how to set up an e-commerce site
There are two ways to set up an e-commerce site: launch fast on a ready-made platform like Ikas or Shopify, or build custom/headless software from scratch. A real e-commerce site needs more than products and a cart: a payment gateway, cargo/shipping integration, legally required pages like a distance-sales contract, SEO-ready product pages, and a fast mobile checkout. In 2026, cost ranges from 20,000 TL to well over 400,000 TL depending on scope.
"how do I set up an e-commerce site" is often assumed to mean "add products, add a cart button, done." In reality, plenty of sites launch with a pretty product catalog and then stall on the first order: the payment provider hasn't been approved, a surprise shipping fee appears at checkout, or the bank integration gets rejected because the distance-sales contract is missing. E-commerce isn't a storefront — it's a system where payments, logistics and legal compliance all have to work at once.
this guide compares ready-made platforms against custom software using realistic 2026 Türkiye costs, walks through the seven setup steps no e-commerce site can skip, and lists the mistakes first-time store owners make most often.
step by step
choose your platform based on your business model
Under 500 products and want to launch fast? Ready-made SaaS platforms like Ikas, Ticimax or Shopify are enough — payment and shipping integrations come built in. Already on WordPress? WooCommerce is a sensible middle path. High traffic, custom integrations (ERP, multi-warehouse, B2B pricing) or brand differentiation call for custom/headless software.
build your product catalog to sell, not just to list
Give every product a unique title, an original description, at least 3-4 photos, and correct category/variant data (color, size, dimensions). Don't copy-paste supplier text — both Google and AI assistants treat duplicate content as a low-trust signal. Build your category structure around how customers search, not around your internal department names.
integrate a payment gateway
Sign up with a virtual POS provider — iyzico, Param, Sipay or PayTR in Türkiye — and evaluate installment options, cash-on-delivery and digital wallet support (Apple Pay, Google Pay). Bank approval takes 3-10 business days depending on the provider — start this in parallel with product uploads; it's the most common reason launches slip.
integrate shipping/cargo
Contract with carriers such as Yurtiçi Kargo, Aras Kargo or MNG Kargo, or use an aggregator panel like Kargonomi to manage several carriers from one screen. Show shipping cost and estimated delivery time on the product page and in the cart upfront — a shipping fee hidden until checkout is the single biggest cause of cart abandonment.
publish the required legal pages in full
A distance-sales contract, pre-information form, KVKK/privacy disclosure, privacy policy, return/withdrawal policy and a membership agreement are legally required for e-commerce in Türkiye; without them, most payment providers won't approve your virtual POS application. Ready-made platforms provide templates, but adapting the content to your business is your responsibility.
build product pages on SEO foundations
Add Product structured data (price, stock status, rating) to every product page, give images descriptive file names and alt text, and write page titles around real search terms. Without this foundation, your products won't surface in Google Shopping results or in AI-assisted shopping recommendations.
test end to end, install analytics, and launch
Before launch, place a full test order: add to cart, pay, receive the shipping notification, and run a return. Don't open the site without Google Analytics 4, Google Tag Manager and conversion tracking installed — you can never know where a site is leaking if you don't measure it. Watch one table for the first 30 days.
ready-made platform or custom software? 2026 cost ranges
"E-commerce website cost" has no single answer — it varies up to twentyfold by platform choice. The ranges below are realistic averages for the 2026 Turkish market, typically split into setup/theme cost plus an annual subscription or maintenance fee.
Unusually cheap offers usually skip payment or shipping integration entirely, or lock your product data into a platform you'll have to migrate by hand later. A cheap start comes back as a migration bill.
- Ready-made SaaS platform (Ikas, Ticimax, Shopify): 500–3,000 TL/month subscription + commission; ~20,000–50,000 TL total first year including setup and theme customization
- WooCommerce (WordPress-based, freelancer/studio): 40,000–90,000 TL one-off + ~8,000–15,000 TL/year hosting and maintenance
- Custom/headless e-commerce (agency, original design + API integrations): 150,000–400,000 TL
- Enterprise scale (multi-warehouse, ERP/B2B integration, multi-currency): 400,000 TL and up, depending on scope
"products + cart" isn't enough: common first-setup mistakes
The three most common mistakes involve measurement, imagery and speed. First: launching without analytics — spending any "increase sales" budget without knowing which product page loses visitors is just a guess. Second: phone-shot product photos with inconsistent backgrounds — online shoppers can't touch the product, so the photo is the only proof, and weak imagery is a direct trust loss.
Third, and most expensive: a slow, multi-step checkout. Forced account creation, unnecessary form fields and a shipping fee that surprises the customer at checkout are the three classic reasons a filled cart becomes an abandoned one — and this is exactly what determines your site's "increase sales" performance. Compress checkout to one page, allow guest checkout, and show the full cost before the cart, not after.
product and brand visibility in AI search
In 2026, a share of shopping research happens through ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Overview alongside Google Search itself. These tools assemble product recommendations from pages that state price, stock status and structured data (Product schema) in plain, machine-readable form. Product pages that say "call for pricing" or embed the price only in an image never enter those comparisons; pages that state price, features and availability in plain text and structured data surface both in Google Shopping and in AI-assisted recommendations.
key takeaways
- An e-commerce site isn't "products + cart" — payment, shipping, legal pages, SEO and mobile checkout all have to work together.
- A ready-made SaaS platform gets you launched fast (~20,000–50,000 TL first year); custom/headless software (150,000 TL+) earns its cost at scale or with custom integrations.
- Payment provider approval takes 3-10 business days and won't complete without legally required pages like a distance-sales contract — plan this step first.
- Surprise shipping fees, forced account creation and multi-step checkout are the most common causes of cart abandonment and weak sales performance.
- Product structured data plus plain-text price/stock information is the precondition for visibility in both Google Shopping and AI-assisted product search.
frequently asked questions
- How much does it cost to set up an e-commerce site?
- A ready-made SaaS platform (Ikas, Ticimax, Shopify) runs ~20,000–50,000 TL total in the first year. A WooCommerce-based site from a freelancer or studio costs 40,000–90,000 TL, and a custom/headless build from an agency runs 150,000–400,000 TL. Enterprise projects needing multi-warehouse or ERP integration can exceed 400,000 TL.
- Which e-commerce platform should I choose?
- For a small catalog and a fast launch, ready-made SaaS platforms like Ikas, Ticimax or Shopify are enough. If you're already on WordPress, WooCommerce is a sensible middle path. High traffic, custom pricing logic, or ERP/B2B integration calls for custom/headless software — the right answer scales with your integration needs.
- Is a distance-sales contract legally required?
- Yes. Under Türkiye's Distance Contracts Regulation and Electronic Commerce Law, every e-commerce site must publish a distance-sales contract, a pre-information form, and a return/withdrawal policy. Without these pages, most payment providers won't approve your virtual POS application.
- How long does it take to launch and start selling?
- A ready-made SaaS platform with a small catalog takes 2-4 weeks; a mid-sized WooCommerce catalog takes 4-8 weeks; custom/headless projects take 8-16 weeks including design and integrations. The most common delay isn't the software — it's payment provider approval and product photo/copy preparation.
sources
related guides
related terms
related services
let's talk about your brand
tell us your goals and we'll map a route tailored to you. the first call is free.
get in touch