How to start a Shopify store in 11 steps (with no money)

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If you’re looking to start your own e-commerce business, Shopify is an excellent platform to consider. With over 4 million active websites running on this platform, it’s clear that Shopify is a popular choice for online merchants and dropshippers.

However, if you’re new to Shopify, it might seem overwhelming to know where to begin. That’s why we’ve put together a comprehensive step-by-step guide that takes you through the entire process of building your e-store from scratch.

Our guide will cover everything from choosing a domain name to setting up your payment gateway, so you can be confident that you’re starting your online business on the right track.

• Start your Shopify store for free, then enjoy your first month for $1

How to start a Shopify store

Here is the step-by-step guide to starting a Shopify store:

1. Create your Shopify account

To get started, visit Shopify. Once you’re there, click on the “Start free trial” button. This will take you to a page where you’ll be asked a series of questions to help customize your experience. Each question will have pre-made answer choices, but you can skip them.

The questions are designed to help you determine the best plan and features for your e-commerce business needs. This includes things like your industry, target market, and sales goals. After you’ve answered the questions, you’ll need to enter your email address, create a password, and choose a unique store name.

Once you’ve completed these steps, you’ll be redirected to the admin panel. This is where you can customize your online store, add products, and set up payment and shipping options. During your four-day free trial, you’ll have access to all the features and tools that come with your selected plan.

2. Get familiar with your Shopify admin panel

As a Shopify store owner, it’s essential to familiarize yourself with the Shopify admin panel, which is the central hub where you’ll manage your online business. The Shopify admin panel has features that will help you streamline your store operations and manage your inventory, customers, finances, marketing, and more.

Orders

One of the key features of the Shopify admin panel is the Orders section, where you can manage and view a list of your store’s orders. You can track order fulfillment, cancellations, and reviews in one place, making it easier to keep your customers happy and your business running smoothly.

Products

The Products section is where you can add, edit, and manage your inventory of products. You can create product listings, organize them into collections, and manage your stock levels to ensure you always have the right products.

Customers

The Customers section allows you to access a list of registered customers and their contact information. You can view their order history, track their engagement with your store, and even segment your customers based on their behavior and preferences.

Content

The Content section is where you can manage your store’s website content, including pages, blogs, and articles. You can create new pages, edit existing ones, and publish blog posts to engage your audience and drive traffic to your site.

Finances

The Finances section lets you keep track of your store’s finances, including revenue, expenses, and profits. You can view financial reports, monitor your cash flow, and even integrate your store with popular accounting software to streamline your bookkeeping.

Analytics

The Analytics section lets you view sales numbers, revenue, and product performance. You can track your store’s performance, identify trends and patterns, and use this data to make informed business decisions.

Marketing

The Marketing section is where you can configure multichannel promotions through Shopify Email Marketing, Facebook advertising, social posts, and SMS marketing. You can create targeted campaigns, measure their performance, and optimize your marketing strategy to drive more sales.

Discounts

The Discounts section allows you to create and manage discount codes with various rules. You can offer discounts to specific customers, create limited-time offers, and even set up automatic discounts based on cart value.

Apps

Finally, the Apps section allows you to install and manage apps to extend your Shopify store’s functionalities. You can choose from thousands of apps to enhance your store’s capabilities, from order tracking and shipping to customer support and social media integration.

3. Choose your theme

When you first create an account with Shopify, you will notice that a default theme is already set up on the Themes page of your admin. However, if you prefer a different look and feel for your store, you can choose a new Shopify theme that suits your requirements.

To add a new theme to your admin panel, click on the Online Store button located on the left-hand menu of your admin panel. From the dropdown menu that appears, select Themes. This will take you to the Themes page, where you can view your existing themes and add new ones.

You will find a section labeled ‘Popular free themes’ on the Themes page. Here, you can browse through a selection of themes that are available for free from the Shopify Theme Store. Take your time to explore the various options and select a theme that best fits your brand and product offerings.

In case you don’t find what you’re looking for in the free themes section, you can always click on the ‘Visit theme store’ button to access the Shopify Theme Store. Here, you can browse through a wider selection of premium themes with advanced features and customization options.

Once you’ve found the perfect theme for your store, click the ‘Add’ button to add it to the Theme library section on the Themes page of your admin. This will enable you to activate and customize the new theme according to your preferences.

