Shopify Tutorial: How to Start a Shopify Store for Beginners

Looking to launch your online store but unsure where to start? Our comprehensive Shopify Tutorial For Beginners will help you create a successful online store step by step.

Before diving into this article, you might be interested in the post: What is Shopify? How does Shopify work?

Now, let's start this article by creating an account.

1. Create an account with Shopify

• Step 1: Access the Shopify Homepage, enter your Email Address > "Start free trial" to begin the trial.

Shopify Homepage

• Step 2: Enter a Password > "Log in" to sign in.

Enter Password

• Step 3: Choose the place where you want to sell. You can select one or multiple locations or select "I'm not sure" if undecided.

Choose a place of sale

Then Click "Next" to move to the next step.

• Step 4: Provide an accurate description of your current business situation.

Please provide an accurate description of your current role and activities within your business

Then Click "Next" to move to the next step.

• Step 5: Choose the products you plan to sell first. You can choose individual items, multiple items, or select "I’ll decide later" if unsure.

Choose the products

• Step 6: Click "Get Started" to complete the account registration process and access the Shopify Store homepage interface.

HomePage Shopify Store

2. Configure Basic Setting

It's time to learn your Shopify basics.

After setting up your account, your free trial starts immediately. The site will lead you to the Shopify admin panel.

It's crucial for beginners to explore all sections and settings within Shopify admin to understand their functions. Take your time to navigate each tab and setting to become familiar with the platform. 

Additionally, utilize the Setup guide section to track your progress in setting up your store.

The Shopify setup guide provides a checklist to ensure you prioritize and complete all essential tasks efficiently.

General settings

When you click the Settings tab in the lower left corner, you'll go to a Setting panel that includes all of your Shopify Store's general settings.

Shopify settings encompass crucial aspects of your store, necessary for managing your business operations effectively.

The Shopify Settings panel encompasses various items, including Store details, Plans, Billing, Payments, Shipping and delivery,.. and more. Each section consists of different tasks designed to assist you in optimizing your store.

Domain

Add a custom domain

Follow the steps below to add your first custom domain:

• Step 1: In the “Setup guide” section, select “Sell Online” -> Select “Add a custom domain” -> Click “Add domain”.

• Step 2: Go to the Domain page and display the following:

• Step 3: Click “Change to new myshopify.com domain” and change the domain name you want -> Then press "Add domain"

If you want to add more subdomains or change your current domain in the future, you can follow these steps:

• Step 1: Select “Settings” in the lower left corner -> scroll down to select “Domains”
• Step 2: Go to the Domain page and display the following:

• Step 3: Click “Change to new myshopify.com domain” and change the domain name you want -> Then press "Add domain"

Buy a new domain name

To ensure a professional, easy-to-remember, and customer-friendly domain name, we recommend you to buy a new domain name.

• Step 1: Select the domain name you want to buy. Click “Buy a new domain”.

Step first Buy a new domain

• Step 2: Enter your desired domain name and review available extensions and prices.
• Step 3: Click “Buy” next to the domain you want.

Buy new domain

• Step 4: Confirm auto-renewal preference and contact information.

• Step 5: Verify if WHOIS Privacy is included.
• Step 6: Choose a payment method and read policies/agreements.
• Step 7: Click “Buy”  domain.

• Step 8: Verify your email address
• Step 9: Check your email account to review several emails including confirming your purchase, verifying your email address, and managing how your data is shared.

If you don't receive any email from Shopify, you should check the Spam folder or request Shopify to send verification emails again. You need to verify your doman within 15 days or it will be suspended.

Connect to an existing domain on Shopify

• Step 1: If you already own a domain, you can click on "Connect existing domain" and enter the domain name you have purchased.

Connect existing domain

• Step 2: Follow Shopify's instructions to configure the DNS settings provided by your domain registrar.
• Step 3: After configuring the DNS settings, Shopify will verify the connection with your domain. This process may take some time, but Shopify will notify you once the domain is successfully connected.

• Step 4:  Set as primary domain (optional): Once the domain is connected, you can set it as the primary domain for your Shopify store if you have multiple domains.

3. Choose and customize your Shopify theme

To make your store visually appealing and capture customers' attention right away, it is important to select and customize themes that align with your brand. This will help create an attractive interface that reflects your brand identity.

Research, search and test different themes

Shopify offers a wide variety of themes to suit a wide range of products, needs, and brands. Therefore, it is recommended to invest time in researching and testing different themes to find the one that best matches your requirements.

• You can use filters to narrow your search by product line, function, price, featured features, and many other criteria.
• Carefully read the description of each theme to gain a clear understanding of its features, interface, and customization capabilities.
• Explore the theme's interface through screenshots to get a preview of how it will appear on your store.
• Get what other users say by reading reviews to learn about the pros and cons of each theme.
• Lastly, many Shopify themes provide free demos, allowing you to test, try modifing them before making a purchase. 

Basically, choosing a theme depends on the type of business you have and the products you want to sell in your store.

You can search for themes in the Shopify Store or explore Nextsky's premium themes.

