How to set up an online store in Argentina

Selling online is no longer something reserved for big brands: today any shop or small business can have its own online catalog, get paid through Mercado Pago and ship across the country. But to set up an online store properly, so that people find it, trust it and end up buying, you need to put several pieces in order before you publish it.

In this guide we go through, in the order in which it makes sense to solve them, the points that decide whether a store works: what you are going to sell, where, how you will get paid and ship, how to show your products and what to check before launching. At the end we tell you how much it costs and which mistakes to avoid.

Before you start: define your catalog and your numbers

Technology comes last. First you need clarity about what you sell:

• Which products you will publish at the start. Starting with a tight, well-organized catalog is better than uploading everything half-done. A good starting point is your best sellers.
• Prices and margins. Work out the real cost of each product by adding what it costs you to make or buy it, the packaging, the shipping you absorb and the payment gateway's fee.
• Stock. Decide how you will keep track of it so that you do not sell something you do not have.
• Photos and descriptions. They replace the shop counter. If you do not have them yet, set aside time to produce them.

Where to sell: marketplace, social networks or your own store

They are not mutually exclusive, but each one plays a different role:

Many businesses combine all three: they use social networks to show and to chat, a marketplace to reach new customers and their own store to build a brand and keep the relationship with the customer. If today you sell through social networks or WhatsApp and want to organize orders and payments, your own store is the natural step. And if you are just starting and want to test an idea before building a full catalog, a landing page can be a lighter first step.

How to set up an online store step by step

This is the path that a well-run project follows:

1. You define the scope: initial catalog, payment methods, shipping options, policies.
2. You design the structure: categories, navigation, how each product looks and the cart.
3. You upload the products with photos, descriptions, prices and variants (sizes, colors).
4. You configure payments and shipping.
5. You test a complete purchase, from start to finish, from a phone.
6. You launch and measure: what people look at, what they abandon, where customers get stuck.

Our online store service follows this outline: we talk, we design, we upload the initial products, we set up payments and shipping, we test a complete purchase and we train you so that you can run the store yourself.

Payment methods: Mercado Pago and other options

In Argentina, Mercado Pago is one of the payment gateways that buyers know and use the most: it lets people pay with cards, account balance and installments. What is worth checking before you choose:

• The fee deducted from each sale, which varies with the payment method and the payout period you choose.
• When the money is credited and how you will reconcile it with your orders.
• Which installment plans you will offer and who covers their cost.
• Other alternatives for people who prefer to pay differently, such as a bank transfer.

Third-party fees and licenses are paid directly to each provider: they are part of the cost of selling, not of the cost of building the store. That is why it is worth including them in your pricing calculations.

Shipping: define how, how much and how fast

A badly handled shipment ruins the best sale. Before launching, decide:

• Which delivery options you offer: postal service, courier, a motorbike in your city, pick-up in person.
• How you calculate the cost. You can charge for shipping, absorb it fully or partly, or offer free shipping above a certain amount (remember to reflect it in your margins).
• How long you take to dispatch and which areas you reach.
• The packaging, so that the product arrives in good condition and the experience is a good one.

Write all of this clearly in the store: whoever hesitates over shipping tends to abandon the cart.

Photos and product pages that sell

The product page is your salesperson. For it to work:

• Clear photos, with good light and a tidy background, from several angles and, where it applies, in use.
• A descriptive title: "Black leather backpack with zipper" says more than "Luna model".
• A description of your own, with measurements, materials, care and who it is for. Avoid copying the supplier's text: besides sounding like everyone else, Google does not reward repeated content.
• Price, variants and stock in plain sight, without making people ask.
• Exchange and return policies that are visible.

Legal and invoicing matters

This point varies with each business and is best checked with your accountant before launching: your tax registration status, how you will invoice your sales and which seller details you have to display. It is also worth reviewing the consumer protection rules that apply to distance sales (for example, the withdrawal button) and reflecting them in your policies. This is not part of building the store: it is a task for your business that the store has to be able to support.

SEO for your store: getting found on Google

A store that nobody finds does not sell. Some basics so that Google understands and shows your products:

• Clear categories, with names that reflect how people search ("women's running shoes" instead of "Sport line").
• A unique title and description for every category and every product.
• Speed and mobile version. A large share of visits arrive from phones.
• A sitemap submitted to Google Search Console, so that it discovers your products.
• Content that helps people decide: buying guides, comparisons, frequently asked questions. It is the best way to attract people who do not yet know which product to choose.

Google sums up these recommendations in its SEO starter guide. And if your store already exists but gets visits and few purchases, an e-commerce optimization reviews the catalog, navigation, cart and checkout to find where customers drop off.

Checklist before launch

• I made a complete test purchase from a phone, with the real payment method.
• The confirmation emails arrive and read well.
• The policies (shipping, exchanges, returns, contact details) are published and visible.
• Every product has the right photos, description, price and stock.
• The store looks and works well on a phone.
• Measurement is connected, so that I know where visits come from and at which step the purchase is abandoned.
• I know how to upload a new product and manage an order.

How much it costs to set up an online store

It depends on the number of products, on the payment methods and shipping you need and on the integrations. As a reference, at Pixie the online store starts from ARS 350,000 (one-time development fee, prices as of September 2026) and includes the initial upload of up to 20 products, the setup of payments and shipping, product and order management, basic SEO and training. Anything beyond that scope is quoted before we start.

Kept separate are the monthly hosting, the payment gateway's fees, product photography and the writing of product pages. To understand all the costs of a website, read how much a website costs in Argentina.

Common mistakes when setting up a store

• Uploading the whole catalog at once with weak photos and texts, instead of starting with the best.
• Not building the fees and shipping into the prices, and discovering later that the sale leaves no margin.
• Hiding shipping costs until the last step, which triggers abandonment.
• Product pages with copied texts and the supplier's photos.
• Not testing the complete purchase before launching.
• Not measuring: without data you do not know what to improve.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to know about technology to run my store?

No. A well-built store lets you upload products, change prices and see orders from a simple panel. At Pixie we include training so that you can do it on your own.

How long does it take to be ready?

It depends on the catalog and on how quickly you have photos, texts and products. As a reference, the estimated time for a Pixie store is 20 to 30 business days from the moment the scope is approved and the content is delivered.

Can I start with a few products?

Yes, and it is recommended. Start with a tight, well-presented catalog and expand as you see what sells.

I already have a store but it sells very little, what do I do?

Before redoing it, it is worth reviewing what is holding back the purchase: catalog, navigation, cart, checkout and measurement. That is exactly what an e-commerce optimization analyzes.

What to do next

If you would like to see what your store would look like, tell us what you sell, how you sell today and which payment and shipping methods you need, and we will put together a scope with a price and a timeline before we start. You can get in touch or take a look at the plans and prices. And once the store is online, remember that it needs ongoing care (prices, stock, new photos): monthly maintenance saves you from having to quote every change.