Online store setup, product catalogue, inventory, payments, fulfilment, digital marketing basics and sales analytics.
What you will cover
Online store setup
product catalogue
inventory
payments
fulfilment
digital marketing basics
sales analytics
Topic list from the institute's programme record.
Certification
Certificate terms for this programme are confirmed by the institute at admission. Any ADIVAS course-completion certificate is an institute certificate; it is not a university degree, an externally accredited qualification or a vendor certification (such as AWS or Microsoft) unless the institute states so in writing.
The programme title is as supplied in the institute's list. Please confirm the awarding body and recognition with the institute before enrolling.
Curriculum 0.1 · Draft: written for ADIVAS and awaiting academic review and approval. Topics and weeks may change before your batch starts.
Your skill trail
You move through 8 stations. Each week builds one skill you can show, not just a topic you have heard.
1
E-commerce foundations
Understand business models, the customer journey and plan a store idea with a simple business case.
Week 1 How e-commerce works
Week 2 Business models and customers
Week 3 Customer journey and user experience
Week 4 Choosing a product and market
Week 5 Store plan and brand basics
2
Build the online store
Set up a store with a domain, hosting, theme, pages and navigation that is usable on mobile.
Week 6 Domain, hosting and security basics
Week 7 Installing WordPress and WooCommerce
Week 8 Themes, layout and branding
Week 9 Pages and navigation
Week 10 Mobile friendliness and speed
Week 11 Store build review
3
Catalogue, inventory and fulfilment
Manage products, stock, orders, shipping and returns professionally.
Week 12 Product catalogue structure
Week 13 Product pages that sell
Week 14 Bulk upload and spreadsheets
Week 15 Inventory and stock control
Week 16 Orders and order management
Week 17 Shipping and delivery
Week 18 Returns, refunds and support
4
Payments and checkout
Understand payment methods and gateways at concept level and configure a safe checkout.
Week 19 How online payment works
Week 20 Payment gateways
Week 21 Setting up checkout in test mode
Week 22 Payment security and fraud
Week 23 Reconciliation and invoices
5
Digital marketing
Attract and keep customers with SEO, content, social, email and paid basics.
Week 24 Digital marketing overview
Week 25 SEO fundamentals
Week 26 Local search and business profile
Week 27 Content and blogging
Week 28 Social media marketing
Week 29 WhatsApp Business and messaging
Week 30 Email marketing
Week 31 Paid ads basics
Week 32 Offers, pricing and promotions
Week 33 Marketing review and branding
6
Sales analytics
Measure traffic, conversion and sales, and improve the store from evidence.
Week 34 Analytics basics
Week 35 Reading traffic reports
Week 36 Conversion funnel
Week 37 Sales reports and spreadsheets
Week 38 Customer value and repeat sales
Week 39 Dashboards and decisions
7
Legal basics and trust
Describe the rules and policies a seller should understand and publish a trustworthy store.
Week 40 Legal landscape of online selling (overview)
Week 41 GST and invoicing concepts
Week 42 Consumer rights and policies
Week 43 Privacy and data protection
8
Capstone store
Launch a complete practice store, run a campaign and present results and an improvement plan.
Week 44 Capstone planning
Week 45 Capstone build
Week 46 Capstone marketing launch
Week 47 Capstone analysis and improvement
Week 48 Capstone presentation and review
★
Launch-ready practice store
Your project, reviewed by a trainer.
The ADIVAS mastery ladder: how each skill is recognised
Explored You have seen the idea and tried a first example.
Practising You can do it with hints and keep improving.
Proficient You complete the weekly practical task correctly on your own.
Proven You apply it in a project reviewed by your trainer.
Skill-level tracking is being added to the learner workspace. Your trainer already reviews weekly practical work.
What you will be able to do
Explain e-commerce business models, the customer journey and the main parts of an online business.
Build and configure a working online store with pages, navigation, themes and a secure domain.
Create a clean product catalogue and manage inventory, prices and variants accurately.
Explain how online payments work (UPI, cards, wallets, gateways) and set up a test checkout.
Plan order fulfilment, shipping, returns and customer support for an Indian small business.
Plan and run basic digital marketing: SEO, social media, email and a small paid campaign.
Track sales and traffic, read analytics reports and make decisions from data.
