Your complete guide to launching and running your online store. The entire setup takes about 30 minutes.
Version 1.0 — April 2026
1
Getting Started
Welcome to Sitevita! This guide will walk you through setting up your store from scratch. The entire process takes about 30 minutes.
Everything You Need, Built In
Your Sitevita subscription includes every tool you need to run a successful online store. No hidden fees, no per-sale commissions, and no expensive add-ons.
Feature
Included
Unlimited Products & Variants
Yes — no product limits
Customer Reviews & Ratings
Yes — built-in review system
Wishlist for Customers
Yes — heart icon on every product
SEO Optimization (Meta Tags + Schema)
Yes — automatic for every page
Revenue Reports (PDF + Excel)
Yes — with date ranges and presets
Refund Management (Full + Partial)
Yes — Stripe, Razorpay, PayPal, Manual
GST Tax Engine (India)
Yes — CGST/SGST/IGST auto-calculated
Cookie Consent / GDPR Compliance
Yes — consent banner on every store
Bot Protection
Yes — Cloudflare Turnstile on all forms
Excel Import (incl. CSV migration)
Yes — with column auto-detection
GA4 E-commerce Event Tracking
Yes — view_item, add_to_cart, purchase
Order & Customer Excel Exports
Yes — from dashboard with one click
Coupon & Discount Engine
Yes — percentage, fixed, free shipping
Multi-carrier Shipping Integration
Yes — 4 providers supported
Automatic Image Optimization (WebP)
Yes — compress, convert, and serve optimally per device
Your Dashboard
After signing up, you land on your Dashboard — the command center for your store. The left sidebar gives you access to everything:
Dashboard — Overview of your store performance, revenue chart, recent orders, and setup checklist.
Coupons — Create discount codes for your customers.
Settings — Configure payments, shipping, branding, analytics, and more.
Billing — Manage your Sitevita subscription.
2
Setting Up Payments
Sitevita supports multiple payment methods. You choose which ones to offer your customers. Payments go directly to YOUR account — Sitevita never touches your money and charges zero transaction fees on top of what your payment provider charges.
⚠️You must set up at least one payment method before your customers can place orders. Without payment configuration, only Cash on Delivery will be available.
Option A: Stripe (Recommended for International)
Stripe is the easiest to set up and supports 135+ currencies in 47 countries. It powers millions of businesses worldwide.
1Go to stripe.com and create an account (or log in to your existing one).
2Complete Stripe's identity verification process.
3In your Stripe Dashboard, go to Developers → API Keys. Copy your Publishable Key and Secret Key.
4In your Sitevita Dashboard, go to Settings → Payment Gateways → Stripe section.
5Paste your Publishable Key and Secret Key into the respective fields.
6Click Save Settings. Customers will now see "Pay with Card" at checkout.
💡Stripe charges their own processing fee (typically 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction). Sitevita adds zero fees on top.
Detail
Information
Supported Countries
47 countries (US, UK, EU, India, Australia, etc.)
Processing Fee
2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (varies by country)
Payout Speed
2-7 business days to your bank account
Currencies
135+ currencies supported
Setup Time
5-10 minutes
Option B: Razorpay (Best for India)
Razorpay is the leading payment gateway for Indian businesses. It supports UPI, Net Banking, Cards, and Wallets — all the payment methods your Indian customers expect.
1Go to razorpay.com and create a business account.
2Complete KYC verification (PAN, Aadhaar, bank details).
3Once approved, go to Settings → API Keys in your Razorpay Dashboard.
4Generate a new API Key pair. You'll get a Key ID and a Key Secret.
5In your Sitevita Dashboard, go to Settings → Payment Gateways → Razorpay section. Enter your Key ID and Key Secret.
6Click Save. Razorpay is now active for your store.
⚠️Always use production keys (rzp_live_) for your live store. Test keys (rzp_test_) are for development only — no real money will be charged with test keys.
Detail
Information
Best For
Indian merchants and customers
Processing Fee
2% per transaction (domestic cards/UPI)
Payout Speed
T+2 business days to your bank
Payment Methods
UPI, Net Banking, Credit/Debit Cards, Wallets, EMI
Setup Time
1-3 business days (KYC verification required)
Option C: PayPal
PayPal is one of the most widely trusted online payment systems, available in 200+ countries.
1Go to paypal.com and create a Business account (or upgrade your existing personal account).
2Go to the PayPal Developer Dashboard and create an app under Apps & Credentials.
3In your Sitevita Dashboard, go to Settings → Payment Gateways → PayPal section. Enter your Client ID and Client Secret.
4Click Save. PayPal is now available at checkout.
Option D: Cash on Delivery (COD)
Cash on Delivery is enabled by default on all stores. No setup is required. Customers pay when they receive their order. You can disable COD in Settings if you prefer online-only payments.
💡COD is extremely popular in India, the Middle East, and parts of Southeast Asia. We recommend keeping it enabled even if you have other payment methods configured — it can significantly increase your conversion rate.
