field notes, for first-time sellers —
How ecommerce in India actually works, A to Z
Eleven steps, in the order they really happen. No hype, no shortcuts — just what worked (and what didn’t) after 4 years of doing this myself, with the tools I actually use along the way.
STEP 01 — PRODUCT
Pick the product
Look for something people already need — not just something trending this week. Check similar products on Amazon and read the bad reviews; that tells you what’s missing better than a viral reel does.
→ Sweet spot right now: 200–400g, priced ₹299+, with at least 30% margin left after ads and returns — that’s where I start today, not a fixed rule. It shifts once real return rates come in.
STEP 02 — BRAND
Name it & label it
Your business name (for paperwork) and your brand name can be the same thing — just check the website address is available first. Don’t overspend on a logo; a clean, simple one lasts years. Mine’s the one ChatGPT gave me four years ago — never touched it since.
→ Selling food or skincare? Your label legally needs an FSSAI number, ingredients, and storage instructions.
STEP 03 — LEGAL
Get the paperwork done
A few one-time registrations — boring, but each one saves you trouble later. UDYAM (a free government registration for small businesses) makes business banking easier. GST is your tax registration — mandatory once you cross ₹20L in sales. FSSAI is compulsory if you sell anything edible.
→ Your HSN code decides how much tax you pay — get this one right from day one.
STEP 04 — WEBSITE
Build your store
Keep it to one main product with a couple of supporting ones. Your product page needs 4–5 clear, well-lit photos — a decent phone camera is enough, no need for a proper shoot.
→ Aim for customers to spend ₹700+ per order — but earn it with something genuinely useful, not just a price bump or a random bundle to hit the number.
STEP 05 — PAYMENTS
Set up a way to get paid
A payment gateway is the service that lets customers pay by UPI, card, or netbanking, and safely moves that money into your bank account.
→ Expect a fee of around 2% per order. You’ll need PAN, Aadhaar, and a working site with a privacy & return policy to set one up. Razorpay’s carried ₹1 crore+ of my own transactions over 4 years — their Magic Checkout is worth trying too.
STEP 06 — SHIPPING
Choose how it gets delivered
A courier aggregator gives you every courier company in one dashboard, instead of signing up with each one separately. Either Shiprocket or Nimbuspost works well — I’d personally start with Nimbuspost, it’s a bit cheaper to begin with.
→ You’ll learn fast which courier suits which city — that comes with practice, not theory.
STEP 07 — FULFILLMENT
Pack it & send it off
Courier charges are based on weight and box size, whichever comes out higher. Pack anything fragile in bubble wrap and label it clearly.
→ No label printer? Plain A4 sticker sheets work fine — about ₹2 a label if you print 4 per sheet.
STEP 08 — MARKETING
Get the word out
Start free and organic to build trust. Bring in paid ads only once your margins can actually carry the spend — and even then, start low and scale gradually. ₹400 bringing you 4 sales today doesn’t mean ₹4,000 brings 40 sales tomorrow.
→ Raise your ad budget slowly — 10 to 20% at a time, never overnight.
STEP 09 — POST-DELIVERY
Stay in touch after delivery
A quick message to confirm delivery, an honest ask for a review, and a gentle nudge before the product runs out.
→ Don’t fear an average review — it’s more useful for your business than silence.
STEP 10 — ACCOUNTING
Check the real numbers
Big sales numbers can hide a business that isn’t actually making money. Track profit and cash flow separately from total sales. I once made ₹20L in a month with a ₹50,000 loss — revenue on its own means nothing. We’re not big enough to burn money chasing customers the way large companies can.
→ ₹50 lakh in sales with ₹6,000 profit isn’t success — it’s a warning sign.
STEP 11 — SCALING
Grow, but carefully
Before you push harder, make sure your product, your team, and your delivery can actually handle more orders. Automate as much as you can before you scale, if you can help it — I never really planned mine, it just happened, and catching up with the tools and staff afterward took longer than doing it upfront would have.
→ Watch your reviews and return rate closely — they’ll tell you the truth before the sales numbers do.
This is the short version. For the full breakdown with real numbers and examples, read the complete guide → or browse the full toolkit →.