Describe the basic legal and trust requirements of selling online, including GST, consumer and data-privacy rules, and know when to seek professional advice.
Who it suits
School Senior school students curious about online selling who want a first view of how a web shop works, with simple projects.
College College students and graduates who want to build an online store and learn digital marketing as a career skill.
Professional Shop owners, home-business owners and working people who want to start or improve an online sales channel.
Prerequisites: Comfortable use of a computer, browser and email. Basic spreadsheet skills are helpful but taught as needed. Tools: WordPress with WooCommerce (open source) on a practice server, Spreadsheet (Excel or LibreOffice Calc), Canva or an open-source image editor (GIMP), Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console, Looker Studio, Payment gateway test mode (sandbox) from a provider such as Razorpay, Meta Business Suite for page and ad basics, Email marketing tool with a free plan (for example Brevo or Mailchimp).
Weekly plan
E-commerce foundations Weeks 1–5
Week 1: How e-commerce works
Theory
Online and offline commerce compared
Parts of an online business: catalogue, store, payment, delivery, support
Overview of Indian e-commerce and local examples
Lab
Place a small practice order on a marketplace using a trainer demonstration and map each step from search to delivery on paper.
Homework
List five local Madurai businesses and note which could sell online and why.
Deliverable
A one-page map of the order journey.
Weekly checkpoint
Short quiz on parts of an online business.
You will be able to
Explain e-commerce business models, the customer journey and the main parts of an online business.
Week 2: Business models and customers
Theory
B2C, B2B, C2C and D2C
Marketplace versus own store
Customer types and needs
Lab
Compare a marketplace seller and an own-store seller on cost, control, reach and brand using a table.
Homework
Interview a shop owner about what stops them selling online.
Deliverable
A comparison table and interview notes.
Weekly checkpoint
Scenario: choose a model for a saree seller, a stationery shop and a B2B spice supplier.
You will be able to
Explain e-commerce business models, the customer journey and the main parts of an online business.
Walk through three online stores on a phone and record friction points on a journey map.
Homework
Redesign one confusing page on paper.
Deliverable
A journey map with five friction points and fixes.
Weekly checkpoint
Diagram question on the customer journey.
You will be able to
Explain e-commerce business models, the customer journey and the main parts of an online business. Build and configure a working online store with pages, navigation, themes and a secure domain.
Week 4: Choosing a product and market
Theory
Finding demand and competitors
Pricing and margin basics
Cost of goods, delivery and returns
Lab
Pick a product for a practice store and build a margin sheet in a spreadsheet with cost, price, packing and shipping.
Homework
Check the prices of five competitors and note the gaps.
Deliverable
A margin sheet for three products.
Weekly checkpoint
Margin calculation problem in rupees.
You will be able to
Explain e-commerce business models, the customer journey and the main parts of an online business. Create a clean product catalogue and manage inventory, prices and variants accurately.
Week 5: Store plan and brand basics
Theory
Brand name, logo and tone
Store plan: pages, products, policies
Project planning and timeline
Lab
Write a one-page store plan, choose a name, create a simple logo in Canva and sketch the home page.
Homework
Collect 10 product photos or draw placeholders.
Deliverable
Store plan and home page sketch.
Weekly checkpoint
Trainer reviews the plan for clarity and feasibility.
You will be able to
Explain e-commerce business models, the customer journey and the main parts of an online business. Build and configure a working online store with pages, navigation, themes and a secure domain.
Build the online store Weeks 6–11
Week 6: Domain, hosting and security basics
Theory
Domain names and DNS in simple terms
Hosting options
HTTPS and why it matters
Lab
Check domain availability, compare two hosting plans and set up a local or staging WordPress site.
Homework
Write a short note explaining HTTPS to a shop owner.
Deliverable
A running staging site and a domain/hosting comparison.
Weekly checkpoint
Hands-on: log in to WordPress and change the site title.
You will be able to
Build and configure a working online store with pages, navigation, themes and a secure domain.
Week 7: Installing WordPress and WooCommerce
Theory
What WordPress and WooCommerce do
Plugins and updates
Backups
Lab
Install WooCommerce, run the setup wizard and add store details, currency in rupees and tax settings placeholders.
Homework
Take a backup of the site and note how to restore it.
Deliverable
A configured WooCommerce store with a backup.
Weekly checkpoint
Sequence the setup steps.
