. The test is whether the customer understands what they are buying, and whether you can take payment, keep stock right and deliver on time.

What goes into the first catalog?

Choose, for example, 10–20 products that already sell in the shop and are easy to explain and pack. This is one possible trial size, not a condition for success. If your business specializes in sizes or colors, show the options clearly instead of leaving them to a phone call after the order.

• A photo of the exact product, with consistent lighting and background.
• Size, volume, material or fit the customer needs to know.
• Price, availability, pickup option and delivery cost.
• Contact details and cancellation and return terms in plain language.

You can start with the channel where customers already contact you, or with a small online store. A well-built website does not create demand on its own either. Plan how customers will reach it.

How do you avoid selling an item that has already run out?

Keep a single stock source for both channels, and check at which stage an order reserves or reduces quantity: opening the order, approval or completing payment. These are practical differences when one unit is left and the next customer is standing at the register.

If you start with a manual process, allocate stock to open orders and update it immediately. As order volume grows, coordination gets harder. Before expanding, practice two orders for the same item, a cancellation and a return to stock. Stock management habits help keep the same order in the shop too.

What do you need to settle about payment and delivery?

Start with a payment method approved for your business and with delivery options you can actually run. Define when a payment counts as approved, who checks it and what happens if the order was saved but the payment was not completed. Do not ship goods based on a screenshot of a transfer alone.

Self-pickup can suit a local shop, but it needs pickup hours and a clear "ready" message. For delivery, include packing, picking, shipping and handling returns in the calculation. Check the profit per order after these costs, not just the sales turnover.

What is available in the KupaLi online store?

The online store is linked to the business catalog and lets you manage orders, with pickup or delivery. It is included in Smart POS, and customers pay at pickup or through a payment link you send.

The external card terminal in the shop does not, on its own, turn on payments on the website. Separately confirm the online payment method, the approval and the match to the order. See the feature details and the plan terms.

What do you tell the customer before the purchase?

Distance selling has disclosure and cancellation requirements under the Consumer Protection Law (חוק הגנת הצרכן). You must show the business's identity, the product details, the price and the delivery and cancellation terms. For goods there is usually a 14-day cancellation period from the dates set by law, alongside exceptions and special arrangements. Shop policy cannot reduce consumer rights.

Check your case against the Consumer Protection Authority's consumer guide and Kol-Zchut's guide to distance selling (in Hebrew). Before launch, also check the privacy and accessibility duties that apply to your business. The information here is general and does not replace professional advice.

What do you check in a test order?

1. Place an order as a customer and check the total price.
2. Make sure the business sees the order and the payment status.
3. Check stock reservation, pickup or delivery and the document given to the customer.
4. Practice a cancellation, a credit and returning the quantity according to the process you set.

After a few real orders, expand based on the data: repeated questions, preparation time and profit per order. To find your way around products and orders, go to the back office guide.