How to Get the First 10 Orders for Your New Online Store in India

Your online store is live. Products are uploaded, the design looks good, and the order page is empty. This is the hardest stage for every new seller in India.

This guide shows a practical, step-by-step plan to get your first 10 orders without fake reviews, paid tricks or big ad budgets. It takes effort, but every step is in your control.

Why does a new online store get no orders?

Usually it is one of these reasons:

• Nobody knows the store exists. Google and social media do not send traffic to a brand-new site on their own.
• Visitors do not trust it. No contact details, no return policy and blurry photos make people leave.
• Too many random products. A store with 500 unrelated items looks like a copy, not a real shop.
• The price is not clear. Hidden shipping charges at checkout kill orders.

Fix trust first, then bring visitors.

Step 1: Make your store look trustworthy

Before you share the link with anyone, check these basics:

1. Clear product photos from more than one angle, on a plain background if possible.
2. Full product details: size, material, colour, what is in the box.
3. Final price with delivery charges shown before checkout.
4. Delivery time written on each product page, like "Delivered in 5-7 days".
5. Return and refund policy page in simple words.
6. Contact page with a WhatsApp number and email.
7. About page with who runs the store and from which city.
8. Cash on Delivery, if you can manage it, because many first-time buyers trust COD more.

Step 2: Start with a small hero range

Do not promote 200 products at once. Pick 5-10 products that are easy to explain, have a clear use and a price your audience is comfortable with. Promote only these first.

A small range is easier to photograph well, easier to stock and easier to talk about in posts and messages.

Step 3: Tell people who already know you

Your first buyers often come from your own network. This is not cheating; it is how most small shops start.

• Share the store with friends, family, college groups and neighbourhood groups. Ask them to share it if they like it.
• Offer a small launch discount for the first few buyers, and be clear about when it ends.
• Ask your first buyers for honest feedback on the product and delivery.

Step 4: Set up WhatsApp Business properly

For many Indian buyers, WhatsApp is where the sale really happens. They want to ask a question before ordering.

1. Install the WhatsApp Business app and fill in your business profile: name, category, description, address or city and website link.
2. Create a catalog with your hero products, prices and links. WhatsApp explains this on its catalog help page.
3. Set a greeting message and quick replies for common questions like delivery time and COD.
4. Share new products as status updates daily.
5. Send broadcast messages only to people who saved your number and agreed to hear from you.

Step 5: Use Instagram and a Facebook page

Social media is where people discover products they did not search for.

What to post

• Short videos showing the product in real use.
• Unboxing and packing videos from your own orders.
• "How to style" or "how to use" tips.
• Screenshots of real customer feedback, with their permission and personal details hidden.

How to post

• Post regularly, even if reach is low at first.
• Put your store link in the bio and mention WhatsApp ordering.
• Reply to every comment and message quickly.

If your page reach is low, our guide on fixing Facebook page reach explains common mistakes. The same ideas from getting traffic from a Facebook page also work for store links.

Step 6: Show your products on Google for free

Google lets eligible stores show products in free listings across Google surfaces, such as the Shopping tab, through Google Merchant Center. Google's free listings help page explains how it works. Visibility is not guaranteed, and your product data and policies must meet Google's requirements.

This takes some setup, so do it after your store basics are solid. Keep product titles clear, prices accurate and stock status correct.

Where should your first orders come from? Channel comparison

Step 7: Confirm every order and deliver well

Getting an order is only half the job. Your first buyers decide if you get more orders through reviews and word of mouth.

• Call or WhatsApp every COD buyer to confirm the order before shipping.
• Pack neatly and add a small thank-you note.
• Share the tracking link as soon as the parcel ships.
• Message after delivery and ask for honest feedback.

Confirming orders also reduces returns. Our guide on how to reduce COD returns (RTO) covers this in detail.

Common mistakes that block the first orders

• Sharing the store link before testing checkout.
• Copying product photos and text from big marketplaces.
• Replying to WhatsApp questions after many hours.
• No clear return policy.
• Changing the whole store every week instead of improving a few products.
• Giving up after a few days. Building trust takes weeks.

Do you need your own store website?

You can start selling only on WhatsApp or a marketplace. Your own website helps because it gives you a proper catalogue, your own customer list and a link you can share everywhere.

If you have not built the store yet, read how to start a Meesho-style online store with COD. If you want a ready base, our Meesho-style shopping store script gives you a ready store base to customise; check the product page for its full feature list. You can try the live store demo first to see how it works.

Final word

The first 10 orders come from trust and effort, not tricks. Make your store look reliable, start with a few strong products, tell people who know you, use WhatsApp to answer questions fast, and deliver every order with care. Each happy buyer makes the next sale easier.

Next step: today, place a test order on your own store and fix anything confusing. Then share your top 5 products with 20 people you know and ask for honest feedback.