How to start an online store in Egypt, step by step

If you sell on Instagram or WhatsApp and need a real store with a link of your own, this guide walks you through what you actually have to do in the Egyptian market.

You do not need to code. You need to settle a few simple decisions before you open, and the rest is routine.

Before you open: write down four answers

Take ten minutes and write these on paper. Any answer that is still vague will become a problem after your first order.

• What exactly are you selling? One product, or a small group that belongs together.
• Who are you selling to? A specific person in mind, not "everyone".
• At what price, and what does it cost you? A price without a known cost is not a price.
• How will it reach the customer? Who packs it, who ships it, and at what cost.

The steps, in order

1. Pick your first products. Start with what already sells for you today and add the rest after your first ten orders. That lets you test shipping and payment at a small size before you grow.
2. Photograph the product yourself. Real photos in good light on a plain background, from more than one angle. The customer cannot touch the product, so the photo does the talking.
3. Write a clear description. Material, size in numbers, colour, and what is in the box. Whatever you answer on WhatsApp every day belongs in the description.
4. Decide your payment methods. Cash on delivery still has a large place in the Egyptian market, so offer it from day one. When you consider what to add next to it, see the cash on delivery guide and the payment methods guide.
5. Agree your shipping price before you publish. Set a clear price for each governorate. A customer surprised by the shipping price on the last step leaves the cart. Details are in the shipping guide.
6. Check your pricing. Make sure the price covers the item, shipping and returns, and still leaves a profit. The pricing guide shows how to work it out.
7. Place a test order yourself. Open the store on your phone, put a product in the cart and go all the way to the last step. Anything that slows or confuses you will stop your customer too.
8. Publish the link. The store will not bring visitors by itself. The next section covers where to start.

Your first 100 visitors

• Put the store link in your Instagram and TikTok bio
• Send the link to your existing customers on WhatsApp
• Photograph the product yourself rather than using imported pictures
• Reply to messages within an hour

For a wider plan, the Instagram and TikTok marketing guide picks up from here.

Pre-launch checklist

• Every product has real photos, a description and sizes in numbers
• The price is worked out from its real cost
• Cash on delivery is available and the other payment methods are clear
• The shipping price is written for each governorate, and areas you do not ship to are stated
• A returns policy is written and easy to find. The returns policy guide helps you write one
• You placed a full test order from your phone
• A working WhatsApp number for customers

Common mistakes

• Opening with dozens of products on day one. Learn on a few first.
• Leaving shipping and returns out of the price. The profit on paper disappears with your first returned parcel.
• Photos copied from another site. Customers notice, and returns rise when the product does not match the picture.
• A vague shipping price. Every surprise at the last step costs you an order.
• Leaving messages unanswered. A customer who asked and got silence has probably bought elsewhere.

After your first orders

The store is not the goal in itself. It is the place where followers become customers. Start simple and measure each step: who visited, who reached the cart, and who completed the order. After your first ten orders, review shipping and payment, then add new products.

If you are still comparing tools, the platform selection guide asks the questions that make the difference. On Hekana, the store and catalogue pages explain what you can do.