E-commerce Website Checklist: 50 Features Your Online Store Needs in 2026 | Launchwork Digital

**Quick answer:** A successful e-commerce website needs mobile-responsive design, secure payment processing, fast loading under 3 seconds, clear product pages, easy checkout (ideally guest checkout), and proper inventory management. Beyond basics, features like abandoned cart recovery, customer reviews, and live chat significantly boost conversions. Here's our complete 50-point checklist.

Why You Need a Comprehensive E-commerce Checklist

Launching an online store without a proper checklist is like opening a physical shop without shelving, a till, or signage. You might have great products, but customers won't be able to find, evaluate, or buy them effectively. This 50-point checklist covers everything from technical foundations to marketing features. Whether you're launching a new store or auditing an existing one, use this as your definitive guide to e-commerce success in 2026.

!Laptop with shopping bags representing e-commerce *A well-designed e-commerce website turns browsers into buyers.*

Essential Features (1-10): The Foundation

These are non-negotiable. Without them, your store simply won't function properly.

**1. Mobile-Responsive Design** Over 70% of e-commerce traffic comes from mobile devices. Your site must look and work perfectly on smartphones and tablets—not just desktops.

**2. SSL Certificate (HTTPS)** Secure Socket Layer encryption is mandatory for any site handling payments. Browsers flag HTTP sites as 'Not Secure', which kills trust immediately. All modern hosts include free SSL.

**3. Fast Loading (Under 3 Seconds)** Every second of delay costs you 7% in conversions. Optimise images, use a CDN, minimise code, and choose fast hosting. Test with Google PageSpeed Insights.

**4. Clear Navigation** Customers should find any product within 3 clicks. Use logical categories, mega menus for large catalogues, and breadcrumb trails so users always know where they are.

**5. Search Functionality** Site search users convert 2-3x higher than browsers. Include autocomplete, typo tolerance, and filter options. For large catalogues, invest in AI-powered search.

**6. Product Categories** Organise products logically. Use both broad categories (Clothing) and specific subcategories (Men's T-Shirts). Allow products to appear in multiple relevant categories.

**7. Shopping Cart** Persistent cart that saves items across sessions. Show cart contents, subtotal, and easy edit/remove options. Mini-cart preview on hover speeds up the buying process.

**8. Secure Checkout** PCI-DSS compliant checkout with clear security indicators. Display trust badges, SSL locks, and payment provider logos. Never store credit card details on your server.

**9. Multiple Payment Options** Credit/debit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Klarna/Clearpay for buy-now-pay-later. UK customers expect choice—limited options lose sales.

**10. Order Confirmation** Immediate on-screen confirmation plus email receipt. Include order number, itemised details, delivery estimate, and support contact information.

Product Presentation (11-20): Selling Your Products

How you present products directly impacts whether visitors buy or bounce.

**11. High-Quality Product Images** Professional photography with consistent styling. White background for clarity, lifestyle shots for context. Minimum 3 images per product, more for complex items.

**12. Zoom Functionality** Let customers examine details. Hover zoom or click-to-enlarge for fabric texture, stitching quality, or small print. Essential for fashion, jewellery, and electronics.

**13. Multiple Product Views** Front, back, side, detail shots. 360-degree views for premium items. Video demonstrations for products that need explanation (tools, appliances, tech).

**14. Detailed Descriptions** Features AND benefits. Technical specs plus how it improves the customer's life. Scannable bullet points with detailed paragraphs for those who want more.

**15. Size/Specification Guides** Size charts with measurement guides for clothing. Dimension diagrams for furniture. Compatibility information for accessories. Reduce returns by setting correct expectations.

**16. Stock Availability** 'In Stock', 'Only 3 left', 'Out of Stock' indicators. Back-in-stock notifications for popular items. Creates urgency and manages expectations.

**17. Price Display (Including VAT)** UK law requires showing prices including VAT for consumer sales. Display RRP vs sale price clearly. Consider showing price-per-unit for comparison.

**18. Related Products** 'Customers also bought' and 'You might also like' sections increase average order value by 10-30%. Base recommendations on real purchase data, not just category.

**19. Recently Viewed** Help customers return to products they've browsed. Particularly valuable for considered purchases where people compare multiple items.

**20. Wishlist Functionality** Let logged-in users save items for later. Enables email reminders for wishlisted items on sale—powerful conversion tool.

