How To Create an E-commerce Store on Shopify?

Starting an e-commerce business has never been easier than it is today. You don't have to hire developers, design a flawless website, and secure deals with wholesalers before making any sales. With Shopify, the most famous online e-commerce website builder, anyone can create a store to sell their products online in just one hour. Your website won't be perfect initially, but this is exactly what you need to begin.

Once you launch your store live, you can fine-tune it, explore advertising campaigns, and refine your logo design. No matter what kind of business you want to start —whether you have a physical store or offer services, digital or physical products—Shopify provides the tools you need. It offers many resources to help users build and grow their online stores. For instance, it provides free courses through its Shopify Academy platform.  Additionally, the Shopify blog is a valuable resource for e-commerce entrepreneurs. 24/7 customer support is offered via live chat, email, and phone. 

Why Shopify?

So why Shopify and not other alternatives? WooCommerce is a popular alternative to Shopify. It offers greater flexibility and customization options since it's built on WordPress. Users have more control over their store's design and functionality, but it also means more complexity. It requires familiarity with WordPress and additional plugins, which may be more tough for beginners. Shopify, while not as flexible as WooCommerce, provides a more straightforward and hassle-free experience for users who prioritize simplicity.  

Amazon and eBay are other big players that almost everyone has used. But, on these platforms, you're just one of many sellers and simply renting space in them. With Shopify, you have more control. You can customize and write your own product descriptions. Additionally, Shopify allows you to optimize these descriptions so that they appear in Google search engine results.  But that doesn't mean you should ignore Amazon or eBay. They're great places to sell, too, but think of them as additional sales channels for your main store.

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

Setting up a Shopify store starts with a free 3-day development trial period that gives you some time to pick the plan that works for your e-commerce business. After 3 days, you must add a plan to keep the website running. Shopify offers a range of plans from those for beginners just starting out to larger enterprises with high sales volumes that need additional reporting and resources. Annual subscribers can benefit from a 25% discount on their chosen plan.The first month in any plan will cost you just 1$. 

Pricing plans: 

• Basic Shopify Plan: $39 monthly + 2.9% and 30¢ per transaction.

• Shopify Plan: $105 monthly + 2.7% and 30¢ per transaction.

• Advanced Shopify Plan: $399 monthly + 2.5% and 30¢ per transaction. 

• Shopify Plus Plan, available on a 1- or 3-year term: $2300 per month and competitive card rates for high-volume merchants

So, how to create an e-commerce store on Shopify? 

Here are 5 simple steps to creating your Shopify website:

Step 1: Create a Shopify account and set up your store

Step 2: Choose Your Theme, free or paid, and customize it for your business

Step 3: Add and Organize Your Products and Services

Step 4: Customize the checkout page, set up payment options and shipping details

Step 5: Create your first Shopify test order, test and launch your store

Step 1: Create a Shopify account and set up your store

The first thing you need to do is sign up for a Shopify account. Just visit the Shopify website by searching on Google or using the link https://www.shopify.com. Here, click the "Start Free Trial" button at the top of the right-hand corner. Then you will be taken through to a simple form, where you will have to enter your email address, password, types of products you are going to sell, if you are already selling them somewhere, and choose the name of the store you want to use. The store name you choose will become the website's URL. Shopify gives you a free "myshopify.com" domain. You can only change this default domain name if you purchase a custom (optional) domain. You don't have to move to another site; you can buy your domain name on Shopify. You can set this up later when you decide that you want to invest more in your store. But it's worth noting that changing the default domain to your own without "shopify" extension will not only give your store a personal touch but will also make your store look more professional and make customers more likely to choose it.  A custom domain name is a great deal you shouldn't miss.

Once you've signed up, you'll be directed to your store's admin panel where you can quickly and easily manage products you have for sale, write descriptions, set up your time zone, select your currency, customize your store's appearance, add products, set up payment and shipping options, and configure other settings. 

Step 2:   Choose Your Theme, free or paid, and customize it for your business

When you create a Shopify account, you get a default theme. If you want to change it to give your web store a distinctive and original look, go to the Online Store and select "Themes". On the current date, here you can choose from 13 free and 181 paid templates. The great thing about Shopify themes is that some are optimized for specific industries, so you can choose the category and find themes tailored for your particular type of business, say restaurants or the sports industry. There is also a review section where you can see what others who have selected it think about it. The outstanding feature is that Shopify offers the library of Shopify stores that already utilize each theme.

If you have selected a theme but want to edit it, you can make the necessary changes. To edit, return to the Online Store tab on the left menu bar and click Customize. The theme editor will open in a new window. It is online customization. It's easy to add anything to the site, for example, images, text, products, and much more. On the left, you'll see your tools that can change text, add buttons or custom images, and more. On the right side, you can see your store's appearance after making these changes. 

During the initial setup of a Shopify store, some basic pages, like the Home page and a few others, may be automatically generated depending on the theme you choose. However, About Us, FAQ, Contact, and Policy pages must be created and customized separately. To do it go to Online Store > Pages.

Essential pages adding credibility to your online store:

• About Us page: Use the About page to share the story behind your business, your business model, and any notable features, such as media coverage or awards received. While this page should eventually be unique, you can start by editing a pre-generated template to suit your store.

• Contact Us Page: To build trust and provide support, offer multiple contact options, such as your Shopify store email, contact form, business phone number, and address. You can create a contact page by adding a new page and selecting the contact template.

• FAQ Page: Anticipate common questions customers may have and provide answers on the FAQ page. It helps streamline the customer experience and adds confidence in your store.