Select your themes

Shopify offers many free themes as well as paid themes. With prices ranging from $0 to $400 in one payment, you have many options to perfect your theme to suit your brand style and business requirements.

Explore Free Themes

• Step 1: On the Home page, there is a "Step guide" panel for beginners, select "Sell Online" > "Customize your online store" > "Customize themes" button.

• Step 2: Click on the theme name for more details in the Shopify Theme Store.
• Step 3: Click the "Add theme" button on the desired theme, that theme will be added to your store.

Add Free Themes

Here is the list of Themes you added:

List of added themes

• Step 5: Click the "Publish" for use.

Explore paid themes from the Shopify Theme Store

Before purchasing paid themes on Shopify, you can preview and customize them using the theme editor on the admin page. All changes will be saved when you buy the theme.

You can preview up to 19 paid themes at a time to compare before making a decision, and trial themes will be marked for identification.

Here are the steps:

• Step 1: Visit the Shopify Theme Store and choose a paid theme.

 Shopify Theme Store HomePage

• Step 2: Click on "Try Theme" to add the theme to your online store.

Try Theme

• Step 3: Return to your Shopify admin page and click on Online Store > Themes.
• Step 4: In the Theme library section, click on the “...” button to open the action menu next to the theme you want to preview.
• Step 5: Click on "Preview" to see the preview.

After viewing and testing the themes and wanting to start trading, please:

• Step 6: In the Theme library section, click on Buy on the theme you want to buy to start the transaction.

Buy Themes

Here are some premium Shopify theme suggestions from us for you to consider:

• Agile - Premium Shopify Theme
• Umino - The Multipurpose Premium Shopify Theme

Customize your themes

If you're passionate about creativity, this is where the real fun begins. Customizing your store is all about defining the style and personality of your brand online.

You can customize your Shopify theme in two main ways:

• Customize through the Shopify theme editor

This tool allows you to adjust different parts of your theme. You can add, remove, or hide items to create the perfect design for your online store.

To get started, go to your Shopify admin, navigate to Online Store > Themes, and click Customize.

• Hire developers to customize your Shopify theme

While Shopify's theme customization is straightforward with basic sections and blocks, having a dedicated interface and support from a developer can further streamline the process.

We at Nextsky always tries our best to please customers and bring them the perfect theme for their stores.

With approximately 1,696 orders placed, our website design services can help your store stand out and elevate your online presence. 

Explore Nextsky's Shopify theme development services.

4. Add products on Shopify 

Shopify admin allows you to Add products manually or Import via CSV file.

There are 2 methods for you to enter the place to add products:

Method 1: Add product manually

On the "Home" page there is a "Setup guide" for beginners, then click section “Add product” -> “Add your first product”.

Step 1: Add a Product Title and a Product Description

Click the Add Product button to add individual products to your store. When you click this button, it creates a product page in your Shopify admin

Title: Enter a descriptive product name to display on Shopify online store pages, sales channels, and search results. (e.g., White Basic T-shirt, ...)

Description: Provide detailed information about the product, including features, benefits, size chart, or options list.

Your product title and description represent your product in a way that is easy to visualize upon hearing the name.

Invest time in writing detailed and engaging product descriptions to attract customers.

Additionally, using relevant keywords can help you improve the SEO of your product pages.

Step 2: Add Media

Media (Images, Videos, 3D Models): Showcase product visuals with images, videos, or 3D models highlighting its features.

You upload high-quality but low-file-size images of your products.

For videos, you can embed YouTube to minimize the impact on your page load speed.

Step 3: Add Pricing, Inventory, Shipping

Pricing: You enter the retail price, compare it with the price (cost price) here and track product costs to manage profits effectively.

Inventory: Add stock-keeping unit (SKU) - product identification code, barcode - scan to identify the product, quantity in stock, and storage location for sales or shipping.

Shipping: Enter the product weight for shipping labels and customs details when selling internationally.

Step 4: Add Options

Variant Options: In this section, you list all product variation options such as color, size, material, etc. (Update attribute values for each selected value)

Step 5: Edit Product Organization and Product Status

• Product Status: Update the status for the product as active or draft.
• Product Organization:  fields will help you organize your products with different product categories and collections.  Add product types (Clothing, Furniture, Accessories, ...), product categories, vendors, collections (organize into collections for easy management), tags (popular search keywords), and choose a theme for your store.

Add product category	Vendors, collections, tags, and a theme for your store (selected in the Themes section)

Step 6: Edit The Search Engine Listing

• SEO: Customize product meta tags to help optimize search engine visibility (SEO).
• SEO allows you to customize Page titles, Meta descriptions, and URL handling - which appear in Google search results.
• Ideally, you should keep your meta/product title around 60 characters and meta description around 155-160 characters. Anything that exceeds this character limit will most likely be cut off by Google.

Step 7: Add Discount Code

To add discount codes to your store, go to Discounts > Create discounts then name or generate your code, and set the parameters (like $10 off, 10% off, only on orders over $50, etc.).