Customer Experience (21-30): Making Buying Easy

Remove friction at every step. Each obstacle costs you customers.

**21. Guest Checkout Option** Forced account creation abandons 34% of carts. Offer guest checkout with optional account creation at the end. You'll still get their email for the receipt.

**22. Customer Accounts** For those who want them: order history, saved addresses, payment methods, and wishlists. Faster repeat purchases and better personalisation.

**23. Order Tracking** Real-time tracking from dispatch to delivery. Integrate with carrier APIs for automated updates. Reduces 'Where's my order?' support queries by 80%.

**24. Easy Returns Process** Clear return policy prominently displayed. Pre-printed return labels (or easy label generation). Hassle-free returns build trust—customers buy more when returns are easy.

**25. Clear Delivery Information** Delivery options, timescales, and costs visible before checkout. Free delivery thresholds encourage larger orders. Next-day and click-and-collect options for urgency.

**26. Live Chat Support** Instant answers to pre-purchase questions. AI chatbots handle FAQs; humans handle complex queries. Available during peak shopping hours at minimum.

**27. FAQ Section** Address common questions: delivery, returns, sizing, payment options, warranty. Reduces support load and helps SEO. Structure with schema markup for Google visibility.

**28. Contact Information** Phone, email, and physical address (if applicable). UK customers trust businesses with real contact details. Live chat and social media options for younger demographics.

**29. Trust Badges** SSL badges, payment provider logos, industry certifications. 'Rated Excellent on Trustpilot' if applicable. Social proof that builds confidence at checkout.

**30. Customer Reviews** Product reviews with star ratings. Photo reviews for visual products. Respond to negative reviews professionally—it shows you care.

Marketing Features (31-40): Growing Your Sales

These features turn one-time buyers into repeat customers and attract new traffic.

**31. Abandoned Cart Recovery** Email sequences to recover abandoned carts. 3-email sequence: reminder, urgency, incentive. Recovers 5-15% of abandoned carts—significant revenue.

**32. Email Capture/Newsletter** Pop-ups, embedded forms, checkout opt-in. Offer incentive (10% off first order) for sign-up. Email marketing delivers highest ROI of any channel.

**33. Discount Code Support** Promo codes for campaigns, influencer partnerships, and loyalty rewards. Single-use codes prevent abuse. Automatic application where possible.

**34. Loyalty Programme** Points system, tiered rewards, or cashback. Encourages repeat purchases and increases lifetime value. Simple to understand, valuable enough to use.

**35. Social Media Integration** Share buttons on product pages. Instagram shopping integration. Social login for quick account creation. User-generated content feeds.

**36. Product Sharing** Easy sharing via email, WhatsApp, social platforms. Shareable wishlists and gift registries. Viral potential when customers recommend products.

**37. SEO-Friendly URLs** Clean URLs: `/products/blue-wool-jumper` not `/product?id=47382`. Category structure reflected in URLs. Canonical tags for products in multiple categories.

**38. Meta Descriptions** Unique meta titles and descriptions for every product and category. Include keywords naturally. Compelling copy that drives clicks from search results.

**39. Blog/Content Area** Buying guides, how-to articles, trend reports. Attracts organic traffic and positions you as an authority. Internal links to products from relevant content.

**40. Analytics Integration** Google Analytics 4 with enhanced e-commerce tracking. Conversion tracking for all channels. Data-driven decisions about marketing spend and site improvements.

Technical Requirements (41-50): Behind the Scenes

The infrastructure that keeps everything running smoothly.

!Stripe payment interface on mobile *Secure, reliable payment processing is non-negotiable for e-commerce.*

**41. GDPR Cookie Consent** Compliant cookie banner for UK/EU visitors. Granular consent options (necessary, analytics, marketing). Cookie policy page explaining what you collect.

**42. Inventory Management** Real-time stock tracking across all channels. Low stock alerts. Automatic 'out of stock' status when inventory hits zero. Prevents overselling.

**43. CRM Integration** Connect customer data to your CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce, etc.). Unified customer view across marketing, sales, and support. Personalised communication based on purchase history.

**44. Accounting Integration** Automatic sync with Xero, QuickBooks, or Sage. Order data flows into accounting without manual entry. VAT tracking and reporting.

