How to Set Up a Shopify Store

Key takeaways

You can set up a Shopify store by signing up and customizing it with products, payments, and shopping options before testing the store. 

• A Shopify store gives your business an online presence, lets you sell products, track inventory, and manage shipping. Various themes and customization options let you personalize your Shopify store’s appearance and strengthen your brand. 

• When setting up your Shopify store, determine how customers can pay via payment providers such as PayPal, Amazon Pay, and cryptocurrency.

• You can add pages to your Shopify store to introduce your business, provide contact information, or list terms and conditions to give your customers additional information.

Discover how to successfully set up your Shopify store. If you’re ready to learn more about digital marketing, consider enrolling in the Google Digital Marketing and E-commerce Professional Certificate. In as little as six months, you’ll have the opportunity to learn about campaign management, online advertising, marketing, and more. Upon completion, you’ll have earned a career credential for your resume and LinkedIn profile. 

How to set up a Shopify store step by step

Here’s a quick overview of the step-by-step instructions you’ll follow to get your shop open:

1. Sign up for a Shopify account.

2. Customize your store.

3. Add products.

4. Set up payments.

5. Configure shopping options.

6. Add pages and a blog.

7. Test your store.

8. Launch your store.

Let’s look at each step in greater detail:

1. Sign up for an account on Shopify. 

First, visit the Shopify website and click the Start for free button. To create your Shopify account, you’ll need to enter your email address, password, and store name.

If you haven’t chosen a name for your store, Shopify has a free Business Name Generator tool to help you establish a business name and claim a domain. Other information about your business, like address, time zone, currency, and unit of weight measurement, is also added at this first stage.

2. Customize your store’s appearance.

After signing up, Shopify will prompt you to customize your store’s appearance. You can choose from various predesigned themes or create a custom design using the Shopify theme editor. Experiment with themes that suit your brand to see what works best, and then customize one to reflect your distinctive style.

3. Add products to your store.

To add products to your Shopify store, find and click the Products tab in the admin panel. Click on the Add product button and enter the relevant details, such as title, description, price, taxes, and images for each product. You can also set up product variants, inventory tracking, and shipping details. Click Save when you have entered all the details you want.

4. Set up payment gateways.

Shopify offers multiple ways to accept payments from your customers. To set up payment gateways, go to your Shopify admin panel and select Settings > Payments. Choose a payment gateway that fits your needs, such as Shopify Payments, PayPal, Amazon Pay, cryptocurrency, or other available options, and follow the instructions to complete the setup process.

5. Configure shipping options.

To configure shipping options, navigate to Settings and select Shipping and delivery. Set up your shipping zones, rates, and methods based on your business strategy. You can offer free or flat-rate shipping, calculate shipping costs based on weight and location, or provide options for local delivery and pickup.

Read more: How to Set Up Shopify Dropshipping

6. Add essential pages and a blog.

Create essential pages such as “About Us,” “Contact Us,” and “Terms and Conditions” to tell your customers your brand story and establish their trust. To add pages, go to the Online Store section of your Shopify admin panel and select Pages.

Write a blog to help increase your audience and create customer loyalty. To add a blog, go to the Online Store > Blog Posts.

7. Test your store.

Before launching your store, it is imperative to test its functionality so you’ll know what your visitors will experience. Place test orders, ensure proper payment processing occurs, and review the overall user experience. Use different browsers and devices to test your store for user compatibility.

If you use Shopify payments, place your store in test mode and simulate placing an order. In your Shopify admin panel, go to Settings > Payments > Shopify Payments > Manage > Enable test mode > Save. Shopify offers credit card details you can use to test various aspects of the purchase process.

If you are using a third-party or other payment method, use Shopify’s bogus gateway to test a purchase. First, deactivate your payment method using Settings > Payments > Manage > Deactivate. Then, enter the bogus gateway by selecting (for testing) Bogus Gateway > Activate (for testing) Bogus Gateway > Save. After making your test purchase, return to the Bogus Gateway and Deactivate it.

8. Launch your store.

Once you feel confident with your setup and testing, launch your store to start growing your brand. Remove any password protections to give your customers full access to your site by going to your Shopify admin page and choosing Online Store > Preferences > Store access section. Uncheck Password protection and click Save. 

Promote your new e-commerce store with a digital marketing strategy by using social media, email campaigns, or influencer partnerships.

How much does it cost to set up a Shopify store?

Shopify plans start at $29 per month for small businesses [1]. As your business grows, you may opt for other Shopify plans, which include $79 per month for small teams, $299 per month to extend your reach, and $2,300 per month for complex businesses [1]. For new businesses, the small business plan allows you to sell online, in person, and in artificial intelligence (AI) chats.

Find free digital marketing resources

Stay up-to-date with industry trends by subscribing to Career Chat, our LinkedIn newsletter. You can also explore the following free resources as you establish your Shopify store and market your products:

• Review a tutorial: How to Use Instagram Shopping with Shopify 

• Bookmark this page: Digital Marketing Terms Every Marketer Should Know 

• Read our Career Chat issue: Curious About Digital Marketing? Read On 

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