Choose a platform

Start with the store you need to run over the next year. Mark each requirement as essential or optional. A platform that misses one essential workflow can create more work than a long feature list saves.

• List physical, digital, subscription, or bundled products. Include the largest variant set and any custom fields.
• Record selling countries, display and settlement currencies, languages, and expected order volume.
• Identify staff roles and the actions each person must be allowed to perform.
• List every required sales channel, fulfillment service, accounting tool, and existing integration.

Use the same products and tasks in every trial. A polished demonstration may use a simpler catalog than yours. Save screenshots, the plan used, and any work that required support or a third-party service.

• Create a representative product with options, images, inventory, and delivery requirements. Inspect the saved data.
• Build a product page and edit one section on mobile. Preview and publish the change.
• Place a test order with an applicable discount and shipping method. Check tax, confirmation email, and the order record.
• Test fulfillment, cancellation, and refund handling in a safe test environment.
• Ask the AI assistant to perform a real task. Record available context, permissions, approval steps, saved result, and recovery from an error.

Inspect what a visitor and a crawler receive, not only the editing interface. Search engines need accessible content and clear URLs. AI-generated content still needs a person to check product facts and claims.

• Inspect unique page titles, descriptions, canonical URLs, image descriptions, and structured data against the visible page.
• Check sitemap coverage, private-page indexing policy, navigation, redirects, and genuine 404 responses.
• Test important pages on a phone and with a keyboard. Check labels, contrast, and checkout error messages.
• Confirm which content, URLs, redirects, and assets you can export if you leave.

Use the same currency, billing period, and expected usage for each platform. Keep taxes and payment processing visible. Separate a recurring fee from implementation work so a low headline price does not hide a larger operating cost.

• Record the base plan, seats, annual commitment, limits, and renewal terms.
• Add AI usage, apps, hosting where separate, domains, email, and expected overage costs.
• Calculate payment and transaction fees using your own projected order values and volume.
• Add one-time design, development, data migration, training, and integration setup costs.
• Estimate ongoing maintenance and support work. Record who owns it and the assumptions behind the estimate.

Review essential requirements first. Treat an undocumented capability as unverified until you can test it or get a clear written answer. Keep your worksheet with the trial date and plan so the decision can be revisited when either changes.

• Resolve every essential item with a working test, a documented limitation, or a written commitment.
• Review support availability, incident handling, account ownership, and access recovery.
• Agree on launch acceptance criteria and a reversible path before moving a live store.

This guide is published by Amboras. The checklist is a planning aid; confirm platform capabilities and the agreed scope with the responsible provider.

• Google: SEO starter guide
• Google: guidance for AI search features

Keep the completed worksheet with your trial results and unresolved questions.

Plan your migration