You will be able to
Build and configure a working online store with pages, navigation, themes and a secure domain.
Week 8: Themes, layout and branding
Theory
Themes and block editor
Colours, fonts and consistency
Accessibility basics: contrast and alt text
Lab
Apply a theme, set brand colours and fonts, and build the home page with a banner and featured products.
Homework
Add alt text to every image used.
Deliverable
A branded home page.
Weekly checkpoint
Peer review of the home page against a checklist.
You will be able to
Build and configure a working online store with pages, navigation, themes and a secure domain.
Week 9: Pages and navigation
Theory
Essential pages: about, contact, policies, FAQ
Menus and search
Writing for the web
Lab
Create about, contact and FAQ pages and a menu that reaches any product in three clicks or fewer.
Homework
Write the FAQ answers in your own words.
Deliverable
Page set with menu.
Weekly checkpoint
Click-test by a peer.
You will be able to
Build and configure a working online store with pages, navigation, themes and a secure domain.
Week 10: Mobile friendliness and speed
Theory
Responsive design
Image sizes and page speed
Core web vitals in plain language
Lab
Test the store on a phone and with a speed tool, compress images and fix the three slowest items.
Homework
Record before and after speed scores.
Deliverable
A speed improvement note.
Weekly checkpoint
Interpret a speed report.
You will be able to
Build and configure a working online store with pages, navigation, themes and a secure domain.
Week 11: Store build review
Theory
Quality checklist for a store
Common launch mistakes
Using staging versus live
Lab
Audit your own store with a 20-point checklist and fix issues found.
Homework
Ask two users to complete a task and note where they hesitate.
Deliverable
Audit report with fixes.
Weekly checkpoint
Mini-project demo to the trainer.
You will be able to
Build and configure a working online store with pages, navigation, themes and a secure domain.
Catalogue, inventory and fulfilment Weeks 12–18
Week 12: Product catalogue structure
Theory
Categories, tags and attributes
Variants such as size and colour
SKU and naming rules
Lab
Design a category tree and SKU scheme, then add 10 products with variants.
Homework
Fix inconsistent names in a messy catalogue file provided by the trainer.
Deliverable
A catalogue of 10 products with a SKU table.
Weekly checkpoint
Match products to categories and SKU rules.
You will be able to
Create a clean product catalogue and manage inventory, prices and variants accurately.
Week 13: Product pages that sell
Theory
Titles, descriptions and bullet points
Photography basics
Honest claims and reviews
Lab
Write product pages with benefits, specifications and photos shot with a phone against a plain background.
Homework
Improve one page after feedback.
Deliverable
Five complete product pages.
Weekly checkpoint
Page review with a rubric.
You will be able to
Create a clean product catalogue and manage inventory, prices and variants accurately.
Week 14: Bulk upload and spreadsheets
Theory
CSV format
Import and export
Data cleaning
Lab
Prepare a CSV of 30 products in a spreadsheet, import it into WooCommerce and fix errors.
Homework
Find and fix five errors in a faulty CSV.
Deliverable
A successful import log.
Weekly checkpoint
Troubleshoot an import error scenario.
You will be able to
Create a clean product catalogue and manage inventory, prices and variants accurately.
Week 15: Inventory and stock control
Theory
Stock levels, reorder points and safety stock
Overselling and backorders
Stock counting and reconciliation
Lab
Enable stock management, set reorder alerts and reconcile a physical count against system stock.
Homework
Calculate reorder points for three products using sales rate and lead time.
Deliverable
Stock sheet with reorder levels.
Weekly checkpoint
Reorder point calculations.
You will be able to
Create a clean product catalogue and manage inventory, prices and variants accurately.
Week 16: Orders and order management
Theory
Order statuses
Processing, packing and invoices
Handling cancellations
Lab
Place ten test orders, move them through each status and create invoices.
Homework
Write a one-page standard process for handling an order.
Deliverable
An order handling process sheet.
Weekly checkpoint
Sequence order statuses.
You will be able to
Plan order fulfilment, shipping, returns and customer support for an Indian small business.
Week 17: Shipping and delivery
Theory
Courier and aggregator options in India
Shipping rates, zones and weight
Cash on delivery risks and costs
Lab
Configure shipping zones and rates; calculate the delivery cost for three sample parcels.