4. Add navigation to your Shopify theme

If you want to add navigation to your Shopify theme, follow these simple steps. First, go to the “Navigation” section in your Shopify admin panel, which is under the “Online Store” tab. Once you’re there, you’ll see options to create and customize your menu items.

To customize your footer menu, click the “Footer menu” link and select “Add menu items.” This will open a side slider bar where you can name your items and search or paste a link. You can also create nested menus to group your products or pages or create additional drop-down menus.

Shopify’s navigation editor is user-friendly and intuitive, so you don’t need any coding knowledge to create a navigation menu tailored to your store’s needs. By following these simple steps, you can easily add navigation to your Shopify theme and make it easier for your customers to find what they want.

5. Add products and product-related content

To effectively manage your products and product-related content on your Shopify store, you need to know the steps involved in adding, duplicating, editing, including/excluding products from your sales channels, adding or removing tags, editing the search engine listing preview, archiving, and deleting products. Below is a detailed guide on how to go about these tasks:

Adding a new product:

1. Go to the Products section in your Shopify admin panel.
2. Click on the “Add product” button.
3. Enter a title for your product and provide additional details such as the description, price, and images.
4. Click on “Save” to save the product.

Duplicating a product:

1. Go to the Products section in your Shopify admin panel.
2. Click on the name of the product you want to duplicate.
3. Click on “Duplicate”.
4. Enter a name for the duplicate product and click on “Duplicate product”.
5. Modify the product details as needed.

Editing a product:

1. Go to the Products section in your Shopify admin panel.
2. Click on the name of the product you want to edit.
3. Modify the product details, such as the product description, price, and images.
4. Click on “Save” to save the updated product.

Including and excluding products from your sales channels:

1. Go to the Products section in your Shopify admin panel.
2. Click on the name of the product you want to include/exclude.
3. Click on “Manage” > “Manage sales channels”.
4. Select the sales channels and apps where you want to include the product.
5. Click on “Done” and then “Save”.

Adding or removing tags:

1. Go to the Products section in your Shopify admin panel.
2. Click on the product name you want to edit or create a new product.
3. In the Organization section, add or remove tags separated by commas.
4. Click on “Save” to save the updated product.

Editing a search engine listing preview:

1. Go to the Products section in your Shopify admin panel.
2. Click on the name of the product you want to edit.
3. In the Search engine listing preview section, click on “Edit website SEO”.
4. Enter a descriptive page title and description for the search engine listing.
5. Click on “Save” to save the updated product.

Archiving a product:

1. Go to the Products section in your Shopify admin panel.
2. Click on the product you want to archive.
3. On the product details page, click on “Archive product”.

Deleting a product:

1. From your Shopify admin panel, go to the Products section.
2. Click on the product you want to delete.
3. On the product details page, click on “Delete product”.

6. Set up payments and checkout

If you are planning to set up payments and checkout on your Shopify store, there are several steps you need to follow to ensure you have a smooth payment process. Let’s go through the process step-by-step:

1. Review eligibility: Before you start, make sure your store is eligible for Shopify Payments based on your location. Check with Shopify’s eligibility requirements to make sure you are eligible.
2. Set up two-step authentication: It’s essential to set up two-step authentication to protect your store from fraud. This will help you ensure that only authorized users can access your Shopify account.
3. Activate Shopify payments: To activate Shopify Payments, go to Settings and select Payment Providers. Click the Shopify Payments tab and follow the prompts to activate the payment gateway.
4. Provide business and banking details: Once you have activated Shopify Payments, you must provide accurate and complete business and banking details. This includes your business name, address, and banking information.
5. Set up store currency: Choose the currency you want to use for pricing products and generating reports. This is an important step in setting up your store as it affects how your customers will see and pay for your products.
6. Complete account setup: Depending on your business type and location, you may need to provide additional details such as Business Number, EIN, (TIN) and personal details. This step is important to ensure compliance with local regulations.
7. Provide VAT Number (for European stores): If your store is based in Europe, you will need to provide a Value-Added Tax (VAT) number or indicate that you don’t have one. Shopify verifies VAT numbers through the VAT Information Exchange System.
8. Add verification documents: You may need to submit additional documents to verify your business and banking details. This will help ensure that your payments are processed smoothly and without delay.
9. Wait for the document review process: Your uploaded documents will be reviewed to match the information on your Shopify Payments account. This is an essential step to ensure that your payments are processed accurately and on time.
10. Configure settings: After setting up Shopify Payments, you can configure payment settings according to your preferences. You can set minimum and maximum order amounts, enable fraud analysis, and customize payment methods.
11. Get support: If you encounter any issues or need further assistance, you can contact Shopify Support for guidance. They are always available to help you with any questions or issues.

