The short answer: the weeks before an online store opens are for building what will bring customers later: a clear position, a store that is easy to use, search foundations, content that answers questions, a list of people who want to hear when you open and a plan for the first weeks. Starting marketing on opening day means starting from zero.
It is also the time to check the rules for your product and your markets, because they decide which channels you can use.
1. Check the rules for your product and market
- Some product categories are restricted by advertising platforms, payment providers or regulators. Read their current policies before you plan paid media, because paid and organic can be treated differently.
- Prepare the legal pages the store needs: terms, privacy, shipping and returns.
- Plan the age or eligibility checks if your product needs them.
Doing this early avoids building a plan around a channel you cannot use.
2. Decide who the store is for
Choose the first customer group and the reason they would choose you. It shapes the product pages, the photography and the words. See our guide on writing a positioning statement.
3. Make the store easy to use
- Clear product pages with accurate information and good images.
- A simple route from product to checkout.
- Fast pages on mobile.
- Clear shipping and return information before checkout.
4. Lay the search foundations
Set up the structure, the titles, the structured data for products and the sitemap before launch, and register the site in the search tool. Our technical SEO checklist covers the steps, and keyword research chooses the phrases.
5. Create content that answers questions
Guides, comparisons and explanations that help a buyer decide. They bring search visits over time and give you something to share when ads are limited.
6. Start a list
A simple page where people leave an email or a number to hear when you open. Be clear about how you will use it and honour that.
7. Plan the first weeks
- Which channels first, and the review points.
- Who answers questions and how fast.
- What you will measure: orders, cost of an order, return rate, repeat purchases.
Our guide to a product launch marketing plan shows the three phases.
An illustration: an eight-week pre-launch timeline
- Weeks 8 to 6: the rules check, the positioning and the product list.
- Weeks 6 to 4: the store build, product pages, policies and search foundations.
- Weeks 4 to 2: helpful content, the waiting list and the first test of the checkout.
- Weeks 2 to 0: the final tests, the launch messages and the plan for the first weeks.
Planning paid media for the first weeks
Decide which channels are available to your product before you plan the budget. If paid media is possible, start with a short test, judge it on orders and keep the follow-up fast. If it is restricted, rely more on search, content, email and partnerships. Our paid media team plans both situations.
A pre-launch checklist
- Restricted categories and platform policies checked, in writing.
- Terms, privacy, shipping and returns pages ready.
- Product pages complete, with accurate details and clear images.
- A test order completed from start to finish on a phone.
- Analytics, goals and the search tool set up.
- A waiting list page live, with a clear promise about how it is used.
Product pages that are ready before the store opens
A product page does the work of a salesperson. Before launch, make sure each one has a clear name, accurate and complete description, good images from several angles, the key specifications, the delivery and returns information and an obvious way to buy. Write for the questions a customer would ask, not only the features you want to mention.
Check consistency across the catalogue: the same format, the same tone and the same level of detail. Where a product is subject to rules, such as labelling or restrictions on how it may be described, confirm them before publishing and keep the evidence. It is much easier to launch correctly than to correct a live catalogue.
Trust signals a new store needs
A new store has no reputation, so it must show trust in other ways. Provide clear contact details and a real business identity. State the delivery times, the returns policy and the payment methods plainly. Add secure checkout, clear pricing with any extra charges shown early and a way to reach a person. Collect and display real reviews only once you have genuine ones, and never invent them.
Small details matter: correct spelling, working links, consistent branding and fast pages. Each one tells a visitor that the business is careful, and care is what a first-time buyer is looking for.
Operational readiness before the first order
Before opening, test the whole path of an order: browsing, adding to the basket, paying, receiving a confirmation, preparing the shipment, delivery and after-sales contact. Place test orders, including one that you cancel and one that you return. Check that stock numbers update, that emails are sent and that your team knows what to do at each step.
Agree who answers customer questions and how quickly. Prepare answers to the common questions about delivery, sizes or specifications, returns and payment. Opening day is much calmer when these have been practised.
Build the first audience before you have a store to show
Waiting for launch day to start marketing means starting from zero. A short pre-launch period can gather people who are interested, so that the first week has real visitors. Share the story of the brand and the reasons the products exist. Show the work behind them with honest images and short explanations. Invite people to leave their contact details to be told when the store opens, and say plainly what they will receive and how often.
Respect the rules that apply to your products and markets when you do this. Promises, claims and offers made before launch must be as accurate as those made afterwards. A small list of genuinely interested people is a better start than a large audience that was never asked.
How we approach it
We plan the pre-launch work with the client and build the pieces in order. If your store is about to open, talk to us about what can be ready by the day.