Homework
Compare three courier price lists.
Deliverable
A shipping rate table.
Weekly checkpoint
Choose a shipping option for a scenario.
You will be able to
Plan order fulfilment, shipping, returns and customer support for an Indian small business.
Week 18: Returns, refunds and support
Theory
Return policy design
Refund handling
Customer support channels and response times
Lab
Role-play three support cases (late delivery, wrong item, damaged item) and write replies.
Homework
Draft a return policy for your store.
Deliverable
Return policy and three sample replies.
Weekly checkpoint
Case-based questions.
You will be able to
Plan order fulfilment, shipping, returns and customer support for an Indian small business. Describe the basic legal and trust requirements of selling online, including GST, consumer and data-privacy rules, and know when to seek professional advice.
Payments and checkout Weeks 19–23
Week 19: How online payment works
Theory
Cards, net banking, UPI and wallets
Roles: customer, merchant, bank, gateway
Authorisation and settlement at concept level
Lab
Trace a UPI payment and a card payment on a diagram showing each party.
Homework
Explain a UPI payment to a family member and note their questions.
Deliverable
A payment flow diagram.
Weekly checkpoint
Diagram and sequence questions.
You will be able to
Explain how online payments work (UPI, cards, wallets, gateways) and set up a test checkout.
Week 20: Payment gateways
Theory
What a gateway does
Fees, settlement time and reconciliation
Choosing a gateway for a small business
Lab
Compare two gateways on fees, settlement and features using public documentation and write a recommendation.
Homework
Calculate fees on 10 sample orders.
Deliverable
Gateway comparison with a recommendation.
Weekly checkpoint
Fee calculation problem.
You will be able to
Explain how online payments work (UPI, cards, wallets, gateways) and set up a test checkout.
Week 21: Setting up checkout in test mode
Theory
Sandbox accounts
Checkout flow design
Test cards and test UPI
Lab
Connect a gateway sandbox to the store and complete a test purchase with a test payment method.
Homework
Record what happens on a failed payment.
Deliverable
Screenshots of a successful and a failed test payment.
Weekly checkpoint
Hands-on test checkout.
You will be able to
Explain how online payments work (UPI, cards, wallets, gateways) and set up a test checkout.
Week 22: Payment security and fraud
Theory
Why a shop never stores card numbers
Common fraud patterns: fake orders, refund abuse
OTP and two-step verification
Lab
Review ten sample orders and flag suspicious ones using a checklist.
Homework
Write rules for when to hold an order for checking.
Deliverable
Fraud checklist.
Weekly checkpoint
Scenario: handle a suspicious high-value COD order.
You will be able to
Explain how online payments work (UPI, cards, wallets, gateways) and set up a test checkout. Describe the basic legal and trust requirements of selling online, including GST, consumer and data-privacy rules, and know when to seek professional advice.
Week 23: Reconciliation and invoices
Theory
Matching orders with settlements
Invoices and GST on invoices at concept level
Refund accounting
Lab
Reconcile a sample gateway settlement file against orders in a spreadsheet and find the differences.
Homework
Prepare a reconciliation note for the finance owner.
Deliverable
Reconciliation sheet with explanations.
Weekly checkpoint
Find the mismatched order.
You will be able to
Explain how online payments work (UPI, cards, wallets, gateways) and set up a test checkout. Track sales and traffic, read analytics reports and make decisions from data.
Digital marketing Weeks 24–33
Week 24: Digital marketing overview
Theory
Channels: search, social, email, marketplaces
Funnel and goals
Budget and measurement
Lab
Build a simple marketing plan for the practice store with goals, channels and a monthly budget in rupees.
Homework
Define one measurable goal for each channel.
Deliverable
Marketing plan.
Weekly checkpoint
Match channels to goals.
You will be able to
Plan and run basic digital marketing: SEO, social media, email and a small paid campaign.
Research keywords for five products and rewrite titles and descriptions; use Search Console to submit the site.
Homework
Improve three product pages for a target keyword.
Deliverable
Keyword sheet and updated pages.
Weekly checkpoint
Pick the best keyword for a page.
You will be able to
Plan and run basic digital marketing: SEO, social media, email and a small paid campaign.
Week 26: Local search and business profile
Theory
Local intent
Business profile listing
Reviews and replies
Lab
Create or review a business profile for a practice store, add photos and write replies to sample reviews.
