Have you ever dreamed of having your own online store? Do you have a passion for selling products that you love or creating something unique and original? If so, then Shopify is the perfect platform for you. Shopify is an ecommerce platform that lets you create and run your own online store, without any coding or design skills. You can sell anything from clothing and accessories, to art and crafts, to digital products and services, and more. With Shopify, you can turn your passion into a profitable business, and have fun along the way.
In this blog post, we will show you how to start a Shopify store in 2023, with some creative tips and tricks to make your store stand out from the crowd. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, you will find something useful and inspiring in this guide. Let’s get started!
Step 1: Choose an ecommerce platform
The first step to start a Shopify store is to choose an ecommerce platform that suits your needs and goals. An ecommerce platform is the software that powers your online store, and it can make or break your success. There are many ecommerce platforms out there, but Shopify is one of the best options for several reasons:
- Shopify is easy to use, especially if you are DIYing it in the beginning. You can use a drag and drop builder to easily create your online store, without any coding or design skills. You can also choose from hundreds of beautiful and professional themes, or customize your own.
- Shopify offers 24/7 customer support, in 19 different languages. You can get help anytime you need, through live chat, email, or phone. Shopify also has a rich community of experts, developers, and entrepreneurs who can help you with any questions or challenges.
- Shopify has a friction-free checkout process, that increases your conversion rate and sales. You can use Shopify’s own payment gateway, Shop Pay, which streamlines online checkout and makes it four times faster. You can also integrate with over 100 other payment methods and currencies, to cater to your global customers.
- Shopify is scalable and flexible, meaning it can grow with your business and adapt to your changing needs. You can add features and functionality to your store with over 6,000 apps and plugins, that cover everything from marketing and analytics, to inventory and shipping, to loyalty and rewards, and more. You can also sell on multiple channels, such as Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, eBay, and more, all from one dashboard.
To start using Shopify, you can sign up for a free 14-day trial , which gives you enough time to set up your store and launch it. You don’t need a credit card to sign up, and you can cancel anytime.
Step 2: Add the products you want to sell
The next step to start a Shopify store is to add the products you want to sell. This is where you can unleash your creativity and showcase your unique value proposition. You can sell anything on Shopify, as long as it’s legal and complies with Shopify’s terms of service . Here are some tips on how to add products to your store:
- Choose a product niche that you are passionate about and knowledgeable about. This will help you create a loyal customer base and stand out from the competition. For example, if you love knitting, you can sell handmade knitwear or knitting supplies on your store.
- Do some market research to validate your product idea and find out what your target audience wants and needs. You can use tools like Google Trends , Keyword Planner , or Facebook Audience Network , to see what people are searching for and talking about online. You can also look at other successful stores in your niche and see what they are selling and how they are marketing their products.
- Write compelling product descriptions that highlight the benefits and features of your products, and persuade your customers to buy them. Use clear and concise language, bullet points, keywords, and emotional triggers. You can also add testimonials, reviews, or social proof , to build trust and credibility.
- Take high-quality product photos that showcase your products in the best light possible. Use natural lighting, plain backgrounds, multiple angles, zoom-in details, and lifestyle shots. You can also use tools like Canva , Snapseed , or Photoshop , to edit your photos and make them look more professional.
- Set competitive prices for your products that reflect their value and cover your costs. You can use tools like PriceIntelligently , ProfitWell , or Prisync , to research the market prices of similar products and find the optimal price point for your products.
Step 3: Create key pages for your store
The third step to start a Shopify store is to create key pages for your store that provide essential information about your business and brand. These pages help you establish trust and credibility with your customers, as well as improve your SEO ranking . Some of the key pages you should create for your store are:
- Home page: This is the first page that visitors see when they land on your store. It should capture their attention and interest, and guide them to the next step. You can use your home page to showcase your best-selling products, your unique value proposition, your brand story, or a special offer.
- About page: This is the page that tells your customers who you are, what you do, and why you do it. It should convey your brand personality, mission, vision, and values, and connect with your customers on an emotional level. You can use your about page to share your story, your inspiration, your goals, or your social impact.
- Contact page: This is the page that lets your customers get in touch with you, if they have any questions, feedback, or issues. It should provide clear and easy ways for your customers to reach you, such as email, phone, chat, or social media. You can also use your contact page to display your location, hours of operation, or FAQs.
- Privacy policy page: This is the page that informs your customers how you collect, use, and protect their personal information. It should comply with the relevant laws and regulations in your country or region, such as GDPR , CCPA , or PIPEDA . You can use Shopify’s free privacy policy generator , to create a customized privacy policy for your store.
- Terms of service page: This is the page that outlines the rules and conditions that your customers agree to when they use your store. It should cover topics such as payment methods, shipping and delivery, returns and refunds, warranties and guarantees, and intellectual property rights. You can use Shopify’s free terms of service generator , to create a customized terms of service for your store.