• Policy Pages: Include privacy and return policies to earn credibility and protect your business from disputes. These pages can be created under Settings > Legal. Shopify offers a free privacy policy generator to simplify the process.

Shopify provides templates and tools to help you easily create and customize these pages within the platform. So, while some pages may be created during the initial setup, others, especially those related to branding, customer support, and legal policies, may need to be added and customized later.

Step 3:  Add and Organize Your Products and Services

Once you've set up your website design, you can proceed to adding your products or services so visitors can buy them. Go to the Products tab in the navigation menu and then select Add Product. The form that opens allows you to add a product name, description, price, images, and much more. Writing detailed descriptions helps customers find your store on Google. Even if you don't know what to sell right now, you can find products here.

Essential things to include:

• Title: Use clear and descriptive titles matching customers' searches.

• Description: Write informative and catchy descriptions.

• Variants: Offer options like size and color.

• Images: Invest in good product photos to attract customers.

• Tags: Use tags to help customers find products easily.

Pricing and Taxes: Make sure prices and taxes are accurate.

Additionally, consider organizing your product into categories to make it easier for your customers to find what they are looking for. Product categories are called collections on Shopify. You can create collections based on product type or items on sale. Categorizing products improves the overall shopping experience and encourages customers to explore more offerings. To organize products, just go to Products  > Collections, and Add New Collection. Then, add your collection name and conditions. You also have the option to configure Shopify to add products to collections automatically based on specific conditions. If you're using product collections, make sure you choose a theme that allows you to add images to represent your collections. It will give your store a professional look.

Remember to track inventory. An efficient Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) management system can help you with inventory tracking and replenishment. Use scannable barcodes for each product for quick inventory management. Add the number of units of each product you have on hand, and you can even track inventory across multiple warehouses.

Step 4: Customize the checkout page, set up payment options and shipping details

Among the last essential stages are customizing the checkout page, connecting payment methods to your Shopify store, and setting shipping details. To do this, go to Settings and select the corresponding category: Checkout, Payments, or Shipment and Delivery. 

Customizing the checkout page is important for creating a smooth shopping experience. Keep it simple and clear and provide essential information like shipping costs and return policies. Here you can select if the customer needs to create an account or log in to make a purchase. Offering a guest checkout option saves customers time, but encouraging account creation during checkout can help build your email list for marketing.

Shopify offers various payment gateways. To activate the simplest payment option, go to the Payments section and click on Activate Shopify Payments. Shopify Payments allows you to accept  most popular payment methods like Google Pay, Apple Pay, and credit cards (Visa, American Express, and Mastercard) with no transaction fees. If you prefer using other payment gateways like PayPal or Stripe, you have that option too. Click "See all other providers" below the button to explore additional options. You can also sell in multiple currencies and choose your preferred payout frequency (daily, weekly, or monthly).

Configure shipping options for your store. Go to Settings > Shipping to set up shipping options, package dimensions, and delivery companies you will work with. Define the delivery area with ZIP codes, delivery zones, or delivery radius. Shopify offers real-time pricing and shipping options with carriers like DHL, UPS, and USPS. By shipping with Shopify, you can access up to 88% discounts on shipping rates. Choose from various shipping methods, including flat-rate shipping, free shipping, or calculated shipping rates based on the customer's location and item weight. Note that offering free shipping can be attractive to customers, but remember to consider the actual shipping costs in your product prices.

Step 5: Create your first Shopify test order, test and launch your store

When your online store is set up, it's important to test it to avoid any potential errors that could affect sales. Shopify's testing mode uses the Bogus Gateway to create test transactions. To set up a Shopify test order, go to Settings > Payments. If you have any enabled credit card gateways, you must deactivate them. In the Shopify Payments section, click Manage, then scroll down and click Deactivate Shopify Payments to disable the current payment provider. To use the Bogus Gateway, click Add a Provider, select Third-party credit card provider, choose (for testing) Bogus Gateway from the options, and click Activate. If you use Shopify Payments, you can click Manage and in the Test mode section, select Enable test mode. 

Now, you can create test orders and simulate transactions by using test credit card numbers. Use "Bogus Gateway" as the name on the card and enter specific numbers to simulate different transaction outcomes. There are test numbers to create successful transactions, failed transactions, and transactions in different currencies. Remember to revert to the original settings to accept real orders when testing is complete. Once you've finished testing your store and are ready to make it available to visitors, you'll need to disable password protection. You can do this by going to Online Store > Pages or Navigation and clicking Disable Password. Once you do this, your store will be up and running and ready for visitors to explore and make purchases.

Shopify even offers tools to help you get started with your marketing efforts. From your admin panel, navigate to the Marketing section on the left sidebar. Click "Create Campaign" in the top right corner to get started. You'll find options like Google and Facebook advertising, email, SMS, and social media campaigns. With Shopify, you can track the performance of these campaigns in one place. Follow the instructions to set up your chosen campaign method. You can manage campaigns by deleting, editing, or pausing them, and you can even archive successful campaigns for future use. Remember that marketing takes time to master, so be patient as you learn.

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Upon completing these 5 simple steps, you will have a Shopify store up and ready to start selling online. You should keep in mind that launching a store is the beginning of your online business journey, and success requires constant effort and dedication to improving various aspects of your business, including sales, customer service, and overall customer experience. If creating and maintaining a site yourself still seems complicated or you are very busy with your business expanding, Shopify has a network of certified experts who specialize in different aspects of e-commerce, such as design, development, marketing, and SEO, to assist you with tasks like store setup, customization, and marketing campaigns.