Most people are terrified by the blank page they meet when they first think of setting up a Shopify store. Most people do not go beyond that and hence they never open a Shopify store.
How to Set Up Your First Shopify Store
For others, agonizing over the details of the store is what paralyzes them. You can spend a lot of time doing the wrong things while setting up your first Shopify store.
On the other hand, if you know what you are doing, setting up your Shopify store can be quite a breeze. The following are the steps you can take to set up your first Shopify store:
1. Begin a Free Trial
Shopify offers all users a free fourteen-day trial to set up a store and use their platform. It is a great training ground for anyone who would like to open a Shopify store.
If you decide that you are satisfied with the free trial and would like to go live, you can proceed with the same account. You can change the account details later so don’t worry too much about it.
You will need to include details like the business name, logo, product photos, and others.
2. Add Products
Every store needs products, so you will have to add products. First, you will need to write product names and descriptions. Then you will have to upload any photos or videos you have of the products.
You will need to set prices for your products and keep accurate records of your inventory. You will have to address how different products will be shipped as well. After creating a search engine listing preview, your product pages should be good to go.
3. Create Vital Pages
There are pages that are crucial for your store, and it is at this point that you should create them. Such pages include the contact page, about page, F.A.Q page, and store policy pages.
Your policy pages will be of particular importance, and you may benefit from consulting a lawyer. You should not copy them from elsewhere either as they should be adopted for your store.
4. Customize the Store
The fun part of setting up your first Shopify store is making it yours. You do so using the various features provided by the Shopify eCommerce platform.
Some features may be free while you may have to pay for others. Therefore, you should seriously consider the cost. Otherwise, they may ruin your budget.
Choosing a theme, designing the homepage, creating the navigation menus, and customizing other settings will make the store unique. You will also have to select checkout and payment settings at this stage.
5. Set Up Shipping
Next, you will have to make shipping arrangements for your products which can be one of the most difficult parts of setting up the store. Selecting shipping zones and setting up rates are some tasks to be done.
You will also have to select the couriers to use for shipping at this stage. Carefully evaluate their rates and policies for the best deal.
6. Make Tax Arrangements
You will have to set up your Shopify store for paying taxes. The best part is that Shopify will automatically calculate most taxes for you anywhere around the world especially sales tax.
You should consult with a tax professional if you are uncertain about the tax regulations for online stores in your region. Shopify will not file your tax returns so ensure you do it yourself.
7. Payment Gateways and Payout Settings
The most important part of setting up a Shopify store is setting up how you will receive funds from customers. Shopify accepts virtually all major forms of payment which makes it easy for you to sell your products.
You can easily activate Shopify payments and also accept payment from third parties like PayPal. You can choose to accept and deny any payment method you would like.
Furthermore, you will need to set your payment schedule and which currencies you are willing to accept. You can also choose various layers of security for fraud prevention.
8. Prepare Store for Launch
After all the settings have been adjusted, it is time to launch your first Shopify store. A crucial thing to do at this point is to enable password protection, so users can protect their accounts with two-step verification.
It will also include adding a custom domain name, installing relevant sales channels, setting up your store for marketing, and customizing email settings.
9. Launch Store
When everything is in order, and you are satisfied, and can proceed to launch your store. It simply means opening it up to the public and making them aware that your store is open.
To conclude, you should remember that your store does not have to be perfect before it is open.
You can make changes as you go along. As long as it is good enough for you and serves its , get going and start selling.