Starting a webshop in 2026: the complete step-by-step plan

Key takeaways

Starting an online store in 2026 can be done in a few steps: idea, Chamber of Commerce, platform, products, live.
Arrange Chamber of Commerce, VAT and iDEAL properly from the start.
Choose a platform that suits your level and budget — without surprise costs.
Build your webshop for free with Microcart. Go live and sell with Growth. Microcart charges 0% transaction fees of its own; your payment provider's fees still apply.

You can start an online store today. The technical part is not the challenge — choosing is. What do you sell, which platform suits you, how much do you pay per month, and when do you dare to go live?

This step-by-step plan walks you through the entire route: from idea to your first sale, in eleven concrete steps. No theory, but the choices you really have to make, with the amounts, rules and terms that apply in the Netherlands. Work it from top to bottom and you will be online within a few days — with a foundation that is still correct even with a hundred orders per month.

Is an online store something for you?

An honest check in advance. Running an online store is not passive income: you make or purchase products, you process orders, you answer questions and you do your administration. But you can start small and next to your job, with little risk, and scale up step by step. If you want to know what this looks like in practice, read what a realistic first month with a webshop looks like.

What do you really need to get started?

Less than you think. For a working webshop you need four things:

a product or service that you sell;
a registration with the Chamber of Commerce;
an online shopping platform with a domain name;
a payment method that Dutch customers trust — in practice iDEAL.

What you don't need: a large starting budget, technical knowledge or a perfect site. That belief holds most people back for months. We have previously listed what you do and do not need to get started. If you sell in a specific industry, also look at the approach per industry; Selling jewelry requires something different than food or clothing.

Step 1 — Choose what you sell

Start with the product, not the technology. The question is not “what can I sell”, but “what problem or desire are people paying for”.

Three routes are realistic for a starter:

Something you make yourself — handmade, to order, own brand. High margin, limited scale.
Purchasing and reselling — you purchase stock and ship it yourself. Need more capital, scale up faster.
Sell without your own inventory — print-on-demand or a supplier that ships directly. Low risk, lower margin.

Test your idea before purchasing. Search for the product in Google and on marketplaces: is there demand, and who is already offering it?

Margin calculation example. Suppose you sell a product for 30 euros including 21% VAT. Of this, approximately 5.20 euros is VAT, leaving 24.80 euros. If you subtract purchasing (10 euros), shipping (5 euros) and payment costs (0.30 euros), you are left with about 9.50 euros of margin per sale. That margin is your real merit — calculate it before you purchase. If you are in doubt between ideas, how you determine what you sell will walk you through the trade-off between passion and profitability.

Step 2 — Register with the Chamber of Commerce

If you sell on a structural basis and for profit, you must register with the Chamber of Commerce.

For most starters, a sole proprietorship is the right legal form: you can arrange it in half an hour, pay a one-off registration fee and do not need any start-up capital or a notary. The disadvantage is that you are personally liable. A BV protects your private assets better, but costs more to set up and maintain — interesting as soon as there is serious turnover or risk, not at the start.

Registration will provide you with a Chamber of Commerce number. You need this to open a business account, connect a payment provider and — mandatory — to show your company details on your webshop.

Step 3 — Arrange your VAT and administration

After registration you will receive a VAT number and you will be liable for VAT. You charge VAT to customers (usually 21%, sometimes 9%), pay it quarterly and deduct the VAT on your purchases. If you expect little turnover, the small business scheme (KOR) could be interesting: you do not charge VAT, but you are also not allowed to reclaim it.

Keep track of your purchase and sales invoices from day one. A webshop that automatically creates neat invoices and exports your sales data to your accounting will save you hours of manual work every month. If you sell as a self-employed person, read how to set up your webshop as a self-employed person — we go into more detail about administration, invoicing and deductions.

Step 4 — Determine your starting budget

Starting an online store does not have to be expensive, but do not underestimate the ongoing costs. Count on three types of expenses:

One-off: Chamber of Commerce registration, possibly a logo or product photos.
Monthly: your webshop platform and domain name.
Per sale: transaction costs from your payment provider, and for some platforms a percentage on each order.

Calculation example: when will you break even? Suppose your fixed costs are 35 euros per month (platform plus provider) and your margin is 9.50 euros per sale. Then you need four sales per month to break even; anything above that is profit. That sum is your best decision aid for the next point. The full details can be found in what a webshop costs. Microcart charges 0% transaction fees of its own; your payment provider's fees still apply.

Step 5 — Choose your webshop platform

Here you make the choice that will stay with you the longest. The options on the Dutch market:

Shopify — big, lots of apps, but in dollars and with costs per app and per sale that are increasing.
Lightspeed, CCV Shop, Mijnwebwinkel — Dutch players, each with their own price and subscription structure.
All-in-one platforms such as Microcart, where webshop, payments, stock and marketing are in one package and one price — built and hosted in the Netherlands, with iDEAL and VAT arranged as standard.

