How To Sell On Shopify in 9 Simple Steps

For entrepreneurs looking to dive into the world of e-commerce, selling on Shopify is a highly rewarding and accessible way to build an online business. As more consumers shift to online shopping, the demand for well-built, user-friendly online stores is skyrocketing.

In this article, NextSky’ll walk you through 9 simple steps to set up and sell on Shopify, helping you navigate everything from creating your store to marketing your products efficiently. Let's dive in!

Understand how Shopify can help you

Shopify is a leading e-commerce platform designed to make online selling easy and accessible for businesses of all sizes. 

One of its biggest advantages is its user-friendly interface—you don’t need to be a tech expert to create a professional-looking store. With Shopify, you can customize your site, manage your products, track orders, and handle payments all from a single dashboard.

Additionally, Shopify offers flexibility with thousands of apps and customizable themes, allowing you to build a store that fits your brand. It also integrates seamlessly with popular sales channels like Facebook, Instagram, and Amazon, helping you reach more customers. Moreover, Shopify’s built-in marketing tools and analytics provide you with the insights you need.

If you're looking to launch or scale your e-commerce business, Shopify makes it easy, reliable, and affordable. With different pricing plans and the ability to scale as your business grows, it’s no wonder millions of entrepreneurs worldwide trust Shopify to power their online stores. Give Shopify a try—it might just be the key to unlocking your business's potential!

How much does it cost to sell on Shopify

Shopify introduces different plan tiers to cater to different merchants’ needs. There are 4 primary plans: Basic, Shopify, Advanced, and Plus.

If you are just starting your business, the $19 Basic plan should be enough to get your store up and going. 

If you need more advanced features like professional reports, more staff accounts, and 24/7 support then the $299 Advanced plan is the one for you.

Shopify offers a 3-day free trial with a $1/month for the first month for any plan so you can freely explore the platform and decide if you want to stick with it.

You don’t have to pay any selling fees on Shopify other than the payment processing fees.

Is Shopify easy to use for beginners

Shopify is really easy to use for beginners, even if they don’t have any knowledge about coding. Its intuitive interface allows users to easily manage products, customize their store with drag-and-drop features, and handle orders without technical expertise. 

With pre-designed themes, a variety of apps for added functionality, and 24/7 customer support, Shopify simplifies the process of building and running an online store, even for those new to e-commerce.

Can I scale my business with Shopify

Shopify is an excellent platform for scaling your business. It supports businesses of all sizes, from startups to large enterprises, offering robust features like multi-channel selling, third-party app integrations, and the ability to handle high traffic and large inventories. 

With Shopify’s advanced tools, you can expand globally, manage multiple stores, and automate tasks to grow efficiently. Its flexible pricing plans also allow businesses to scale seamlessly as they grow, providing the infrastructure needed for long-term growth.

Before You Sell on Shopify

Find a target audience

Finding a target audience is the first step in ensuring your business appeals to the right customers. 

A well-defined target audience allows you to tailor your products, marketing, and messaging effectively. Researching your audience’s demographics, interests, and needs is essential. Use tools like Google Trends and Facebook Insights, and consider conducting market surveys. 

By understanding who your customers are and what they value, you can position your products in a way that resonates with them, increasing your chances of success from the start.

Source your products

Once you have a clear idea of your audience, the next step is to source your products. 

Whether you're creating your own items, buying from wholesalers, or using dropshipping, ensure that your products are of high quality and meet market demand. If you’re crafting your own products, focus on quality and uniqueness to stand out in the marketplace. 

For dropshipping or wholesale, partner with reliable suppliers who offer competitive prices. 

Proper sourcing can significantly impact customer satisfaction, reviews, and overall business success.

Design your brand

Designing your brand goes beyond just choosing a logo—it encompasses the entire visual and emotional representation of your business. 

Your branding should reflect your values and connect with your target audience. This includes your website’s design, color scheme, fonts, and even the tone of voice you use in your communications. 

A strong, cohesive brand can differentiate you in a crowded market and foster customer loyalty.

Register your business

Lastly, make sure to register your business to operate legally. 

Depending on your country, this may involve obtaining business licenses, registering for taxes, and setting up a legal entity (like an LLC). These steps are crucial for protecting your personal assets and complying with local regulations. 

