How to Set Up a Shopify Store from Scratch

Shopify is easily the world’s largest ecommerce platform, used by merchants across all types of business models. Its user-friendly interface, coupled with a comprehensive suite of tools and features, makes it an ideal choice for entrepreneurs seeking to launch and grow their online stores.

Shopify’s popularity is even more amplified by its scalability, allowing businesses to start small and expand without the need for extensive overhauls. Trusted by over a million businesses worldwide, Shopify is a powerful engine driving the success of countless online enterprises.

So, let’s see just how easy it is to set up a new Shopify store that’s built for success and WON’T shut down your business.

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1. Set Up Your Account

1. Navigate to Shopify’s Homepage.
2. Click “Start Free Trial” and enter an email address and password.
   • I would avoid using your personal email address, though you can use it if you need.
3. Choose a payment plan.
   • Shopify is free for 3 days, then $1 for a month, and then there are 3 options to choose from. If this is your first store, just pick the cheapest option.
   • The other two are for business owners who know they would benefit from the lower rate. Even it is just 0.2% difference, it adds up!
4. Complete any additional setup prompts related to your store (name, location, etc.).

2. Add Your Products

1. Shopify doesn’t waste any time here. It wants you to start adding products before anything else. So add it at least one product.
2. Set pricing, the title, description, and any media for the product.
   • It’s important that you add as much detail as possible about the product. For example, filling in the “weight” field will help Shopify estimate shipping costs.
3. Add the product to your inventory.

3. Choosing a Theme

1. From your Shopify admin, click on “Online Store” and then “Themes.”
   • The “Online Store” bit always confuses me. Aren’t I already on my online store? And considering that Shopify only allows you to have one store per account, then it feels like a misnomer.
2. Click “Visit Theme Store”.
3. Browse through free and paid themes.
   • Even the free themes are good. If you have never owned an online store before, then don’t jump into paying for every little thing.
4. Preview themes to see how they look with sample products.
5. Select a theme that aligns with your brand’s aesthetic and functional needs.
   • The best theme for your store depends on what you’re selling and who you’re selling it to. For example, if you only plan to sell one product then a theme that allows you to do it all in one page that really highlights the product is probably best.
6. From your Shopify admin, go to “Online Store” > “Themes.”
7. Click “Customize” next to your chosen theme.
   1. Colors and Fonts: Adjust to match your brand’s color palette and typography.
   2. Layout: Modify the layout to enhance user experience.
   3. Logo and Branding: Upload your logo and customize the header and footer sections.
8. Test your store.
   • This is important! After spending some time getting your store to look good, you need to test it. You, yourself, should test it but also a friend. Get their initial feedback and adjust from there.

5. Setting up Payments

1. Go to “Settings” > “Payments” in your Shopify admin.
2. Choose from available options like Shopify Payments, PayPal, etc.
   • The rates you see on your selected Shopify plan relate to Shopify Payments. When you sign up for Shopify, the platform, you also start the signup process for Shopify Payments. You’ll need to finalize that.
   • Shopify allows you to use basically any payment provider you want. However, Shopify will charge a fee to use any other provider (like authorize.net or DirectPayNet) on top of the rate you pay for that provider. This is why we don’t often recommend using Shopify as your storefront, since you’re basically locked into their ecosystem.
   • PayPal and manual payments don’t have the additional fee ONLY IF you keep Shopify Payments activated. That means you can’t only offer PayPal.
3. Enter the necessary account details for each selected payment gateway.

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6. Configuring Shipping

1. Navigate to “Settings” > “Shipping and delivery”.
2. Define shipping zones based on geographical locations.
3. Set rates based on weight or price tiers.
4. Integrate carriers like USPS, UPS, or FedEx.
5. Configure any fulfillment services if necessary.

7. Launching Your Store

1. Review all product listings, payment settings, and shipping configurations.
   • This is really important. Don’t go live until you’ve checked every page and every link
2. Conduct a test purchase to ensure everything functions smoothly.
3. Set your store to “Online” mode.
4. Announce your store launch through social media and email campaigns.

8. Post-Launch

1. Use Shopify’s built-in analytics to track sales, customer behavior, and more.
2. Implement email marketing campaigns.
3. Use social media to maintain customer engagement.
4. Respond to reviews—especially the negative ones.
5. Explore additional marketing strategies such as content marketing, SEO, and paid ads.

You should now have an up-and-running Shopify store! Pretty simple, right? Shopify is a powerful and popular platform—but it’s not without its issues. For one, Shopify doesn’t support all business types. And two, you could save thousands per month on transaction fees by hosting your store on a different platform.

We at DirectPayNet can provide faster, cheaper payment processing for your Shopify store—or wherever you host it! Get in touch with our team today to talk more about the risks of using Shopify and viable alternatives that truly support your store.

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