Payment Methods Summary
Method
Best For
Setup Required
Stripe
International merchants (47 countries)
Publishable Key + Secret Key from Stripe dashboard
Razorpay
Indian merchants (UPI, Cards, Net Banking)
Key ID + Key Secret from Razorpay
PayPal
Global merchants (200+ countries)
Client ID + Secret from PayPal
Cash on Delivery
Local/regional businesses
None — enabled by default
3
Setting Up Shipping
Sitevita integrates with major shipping providers so you can offer real-time rates, generate shipping labels, and track deliveries — all from your dashboard. You bring your own shipping account and API keys. Sitevita connects your store to the provider seamlessly.
Provider
Best For
Coverage
EasyPost
US & International (multi-carrier)
Global — access USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL and more
Shippo
US & International (multi-carrier)
Global — access USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL and more
Shiprocket
India (multi-carrier aggregator)
India — 20+ courier partners with negotiated rates
Delhivery
India (direct carrier)
India — Express & Surface shipping
Setting Up EasyPost
1Go to easypost.com and create an account.
2Navigate to API Keys in your EasyPost dashboard.
3Copy your Production API Key.
4In Sitevita Dashboard → Settings → Shipping Providers → EasyPost section, paste your API key.
5Click Save. You can now get real-time shipping rates and create shipments from the Orders page.
Setting Up Shippo
1Go to goshippo.com and create an account.
2Navigate to Settings → API in your Shippo dashboard.
3Copy your Live API Token.
4In Sitevita Dashboard → Settings → Shipping Providers → Shippo section, paste your API token.
5Click Save.
Setting Up Shiprocket (India)
1Go to shiprocket.in and create a business account.
2Complete your business profile and add your pickup address.
3Navigate to Settings → API → Generate API Credentials.
4In Sitevita Dashboard → Settings → Shipping Providers → Shiprocket section, enter your login email and password.
5Click Save.
💡Shiprocket gives you access to 20+ Indian courier partners with negotiated rates. It is the most popular shipping aggregator for Indian e-commerce businesses.
Setting Up Delhivery (India)
1Go to delhivery.com and sign up for a business account.
2Get your API Token from the Delhivery developer dashboard.
3In Sitevita Dashboard → Settings → Shipping Providers → Delhivery section, paste your API token.
4Click Save.
Manual Shipping
If you handle shipping yourself — local delivery, self-pickup, or your own courier arrangements — you do not need to configure any shipping provider. Simply set a flat shipping rate in Settings under Shipping & Tax, and manage deliveries manually. You can always add a provider later as your business grows.
4
Adding Products
There are two ways to add products to your store: manually one-by-one, or in bulk via Excel/CSV import.
Adding Products Manually
1Go to Products and click "Add Product".
2Fill in the product details: name, description, price, SKU, and weight.
3Upload a primary image (required for the product to appear on your storefront) and optional gallery images.
4If your product comes in different options (Size, Color, Material, etc.), add variants with individual pricing and stock.
5Set the inventory count for accurate stock tracking. Sitevita will automatically mark products as "Sold Out" when stock reaches zero.
6Click Save. The product is now live on your storefront.
⚠️Products without a primary image will not appear on your storefront. Always upload at least one high-quality image for every product.
💡Use clear, well-lit product photos on a white or neutral background. Products with professional images convert 3-5x better than those with casual photos.
Automatic Image Optimization
Every image you upload is automatically optimized by the Sitevita Engine — no extra work needed from you. Here is what happens behind the scenes:
WebP Conversion — Your images are automatically converted to Next-Gen WebP format, which is 30-50% smaller than JPEG with no visible quality loss.
Smart Compression — Large images are resized to 2048px (the industry standard for 4K displays) and compressed at 80% quality — the sweet spot between file size and visual quality.
Responsive Delivery — Mobile customers receive smaller images (400px), tablet users get medium sizes, and desktop users get the full resolution. Each device gets exactly what it needs.
Lazy Loading — Images below the fold load only when the customer scrolls to them, making the initial page load instant.
Upload Limit — You can upload images up to 10MB. Our engine compresses them to under 500KB before storage — saving you bandwidth costs automatically.
💡You do not need to resize or compress your product photos before uploading. Upload the highest quality image you have — our engine handles the rest. This is equivalent to a $30-$50/month image optimization plugin on other platforms, included free with your Sitevita subscription.
Importing Products in Bulk
1Go to Products and click "Import".
2Download the import template — a 3-sheet Excel file with detailed instructions.
3Fill in your product data following the template format. The sheets cover Products and Variants separately.
4Upload the file. Our import engine will auto-detect columns, validate data, and show you a preview.
5Review the preview — products are categorized into Error, Warning, and Ready tabs. Fix any errors and confirm the import.
💡If you are migrating from another platform, export your products as CSV. Sitevita auto-detects common CSV formats and groups variants correctly (e.g., Color × Size combinations).
Product Best Practices
Product Names — Keep them clear and descriptive. Include key attributes like material, size range, or use case.
Descriptions — Write 2-3 sentences minimum. Highlight benefits, materials, care instructions, and unique features.
Pricing — Set competitive prices. If you have variants with different prices, set them individually per variant.
Categories & Tags — Organize products into categories and add tags for easy filtering on your storefront.
