Start With a Microsite To Test Demand
The First Step to Launching a Modern Grocery Service
Most people try to start with a website and quickly get overwhelmed. Websites are great once you’re operating — but terrible for validating a new service. The Microsite takes the opposite approach. It starts you with the operational core of a grocery delivery business: customer intake, scheduling, pricing, service fees, and order workflow. That’s where businesses either succeed or fail, and the Microsite lets you test that before spending money on a website.
The Microsite works as a hybrid business form + rules engine. It captures the operational settings of your service, routes orders, calculates fees, supports scheduling, and becomes the brain for your platform when you upgrade to a full website.
A Hybrid Between a Website and an Operational Form
The Microsite runs on a platform that supports reactive logic, fee calculations, triggers, conditional elements, and scheduling. That makes it substantially more capable than a standard contact form and significantly cheaper and faster to launch than a full website. For new operators, this solves the hard part: validating that customers are willing to order groceries through them.
Once configured, the Microsite collects the data needed to run your service every day and captures the configuration data needed to build your website later.
Nothing is wasted. You start small, prove demand, and upgrade when it makes financial sense.
Validate Before You Invest
Starting a grocery delivery business is not about launch-day aesthetics — it’s about operational success. The Microsite lets you:
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test demand without buying a website
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start earning before investing heavily
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build your first customer base
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collect order and delivery data
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refine your service area and scheduling model
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adjust pricing and fees based on real behavior
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determine whether the model fits your lifestyle
Most importantly, you start operating without the overhead of full e-commerce infrastructure. When you’re ready to scale, you upgrade — without rebuilding.
Professional Identity Without Technical Work
Every Microsite includes a secure personal URL using domain mapping through the platform.
For example: https://home.grocerystocking.com/form-XXXXXXX/your-company-name
The operator controls the final portion of the path, allowing them to attach their business identity without having to learn DNS, SSL, or registrar configurations. When ready, full domain mapping options allow operators to attach their own domain later if desired.
Each Microsite includes a QR code that can be placed on:
Built-In Access Point for Customers
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business cards
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flyers
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postcards
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STR welcome binders
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concierge desks
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property manager materials
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social profiles
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packaging inserts
This gives customers a frictionless way to submit shopping lists and schedule delivery directly from printed or digital material. QR codes are included as part of the setup — not an add-on.
Service Fees Instead of Product Markups
Most concierge grocery models rely on service fees instead of grocery markups. The Microsite reflects this reality and includes configurable fee logic that adjusts based on grocery order size. Fees are consolidated into a controlled formula for accuracy, transparency, and operator margin protection.
Operator-Controlled Incentives for Customer Acquisition
Operators may choose to offer discounts to new customers, family, friends, referrals, hospitality partners, or other special audiences. Discount codes are non-stacking and apply to service fees only to preserve margin. Codes may be percentage-based or fixed-dollar.
Operators decide:
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the code name
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the discount behavior
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who receives the code
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how and where it is advertised
This supports both early traction and long-term retention.
Listed by Location on the Co-Op Shopper Website
Operators who launch a Microsite are listed by location on the Co-Op Shopper website. This gives new operators visibility without having to build their own traffic channels. Listing is included with monthly hosting and is commission-free. Customers find operators by geography, not by bid or algorithm.
This stands in contrast to gig platforms that retain the customer relationship and extract commissions. With Co-Op Shopper, operators own the customer and keep their entire earnings.
Your Microsite Becomes the Brain of Your Website
When you upgrade to a full website, your Microsite doesn’t get discarded — it becomes the logic layer that drives scheduling, fee calculations, operator communication, and availability rules. The website adds storefront browsing, list creation tools, Costco integration, and higher-volume features.
No relearning. No reinventing. No technical debt.
Low Barrier to Start, Commission-Free to Operate
Setup Fee: $349(one-time)
Monthly Hosting: $49/month
Commission: 0%
The Microsite is intentionally priced to allow operators to test the water before investing in a full website or Costco Store tier. Unlike gig platforms, there are no commissions on orders and the customer relationship remains yours.
Operators receive:
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microsite configuration
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secure URL
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QR code asset
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domain mapping support
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listing on Co-Op Shopper
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commission-free operation
When ready to scale, upgrading does not require rebuilding.
Pay Less Up Front and Pay Less When You Upgrade
Launching directly into a full website build forces operators to make pricing, scheduling, and service decisions before they have worked with a single customer. This almost always leads to rework and expensive adjustments later. The Microsite reverses this risk. You validate your model first, then upgrade when the business justifies it.
Starting with a Microsite avoids:
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higher setup fees for full website builds
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reconfiguration and duplicative work
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premature design and branding choices
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paying for features before they are needed
When operators launch with a Microsite, most of the configuration work—fees, scheduling, discount codes, service areas, payment preferences, and workflow logic—transfers directly into the Co-Op Shopper website platform. Because of this, upgrading from a Microsite costs less than starting with a full website build from scratch.
Ready to Start With the Microsite?
If you’re serious about testing or launching a grocery delivery service, the Microsite is the first step. You’ll validate demand, start earning, and collect the operational data needed to scale.
