Topics: Website design & costs
Want this done for your business? Get a fixed quote or book a free 30-minute call.
Quick answer: Start with the channels your regulars already use: a complete Google Business Profile and a WhatsApp Business catalogue. Join ONDC or a marketplace when you want new buyers without building anything, and invest in your own online store once repeat orders, a delivery radius and healthy margins justify owning the checkout.
Plenty of Indian shops already sell online without calling it that. A regular sends a photo on WhatsApp, you reply with a price, they pay by UPI and collect the bag on the way home. The real decision is which habit to formalise first, and how to add the next channel without re-typing prices into three apps every evening.
Below, we compare the options for a kirana, boutique, hardware store or showroom, then set out a first-year plan that grows with real orders.
What are a local shop's options for selling online in India?
Think of the options as a ladder: be findable, take orders from people who know you, reach new buyers, then own the checkout. Each rung adds reach and work.
| Channel | Who finds you | How checkout works | Main cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | People searching nearby on Google Search and Maps | Calls, directions and messages; no cart | Free; your time keeping it current | Every shop, from day one |
| WhatsApp Business catalogue | Customers who already have your number | Customer sends a cart to chat; you confirm and share a UPI link | Free app; staff time | Regulars and repeat orders |
| ONDC through a seller app | Shoppers on participating buyer apps | Order arrives via the seller app; network or own delivery | Seller-app fees and commissions | Everyday items with nearby demand |
| Marketplaces | Shoppers browsing the marketplace | Marketplace checkout and its logistics rules | Commissions, fees and returns | Packaged products that travel well |
| Your own website or store | Google, ads, social links and regulars | Full cart with UPI, cards, delivery or pickup | Build plus running costs | Shops with a loyal base and broad range |
Most shops end up running three of these, so keeping stock in sync matters as much as the channel choice.
What can a WhatsApp catalogue do, and where does it stop?
A WhatsApp Business catalogue is the cheapest way to let existing customers browse and order, but it does almost nothing to bring in new ones. It works because your customers already chat with you there.
What it does well:
- Shows products with photos, prices and short descriptions inside a chat customers already trust
- Lets a customer add items to a cart and send it to you as a single message
- Suits quick, personal service: "Is the blue one in stock in size 8?"
Where it stops:
- Discovery. Someone needs your number or QR code before seeing a single product; strangers searching Google won't find it.
- Checkout. You confirm availability, total the bill and send a payment link by hand, which becomes a queue of unanswered chats at busy times.
- Stock. The catalogue doesn't know what sold at the counter this morning, so sold-out items stay visible.
Fashion labels push WhatsApp further with lookbooks and size guides; our piece on how clothing brands sell online covers that direct-to-consumer model. For a neighbourhood shop, the catalogue is usually a strong first step and a weak last one.
Is ONDC worth joining for a small retailer?
ONDC is worth testing if you sell everyday products that people want delivered quickly from nearby, and if you can accept and pack orders reliably. It suits shops whose customers want advice, trials or bargaining far less well.
The Open Network for Digital Commerce is a government-backed network rather than a single app. Shoppers order through buyer apps, and you receive those orders through a seller-side app that connects your catalogue to the network. ONDC doesn't charge shops a fee to join directly. Your seller app sets its own subscription, commission or per-order charges, and news reports at the time said ONDC would levy a small per-transaction network fee on seller-side participants from January 2025, which seller apps may pass on. Compare two or three seller apps and get their terms in writing, asking about:
- Fulfilment. How quickly must you accept an order, and what happens to your rating if you cancel because an item sold out at the counter?
- Delivery. Does the seller app arrange pickup through logistics partners, or do you deliver within your own radius?
- Payouts. When does money reach your account, and what is deducted along the way?
Restaurants face the same trade of reach for fees, and our comparison of own ordering vs aggregators walks through that maths, and most of it carries over to retail. Run ONDC as a time-boxed trial and judge it on net margin per order.
When does your own website or online store make sense?
Build your own store when people already buy from you repeatedly, your range is too large for a chat catalogue, and customers want to order without waiting for a reply. Before that point, a simple website with an "order on WhatsApp" button is often enough.
