WHAT DO I NEED TO HAVE AN ONLINE SHOP IN GERMANY

In Germany, online shopping is very popular and trusted. Among more than 80 million people, 47 million people are online shoppers. This country is considered to be one of the biggest markets in Europe. There is a procedure to be followed if you want to open an online shop. Let's look at some of them on this page.

Registration

The first thing you have to do is to have a bank account in Germany. The second thing is that you must be registered at the Tax Office (Finanzamt). Most likely, registration should be done at the Trade Office or Gewerbeamt. You can get the registration information on their official websites. You can even have a specialist's help to understand all the needed documents for starting an online shop.

In specific, there is no law for online business. However, foreign investors should show special attention to some of the points in the document.

Physical location

It is mandatory to have a physical location for your company. It is a common practice that the items purchased online will be returned only to the respective company address. Having a physical base makes the customer buy online. Because the procedure to return the goods will be easier.

German website

Have your company website in English as well in Germany. English is spoken by many in Germany. But, German is the official language. It is better to have your company website translated in German too. By doing so, you will gain German customers' trust. 

Payments

Mostly, Germans do not use the credit card payment method. They don't even use any online payment methods like PayPal. The most preferred payment is an open invoice. The actual process will be like the German customers pay only after they receive their orders. If the product is not satisfactory, they will return it. To run a successful business, offer different payment options like a credit card, debit card, PayPal, or the open invoice system. 29% of Germans prefer open invoicing as their favorite payment method.

GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)

It is highly essential for an online retailer to get the right for GDPR. This indicates that you are following a good privacy policy. To build a trustworthy relationship with consumers, you have to concentrate more on GPDR, privacy policies, cookie law compliance, and payment security.

Language

56% of Germans know English. Still, you should possess some knowledge in their native language, i.e., German. They might have trust issues if your product is presented in English instead of German. 

Overall, Germany is a good choice for starting an online store. But marketing is always competitive and demanding. Building consumers' trust is the most important thing you have to focus on while running a successful business.