Ready to turn your passion into a business? Whether you're dreaming of a webshop filled with (video) games, board games or collectibles — we’re here to help you get started. In 7 clear steps, we’ll guide you through everything you need to know. From shaping the concept of your shop to knowing when to register with the Chamber of Commerce and beyond.

Another key decision is choosing the right webshop software. Want to know whether SaaS or Open Source is the better fit for you? We’ve got you covered. With Acendy, you can launch your webshop from just €20 a month. Take a look at our plans below.

As soon as you start running your webshop, you’re officially considered an entrepreneur. That means you'll need to comply with legal requirements — often including registration with the Chamber of Commerce (KvK) and the Tax Office once you begin selling. Of course, you can also choose to keep your shop closed during the setup phase until everything is in place. Once you're registered, your business is officially live — congratulations!

Want to know more about how to register your webshop?
Click the button below to read more on the official Chamber of Commerce website.

Visit the website of the Chamber of Commerce

And now for the most important and most exciting part: your products! The games and collectibles industry already has thousands of online shops, so it's essential to stand out with a unique assortment. Will you go for the latest trends, or do you prefer retro or second-hand treasures? Are you targeting widely available items or focusing on exclusive, high-end pieces?

After putting together your collection, it's time to determine your retail prices. For branded products, there is often a fixed recommended price that you're expected to follow. However, with unbranded items or products you've developed yourself, you have the freedom to set your own pricing strategy. A commonly used rule of thumb in retail is to apply a margin of 2.5.

An effective way to calculate your product prices is by clearly listing all associated costs. This gives you a solid foundation to determine the price point needed to ensure your products generate enough profit.

The next step is creating your webshop! To launch your online store, you’ll need webshop software — a platform that enables you to sell products digitally. This software typically offers key features like adding products, managing orders, and configuring payment options. Everything you need to run your webshop smoothly.

There are two main categories of webshop software: Open Source and SaaS (Software as a Service). Acendy is a SaaS solution, meaning you can build and operate your webshop without any coding experience. Plus, the platform takes care of automatic updates and ongoing improvements, so you don’t have to worry about maintenance.

Start your webshop easily and quickly with Acendy — no technical skills required. Want to see how it works? Try our free 14-day trial today!

Once the foundation of your games and collectables webshop is ready and you’ve defined the direction of your store, it’s time to focus on product photography. This is a crucial step in building your webshop, as it’s the only way to convince visitors to make a purchase. Since you don’t have a physical shop where customers can see and touch products, high-quality photos help bring the online shopping experience closer to that of a real store. Plus, they help reduce the number of returns!

If you sell branded items, suppliers often provide product images, which can save you time. However, these supplier photos are often used by many other webshops, leading to ‘duplicate content’ issues. Duplicate content can negatively affect your Google search rankings. That’s why creating your own unique product photos is always the better choice!

For effective SEO (Search Engine Optimization), it’s important to create original product descriptions instead of copying the supplier’s text word for word. On-page SEO means optimizing your own website by producing unique, high-quality content, incorporating relevant keywords, and enhancing the overall user experience. Off-page SEO, on the other hand, involves building your site’s authority through external backlinks.