Signs you're ready:
- Regulars order weekly and you know them by name, but chats are getting missed
- You stock hundreds of items that customers want to search and filter
- Customers ask for delivery slots, store pickup or a saved address
Your own store brings things the lower rungs can't: a brand people search for by name, one-tap reordering, a delivery radius you set by PIN code, store pickup, and UPI, card and cash-on-delivery options in one checkout. It can also rank for searches like "stationery shop near me with home delivery". Build it for mid-range Android phones on patchy data first.
On budget, GRWW's published ranges are a fair guide: a catalogue-style site with WhatsApp ordering usually sits in the ₹15,000–₹60,000 band, while a full e-commerce store with cart, checkout and delivery rules typically runs ₹1,50,000–₹3,00,000 or more, before GST. Platform choice shapes your running costs for years, and our comparison of Shopify vs WooCommerce in India covers that decision. You can also see our approach to online store design and the work we do on websites for restaurants and retail.
How do you keep stock, prices and orders in sync across channels?
Pick one system as the source of truth for products, prices and stock, and make every channel read from it. For most shops that's the billing or POS software at the counter. A practical setup:
- Give every product a unique code (SKU) and use it on every channel.
- Keep a single price list. Online-only prices should be a deliberate rule, not an accident.
- Sync stock from the POS to your website automatically, and to other channels through their integrations or bulk uploads.
- Hold back a small buffer on fast-moving items so online orders don't oversell what the counter just sold.
- Pull orders from every channel into one place, even if that's a shared screen at the packing desk.
- Review the sync weekly; items online that aren't on the shelf are the first warning sign.
If your POS offers no integrations at all, find out before you build a store. Sometimes the right first project is better billing software, not a website.
What does a sensible first-year setup look like?
Add one channel at a time and give each a few months to prove itself before starting the next. The plan below is an example sequence, not a forecast; your own order numbers decide when to move on.
| Period | What to set up | What to measure |
|---|---|---|
| Months 1–2 | Complete Google Business Profile with photos, hours and products; WhatsApp Business catalogue; QR code at the counter | Calls, direction requests and WhatsApp orders per week |
| Months 3–4 | Simple website with categories, prices and "order on WhatsApp" buttons; a tidy SKU list | Visits from Google and orders that start on the site |
| Months 5–8 | ONDC or marketplace trial for suitable products; stock sync from the POS | Orders, cancellations and net margin per channel |
| Months 9–12 | Full online store with UPI checkout, delivery radius and pickup, if the numbers support it | Repeat-order rate, average order value and orders handled without staff input |
A channel that brings orders at a loss, or swamps your staff during the evening rush, isn't progress.
Frequently asked questions
Is ONDC free for sellers?
Not entirely. ONDC itself charges no joining fee, but the seller app you join through sets its own subscription, commission or per-order charges, and may pass on ONDC's small per-transaction network fee. Check current terms before you list.
Can a small shop sell online without GST registration in India?
Sometimes. Under CBIC Notification 34/2023–Central Tax, small suppliers of goods selling through e-commerce operators can be exempt from registration if they stay under their state's turnover threshold, sell within one state and enrol using their PAN. Shipping goods to other states from your own website generally requires registration, so confirm your position with your CA first.
Should a local shop build a mobile app?
Rarely as a first step. A fast mobile website does nearly everything an app would, with nothing to download. An app makes sense only when many frequent buyers would use reordering and loyalty features every week.
Can my shop's website show live stock?
Yes, if the website connects to your POS or inventory system. Many billing tools integrate with Shopify or WooCommerce, and others can be linked through a custom integration. Without that connection, it's safer to show "available in store" and confirm stock before taking payment.
How do I handle local delivery from my website?
Set a delivery area by PIN code or distance, offer only the delivery slots you can genuinely meet, and charge by distance or order value. Use your own staff for nearby orders and a local courier partner for the rest, and always keep store pickup as an option at checkout.
Plan your shop's next channel with us
Not sure whether your next step is a better catalogue, an ONDC trial or a full store? We'll look at how you sell today and suggest the smallest move that makes sense. Tell us about your shop and we'll send a fixed-price plan, normally within one business day, or book a free call if you'd rather talk it through first.