Featuring eLinkPOS as the fastest and most complete starting point for UK businesses
Starting an online store in the UK has never been more achievable — or more profitable. With consumer behaviour shifting toward digital shopping, local deliveries, and click-and-collect services, UK businesses that move online now gain a competitive advantage that lasts for years.
Whether you’re a retailer, café, salon, grocery store, or service provider, launching an online shop is no longer a technical challenge. Modern tools like eLinkPOS make it possible to set up your store, upload products, take payments, and start selling in a matter of hours — with no coding or web-design skill required.
This comprehensive guide walks you through every step of starting an online store in the UK, from business setup to marketing — with eLinkPOS as your central business engine.
Why start an online store in the UK?
Step 1: Decide what you want to sell
Step 2: Register your business
Step 3: Choose the right eCommerce platform (Why eLinkPOS is the best start)
Step 4: Set up your online store
Step 5: Add products the right way
Step 6: Set up payments (UK-compatible options)
Step 7: Configure delivery, shipping, and click-and-collect
Step 8: Set up taxes and VAT
Step 9: Connect your online store to a POS (critical for physical shops)
Step 10: Launch your store
Step 11: Market your store for fast growth
Final thoughts
UK eCommerce is one of the strongest in Europe. As of 2025:
Over 55 million UK consumers shop online.
Click-and-collect has grown by more than 15% annually.
82% of consumers prefer local businesses if they offer an online ordering option.
Even micro-shops now increase revenue by 24–60% after adding online sales channels.
An online store:
✔ increases your customer reach
✔ helps you operate 24/7
✔ enables delivery & collection
✔ stabilises your sales
✔ boosts brand trust
✔ future-proofs your business
✔ opens new revenue streams
✔ integrates completely with modern POS systems
Your store works even while you're asleep.
Before you create your store, identify:
Physical products
Digital products
Services
Food & drink
Bookings
Subscriptions or packages
Are you selling to:
Parents?
Students?
Office workers?
Homeowners?
Restaurants?
Local shoppers?
What makes your store better than competitors?
Examples:
Faster delivery
Higher quality products
Local UK brand
Sustainable items
Better pricing
Exclusive designs
Look at competitors on:
Amazon UK
Etsy
Shopify stores
Google Shopping
Instagram shops
Understand what sells, what doesn't, and what gaps exist in the market.
If you’re serious about growing your online store, register legally.
Perfect for beginners.
✔ Simple
✔ Low admin
Register here:
https://www.gov.uk/set-up-sole-trader
Better for long-term growth.
✔ More credibility
✔ Protects your personal assets
Register with Companies House.
Required only when your revenue exceeds £90,000/year.
But you can register voluntarily earlier.
Your eCommerce platform should support UK VAT rules — which eLinkPOS does automatically.
There are many platforms available — Shopify, WooCommerce, Squarespace, Wix — but UK businesses have unique needs like:
VAT rates
Local delivery zones
Click-and-collect
Easy POS integration
UK payment gateways
Local support
Multi-location
Inventory syncing
This is where eLinkPOS excels.
✔ Built specifically for UK small businesses
✔ Online store + POS system in one
✔ Perfect for restaurants, retail, grocery, salons, electronics, boutiques, etc.
✔ Accept card payments, mobile wallets, PayPal, Klarna, and more
✔ Ready-made templates
✔ Easy product upload
✔ Real-time stock sync
✔ Click-and-collect and delivery built-in
✔ No technical skills required
✔ Quick setup — go live in a few hours
If you want the fastest, simplest, and most affordable way to start an online store in the UK, eLinkPOS is the platform to choose.
Once you choose eLinkPOS, creating your store becomes straightforward.
Pick a modern, responsive theme.
Your store should look professional, clean, and simple.
Logo
Colour scheme
Fonts
Store banners
Homepage hero image
Required pages include:
Home
Shop
Product pages
About Us
Contact
Returns Policy
Delivery Information
Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Arrange sections like:
Featured products
Categories
Best sellers
New arrivals
Customer reviews
eLinkPOS allows drag-and-drop customisation, making this easy.
Your product listing quality determines how well your store converts.
Use:
Clear lighting
Multiple angles
White or clean background
Close-up of details
Lifestyle shots if relevant
High-quality photos increase conversions by over 40%.
Clear and descriptive:
“Organic Shea Butter 250ml”
“Men’s Leather Wallet – Brown”
Explain:
Benefits
Materials
Usage
Sizes
Why it’s better than competitors
Include:
Sizes
Colours
Packaging options
eLinkPOS keeps stock synced automatically across online and in-store sales, preventing overselling.
With eLinkPOS, you can activate:
Stripe
PayPal
Klarna
Apple Pay
Google Pay
Debit & Credit Cards
Bank Transfer
Cash on Delivery (COD)
Chip & Pin POS payments
Transaction fees
Settlement times
Customer trust
Refund handling
Stripe + PayPal is the ideal combination for UK businesses.
Modern UK shoppers expect flexibility.
Set delivery zones using postcodes:
Same-day delivery
Next-day delivery
Distance-based pricing
Integrate with:
Royal Mail
Hermes
DHL
DPD
eLinkPOS supports this natively:
Customers order online
Select a collection time
Pick up in-store
Click-and-collect increases sales and reduces shipping costs.
eLinkPOS supports:
Standard rate (20%)
Reduced rate (5%)
Zero rate (0%)
Item-level VAT rules
The system automatically applies VAT based on product type.
If you have a physical shop, connecting your online store to your POS is essential.
✔ Keeps inventory synced
✔ Prevents overselling
✔ Tracks all sales
✔ Helps manage multiple branches
✔ Enables discounts and promotions
✔ Adds barcode scanning
✔ Supports receipts and returns
This is where eLinkPOS truly shines:
It offers a fully integrated POS + eCommerce experience — one system, one dashboard.
Before launching:
Add products to cart
Checkout with all payment methods
Test delivery options
Check mobile display
Confirm emails (order confirmation, receipts)
Launch discount (10–20% off)
Free delivery for first week
Buy one, get one free
New customer coupon
Your store is now ready to receive customers.
Once your store goes live, marketing becomes the engine of your business.
Post:
Product photos
Behind-the-scenes content
Customer reviews
Promotions
Platforms to prioritise:
Instagram
TikTok
Facebook
Pinterest
Helps with local SEO and foot traffic.
Add:
Photos
Opening hours
Offers
Posts
Send:
Newsletters
New arrivals
Promotions
Abandoned cart emails
Seasonal offers
Use:
Google Ads
Facebook Ads
Instagram Ads
Local influencers boost trust and reach.
Publish blog posts such as:
Buying guides
Product comparisons
Tips
Industry news
These attract organic traffic all year round.
If you want a fast, reliable, and UK-focused platform, eLinkPOS gives you everything in one place:
✔ Online store
✔ POS system
✔ Payments
✔ Inventory
✔ Delivery
✔ Multi-location
✔ Reports
✔ Staff management
✔ Click-and-collect
Most platforms give you only half the solution.
eLinkPOS gives you the whole business engine.
You can start today, add products within minutes, and launch your store the same day.
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