Please note that the steps involved in the process may differ based on updates made to the Shopify platform or any regulation changes. To ensure that you have the most precise and up-to-date guidelines, it is always recommended to refer to the official Shopify documentation.

Setting up the checkout page on Shopify is also an essential step in ensuring a smooth payment process. Here’s how you can do it:

• Add a checkout button: Go to Settings and select Checkout from the dropdown menu on the Settings page. From there, you can customize your checkout button and add it to your store.
• Configure checkout settings: You can configure checkout settings to match your preferences. This includes adding a custom logo, specifying shipping rates, and setting up email notifications.

By following these steps, you can ensure that your Shopify store has a smooth payment process, which will help you build trust with your customers and increase sales.

7. Create your e-store’s pages

Adding pages to your Shopify online store can be done easily. To start, navigate to the Online Store section and click “Pages”. You will now see a list of all the pages on your store. To add a new page, simply click the “Add page” button.

When creating a new page, it is important to be descriptive and clear in your title, as this will appear in browser tabs and search engine results. Use the rich text editor to format your content and add links, tables, images, and videos. Once you have created your content, set the page’s visibility. By default, new web pages are visible when you save them.

After setting visibility, click the “Save” button to create the new webpage. To make the new webpage accessible through your online Shopify store’s navigation menu, you need to add the link to it. You can do this by editing your store’s navigation menu settings.

If you need to make changes to an existing webpage, navigate to the Pages section, click the title of the page you want to edit, make your changes, and click Save. By following these steps, you can easily create and manage pages on your Shopify store.

8. Set up shipping rates

To set up shipping rates on your Shopify store, navigate to the Settings section and select Shipping and Delivery. Once you are on the Shipping and delivery page, you can manage and modify your shipping profiles. Choose the shipping profile you want to work with and click the Manage button. Then, you can add a shipping rate by clicking the Add Rate option and fill in the rate details, such as the shipping fees and delivery time.

Depending on the type of rate you choose, you can add specific conditions to qualify for the shipping rate. For example, you can set weight, price, or other conditions that suit your shipping policy. You can also adjust calculated rates if you are using them. To do so, you can mark up or discount the rates to adjust what customers see at checkout.

Once you have set up the shipping rate and added the necessary conditions, you can save the rate by clicking the Done button and then click “Save.” This will add the shipping rate to your shipping profile.

If you are using Shopify Payments, you can set up local currency shipping rates. This means you can offer flat shipping rates in local currencies for customers from different markets. This is a great feature that can help you attract more customers from different countries and regions.

9. Set up tax

If you’re planning to set up taxes in Shopify, there are a few things you need to consider beforehand. Firstly, you should determine whether you need to charge taxes on your products, as it varies depending on your location and business type. Once you’ve figured that out, make sure to register and obtain your tax number, as it will be required during the setup process.

To get started, access the tax settings by logging into your Shopify admin and navigating to Settings, followed by Taxes and Duties. From there, you need to select your country or region under the Manage Sales Tax Collection section. When you’ve chosen your region, click the Collect sales tax button to initiate the tax collection setup.

Next, you’ll be prompted to enter your tax number in the Tax number field. This is a crucial step because tax authorities use this number to identify your business and ensure compliance. Once you’ve provided the tax number, click “Collect tax” to confirm tax collection for the selected region.

Finally, after setting up your tax regions, you can manage other tax settings, including tax overrides, exemptions, and tax calculations. This will allow you to customize your tax settings according to your business needs and ensure that you’re complying with the applicable tax laws.

10. Connect your domain to Shopify

To connect your domain to Shopify, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your Shopify admin account and click the “Settings” tab.
2. From there, click on “Domains” to access the domain settings page.
3. If you already have a domain, you can connect it by clicking “Connect existing domain.” If not, you can purchase a new domain by clicking “Buy new domain.”
4. If you’re connecting an existing domain, enter your domain name (e.g., clothing-products.info) and click “Next.”
5. Select “Connect automatically” on the next page and click “Close.”
6. Your domain will now be verified, which can take up to 48 hours. Once verified, it will be listed in the third-party domains section of the Domains page with the status “Connected.”