**45. Automated Tax Calculation** Correct VAT rates for different product types. Automatic international tax calculation if selling overseas. Keeps you compliant and accurate.

**46. Multi-Currency (If International)** Display prices in local currencies. Convert at checkout using real-time rates. Consider separate pricing tiers for different markets.

**47. Sitemap Generation** Automatic XML sitemap for search engines. Include all products, categories, and pages. Submit to Google Search Console.

**48. Schema Markup** Product schema (price, availability, reviews). Breadcrumb schema. FAQ schema for category pages. Rich results in Google searches.

**49. CDN for Images** Content Delivery Network serves images from locations closest to users. Cloudflare, AWS CloudFront, or built into Shopify/BigCommerce. Dramatically faster image loading.

**50. Regular Backups** Daily automatic backups of database and files. Off-site storage. Tested restore process. One hack or server failure shouldn't destroy your business.

Platform Comparison for UK Businesses

| Platform | Best For | Monthly Cost | Transaction Fees | UK Specific | |----------|----------|--------------|------------------|-------------| | **Shopify** | Most businesses | £25-300 | 0.5-2% + payment fees | UK payment processors, GBP native | | **WooCommerce** | WordPress sites | £0 + hosting | Payment fees only | Full control, UK hosting options | | **Magento** | Enterprise | £££+ | Varies | Complex requirements, scalability | | **BigCommerce** | Growth stage | £25-300 | 0% + payment fees | Good UK support | | **Custom** | Unique needs | £10,000+ | Payment fees only | Complete flexibility |

### Shopify: Best for Most UK Businesses Shopify dominates because it handles the complexity for you. SSL, hosting, security updates, payment processing—all managed. Start selling in days, not months. **Pros:** Easy setup, reliable, extensive app ecosystem **Cons:** Monthly fees, transaction fees on non-Shopify Payments, some customisation limits

### WooCommerce: Best for WordPress Sites If you already have a WordPress site, WooCommerce integrates seamlessly. More control, no monthly platform fees, but you manage hosting, security, and updates. **Pros:** No monthly fees, total flexibility, massive plugin library **Cons:** Requires more technical knowledge, you're responsible for security

### Custom Development: When You Need Something Unique For businesses with complex requirements—unusual product configurations, unique fulfilment processes, or specific integrations—custom development might be the answer. **Pros:** Exactly what you need, no platform limitations **Cons:** Higher upfront cost, longer development time, ongoing maintenance responsibility

Implementation Priorities: Where to Start

You can't implement all 50 features at once. Here's the order of priority: **Phase 1: Launch Ready (Features 1-10, 21-25)** Core functionality to accept orders. Without these, you don't have a store. **Phase 2: Conversion Optimisation (Features 11-20, 26-30)** Product presentation and customer experience improvements. These increase conversion rate. **Phase 3: Growth (Features 31-40)** Marketing features to attract more customers and increase repeat purchases. **Phase 4: Scale (Features 41-50)** Technical infrastructure for efficiency and compliance as you grow.

FAQs About E-commerce Websites

**How much does an e-commerce website cost in the UK?** E-commerce websites in the UK cost from £5,000 for Shopify customisation to £30,000+ for fully custom development. The price depends on number of products, payment integrations, and custom features required.

**Which platform is best for UK e-commerce?** Shopify is best for most UK businesses due to built-in UK payment processors and easy setup. WooCommerce is ideal if you already use WordPress. Custom development suits businesses with unique requirements.

**How long does it take to build an online store?** Building an online store typically takes 6-12 weeks depending on complexity and catalogue size. Simple Shopify stores can launch in 4 weeks; custom builds with integrations take 3-6 months.

**What features does every online store need?** Every online store needs: mobile-responsive design, SSL security, fast loading under 3 seconds, secure checkout, multiple payment options, product search and filters, clear delivery information, and easy returns process.

Ready to Build Your E-commerce Store?

This checklist represents years of e-commerce experience distilled into 50 actionable features. Whether you're starting fresh or optimising an existing store, these elements separate successful online shops from the also-rans. At Launchwork Digital, we build e-commerce websites that convert. From Shopify customisation to fully custom solutions, we help UK businesses sell online successfully. Contact our team to discuss your e-commerce project. **Related reading:** - 10 Proven E-Commerce Conversion Strategies - How Much Does a Website Cost in the UK? - Our E-commerce Services - Pricing