Homework
Write replies to a positive and a negative review.
Deliverable
Profile checklist and replies.
Weekly checkpoint
Review reply scenario.
You will be able to
Plan and run basic digital marketing: SEO, social media, email and a small paid campaign.
Week 27: Content and blogging
Theory
Content that helps buyers
Planning a content calendar
Images and short video
Lab
Write one buying-guide article and plan a four-week content calendar.
Homework
Prepare three social posts from the article.
Deliverable
An article and a calendar.
Weekly checkpoint
Content review.
You will be able to
Plan and run basic digital marketing: SEO, social media, email and a small paid campaign.
Week 28: Social media marketing
Theory
Choosing platforms
Post types and timing
Community management and tone
Lab
Set up a business page, schedule a week of posts and respond to sample comments.
Homework
Track likes, saves and clicks for a week.
Deliverable
A week of scheduled posts and a short results note.
Weekly checkpoint
Choose the right platform for three businesses.
You will be able to
Plan and run basic digital marketing: SEO, social media, email and a small paid campaign.
Week 29: WhatsApp Business and messaging
Theory
Catalogues and quick replies
Consent and spam
Handling orders by chat
Lab
Set up a catalogue and quick replies in a business messaging account and handle three practice enquiries.
Homework
Write an opt-in message that respects consent.
Deliverable
Message templates.
Weekly checkpoint
Consent and spam scenario.
You will be able to
Plan and run basic digital marketing: SEO, social media, email and a small paid campaign. Describe the basic legal and trust requirements of selling online, including GST, consumer and data-privacy rules, and know when to seek professional advice.
Week 30: Email marketing
Theory
Building an email list with consent
Welcome, abandoned cart and promotion emails
Subject lines and testing
Lab
Create a welcome email and an abandoned-cart email in an email tool and send tests.
Homework
Write three subject lines for the same offer.
Deliverable
Two email templates.
Weekly checkpoint
Email quality rubric.
You will be able to
Plan and run basic digital marketing: SEO, social media, email and a small paid campaign.
Week 31: Paid ads basics
Theory
Search ads versus social ads
Targeting and budget
Cost per click, conversion and return on ad spend
Lab
Plan an ad campaign with audience, budget, copy and a landing page; calculate expected cost per sale from sample numbers.
Homework
Calculate return on ad spend for two campaigns.
Deliverable
Ad campaign plan (no live spend required).
Weekly checkpoint
Return on ad spend calculation.
You will be able to
Plan and run basic digital marketing: SEO, social media, email and a small paid campaign. Track sales and traffic, read analytics reports and make decisions from data.
Week 32: Offers, pricing and promotions
Theory
Discount types and their margin effect
Festival campaigns such as Diwali and Pongal
Loyalty and referrals
Lab
Design three offers and test each against the margin sheet to check that each stays profitable.
Homework
Choose one offer and justify it.
Deliverable
Offer calendar with margin checks.
Weekly checkpoint
Offer profitability problem.
You will be able to
Plan and run basic digital marketing: SEO, social media, email and a small paid campaign. Create a clean product catalogue and manage inventory, prices and variants accurately.
Week 33: Marketing review and branding
Theory
Brand consistency
Reading campaign results
Ethical marketing and honest claims
Lab
Review all campaign work and prepare a combined marketing calendar for a month.
Homework
Check each claim in your ads and pages for accuracy.
Deliverable
Monthly marketing calendar.
Weekly checkpoint
Review in a trainer meeting.
You will be able to
Plan and run basic digital marketing: SEO, social media, email and a small paid campaign. Describe the basic legal and trust requirements of selling online, including GST, consumer and data-privacy rules, and know when to seek professional advice.
Sales analytics Weeks 34–39
Week 34: Analytics basics
Theory
What to measure: traffic, conversion, average order value
Metrics versus decisions
Privacy and consent for tracking
Lab
Install analytics on the store, set up a conversion event for purchases and verify it fires.
Homework
List five questions the data should answer.
Deliverable
Analytics set-up proof.
Weekly checkpoint
Define each metric.
You will be able to
Track sales and traffic, read analytics reports and make decisions from data.
Week 35: Reading traffic reports
Theory
Sources, pages and devices
Comparing time periods
Spotting unusual spikes
Lab
Analyse a sample traffic dataset to find the best source and the worst page.