Following these steps will ensure that your domain is properly connected to Shopify, allowing you to manage your online store with ease.

11. Launch

When you are ready to make your Shopify store available to the public, you need to follow a few steps to remove the password protection. First, open your Shopify admin dashboard and navigate to the Online Store section. From there, click on the “Preferences” option.

Once you are on the Preferences page, scroll down to the Password protection section. Here, you will see an option that says “Restrict access to visitors with the password.” You need to uncheck this option to allow visitors to access your store without a password.

After unchecking the password protection option, click on the “Save” button to confirm your changes. This will remove the password protection from your Shopify store, and it will be live and accessible to the public. Your store is now launched and ready for customers to visit, browse your products, and make purchases.

Shopify pricing: How much does it cost to start a Shopify store?

Are you wondering about the costs involved in starting a Shopify store? Well, you can start for free and enjoy your first month for only $1. You have the option to choose the best plan for your business needs and can easily change plans as your business grows.

You can try Shopify for free without entering your credit card details. By simply providing your email address.

There are two payment options available – pay monthly or pay yearly (save 25%).

Basic plan

The basic plan is most suitable for solo entrepreneurs and comes with a monthly subscription price of $32 USD, with card rates starting at 2% for third-party payment providers. The standout features of the basic plan include 10 inventory locations, 24/7 chat support, localized global selling in three markets, and POS Lite.

Shopify plan

The Shopify plan is ideal for small teams and is priced at $92 USD per month. Card rates for third-party payment providers start at 1%. You get all the features of the basic plan, along with 5 additional staff accounts and localized global selling in three markets.

Advanced plan

If your business is scaling up, then the advanced plan is for you. It is priced at $399 USD per month and comes with card rates starting at 0.6% for third-party payment providers. The standout features of the advanced plan include custom reports and analytics, 10 inventory locations, enhanced 24/7 chat support, localized global selling in three markets (with the option to add more markets for $59 USD/month each), 15 additional staff accounts, and 10x checkout capacity. You can choose to pay for this plan on a 1- or 3-year term.

Shopify plus plan

Finally, for more complex businesses, the plus plan is available starting at $2,300 USD per month on a 3-year term. Card rates for high-volume merchants are competitive. The standout features of the plus plan include custom reports and analytics, 200 inventory locations, priority 24/7 phone support, localized global selling in 50 markets, unlimited staff accounts, fully customizable checkout with 40x capacity, 200 POS Pro locations with Shopify Payments, and the ability to sell wholesale/B2B.

How much does Shopify charge for every Item you sell?

Shopify offers different pricing plans with varying transaction fees. The charges levied on each item sold depend on the selected Shopify plan.

Let’s take a look at the transaction fees for each of the Shopify pricing plans:

Basic Shopify transaction fees:

• Domestic online transactions fee: 2.9% + 30¢
• Third-party transaction fees: 2.0% (not Shopify payment)
• Online international/Amex credit card rates: 3.5% + 30¢
• Currency conversion fee: 2.0%

Shopify pricing plan transaction fees:

• Domestic online transactions fee: 2.7% + 30¢
• Third-party transaction fees: 1.0%
• Online international/Amex credit card rates: 3.4% + 30¢
• Currency conversion fee: 2.0%

Advanced Shopify transaction fees:

• Domestic online transactions fee: 2.4% + 30¢
• Third-party transaction fees: 0.5%
• Online international/Amex credit card rates: 3.3% + 30¢
• Currency conversion fee: 2.0%

It’s always a good idea to research and compare different pricing plans before deciding on the best one for your business.

How long does it take to set up a Shopify store?

The time it takes to set up a Shopify store can vary based on several factors. The complexity of your store, the number of products you’re adding, and how much customization you’re doing can all impact the time it takes to complete.

For a basic online store with essential content and a selection of products, it can take as little as 1 to 2 days to complete. However, if you’re looking to create a more complex online store with a large number of products and extensive customization, it may take several weeks or even months to complete.

It’s important to keep in mind that setting up a Shopify store involves several steps, including creating an account, designing your store, adding products, setting up payment and shipping methods, and testing your store before launch. The time it takes to complete each of these steps can vary based on the complexity of your store and the amount of customization you want to include.