What do you need for your own online store?

Do you need a business registration for an online store?

As a rule, yes. Anyone who sells goods through an online store on an ongoing basis and with the intention of making a profit is running a business and must register it with the local trade office (Gewerbeamt) – in many municipalities this can now be done online. Next comes the questionnaire for tax registration, which you submit to the tax office (Finanzamt) via ELSTER, Germany's online tax portal. There you decide, among other things, whether you want to use the small-business scheme (Kleinunternehmerregelung).

Also check whether special rules apply to your products, for example for food, cosmetics, electrical appliances or medicines. For electrical appliances, for instance, registration with Stiftung EAR is required before you sell. For questions about legal form, VAT and bookkeeping, an appointment with a tax advisor is a good investment. This overview does not replace legal or tax advice.

Legal obligations: legal notice, terms and conditions and withdrawal notice

Every online store in Germany needs a complete legal notice (Impressum) under the German Digital Services Act (Digitale-Dienste-Gesetz, DDG), a privacy policy under the GDPR and – when selling to consumers – a correct withdrawal notice with a model withdrawal form. Prices must be stated as total prices, and for certain goods additionally with a unit price. Shipping costs and delivery times must be clearly visible, and the order button must be unambiguously labeled, for example “order with obligation to pay” (in German: “zahlungspflichtig bestellen”).

How do I create terms and conditions (AGB) for an online store? Terms and conditions are not required by law, but they govern the conclusion of the contract, delivery, payment and warranty, and they create clarity. Don't copy anyone else's terms – that can infringe copyright and rarely fits your store. Safer options are legal text services from merchant associations or specialized law firms that update their texts when laws change, or having a lawyer draft them individually.

• Legal notice (Impressum) and privacy policy
• Withdrawal notice and model withdrawal form
• Terms and conditions (AGB) with rules on delivery and payment
• Total prices, shipping costs and delivery times
• Unambiguous order button and order confirmation

Which shop system for beginners – and which is the best?

Which shop system is the best depends on your product range, growth plans and existing technology. For beginners, Shopify is often the easiest start: the provider handles hosting, security and updates, and in return you pay monthly fees and are tied to the platform. WooCommerce extends an existing WordPress website with a store and offers a lot of freedom, but requires regular maintenance and updates.

Shopware plays to its strengths when the product range grows, B2B customers need their own prices or the store should be closely connected to inventory management and ERP. You can find a detailed comparison in our magazine article on Shopware, WooCommerce and Shopify. Choose the system based on your requirements in two to three years – switching later is possible but costly.

Technology and operations: domain, payment, shipping and inventory management

Besides the shop system, you need your own domain, an SSL certificate, powerful hosting for self-hosted stores and business email addresses. For payment, you connect providers for common payment methods such as credit card, PayPal, purchase on invoice or direct debit. Pay attention to fees, payout schedule and who bears the risk of payment defaults.

For shipping you need contracts with parcel carriers, a solution for shipping labels and clear processes for returns. If you ship packaged goods to consumers, you must register in advance with the LUCID packaging register and license your packaging with a dual system (a take-back scheme for packaging). As your range grows, connecting inventory management, accounting or ERP is worthwhile, so that stock levels and invoices are automatically correct.

• Domain, SSL certificate and hosting
• Payment provider with common payment methods
• Shipping provider and returns process
• LUCID registration and dual-system participation
• Integration with inventory management and accounting

How do I create an online store? Step by step

Start with your product range, target audience and price calculation: What are you selling, to whom, and what margin is left after purchasing, shipping, payment fees and returns? Then you choose the shop system, define structure and categories and prepare the product data – meaningful photos, your own descriptions instead of manufacturer texts, variants, weights and delivery times. Good product data is the basis for sales and search engines.

In the next step, design, payment, shipping and legal texts are set up. Before launch, test the entire ordering process with real payments, including order confirmation, invoice and return. Also check accessibility: since June 28, 2025, the requirements of the German Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG) have applied to many online stores that sell to consumers; microenterprises are exempt for services.

After launch: how customers find your online store

An online store doesn't sell by itself. Plan from the start how visitors will arrive: through search engine optimization with well-structured category and product pages, through Google Shopping and ads, social media or a newsletter for regular customers. Use privacy-compliant tracking to measure which channels actually bring in revenue, and invest specifically where ad budget demonstrably pays off.

At Nano Concepts, we build online stores with Shopify, WooCommerce and Shopware and connect them to your existing systems. Our partner agency LOMA DESIGN at the same location takes over branding, SEO and online marketing on request. As a guide, our packages are Starter from €2,500, Professional from €8,000 and Enterprise priced individually – the exact quote follows after the free initial consultation.