The Novice’s Manual for Making a Shopify Store
The demand for E-commerce is growing once more and that only means new entrants into the market. For anyone with any interest in selling physical products over the web, the most appropriate choice accessible is to use Shopify. Luckily, the process of creating an account on Shopify is definitely not troublesome.
Shopify is awesome and has the best internet business platform. It also is seen as easy to use and the process of signing up is also considered to be very fast. These features make it perfect for both start-ups and corporations wanting to expand their operations.
This post will direct you through the fastest way to get your online store ready on Shopify. It will also touch on some advantages of using the platform. Let’s get started.
The Upside of Using Shopify for Online Business
Let us talk about the benefits of using this online business platform before you build your own Shopify store.
[1] Helpful Customer Support
If you have an inquiry or experience an issue while trying to set something up, you can count on the awesome customer support by Shopify. They have provision for assistance through email and phone calls.
In addition, its help center is packed with every possible helpful resource, such as tutorials and problem-solving tips. This guarantees that one will always get support if one requires it.
[2] Flexibility for Every Business Stage
Shopify provides various plans for new and existing businesses. You can start with a small package and continue to a bigger one later. The adaptability of the platform implies that it can grow alongside your business. At every stage, the right tools are provided.
[3] Lots of Apps to Expand Features
The best thing you should know about Shopify is that it comes with many apps. Do you want assistance with delivery or have an SEO issue? Well, you will love to know that there is an app for that. There are countless choices, and it is not difficult to add new elements to an online store according to the business’s demands.
[4] Beginner-Friendly Platform
Opening an online store might be hard for some people. However, this isn’t true with Shopify. You don’t need to be a tech master to open the store due to its user-friendly design. The system takes you through every process involved. This makes it simple to have your store within the shortest time possible.
[5] Powerful Tools for Online Selling
Don’t underestimate its simplicity. Shopify has so many features and integrations that help grow your eCommerce store. For example, you have advanced analytics tools and multiple methods of accepting payment online.
You can find everything required to operate a thriving eCommerce business on this platform. Further, you can easily modify the functionality of your store thanks to the available easy integration features.
How to Set Up Your Shopify Store from Scratch?
The first step that you have to undertake is creating an objective for your shop. For example, you can set up a sales figure to reach or a number of orders that you will fill. Your shop has to be easy and neat with all the basic requirements. A simple setup works perfectly.
Here are the steps that shall assist you in the setting up of your Shopify store.
[1] Create a Shopify Account
To open a Shopify account, visit the Shopify free trial page. In the next window that pops up, click on Start Free Trial then undergo all the steps. You may be asked to give some basic details, such as functioning email and password along with your store name.
The name you pick for your store is also the name of your domain. Once this URL is fixed, it cannot be altered. Thus, carefully consider your store name.
Of course, you might prefer a more specific website address. Don’t be anxious. You can purchase your custom domain names through Shopify.
When you use Shopify, the system will prompt you to answer questions relevant to your business such as what goods you intend to trade and the address of your shop. Entering the right information is vital since this section includes shipping and tax calculations, so make sure you review your inputs.
[2] Setting Up An Online Store
Once you have finished signing in, you will be navigated straight to the admin page of your store. Here, you are free to start the adjustment of your store.
Start by creating your own Shopify store design. Like WordPress, you can find many interesting themes in the Shopify theme store that will suit your needs. You can also customize the themes, and if you have knowledge of web design then you can completely recreate a template using HTML and CSS.
The main thing is that Shopify has people called “Shopify Experts” whom you can pay to customize your site to your liking.
[3] Pick a Theme for Your Shop
There is an option to either choose a ready-made design or modify and create your design as per your wish. Shopify has also developed a custom theme for free which allows businesses to set up and go online within an hour or less.
Go to the Shopify Theme Store and pick a theme. There are a lot of free ones available. If you want to make things easier for yourself, try and find one which will not require too many changes.
A template that you can easily use has also been designed from Shopify’s side to some extent for you to easily set up the online store.
If you want to adjust your theme or change the appearance of the store, navigate to
- Online store
- Themes
- Customize theme
You can also find areas that allow you to edit the header and content.
[4] Select an Appropriate Business Logo
What do Puma, Apple, GUCCI and Lays share in common? It is that all these brands have specific logos that are easy to identify at first sight.
The next thing you need to do while setting up your online shop is to upload your company logo. A logo is likewise as vital for any business as the name of the organization.
You should get the services of a talented designer to make a logo that matches your business. Also remember that a good logo design enhances brand recognition.
There are several websites for designing logos that are easy to use for beginners and quite popular on social media. Do remember to have a look at it.
[5] Add products to your store
Now it is time to begin putting the product lists in your store. For that, you will head to the Products tab and at the top click on Add Product to begin.
The manner you display your products in your store has a significant impact since it determines if any potential client will purchase anything or not. You can also go other other popular shops that are powered by Shopify as well as look at how they have arranged their products.
Here are the key points related to your product listings:
a) Photos
Most probably, customers will look at the product pictures first. Use good quality pictures of the products that show them in the best way possible. You can also make changes to your pictures once they are uploaded in this section.
b) Product title
Make sure that the title of the product that you are listing is appropriate. Make it as concise as possible and insert a few keywords that a customer would use while searching.
c) Product descriptions
Your product descriptions should include the important points and advantages of the products offered. They must provide the intended use of the product as well as what information the customers should have before purchasing the product.
Ensure that the descriptions of your products are straightforward and do not take long to read. Using short paragraphs with bullet points where applicable is recommended.
d) Prices
The next thing is to fix the prices of your products. There are various factors involved in pricing items and if you get it wrong the first time, you can always return to revise the prices later.
[6] Create a Domain Name
There are 2 ways of doing it.
One is that you can purchase a domain directly from Shopify and it will be linked to your store automatically. This means you will not waste time and if you know nothing about domains, and hosting a website, that is not a problem.
The second method involves buying a domain name from external service providers such as GoDaddy. You can also configure it from GoDaddy to Shopify. It may take longer, however, in the end, you will still have the domain configured.
After creating the domain, you have completed all the steps necessary to operate your store, and it is now time to announce to the public that your store is open.
[7] Establish a Payment Processor
You should set up a payment method that will allow you to receive money. Shopify offers a lot of methods that can be used for receiving payments. You can either use Shopify’s payment processor or other one.
There are a few factors that you want to consider while picking a payment processor. The first one is the kind of fees that the firm might impose. All the payment gateways will most probably have a transaction charge which you will have to pay. However, you must search for one with minimum charges.
You should find a payment processor that supports as many payment methods as possible. Credit and debit cards, PayPal and mobile wallet payments should be supported.
[8] Setting up Shipping
Delivery, there is no doubt, can make or ruin the relationship with a customer. Shipping is often better when a lean management system is in place to smoothen the operation.
Get a real shipping partner and a proper Order Management Software (OMS) system. It allows the customer to track their order smoothly without any hassles. Shopify connects with most of the logistics aggregators.
When a customer can see a clear tracking system, the trust levels between you and the customer will rise much higher.
[9] Billing Information
In order to launch your store, you will have to provide Shopify with your payment details. However, keep in mind that no charges will be taken until after your 14-day trial has expired.
Go to Settings → Account and fill in your billing details.
You are set to launch your store now!
To sum it up
Setting up a successful online store and maintaining it using the Shopify platform is a lot of hard work. At times, the fun part can get quite overwhelming and lost in the process. You can read our guide to understand step by step how to structure it the right way.
