New to eBikes - where to start?

Hey everyone!

Just joined the forum and I'm super excited about potentially getting into the eBike world. I'm specifically looking at cargo eBikes because I want to replace some car trips – grocery runs, hauling gear for weekend adventures, maybe even dropping off the kiddo at school sometimes. For those of you who started with a cargo eBike, what was the absolute first thing you considered or researched? I'm a bit overwhelmed with options like longtail vs. front loader, motor types, and battery range, especially since I live in a hilly area and would need to carry some decent weight. Any advice on where to even begin narrowing it down would be awesome!