Selling online in Kenya has moved well past Instagram DMs and WhatsApp catalogues. Buyers now expect a real website where they can browse products, pay instantly with M-Pesa, and get a delivery date. This guide walks through the practical steps: picking a domain, choosing hosting, setting up WooCommerce, connecting payments, and sorting out delivery, so you launch a store that actually works.
Pick the right domain: .co.ke or .com
Your domain is your shopfront address, so get it before anything else. A .co.ke domain signals to Kenyan shoppers that you’re a local business, and it’s registered through KENIC, the official registry for Kenyan domains. A .com reads as more international and can be easier to spell out over the phone, but it doesn’t carry the same local trust signal.
If you’re selling mainly to customers in Nairobi, Mombasa, or elsewhere in Kenya, .co.ke is usually the better call. If you plan to sell across East Africa or beyond, .com keeps your options open. For a fuller breakdown of the trade-offs, see our guide on .com vs country domains in Africa. Whichever you choose, register it through domain registration rather than leaving it with a reseller who might not renew it on time.
Choose hosting built for an online store
An online store is not a brochure site. It runs a database, handles logged-in customers, and needs to load fast even when ten people are checking out at once. Cheap hosting that’s fine for a blog often struggles once WooCommerce and product images are added.
For a store just starting out, shared hosting from $1.99/mo with a 3-day free trial is a reasonable entry point. LiteSpeed noticeably speeds up WordPress and WooCommerce pages compared to standard Apache setups. All our plans include cPanel and LiteSpeed, so you’re not locked into a control panel you’ve never used. If you’re unsure which tier fits your catalogue size, our best web hosting in Kenya comparison breaks down the options.
Set up WordPress and WooCommerce
WooCommerce is the free plugin that turns a normal WordPress site into a store: product pages, a cart, checkout, and order management, all built in. It’s the most widely used e-commerce platform in the world, largely because it’s free to start and has thousands of extensions for shipping, tax, and payments.
If you haven’t set up WordPress yet, start with our guide on how to start a website in Kenya, then install WooCommerce from the plugin directory on WordPress.org. Keep your product descriptions honest and your images clear. Kenyan shoppers who buy online have often been burned by vague listings before, so specifics on size, material, and stock availability build trust faster than flashy copy.
Connect M-Pesa, Paystack, or Flutterwave
Payment is where most first-time store owners in Kenya get stuck, so it’s worth planning this before launch rather than after.
- M-Pesa is the default expectation for most Kenyan shoppers. You’ll need a Safaricom Daraja API integration or a WooCommerce M-Pesa plugin connected to a paybill or till number.
- Paystack supports M-Pesa alongside cards and bank transfers through one integration, which is useful if you also want to accept card payments without managing two separate systems.
- Flutterwave covers a similar mix of M-Pesa, cards, and mobile money, and is worth comparing against Paystack on transaction fees for your expected order volume.
Test each payment method with a small real transaction before you announce your store publicly. Our payments page covers the payment tools available on our hosting plans if you want a starting point.
Sort out delivery before you launch
A store with no delivery plan is just a nice-looking catalogue. Decide upfront whether you’ll use a courier service, boda riders for local same-day delivery, or a pickup point for customers who prefer to collect. Whatever you choose, put clear delivery timeframes and costs on your site rather than making customers ask. Ambiguity at checkout is one of the biggest reasons carts get abandoned.
Launch checklist
Before you go live, confirm the basics: domain resolving correctly, SSL certificate active (most hosting plans issue this automatically via Let’s Encrypt), at least one payment method fully tested, delivery information published, and a handful of products with real photos and prices live. It’s tempting to wait until everything is perfect, but a store with ten solid products live today beats fifty half-finished listings next month.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a .co.ke domain to sell online in Kenya?
No, but it helps with local trust. A .co.ke domain, registered through KENIC, signals you’re a Kenyan business, while a .com works fine too and keeps things open if you expand regionally.
Is WooCommerce free to use?
Yes, WooCommerce itself is free. You’ll pay for hosting, your domain, and any premium extensions or payment gateway fees, but the core plugin doesn’t carry a license cost.
Which payment method should I set up first?
Start with M-Pesa since it’s what most Kenyan shoppers expect. You can add Paystack or Flutterwave afterward if you want to accept cards or serve customers outside Kenya.
Can I run a store on the cheapest hosting plan?
You can start there, but check your plan’s resources as your catalogue and traffic grow. Many store owners begin on shared hosting and move to a bigger plan once sales pick up.
How long does it take to launch an online store?
With a domain, hosting, and WooCommerce, a basic store can be live within a few days. The parts that usually take longer are photographing products properly and testing payment integrations end to end.
Ready to build your store? Start your shared hosting plan with a 3-day free trial and have your domain and WooCommerce site running by the weekend.