How to Set Up a Shopify Store

Shopify is an online platform that helps entrepreneurs to set up and maintain their online shops. It is one of the most popular platforms among online sellers, due to its advanced features and easy installation. They also offer a 30-day trial period for their new registrants without a credit card required, so it’ll be easier to exit from the service if you find it unsatisfactory.

But how exactly is an online Shopify store set up? Here’s how it goes.

1. You need a Gmail account and a name for your shop.

When you sign up for a Shopify store, you’ll need a working Gmail account and the name of your store. Once you’ve filled the blanks, click “Create your Store”.

2. “Add an address to set up currencies and tax rates”

After the initial set-up, you’ll be redirected to a page where you’ll have to fill in other basic details such as name, street address, city, zip/postal code, country, phone number, and the business’ or your personal website.

3. “Tell us a little about yourself”

After the standard process of authenticating your identity, Shopify will then ask about your background on selling. The first question in the page is “Are you already selling?” followed by a suggestion on helping the business owner to create some of the most basic aspects of creating a store, such as creating a logo, brainstorming ideas for the business, getting started with a free online webinar, and finding a product to sell.

If you’re just creating a website to supplement your existing store, you may answer the question “How much revenue does your business currently make in a year?” The answers to the questions are options of different profit ranges, but there is also the “$0 (I’m just getting started) option for beginners.

On the bottom of the page, there is a question “Are you setting up a store for a client?” which can be answered by marking a check on a box which confirms the statement “Yes, I’m designing/developing a store for a client”.

4. Start selling!

After the previous three brief steps, you will then be redirected to your Shopify store with your ongoing 30-day trial already started. The default theme for the Shopify store is a simple minimal theme called Launchpad-Star, where black and white are the primary colors. However, the theme can also be altered by uploading a theme or selecting a theme in the Theme Store.

To officially start selling, you need to add products and their corresponding prices. You can add a product by selecting “Products”, and then “Add Products”. The button will then lead to a blank sheet about the detail of each product with the “upload image” option for the photo, its variants, shipping details, and many others.

After completely uploading the necessary details about your products, you can perform an inventory once you find the need to restock through the “Transfers” button, find the products you need to order through the “Inventory” button, and set up collections and gift cards.

You can also keep an eye on your products and your customers’ orders through the “Orders” button, create invoices through the “Drafts” option, and check the products that were abandoned by customers through the “Abandoned Checkouts” option.

Compared to other ways of setting up an online store, Shopify is probably the easiest to navigate on. You don’t need deep knowledge on HTML, thus making it more accessible to anyone who wants to establish an online store.

After 30 days of the free plan, however, the seller would have to select a plan namely the Basic Shopify ($29/month), Shopify ($79/month), and Advanced Shopify ($299/month). These plans, though, can be quite expensive, but if you’ve already established a strong following online, perhaps through social media, the store can be one of the best investments you can put online to help your business flourish.