Step 4: Pick a theme and customize your online store
The fourth step to start a Shopify store is to pick a theme and customize your online store. A theme is the template that determines the look and feel of your store. It affects the layout, colors, fonts, images, and other elements of your store’s design. You can choose from over 100 free and paid themes on Shopify’s theme store , or you can create your own theme using Shopify’s theme development tools . Here are some tips on how to pick and customize a theme for your store:
- Choose a theme that matches your product niche, brand identity, and customer preferences. You can filter themes by industry, style, features, or popularity. You can also preview themes on different devices and screen sizes, to see how they look on mobile and desktop.
- Customize your theme using Shopify’s theme editor , which lets you change various aspects of your theme without any coding. You can add sections , which are blocks of content that you can rearrange on your pages. You can also adjust settings , which are options that affect the entire theme, such as colors, fonts, social media links, or favicon.
- Add some creative touches to your theme to make it more unique and appealing. You can use tools like Coolors , FontPair , or Unsplash , to find beautiful color palettes, font combinations, or stock photos for your store. You can also use tools like LottieFiles , Animista , or SVGator , to add animations or interactive elements to your store.
Step 5: Customize your shipping settings
The fifth step to start a Shopify store is to customize your shipping settings. Shipping is one of the most important aspects of running an online store, as it affects your customer satisfaction and retention rate. You should provide clear and accurate information about your shipping options, costs, and policies on your store. Here are some tips on how to customize your shipping settings:
- Set up shipping zones , which are geographic areas where you offer different shipping rates or methods. You can create shipping zones based on countries or regions that you ship to or from. You can also exclude certain areas from shipping zones if you don’t ship there.
- Set up shipping rates , which are the fees that you charge for shipping orders within a shipping zone. You can create flat rate shipping , which is a fixed fee per order or item. You can also create calculated shipping , which is a fee based on the weight or price of the order. You can also offer free shipping , which is a great way to increase sales and customer loyalty.
- Set up shipping profiles , which are groups of products that have different shipping rates or methods than the rest of your products. You can create shipping profiles for products that are heavy, bulky, fragile, or require special handling. You can also create shipping profiles for products that are fulfilled by a third-party service , such as dropshipping or print-on-demand .
- Set up shipping labels , which are stickers that contain information about the sender, recipient, order details, and tracking number of a shipment. You can print shipping labels from Shopify using compatible printers . You can also buy discounted shipping labels from Shopify’s supported carriers , such as USPS , UPS , DHL Express , Canada Post , or Sendle .
Step 6: Configure your tax settings
The sixth step to start a Shopify store is to configure your tax settings. Taxes are the fees that you collect from your customers and pay to the government, based on the laws and regulations in your country or region. You should configure your tax settings to ensure that you charge the correct amount of taxes on your orders, and that you report and remit them properly. Here are some tips on how to configure your tax settings:
- Set up your store’s tax regions , which are the countries or regions where you are required to charge taxes on your sales. You can add or remove tax regions from your Shopify admin . You can also edit the tax rates for each tax region, if they differ from the default rates provided by Shopify.
- Set up your store’s tax exemptions , which are the products or customers that are exempt from taxes. You can create tax exemptions for products that are non-taxable, such as digital products or gift cards. You can also create tax exemptions for customers that are eligible for tax relief, such as wholesalers or non-profit organizations.
- Set up your store’s tax overrides , which are the products or variants that have different tax rates or methods than the rest of your products. You can create tax overrides for products that are subject to special taxes, such as alcohol, tobacco, or environmental fees. You can also create tax overrides for products that use destination-based or origin-based tax calculation, depending on where you ship from or to.
- Set up your store’s tax invoices , which are the documents that show the breakdown of taxes charged on an order. You can customize your tax invoices to include information such as your business name, address, logo, contact details, tax registration number, and more. You can also choose whether to show taxes as included or excluded in your prices.
Step 7: Launch your online store
The final step to start a Shopify store is to launch your online store and start selling. This is the most exciting and rewarding part of the process, as you get to see your hard work pay off and share your products with the world. Here are some tips on how to launch your online store:
- Choose a domain name for your store, which is the web address that customers use to find and access your store. You can buy a custom domain name from Shopify or a third-party provider , or you can use a free subdomain provided by Shopify (such as yourstore.myshopify.com).
- Remove your store’s password , which is the protection that prevents visitors from accessing your store while you are setting it up. You can remove your password from the Preferences section of your Shopify admin . You can also create a launch page , which is a landing page that collects email addresses from visitors who want to be notified when your store launches.
- Test your store’s functionality , which is the process of checking if everything works as expected on your store. You can test things such as browsing products, adding items to cart, checking out, receiving confirmation emails, tracking orders, processing refunds, and more. You can also use tools like Google Analytics , Shopify Ping , or Hotjar , to monitor and optimize your store’s performance and user experience.
- Promote your store’s launch , which is the strategy of spreading the word about your store and attracting customers. You can use various marketing channels and methods to promote your store, such as social media, email marketing, content marketing, SEO, paid ads, influencer marketing, word-of-mouth, and more.
Congratulations! You have successfully started a Shopify store in 2023. Now you can enjoy the benefits of running your own online business, such as being your own boss, setting your own schedule, expressing your creativity, reaching a global audience, and making money doing what you love.