Ecommerce

Ecommerce — short for electronic commerce — simply means selling products or services online instead of (or as well as) in a physical shop. If a customer can browse what you offer and pay for it through a website, app, or social media platform, that is ecommerce. It is one of the biggest opportunities available to Irish small businesses today, and getting started is far more straightforward and affordable than most people expect. Types of ecommerce There are several ways to sell online, and the right approach depends on your business. B2C (business-to-consumer) is the most common for small businesses — you sell directly to individual customers through your own website or online shop. B2B (business-to-business) means selling to other businesses, often in larger quantities or on account. Marketplace selling means listing your products on platforms like Etsy, Amazon, or DoneDeal, where customers are already browsing. Social commerce means selling directly through Instagram shops, Facebook shops, or TikTok — customers can discover and buy your products without leaving the social media app. Many businesses use a combination of these approaches. Popular platforms for Irish SMEs You do not need to be technical to set up an online shop. The most popular platforms for Irish small businesses are Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix, and Squarespace. Shopify is the most widely used — it handles everything from product listings to payments to shipping labels, and plans start from around €28 per month. WooCommerce is a free plugin for WordPress, which makes it a good choice if you already have a WordPress website, though it requires a bit more setup. Wix and Squarespace are website builders with built-in shop features — they are simple to use and work well for businesses with a smaller product range. All four platforms accept payments through Stripe or PayPal, which are straightforward to set up in Ireland. Costs to expect Setting up a basic online shop is not as expensive as many people think. A Shopify plan costs €28 to €78 per month depending on features. You will need a domain name (around €10 to €15 per year), and you will pay payment processing fees — typically 1.4% plus €0.25 per transaction through Stripe. If you hire someone to design your shop, expect to pay €1,000 to €3,000 for a professional setup. The Trading Online Voucher from your Local Enterprise Office can cover up to €2,500 of these costs (50% match), making it very accessible. How AI is transforming ecommerce AI is already built into many ecommerce platforms, and it is making a real difference for small businesses. AI can write product descriptions for you — you enter the basic details and the tool generates a polished, SEO-friendly description in seconds. AI-powered chatbots can answer customer questions on your website around the clock, handling queries about stock, delivery times, and returns without you lifting a finger. Personalisation engines use AI to recommend products to individual shoppers based on what they have browsed or bought before — the same technology Amazon uses, now available to small businesses. AI tools can also help with inventory forecasting, predicting which products will sell well in the coming weeks based on past patterns. For marketing, AI can write email campaigns, generate social media posts, and even create product photography. Irish-specific considerations If you are selling online from Ireland, there are a few things to keep in mind. The Trading Online Voucher is specifically designed to help small businesses get set up — contact your Local Enterprise Office to apply. For VAT, if you are VAT-registered, you must charge VAT on online sales to Irish and EU customers (the standard rate is 23% for most goods). If you sell to other EU countries above certain thresholds, you may need to register for the One-Stop Shop (OSS) VAT scheme — your accountant can advise. For shipping, An Post offers competitive rates for small businesses, and their AddressPal service handles returns. DPD and Fastway are popular alternatives for larger volumes. If you sell food, cosmetics, or certain other products online, you will need to comply with the same labelling and safety regulations as you would in a physical shop. Getting started — a checklist for beginners If you are starting from zero, here is a practical checklist. First, decide what you are selling and photograph your products well — good photos are the single biggest factor in online sales. Second, choose a platform — Shopify is the safest choice for most beginners. Third, set up Stripe for payments. Fourth, write your product descriptions (use ChatGPT to help if you are stuck). Fifth, set up your shipping options and rates. Sixth, add a privacy policy and terms of sale to your site. Seventh, test the entire buying process yourself before going live. Eighth, tell your existing customers you are now selling online — email, social media, and in-store signage all work. Finally, apply for the Trading Online Voucher to reclaim up to half your setup costs.