Shopify is a subscription software that allows you to sell, ship and process payments anywhere. Ecommerce business owners and merchants may use Shopify to build a website and sell worldwide using an in-built shopping cart solution.
The following is a step-by-step guide on setting up an online store with Shopify.
Pick your store name
Choosing a name should not be a major worry. You can also use Shopify’s Business Name Generator.
Register for a Shopify account
Previously, you had to purchase a server, install an eCommerce system on it, hire someone to modify it to your requirements, and pay to maintain it. It was costly and time-consuming, and the end result was a slow and ineffectual website.
Shopify does all server setup and maintenance.
Here are the steps to registering:
- Go to Shopify.com
- Click “Start your free trial”
- Input the name of your store
- Click “Create your store”
Choose a theme for your store
Choose a theme from the Shopify Theme Store. There are numerous free options.
To save time, go for one that won’t require any alterations. Supply and Simple are two popular options.
Include your company logo
Have your standard pages ready
Content is important but the following sections should be enough to start with: About Us, Terms & Conditions, Privacy & Returns Policy, Shipping and Delivery Information, and Contact Us.
To create a page, visit the online store, then click on Pages and Add Page.
- About us — Keep it short and sweet.
- Shipping and delivery information — Most of the sellers have very similar delivery prices and timeframes which you can copy and paste.
- Contact us — Make sure to place a ‘Contact Us’ link on your store. To create a contact page, click the Add New Page button and change the page template to contact.
- Required policies — To quickly create basic policy pages for your store, go to
Settings → Checkout and scroll down to the Refund, Privacy, and TOS statements section to generate each policy sample.
Add a payment gateway
Connect a payment gateway, such as Shopify Payments to your store so you can start collecting money.
Adjust shipping settings
Visit settings and shipping and delete all shipping zones that are non-international, and edit the international zone rate to free.
You can adjust your shipping rates to include more delivery options later, but free shipping is enough for now. In case you need help, here’s a short demo video.
Set up your billing information
Before launching your store, you’ll need to enter your Shopify billing information but you won’t be charged until your 14-day trial ends. Navigate to Settings → Account and enter your billing information.
The store is now ready to go live.
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