Validate Offer and Market
1-2 weeksDefine problem, target customer, and test willingness to pay with landing page or pre-orders.
Field context
This workflow is part of 9 niche fields
Free step-by-step online business startup for e-commerce founders. Plan online business startup with calculators and checklists covering validate offer.
Define problem, target customer, and test willingness to pay with landing page or pre-orders.
Set price, calculate COGS, payment fees, and target margin.
Set up Shopify/Etsy site, payment, shipping, and return policy.
Monitor CAC, conversion, and monthly break-even vs fixed costs.
Calculate units needed to cover monthly fixed costs.
Set retail price from product cost and target markup.
Verify gross margin after fees and shipping.
Plan launch marketing and tool subscriptions.
Evaluate ad spend return before scaling.
Starter options for US online sellers.
| Platform | Monthly Cost | Transaction Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify | $39+ | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Etsy | $0 | 6.5% + fees |
| Amazon FBA | $0 | 8-15% referral |
Perfect sites delay revenue — launch with one hero product and improve weekly.
Offer 10% off for email signup — owned audience beats algorithm dependence.
Include inbound shipping and packaging in COGS before pricing.