SKU — Use consistent SKU formats (e.g., CAT-PRODUCT-VARIANT). Auto-generated if left blank.
5
Customizing Your Store
Brand Identity
In Settings under Store Profile, you can customize how your store looks and feels:
Store Name — Your business name, displayed in the header, browser tab, and search results.
Store URL (Slug) — Your unique URL: sitevita.com/store/your-store-name. Choose something short and memorable.
Logo — Upload your brand logo. It appears in the store header and as the browser tab icon (favicon).
Brand Color — Choose your primary brand color. Used for buttons, accents, badges, and interactive elements.
Store Description — A short description shown on your storefront homepage.
Social Media Links
Add your social media profiles in Settings. They appear in your store footer, making it easy for customers to follow you on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and more.
Google Analytics Integration
1Go to analytics.google.com and create a GA4 property for your store.
4Save. E-commerce events are automatically tracked — product views, add-to-cart actions, and completed purchases.
💡Analytics only activate after customers accept cookies on your store. This is built-in GDPR compliance — no extra setup needed from you.
Custom Pages
Create and manage custom pages for your store — About Us, FAQ, Shipping Policy, Contact Information, Size Guide, and any other content your customers need. Your store comes with 8 default pages that you can edit, unpublish, or delete. Access them from Pages in the dashboard sidebar.
6
Managing Orders
When a customer places an order, you receive an instant email notification. The order appears in your Dashboard under Orders, ready for you to process.
Order Lifecycle
Status
What It Means
Customer Gets
Pending
Order placed, waiting for you to process
Order confirmation email with details
Processing
You are preparing the order for shipment
Status update email
Shipped
Order handed to the carrier
Shipping notification with tracking number
Delivered
Order received by the customer
Delivery confirmation email
Cancelled
Order cancelled by you or the customer
Cancellation email with reason
Refunded
Refund issued to the customer
Refund confirmation with amount
Fulfilling an Order
1Open the order from the Orders page by clicking on it.
2Review the order details — items, customer info, shipping address.
3If you have a shipping provider configured, click "Ship Order" to get real-time rates.
4Select a carrier and service level. Confirm the shipment.
5The tracking number is automatically added and the customer receives a shipping notification email.
If you ship manually, simply update the order status to "Shipped" and optionally add a tracking number.
Invoices & Data Exports
Batch Invoices — Go to Reports to generate batch invoice PDFs for any date range.
Orders Export — Click the Export button on the Orders page for a multi-sheet Excel download.
Customers Export — Click the Export button on the Customers page for customer data with spending analytics.
Revenue Reports — Go to Reports to generate detailed financial reports with tax breakdowns, payment method splits, and product performance — available as PDF or Excel.
Refunds
Issue full or partial refunds directly from the order drawer. Sitevita supports automated refunds through Stripe, Razorpay, and PayPal. For COD orders, process the refund manually and mark it in the system.
7
Tax Configuration
For Indian Merchants — GST Setup
Sitevita includes a complete Indian GST engine that handles all the complexity for you.
1In Settings under Shipping & Tax, toggle on "GST Enabled".
2Enter your GSTIN number (15-digit alphanumeric) and select your Business State.
3Set the default tax rate for your products (e.g., 18% for most goods, 12% for specific categories).
4For products with different GST rates, open the product and set a "Tax Override" percentage.
5Add HSN/SAC codes to your products for proper tax classification.
Inter-state sales — IGST at the full rate (e.g., 18% IGST)
B2B Support — Customers can enter their GSTIN at checkout for proper tax documentation
Invoices — Automatically formatted as "Tax Invoice" or "Bill of Supply" with correct tax breakdowns
💡Your GSTIN number is never exposed on public storefront pages — it only appears on invoices and in your dashboard settings. This protects your PAN data.
For International Merchants — VAT / Sales Tax
1In Settings under Shipping & Tax, set your Tax Name (e.g., "VAT", "Sales Tax", "MwSt").
2Set the tax rate as a percentage (e.g., 20% for UK VAT, 19% for German MwSt).
3Choose whether your displayed prices include tax ("Tax Inclusive") or exclude tax ("Tax Exclusive").
Tax is automatically calculated and displayed on product pages and at checkout. Invoices reflect the correct tax amounts.
8
Going Live — Your Launch Checklist
Before sharing your store URL with customers, run through this checklist:
Your Store URL: sitevita.com/store/your-store-slug
Share this URL with your customers, post it on social media, add it to your business cards, and include it in your email signature. Your store is live and ready for business!
⚠️Place a test order yourself before going live. Walk through the entire customer journey — browsing products, adding to cart, entering checkout details, and completing the order. Verify that you receive the order notification email and that the order appears in your dashboard.
9
Getting Help
We are here to help you succeed. If you have questions, run into issues, or need guidance at any point:
Email Support — support@sitevita.com — we respond within 24 hours on business days
Contact Form — sitevita.com/contact — for detailed inquiries
Dashboard Help — Click "Contact Support" in your dashboard sidebar for quick access
Our team is committed to helping you launch and grow your online store. No question is too small.