Setting up your own Shopify store may seem like a daunting task, especially if you’re a first-time entrepreneur. You probably want your store to perform well, have a logo that people remember, and create well-designed pages. You’ve probably also thought about your business plan, what products to sell, what to write in the product description, how to market, running contests, etc. The list goes on. While thorough preparation is key, many successful shop owners have shown that you can set up your store first and then take care of other matters along the way.
Steps in Setting Up Your Shopify Store
Compared to a brick-and-mortar store that entails finding a location, designing interiors, remodeling the place, and displaying your stocks, an e-commerce store allows you to set up shop with just a few clicks.
1. Come Up with a Store Name and Logo
You’ll need a name when you open a Shopify store, which will be a part of your default URL (storename.shopify.com). You won’t be able to change this. Shopify has a business name generator; in case you need help. If you want to change your store name later on, you can buy a custom domain, which you can name any way you want. Some apps can help you in creating a logo. Make sure to save it in PNG format.
2. Create Your Shopify Account
Shopify.com offers a 14-day free trial which you can take advantage of. It will ask you for your store name and will have a few other questions for you to answer. After a few clicks, you’ll have your store ready!
3. Determine Where to Source Your Products
If you decide to buy wholesale, you’ll want to wait until you have the products on hand before launching your store to avoid compromising your delivery promise. Because this article focuses on the faster route, let’s talk about plan B.
Dropshipping is a viable option for expert and first-time entrepreneurs alike and it allows you to launch your store sooner. This fulfillment model enables you to focus solely on generating sales instead of also worrying about inventory management and shipping. After you make the sale, you just need to pass the order to your dropshipping partner who will take care of fulfilling that order for you.
You can find many suppliers online. It also allows you to source your products from companies offshore offering items at much lower prices.
Make sure to check the supplier’s website and read the reviews before you decide to partner with that third-party supplier. An unreliable partner can negatively impact your brand.
There are dropshipping platforms that allow you to create your account and link your Shopify store. This makes adding products to your store and ordering from them a lot easier.
4. Decide on the Product Price
To make a profit, you’ll need to choose a price that is higher than the product cost. Factor in your operational expenses, marketing costs, transaction fees, Shopify subscription, and labor when you compute the selling price. Also, you can check how much your competitors are pricing similar products.
This can be tedious, but it’s a critical part of the process. We don’t want to price the items too high or too low. Also, make sure that you compare your prices with stores that are performing. Most sellers purchase reliable third-party apps that help them win at price wars while staying profitable, such as various Shopify and Amazon repricer tools.
5. Add Your Products and Complete Your Listing
This is as simple as clicking “Products” and clicking “Add Product” afterward. This allows you to create your listing.
Write your product title and description. Make sure all the relevant information is available, such as product price and a detailed description. Your customers will want to know the features of your products, as well as the benefits and advantages of using them.
Prevent product returns and refund requests by setting the right expectations. State the size, color, and variants. Make the text readable and keep the descriptions concise.
Upload high-quality images in the media section. You can upload GIFs and videos as well. If you’re dropshipping, your supplier will likely have high-quality photos that you can use for your product page.
Write your “About Us” page and tell your audience the story behind your store. Show them your photos to let them know that this business is legitimate.
The product page will require you to input the product price and sale price (if applicable). The product price should be placed in the “Compare at Price” field while the price after the sale should be typed in the “Price” field.
You can tick “Track Quantity” so that Shopify can tell buyers that the items are out of stock and will display that message until your suppliers replenish their stocks.
Work on improving site visibility by using keywords in the “Search Engine Listing Preview” section. Click “Edit website SEO” and enter a descriptive title in the “Page Title” field. This will show up in people’s searches. Use relevant keywords in the description and make sure it sounds natural, not spammy. Don’t forget to hit “Save.”
6. Design Your Store Layout
Designing your store layout is how you add personality to your brand and, in a way, build credence. Shopify has free great-looking themes that you can use. You also have the option to buy premium themes.
You can customize your site using other visual elements so you won’t need to spend on premium themes at the get-go. You can use eye-catching banner graphics among other creative elements.
Help make your site easier to navigate by creating the main menu. You can do this by going to “Admin,” clicking the “Navigation Section,” and selecting “Main Menu.” It is also wise to showcase your featured products on your homepage so that they’re easier to find by accessing the “Home Page” option under “Customize Theme.” You’ll want to click “Featured Products” afterward.
7. Add Sales Channels
Shopify supports other sales channels such as Facebook, Instagram, and Amazon. Depending on the channel’s eligibility requirements, you may connect your Shopify store to your selected sales channel by logging in to “Shopify Admin” and accessing the “Sales Channel” setting. This gives you a list of the sales channels available. If you see that the channel is unavailable, you can click the “You can’t add this channel” link to see why you’re not eligible yet.
Just follow the steps until you’re able to successfully install the sales channel. This automatically makes your Shopify products available on the chosen platform. You’ll want to check the fees involved before you click the add button. For instance, you’ll need to be a Professional Seller on Amazon to do this, and this requires a fee. Decide if this is going to be a profitable move for you by getting an Amazon FBA Fee Calculator.
Setting up a shop using the Shopify platform is a great way to start your e-commerce business because it is so easy. You will also find a good number of sellers who made it big using this platform. Furthermore, it allows you to also sell on other channels and further scale your business in the future.
