How to set up your online shop easily with little prior knowledge

23.10.2026

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Today it’s possible to set up an online shop without any programming knowledge. But working out which solution is best suited to your business is more difficult: Which shop system do you need? How do you organize shipping and returns? And how are your customers going to pay? Answering these questions before you start will save unnecessary hassle and lay a strong foundation for your online sales. We’ll set out step by step what you should bear in mind.

At a glance

  • First, define the requirements for your online shop. The product range, target group, shipping and budget will help you decide which technical solution is suitable for your business.
  • Choose a domain name and shop system that match your business model.
  • Start thinking about payment methods and Checkout when choosing your shop. It’s essential to consider which payment methods can be connected to the chosen shop system and payment solution.
  • Bear in mind the legal requirements for online shops in Switzerland. These include obligations to provide information to customers and specifications for the order process.
  • Check your online shop from the customer’s perspective before going live. In particular, test ordering, payment, order confirmation and page display on various devices.

When it comes to paying in online shops, PostFinance offers a solution for all payment methods.

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Get a clear idea of what you offer and your processes before setting up your online shop

Before you set up your online shop, get a clear idea of what products you want to sell online and to whom. Don’t forget storage, packaging and shipping: the size and weight of the products can influence how complex and expensive the delivery will be. You should also think about what follows after an order has been placed. Decide how you’ll handle order processing, shipping of goods and returns. That way, you’ll know what requirements your online shop needs to meet in everyday use.

Prepare product details and shop content

An online shop can be set up more quickly if the main content has already been prepared. This includes product names, categories, prices, product descriptions, images, stock levels and details on shipping, delivery times and returns. Make sure the information is complete, clear and consistent. This will make setting up easier, and will also reduce customer queries after your shop has gone live.

Choose the right domain for your online shop

The domain name is the Internet address where your online shop can be found. Choose a name that suits your company or service and is easy to type and remember. Then check whether your chosen domain is still available. For a domain name ending in .ch, for example, you can check this at The link will open in a new window nic.ch.

If you already have a website and want to integrate the online shop into it, you might not need a new domain. In this case, clarify whether the shop system you want can be integrated into your existing website, for example using a plug-in.

Which system is best suited to your online shop?

A shop system should be suitable for your product range, the features you require, your budget and your technical knowledge. You should also check whether your desired payment methods and other required applications can be integrated. And think about how your business might develop in future. If your product range or order volume increases, the shop system should be able to expand accordingly.

You can find out what types of shop system are available and what criteria you can use to compare them in the article “Starting an online shop: which shop system is best suited to your business model?”. Shopify, Wix and WooCommerce are some of the options to help you get started. Read on to find out more about how the three solutions differ.

The link will open in a new window Shopify is an all-in solution that allows you to set up and manage an online shop without any programming knowledge. Various templates, known as themes, are available for the design. You can manage products, orders and stock centrally via the platform. Additional features can be added using apps.

Advantages

  • Simple set-up: no programming knowledge is required to set up and design the online shop.
  • Technical operation: hosting, security features and updates are integrated into the platform.
  • Expandable: you can integrate additional features into your shop using apps.

Disadvantages

  • Ongoing costs: Shopify charges a monthly subscription fee. Depending on the chosen tariff, payment provider and additional apps, further costs may be incurred.
  • Dependency on the platform: hosting and technical infrastructure are via Shopify. This means you have less control over the technical environment than with a self-hosted solution.

The link will open in a new window Wix is a website builder that you can also use to set up an online shop. The design is done using templates and a visual editor, so no programming knowledge is required for set-up. Products, orders and stock can be managed via the platform. Additional features can be added using apps.

Advantages

  • Easy set-up: the website and online shop can be created and designed without any programming knowledge. 
  • A one-stop solution for your website and shop: for example, besides your online shop, you can also manage company pages, a blog and contact forms on the same platform. 
  • Expandable: additional features can be added using apps and integrations.

Disadvantages

  • Ongoing costs: you need an appropriate fee-based rate for an online shop. Depending on the features and apps required, additional costs may be incurred. 
  • Dependency on the platform: hosting and technical infrastructure are via Wix. This means you have less control over the technical environment than with a self-hosted solution.

The link will open in a new window WooCommerce is an e-commerce extension for WordPress. It’s particularly suitable if you’re already running a WordPress website or if you want to design and extend your online shop flexibly. The basic version of WooCommerce is free. Costs may be incurred for hosting, domains, extensions or professional support, for example.