Homework
Write three observations and one action.
Deliverable
Traffic analysis note.
Weekly checkpoint
Interpret a table of sources.
You will be able to
Track sales and traffic, read analytics reports and make decisions from data.
Week 36: Conversion funnel
Theory
Funnel stages
Cart abandonment reasons
Checkout friction
Lab
Calculate funnel drop-off from sample numbers and propose fixes for the largest drop.
Homework
Test your checkout on a phone and list friction points.
Deliverable
Funnel analysis with fixes.
Weekly checkpoint
Funnel calculation.
You will be able to
Track sales and traffic, read analytics reports and make decisions from data.
Week 37: Sales reports and spreadsheets
Theory
Exporting order data
Pivot tables for sales by product and month
Charts for decisions
Lab
Build a pivot table and chart for 200 sample orders and identify the best sellers.
Homework
Prepare a one-page monthly sales report.
Deliverable
Sales report.
Weekly checkpoint
Read a pivot table.
You will be able to
Track sales and traffic, read analytics reports and make decisions from data.
Week 38: Customer value and repeat sales
Theory
Repeat purchase rate
Customer lifetime value at concept level
Segmenting customers
Lab
Calculate repeat rate and average order value from sample data and plan a loyalty email.
Homework
Write a segment definition for 'best customers'.
Deliverable
Repeat-customer plan.
Weekly checkpoint
Metric calculation.
You will be able to
Track sales and traffic, read analytics reports and make decisions from data. Plan and run basic digital marketing: SEO, social media, email and a small paid campaign.
Week 39: Dashboards and decisions
Theory
Dashboard design
A/B testing basics
Making decisions with limited data
Lab
Build a dashboard in Looker Studio with four key metrics and present two recommendations.
Homework
Plan a simple A/B test for a product title.
Deliverable
Dashboard and recommendations.
Weekly checkpoint
Dashboard review.
You will be able to
Track sales and traffic, read analytics reports and make decisions from data.
Legal basics and trust Weeks 40–43
Week 40: Legal landscape of online selling (overview)
Theory
Overview of rules that touch an online store (this is general information, not legal advice)
Business registration types at concept level
Why to consult a qualified professional
Lab
Prepare a list of questions a seller would ask a chartered accountant or lawyer before launch.
Homework
Read the official government pages on starting a business and summarise them.
Deliverable
A questions list and summary.
Weekly checkpoint
Identify which issues need a professional.
You will be able to
Describe the basic legal and trust requirements of selling online, including GST, consumer and data-privacy rules, and know when to seek professional advice.
Week 41: GST and invoicing concepts
Theory
What GST is and how it appears on an invoice
GST registration and e-commerce at concept level
Keeping records for the accountant
Lab
Create a sample tax invoice layout with a GST line and record-keeping folder structure.
Homework
Write a one-paragraph plain-language explanation of GST on a sale.
Deliverable
Sample invoice and records folder.
Weekly checkpoint
Scenario on which details appear on an invoice.
You will be able to
Describe the basic legal and trust requirements of selling online, including GST, consumer and data-privacy rules, and know when to seek professional advice.
Week 42: Consumer rights and policies
Theory
Information a seller should show about product, price and seller
Returns, refunds and grievance contact
Misleading claims and fake reviews
Lab
Review a sample store and list missing information; write terms, refund and shipping policies in plain language.
Homework
Rewrite one policy at a simpler reading level.
Deliverable
Policy pages.
Weekly checkpoint
Spot missing disclosures.
You will be able to
Describe the basic legal and trust requirements of selling online, including GST, consumer and data-privacy rules, and know when to seek professional advice. Plan order fulfilment, shipping, returns and customer support for an Indian small business.
Week 43: Privacy and data protection
Theory
Personal data a store collects
Consent, privacy policy and secure handling
Data protection law in India at concept level
Lab
Create a data inventory for your store and write a privacy policy draft, then set up cookie consent.
Homework
List who can see customer data in your store.
Deliverable
Data inventory and privacy policy draft.
Weekly checkpoint
Privacy scenario.
You will be able to
Describe the basic legal and trust requirements of selling online, including GST, consumer and data-privacy rules, and know when to seek professional advice.
