What is an online store?
A virtual store is an online point of sale where a business sells products or services over the internet without opening a physical store. Today, the terms "virtual store" and "digital store" refer to the same concept; the only difference is the terminology used. A virtual store can be established in two main ways: an e-commerce website operating under the business's own domain name, or a store account opened on ready-made marketplaces such as Trendyol, Hepsiburada, or N11. As most businesses grow, they use both together — which necessitates centralized inventory and order management.
How to Open an Online Store?
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Company formation: Formal registration is done as a sole proprietorship or limited liability company; a legal entity is required to sell online.
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ETBIS registration: Registration with the Ministry of Trade's official E-Commerce Information System (etbis.eticaret.gov.tr) is mandatory; failure to take this step may result in administrative penalties.
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Infrastructure selection: This stage clarifies whether to establish your own e-commerce website, sell on a marketplace, or run both simultaneously.
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Payment integration: Payment methods such as virtual POS, cash on delivery, and digital wallet are connected.
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Product and inventory management: Products are categorized, and inventory quantities are defined; if multiple channels are used, inventory must be synchronized from a single pool — otherwise, cross-channel inventory discrepancies and post-sales cancellation risks arise for the same product.
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Shipping/delivery process: Contracted shipping companies and delivery processes are defined.
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Deployment and testing: Order, payment, and shipping flows are tested end-to-end, and the store is launched.
Managing your online store with Comwize: The most critical point in the steps above is step 5 — when you sell through multiple channels (your own website + marketplaces + physical store, if any), tracking inventory, orders, and accounting separately is both time-consuming and increases the risk of errors. Comwize integrates all these processes into a single platform, synchronizing inventory and order information in real-time, regardless of which channel your business uses for sales.
What are the benefits of opening an online store?
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24/7 sales opportunity — sales can be made without being limited by physical store hours.
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Low start-up cost — you can start a business without physical shop rent and decoration costs.
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Wide geographic reach — customers can be reached nationwide (and even internationally), not limited to a single city.
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Measurable marketing — the conversion rate and cost of each campaign can be clearly tracked.
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Multi-channel potential — can be achieved through simultaneous sales on its own website and marketplace, allowing for brand-independent growth.
How to Choose an Online Store / What to Consider?
| Criterion | Own Website | Marketplace | Both of them |
| Installation speed | Middle | Fast | Middle |
| Brand control | High | Low | High |
| Commission | None | There is | Mixed |
| Inventory management | Easy from a single panel. | Marketplace panel separate | Single stock pool requirement |
| Suitable business | High brand awareness. | Wanting a fast customer base | Aiming for multi-channel growth |
As shown in the table, the "both" option offers the highest potential but necessitates management from a single inventory pool. Comwize's B2C e-commerce ERP structure is designed precisely to meet this need: marketplace stores, your own website, and any physical stores are managed from the same inventory, order, warehouse, and accounting infrastructure — avoiding operational confusion regardless of which channel you choose.
Example from the industry: Perdello
As Perdello grew its online store alongside its e-commerce website and marketplace accounts, the need arose to manage inventory from a single central location. After switching to Comwize's single inventory pool structure, cross-channel inventory discrepancies were eliminated, and order processes became manageable from a single panel.
"As the number of channels increased, the main problem wasn't sales, but keeping inventory synchronized; this problem disappeared once we started managing everything from a single panel," says the company's operations manager.
Comwize is a B2C e-commerce ERP software that helps e-commerce businesses manage their marketplace stores, websites, and physical stores from a single inventory pool, integrating order, warehousing, accounting, and production processes on a single platform. Regardless of the infrastructure you choose when opening your online store, as you grow, you'll need to manage your channels from a single central location.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does opening an online store cost anything?
Company formation, infrastructure, and payment integration costs vary depending on the method chosen by the business; opening a store on the marketplace is generally possible with lower initial costs.
How to open a digital store, and how many days does it take to set it up?
While company registration and ETBİS registration take a few business days, the technical setup of the store can be completed within a few days if an existing infrastructure is used.
Is ETBİS registration required to open an online store?
Yes, it is a legal requirement for all businesses conducting e-commerce activities in Türkiye to register with ETBİS.
Is there a difference between a virtual shop and a virtual store?
No, they both refer to the same concept; different users prefer different terms when searching.
After opening an online store, can I also sell on marketplaces?
Yes, with the right infrastructure, your own website and marketplace accounts can be managed simultaneously from a single inventory pool.
Ready to manage your online store from a single platform? Try Comwize for free for 15 days, without providing your credit card information.