When choosing, pay attention to five things: predictable costs, Dutch payment methods, little technical maintenance, connection to your accounting, and room to grow. Some platforms even set up your storefront with AI: you describe your brand and get a complete store with theme, sections and texts in a few minutes — useful if you are not a designer. If you want to actually compare the options, the best Shopify alternatives for Dutch entrepreneurs are listed.

Step 6 — Set up your payments

Dutch customers expect iDEAL. Without iDEAL, a large proportion of your visitors will be dropped at checkout. Supplement with Bancontact for Belgium and a credit card option for abroad.

Most platforms link to a payment provider such as Mollie; With an all-in-one platform, this connection is often already built in. Pay attention to the costs per transaction — a fixed amount of a few cents with iDEAL, a percentage with credit cards. In Accept iDEAL in your webshop you can read exactly how to set it up and what it costs.

Step 7 — Build and populate your webshop

The site is only now available. Start small and ensure that the basics inspire confidence:

a recognizable name, a logo and your own domain name;
clear product photos — light, sharp, on a quiet background;
variants where necessary: size, color or material, each with its own stock and price;
product texts that state the problem you solve, not just the specifications;
trust elements: reviews, a clear returns policy and your Chamber of Commerce details.

You don't need dozens of products to get started. One good product page that inspires confidence sells better than twenty half-hearted ones. If you have trouble with texts or photos, AI tools can generate product descriptions and SEO texts in your brand voice and polish smartphone photos — a quick way to look professional without a photo studio.

Step 8 — Arrange shipping and returns

Before you go live, record two things that customers really check: shipping and returns.

Shipping: choose one or more carriers (PostNL, DHL), set your shipping costs or a free shipping limit, and be clear about delivery time. A free shipping limit (for example from 50 euros) often increases your average order value.
Returns: in the case of distance selling, a consumer in the Netherlands has a statutory cooling-off period of 14 days. Place a clear returns policy on your site; this is mandatory and it increases your conversion.

A quality mark such as Thuiswinkel Waarborg is not mandatory, but gives new visitors extra confidence.

Step 9 — Make your webshop findable

Traffic from Google does not come automatically, but you are now laying the foundation:

give each product page a clear title and description with the words customers search for;
enter the meta title and meta description (the text you see in Google);
write short, honest product texts — no copied manufacturer texts;
make sure your site loads quickly and works well on mobile.

In the longer term, a blog with practical articles attracts visitors who are not yet ready to buy. That takes patience, but it produces the cheapest traffic available.

Step 10 — Go live

Your first draft isn't perfect. That's how it should be. The mistake that starters most often make is tinkering for months on a shop that no one sees yet.

Going live gives you something that grinding never does: real visitors, real questions, real first sales. That's where you learn what works. Turn it on as soon as it is functioning and the payment and returns flow has been tested, and then improve based on what customers do.

Step 11 — Get your first customers

An online store without visitors sells nothing. Your first customers rarely come automatically through Google. In the beginning, personal and targeted works better:

your own network and socials;
the places where your target group already hangs out;
collaborations with people who reach the same audience;
a welcome discount via a pop-up to collect email addresses.

We have elaborated on this in how to find your first 100 customers without a large marketing budget. Start there as soon as you're live.

The pitfalls that starters fall into

Most mistakes can be avoided: waiting too long before going live, choosing a platform with the lowest monthly price without looking at the costs per sale, not offering iDEAL, or forgetting to set up a returns policy. We have listed the seven biggest mistakes of starting web shops — go through them before you start, not after.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to start an online store?

Count on a one-time Chamber of Commerce registration plus monthly platform and domain costs, and costs per transaction. With one fixed rate without transaction costs, it remains predictable — see what a webshop costs.

Do I need a Chamber of Commerce registration?

Yes, as soon as you sell structurally for a profit. For most starters, a sole proprietorship is sufficient.

Do I have to charge VAT?

Yes, unless you opt for the small business scheme (KOR). Keep track of your invoices from day one.

How long does it take to go live?

Technically, a webshop can be set up within a day. Most of the time is spent choosing your product and creating good product pages.

Do I need technical knowledge?

No. With a modern platform you build without code; some even set up your store with AI.

Can I start alongside my job?

Yes. Many online shops start small and part-time. Just make sure you register with the Chamber of Commerce and keep your administration up to date.

Your next step

Take step 1 today: write down in one sentence what you sell and for whom. If you have a clear idea, choose your platform and calculate the rate based on your expected monthly turnover — including the costs per sale. This is the foundation, and you can build on it this week. Do you already know in which sector you sell? Then immediately view the approach for your type of webshop.