Capstone store Weeks 44–48
Week 44: Capstone planning
Theory
Scope and milestones
Quality checklist
Pitching the store
Lab
Finalise the capstone plan: product range of at least 15 items, budget, timeline and success measures.
Homework
Collect remaining content and photos.
Deliverable
Capstone plan.
Weekly checkpoint
Plan approval by trainer.
You will be able to
Explain e-commerce business models, the customer journey and the main parts of an online business. Build and configure a working online store with pages, navigation, themes and a secure domain.
Week 45: Capstone build
Theory
Pre-launch testing
Cross-device checks
Launch checklist
Lab
Complete store build, test checkout in sandbox and fix all issues from a 30-point checklist.
Homework
Ask three testers to place test orders and collect feedback.
Deliverable
Store ready for launch review.
Weekly checkpoint
Walk-through of the working store.
You will be able to
Build and configure a working online store with pages, navigation, themes and a secure domain. Create a clean product catalogue and manage inventory, prices and variants accurately. Explain how online payments work (UPI, cards, wallets, gateways) and set up a test checkout.
Week 46: Capstone marketing launch
Theory
Launch plan
Tracking set-up
Handling first orders
Lab
Run a two-week practice campaign across social, email and search listings and track results.
Homework
Log daily metrics.
Deliverable
Campaign log.
Weekly checkpoint
Mid-campaign review.
You will be able to
Plan and run basic digital marketing: SEO, social media, email and a small paid campaign. Track sales and traffic, read analytics reports and make decisions from data.
Week 47: Capstone analysis and improvement
Theory
Reading results honestly
Prioritising improvements
Writing recommendations
Lab
Analyse campaign and store data and write the improvement plan with three tested changes.
Homework
Prepare the presentation.
Deliverable
Analysis report.
Weekly checkpoint
Report review.
You will be able to
Track sales and traffic, read analytics reports and make decisions from data. Plan order fulfilment, shipping, returns and customer support for an Indian small business.
Week 48: Capstone presentation and review
Theory
Presenting to a panel
Professional portfolio
Next steps for a career or business
Lab
Present the store, results and learning to a panel and answer questions, including on policies and legal basics.
Homework
Finalise the portfolio with screenshots and a case summary.
Deliverable
Presentation and portfolio.
Weekly checkpoint
Final assessment by panel.
You will be able to
Explain e-commerce business models, the customer journey and the main parts of an online business. Describe the basic legal and trust requirements of selling online, including GST, consumer and data-privacy rules, and know when to seek professional advice.
Sample lessons
Week 19
How an online payment works
When a customer pays online, several parties work together in seconds. The customer chooses a method such as UPI, card or net banking. The store sends the payment request to a payment gateway, which securely passes the details to the customer's bank or UPI app for approval. When approved, the gateway tells the store the payment was successful, and later the money is settled into the seller's bank account after fees. The store itself should never keep card numbers.
1Customer pays
2Store sends request
3Gateway
4Bank or UPI approves
5Order marked paid
6Settlement to seller
Payment flow in an online store.
Step by step
Customer places an order and selects a payment method.
The store sends the amount and order number to the payment gateway.
The gateway takes the customer to a secure payment page or app.
The bank or UPI app asks for authorisation (PIN or OTP).
The gateway confirms success to the store and the order is marked paid.
The gateway settles the money to the seller's bank account after deducting fees.
In real life
A customer in Madurai buys a ₹1,050 saree and pays with UPI. The order shows 'Paid' within seconds, but the seller's bank receives the money (minus the gateway fee) a day or two later.
Worked example
Problem. An order of ₹1,000 is paid through a gateway that charges 2% plus 18% GST on the fee. How much reaches the seller?
Solution. Fee = 2% of 1,000 = ₹20. GST on fee = 18% of 20 = ₹3.60. Total deduction = ₹23.60. The seller receives ₹976.40. (Check the provider's actual rates; these are sample numbers.)
Common mistakes
Marking an order as paid before the gateway confirms.
Forgetting that the settlement amount is lower than the order amount because of fees.
Try it yourself
Draw the flow for a failed payment and what the store should do.
Calculate the settlement for a ₹2,500 order with a 2% fee and 18% GST on the fee.