Advantages

  • Flexible customization: features and design can be customized to meet your own requirements using extensions and themes.
  • Easy to integrate into WordPress: an online shop can be added to an existing WordPress website.
  • Free choice of hosting: you decide for yourself which provider you want to host your shop with.

Disadvantages

  • More technical work: you have to organize your own hosting, installation, updates and maintenance or delegate these tasks to a service provider.
  • Additional costs possible: while WooCommerce itself is free, ongoing costs may be incurred for hosting, themes, extensions and support.
  • Security and maintenance are more important to you: WordPress, WooCommerce and the extensions in use must be kept up to date.

Legal requirements for online shops in Switzerland

If you offer products or services online in Switzerland, you need to comply with certain obligations to provide information. In the online shop, clearly indicate who is behind the service and provide a contact address and a valid e-mail address.

The order process also needs to be designed transparently. Customers must be able to recognize the steps leading up to the conclusion of the contract and the point at which the order becomes binding. Before sending, they must be able to identify and correct input errors.

If your offer is aimed at consumers in Switzerland, price disclosure requirements also apply. For goods that can be ordered online, the actual price to be paid must be shown in Swiss francs. Non-optional surcharges must be included in the detailed price breakdown; shipping costs can be indicated separately, but must be clearly visible and legible.

Also make sure that you include clearly visible information on shipping, delivery times and conditions for returns and exchanges. Providing general terms and conditions on the website gives clarity as to the conditions that apply. These conditions govern important aspects such as the conclusion of the contract, payment, delivery, liability and returns. Information on the processing of personal data is often set out in a privacy policy.

Before launching your online shop, familiarize yourself with the requirements that apply to your specific offer. The The link will open in a new window State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) provides an overview of online retail and price disclosure.

Useful to know: testing your online shop before going live

Test your online shop from the customer’s perspective before going live. Make at least one complete trial order and check whether the product selection, shopping basket, payment and order confirmation work as intended.

Test the shop on both your smartphone and desktop. Check whether products, prices, images and buttons are displayed correctly and are easy to use on both devices.

Start with planning payment methods and Checkout early

The payment methods you can offer in your online shop depend on the chosen shop system and payment solution. So before you set it up, check whether it’s possible to integrate the payment methods relevant to your customers. Check the shop system’s integrations and plug-ins, clarify the available payment methods with the payment provider and do a full test order to make sure the payment process works before going live.

The payment process should contain as few steps as possible and also work smoothly on smartphones. The appropriate payment methods depend on your target group and the markets where you do business.

When choosing a payment solution, take into account the costs, technical integration and processing of payments. Find out more about which payment methods are suitable for online retail in the article “What payment methods should a Swiss online shop offer?”.

Processing payments in online shops

With PostFinance Checkout, you can integrate various payment methods into your online shop and process payments centrally. You can test the Checkout solution yourself and connect it to your online shop. Our PostFinance advisors will be happy to help if you have any questions.

Get to know PostFinance Checkout

FAQs on setting up an online shop in Switzerland

  • You can run an online shop in Switzerland as a natural person in the form of a sole proprietorship if you do business independently, for your own account and at your own risk with the intention of making a profit. To do this, you don’t have to found a limited liability company (GmbH) or private limited company (AG). Note that sole proprietorships in Switzerland must be entered in the commercial register if they generate annual revenue of CHF 100,000 or more.

  • The costs depend on the shop system, the range of features and how much of the work you do yourself. Besides the costs for the shop system, you may incur expenses for the domain name, hosting, design, extensions, payment processing and external support. With simple rental shop solutions, the entry costs are generally lower than with custom-developed shops.

  • Test the entire purchasing process from the customer’s perspective, including product selection, shopping basket, recording customer details, payment method, order confirmation and e-mail communication. You also need to check that the shop works well on both smartphones and desktops, and that prices, shipping costs, delivery times and the information on returns are displayed in full.

  • A simple online shop with a preconfigured shop system can be set up within a few days. Larger shops may require several weeks or more. The amount of time needed to set up a shop depends on factors such as the number of products, individual customizations, product details available and the interfaces required.

  • A separate business account is not compulsory just because you run an online shop. Whether you need one essentially depends on the legal form of your business and your chosen banking solution. Separating private and business payments can make it easier to manage your company accounts.

  • You can serve customers abroad using a Swiss online shop. But you should check the regulations that apply in the relevant target market before making the sale. Relevant factors may include taxes and customs duties, consumer protection, data protection, shipping and returns.

Note that the information in this article is for general guidance and does not constitute legal advice. Legal and regulatory requirements for online shops may change and vary depending on the business model, range of services and sales market. If necessary, check the currently applicable requirements or seek professional advice.

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