Having all legal matters in order ensures a smooth operation when your Shopify store goes live.

How to Sell on Shopify for beginners: Simple 9 Steps Guide 

1. Setting Up Your Shopify Store

(If you already have a Shopify store set up, you can skip this part) 

The first step would be getting a Shopify account using the Shopify trial program. You will need to enter your store name and other information regarding your company.

After that, your Shopify trial will start and you will enter your store’s admin Dashboard. This is where you can set up everything in your Shopify store. 

Let’s first take a look around the interface and get familiar with it. Next, you are going to spend some time and effort to get your store up and running.

2. Add a Domain to your Store

A domain is the address that users will type into their browsers to get into your Shopify store. On your Shopify Dashboard, click Add domain. There will be a few options for you to choose from.

• Keep your current “myshopify”  domain.
• Connect to an existing domain you own.
• Buy a new domain from Shopify.

3. Designing Your Store

Dawn will be your default Shopify theme. You can use another free Shopify theme or buy a premium Shopify theme from the theme store. I would recommend themes like Impulse or Agile

If you are looking for a more unique design for your store, it is a better idea to contact a Shopify expert developer to take care of this task. An experienced Shopify developer will not only help build and design your store but also help elevate it to the full potential.

4. Add Services/Products to Your Shopify store

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started adding products and services to your Shopify store.

• Go to Products in Shopify: From your Shopify Admin Dashboard, click on Products in the left-hand menu. Select Add product to create a new product listing.

• Enter Product Details: Add essential information such as product title, description, price, and SKU. Write a compelling product description optimized for SEO to help customers find your products more easily. Include high-quality images or videos to enhance your product listings.

• Organize Your Products: Create product categories or collections to make it easier for customers to browse through your inventory. You can add tags, product types, and organize products into collections such as "Best Sellers" or "New Arrivals."
• Set Inventory and Variants: Manage your inventory by setting the number of items available. If your products come in different sizes, colors, or options, use Shopify’s variant feature to create different versions of the same product.

5. Setting Up Payment Options

Once your products are ready, you’ll need to set up payment options to accept transactions.

• Go to Settings > Payments: Shopify offers various payment methods, including Shopify Payments, PayPal, and third-party gateways like Stripe. Choose the one that best suits your needs.
• Consider Transaction Fees: Keep in mind that different payment options come with varying transaction fees, so make sure you understand the costs involved.

6. Setting Up Shipping Options

• Navigate to Settings > Shipping and delivery: Set up shipping zones and rates. You can offer flat rates, free shipping, or real-time calculated shipping rates based on the carrier.
• Local and International Shipping: Customize shipping for local or international markets depending on your target audience. Shopify also integrates with popular shipping carriers like USPS and FedEx for accurate shipping options.

7. Launching Your Store

• Remove Password Protection: Go to Online Store > Preferences, and remove password protection so that your store becomes live to the public.
• Test Your Store: Before launching, test the entire customer journey. Make sure the payment options, product listings, and shipping features are working smoothly.

8. Marketing Your Products

Once your store is live, it’s time to drive traffic:

• Use Shopify's Built-in Marketing Tools: Shopify offers several marketing features such as SEO optimization, Google Shopping integration, and email marketing tools.
• Social Media Integration: Leverage social platforms like Facebook and Instagram to drive more traffic to your store. You can also set up Google Ads or Facebook Ads to target your audience directly.

9. Track Results and Optimize

Last but not least, you need to keep improving your Shopify store to get more customers.

Unless you are an expert who has years of experience under your belt, you will barely have any customers at the start and it might even last for months. That's why it is crucial to keep tracking of your store's performance, be patient, and keep finding new methods to grow your business.

Check out this article for a more detailed guide on how to set up your Shopify store: Shopify Tutorial: How to Start a Shopify Store for Beginners

Build Your Shopify Store Today

Shopify is a great platform no matter if you are just starting out or wanting to expand your business. It provides everything you need to build your perfect online storefront that customers will love.

We hope that this guide helps you set up your Shopify store. If you still have any questions or problems, don’t hesitate to contact NextSky to get the best advices and consultations for free. 

>>>> Read more:

• How to find Shopify stores: 8 Best Methods
• How To Add Reviews to Shopify Store in 2024