Week 36
The conversion funnel
A funnel shows how many people move from one stage to the next: visit, view a product, add to cart, start checkout and buy. At each step some people leave. Calculating the percentage who continue shows where the store loses the most customers, so you can fix the biggest problem first. Conversion rate is orders divided by visits. A small improvement at a large drop-off can raise sales more than a large effort at a small one.
1Visit
2Product view
3Add to cart
4Checkout
5Order
Step by step
Collect the number of people at each stage for the same period.
Divide each stage by the previous one to get the step conversion.
Find the stage with the biggest percentage drop.
Investigate causes: price, trust, shipping cost, form length, errors.
Make one change, measure again and compare.
In real life
A snack seller had 8,000 visits and 120 orders. Checkout started for 400 people but only 120 paid. Adding UPI and showing shipping charges early lifted completed payments in the next month.
Worked example
Problem. Visits 5,000; add to cart 500; checkout 250; orders 100. Find the conversion rate and the biggest drop-off.
Solution. Conversion = 100/5,000 = 2%. Step rates: visit to cart 10%, cart to checkout 50%, checkout to order 40%. In percentage lost, visit to cart loses 90% of people, the largest. Among checkout steps, checkout to order loses 60%, which is highly fixable (payment options, trust).
Common mistakes
Comparing numbers from different time periods.
Fixing the stage that is easiest rather than the one with the biggest impact.
Try it yourself
Compute the funnel for Visits 2,000; cart 300; checkout 150; orders 90.
List three possible reasons for people leaving at checkout.
Try the questions
The same skills are asked at three levels: School (Classes 6–12), College and Professional. Switch the level and the language (English or Tamil), and say how sure you are before you check: knowing what you are unsure about is part of learning.
Classes 6–12: everyday examples, no prior knowledge. Practice only. Nothing here is graded or saved.
Question 1 / 4 · Explain e-commerce
What is e-commerce?
Projects
Launch-ready practice store
Build a complete practice online store for a real kind of Madurai business (for example handloom textiles, home-made snacks or school stationery) with a catalogue, working test checkout, shipping and return policies, and a tracked marketing campaign.
Tasks
Write a store plan with target customers, 15 products and a margin sheet.
Build the store with brand, pages, navigation and mobile-friendly design.
Configure stock, shipping and a sandbox payment checkout and complete test orders.
Publish policy pages for returns, shipping, terms and privacy in plain language.
Run a two-week practice campaign and report traffic, conversion and sales with recommendations.
Margin per saree is ₹300 (about 28.6%); the store shows the product with variants and stock; a test order passes through checkout and appears in the order list.
How it is assessed
Criterion
Weight
Store build and usability
25%
Catalogue and inventory quality
20%
Checkout, shipping and policies
20%
Marketing plan and execution
15%
Analytics and recommendations
20%
Stretch challenge: Add a second sales channel (a marketplace listing or a messaging catalogue) and compare results.
Store performance review
Analyse a supplied dataset of 300 orders and 10,000 visits for a small store, and write a decision report: what to promote, what to fix and what to stop.
Tasks
Clean the data and calculate conversion rate, average order value and repeat rate.
Find the best and worst products and sources using a pivot table.
Draw the funnel and identify the largest drop-off.
Propose three actions with expected effects and a way to test each.
Conversion rate 1.5%; the largest drop-off is from visit to add-to-cart (94%), then cart to checkout (50%).
How it is assessed
Criterion
Weight
Correct calculations
35%
Insight from the data
30%
Quality of actions and tests
20%
Clear writing and charts
15%
Stretch challenge: Build a Looker Studio dashboard that updates from a spreadsheet.
How you are assessed
Each week: a short quiz (5 questions with scenarios, one diagram and one calculation where relevant), a lab deliverable checked with a rubric and a one-paragraph reflection. A module test at the end of each module.
Practical work. Practical assessment is on the learner's own store: build quality, catalogue accuracy, test checkout, policies, marketing plan and a data-based report.
What trainers look for
Weight
Working, usable store
30%
Catalogue, inventory and fulfilment accuracy
20%
Marketing and payments understanding
20%
Analytics and decisions
20%
Policies, trust and professional conduct
10%
Where this can lead
Prepares you to set up and manage an online store for a small business.
Prepares you for entry-level e-commerce operations, catalogue and digital marketing assistant tasks.
These describe skills you will build. ADIVAS does not guarantee jobs, placement or salary.
