Someone has to fulfil the magnificent conversion.
Scope can include product and category structure, design, catalogue setup or migration, payments, delivery, languages and team integrations. The purchase and the daily operation both need to work. If your plan ends at “people order things”, finish the rest before demanding a launch date. A beautiful shop can still give someone a second job copying order details between tabs.
Your favourite platform still needs to fit the shop.
Shopify and WooCommerce are familiar options. So are BigCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, PrestaShop, OpenCart, Shopware, Ecwid, Magento Open Source and Adobe Commerce. The catalogue, integrations, budget and people operating the store determine the shortlist. “A company much bigger than us uses it” is a fact about that company.
Payment, delivery and accounting services are checked against the business’s actual requirements. International selling adds language, currency and market needs. Features depend on the platform, plan and providers. Your preference for a particular logo does not make two systems compatible.
Before declaring it finished, buy something.
Agree requirements, select the platform, develop the design and configure the shop. Test checkout, order notifications and agreed payment and delivery settings. Alternative front-end directions can be explored where useful. Scope follows the platform, and management is covered in the handover. Approval means more than admiring the homepage on the founder’s laptop.
“We will add the products later” is not a launch plan.
Catalogue volume, usable product data and integrations affect the work and the schedule. Platform plans, paid apps, hosting and payment-provider fees are listed separately from the build. Ecommerce receives its own timetable. Decide who supplies and approves the catalogue. A deadline does not magically populate a spreadsheet.