How To Start Selling on Shopify

Shopify is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms with a range of features that make it easy to start selling online. Whether you’re launching your first product or scaling beyond 1000, Shopify has the tools to help you start and grow a business.

Brands like Huel, Mattel and Gymshark use Shopify to sell direct to customers throughout the world. It’s a trusted platform that supports every step of the entrepreneurial journey.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to start selling on Shopify. You’ll be opening your account, adding products, setting up payments and shipping, and launching your store.

Let’s go!

Choose a product to sell

If you want to launch an e-commerce store, you first need a product to sell. Choose what products you are going stock and which product categories you will be focusing on. 

T-shirts and apparel, skincare, and makeup are the best selling and most popular product categories for Shopify sellers. Vitamins and supplements, as well as phone and car accessories can also achieve high-volume sales across the platform.

Choose a product and niche that you have a deep interest. Some level of market insight is also important as it will help you to develop better products and create customer demand.

Choose a business name

While it is possible to launch a Shopify store without purchasing a domain name using Shopify’s free subdomain (your-store-name.myshopify.com), it’s highly recommended to have one. Your own name and branding gives your store a more professional look, helping to establish trust and recognition with your customers.

Choose a name that you like and buy it from a domain registrar like GoDaddy, Namecheap or 123Reg.

Sign up and create an account

It’s easy to open a Shopify account and start your free trial – which is currently 3 days free, then 3 months for £1 per month ($1 in the US) on selected plans:

1. Got to Shopify.com and click Start for free.
2. Enter your email address and make a secure password
3. Start your free trail
4. Answer, or skip the business questionnaire to open your main dashboard
5. Explore the dashboard by clicking through each of the sections

Choose and customise a Shopify theme

Shopify has a range of themes to personalise the look and feel of your store, with free and paid options available. Browse the Shopify theme store to find a theme that suits your needs:

1. Click Online Store on your dashboard menu, then select Themes.
2. Browse the available free or paid themes and click Add on your favorite option.
3. Click Publish to make the theme active on your site.
4. Click Customize to upload your logo, change colors, and adjust text.

To choose the right Shopify theme, start by defining your aesthetic, must-have features, catalog size, and budget. The more specific you are, the easier it will be to select a theme.

If you have the budget and you want to develop a more customised shopping experience, you can hire a Shopify theme developer to build a theme for you. Communicate your specifications and budget then they’ll create a uniquely branded and feature rich theme.

Add your products

Now you have a published theme you can start to add your products. There’s no minimum number of products required to open a Shopify store, so you can launch whatever you have now:

1. Click Products on your dashboard sidebar, then click Add product.
2. Type a clear title and write a detailed description of what you are selling.
3. Upload clear, high-quality photos of your item.
4. Set your retail price, add inventory stock numbers, and click Save.

Set up payments and shipping

In order to accept payments on your store you need to activate Shopify Payments, or a third-party alternative such as Stripe, Paypal, or Square:

1. Go to Settings and select Payments to activate Shopify Payments.
2. Connect your bank details so you can safely receive money from buyers.
3. Go to Shipping and delivery to set your shipping zones and rates for customers.

Launch your store

Once you are satisfied with your products, categories, theme and shipping settings you are ready to launch your store. Here are the final steps:

1. Connect your custom domain name so your website has a branded URL
2. Run a test order to make sure the checkout works correctly
3. Remove your online store password
4. Launch your business to the world

Start selling

Now your store is live, it’s time to start selling. You can make your first few sales by telling family, friends and associates about your store. Offer a discount to the first 100 customers, then ask for reviews and encourage referrals by offering incentives.

Use social media, SEO, and paid ads to drive traffic to your store and generate further sales. Keep testing to discover which content and which traffic sources work best for you, then double down on the winning strategies.

Conclusion

It’s never been easier to start an online business and Shopify features a suite of tools that let sellers launch their first products within hours. Go to Shopify.com and start your free trial today.

Many challenges lie ahead running an e-commerce store, but give yourself a pat on the back for getting this far, and for making your first few sales. If you need help with Shopify, generating traffic, or scaling your business you can get in touch.

Onwards!

Frequently Asked Questions