An online store is not just a site with products — it is a business with a company, payments, delivery and tax. Here is the whole path in order, specific to our market, so you do not stall midway.
1. Company and registration
To sell legally and accept card payments you need a registered business. No company, no bank contract for online payments.
2. Domain and hosting
A .mk domain for local trust (registered via MARnet or an accredited registrar) and hosting optimized for WooCommerce.
3. Platform — WooCommerce
For our market WooCommerce on WordPress is the most cost-effective: free, flexible, with local payment modules and no monthly platform fee.
4. Payments — three ways
- Cash on delivery — most wanted here, works from day one
- Bank transfer — no fees, slower
- Cards via CaSys/cPay — needs a company and bank contract; the process takes weeks, so start early
5. Delivery
A courier contract and clear terms: price, time, zones. Transparent delivery reduces abandoned carts. Free delivery above a threshold often raises the average basket.
6. Legal
- Terms and a returns policy — the bank requires them; the buyer has a legal right to return
- Privacy policy
- Prices with VAT and clear company details
7. Before launch
- A full test order as a customer
- Payment tested in test mode before live
- Fast on a phone, where most buy
- Every product page has a good image, clear price and an order button
Real advice
Do not wait for perfect. Start with cash on delivery and transfer, launch, get first orders — add cards while the bank process runs in parallel. A store taking orders today is worth more than a perfect store in three months.