Then select discount codes for different categories (product discount, order discount code, shipping discount)

Fill in all numbers then press Save

Method 2: Import products using CSV file

Click the Import button in the upper right corner to bulk import products using a CSV file.

This option is also applicable if you have created products on another platform and would like to move or import them to Shopify. Furthermore, the ability to perform bulk editing of your products is also highly useful.

For technical details, learn more: How do I import products into Shopify?

You can also click Find products for sale. This option will take you to the Shopify app store to display Shopify's recommended product-sourcing apps. This can be useful if you're creating a dropshipping or print-on-demand store.

Now, visit the Settings page and let us briefly explain important configurations that will allow you to run your online business smoothly.

5. Set up Payments and Shipping

If you're just getting started with Shopify and aren't sure how to set up payments and shipping, this article will guide you through the process with ease.

Set up Payment

It's essential to offer payment methods that align with your customers' preferences while also considering the associated fees charged by payment processors.

Here are the primary payment options available:

• Shopify Payments: Credit card rates range from 2.4% to 2.9%, along with a flat fee of $0.30 per transaction, depending on your subscription plan. Note: Availability of Shopify Payments is limited to specific countries.
• PayPal: In the U.S, the processing fee is 2.9% of the transaction amount plus a flat fee of $0.30. For international transactions, Shopify charges a fee of 4.4% of the transaction amount, along with a fixed fee based on the currency used.
• Third-party payment providers: Fees may vary depending on the chosen provider.
• Manual payment methods: These include bank deposits, money orders, cash on delivery (COD), and custom payment options.

To configure payment settings, you can:

On the "Home" page, in the "Step Guide" panel, click Store Setting > Set up a payment provider > Set up Payments button

Select the payment provider you want to integrate into your store. If you meet the eligibility requirements, you will have the option to activate Shopify Payments.

Once selected, follow the prompts to submit the requested details and complete the account setup process.

Paypal is integrated right on Shopify, you just need to activate Paypal and follow the instructions to complete this payment integration into your store.

You can similarly set up and activate other payment providers by following their respective setup procedures.

Shopify offers diverse payment options, allowing you to tailor your choices to your business requirements and customer preferences.

After that, if you want to make any changes in the future. Go to your Shopify Admin, select Settings > Payments.

Set up Shiping

Shopify Shipping streamlines your shipping process by integrating your store with Shopify's shipping carrier accounts.

Benefits of Shopify Shipping include:

• Simplified label printing: Purchase and print shipping labels directly within the Shopify admin interface.
• Discounted rates: Access discounted shipping rates through Shopify's carrier partnerships.
• Dynamic shipping rates: Enable calculated shipping rates on the checkout page to provide accurate shipping costs based on customer location, instead of using flat rates.

It's important to note that Shopify Shipping is only available for business that has eligible fulfillment locations.

Third-party carrier-calculated shipping

For those wanting to connect their store with their own carrier accounts, the option of third-party carrier-calculated shipping is available.

However, this feature requires either the Advanced or Shopify Plus plan. Alternatively, it can be accessed for lower-tier plans through a monthly fee or by switching from monthly to yearly billing.

Using Shopify shipping apps

Additionally, utilizing Shopify shipping apps presents another effective way to manage shipping tasks. These apps offer a range of features such as label printing, shipping insurance, package tracking, and shipping notifications, enhancing your shipping operations and customer experience.

6. Set up taxes and Shopify sales fees

As a business owner, it is your responsibility to collect taxes on the products and services you sell and ensure they are reported and remitted to the appropriate government authorities in accordance with applicable laws.

Tax obligations can vary depending on your country, state, and region, and tax regulations may change periodically. It is important to stay updated on tax requirements and seek professional advice if needed to ensure compliance with tax laws

Note that Shopify doesn't handle filing or remitting sales taxes for your business.

We have explained this part clearly in the article: Does Shopify Collect Sales Tax.

How does Shopify assist with sales tax?

Fortunately, Shopify simplifies tax management to a certain extent. It automates tax calculations using default sales tax rates applicable worldwide. Additionally, the reports provided by Shopify can assist you in filing and paying your sales taxes.

However, it's recommended that you conduct your research or seek advice from a tax professional to ensure you're correctly charging sales tax to your customers. You wouldn't want to inadvertently under-collect taxes and end up covering the shortfall from your pocket.

To set up your taxes:

Navigate to the Shopify Admin and click on Settings > Taxes and duties.

Set up tax collection regions:

• For online stores, configure the countries where you'll be shipping.
• For Shopify POS, set tax rates based on your retail locations.
• Create shipping zones for the regions where you're obligated to pay taxes. These regions can be found under Taxes and duties > Manage sales tax collection.

Set up tax rates:

• Establish tax rates for countries and regions where you'll be selling and shipping your products.
• Follow Shopify's guidelines for handling taxes on digital products.

Determine tax charging methods:

• Manage how taxes are displayed and charged in your online store using checkboxes for options such as including tax in prices, charging tax based on customer country, taxing shipping rates, and applying VAT on digital goods.
• For further guidance, refer to Shopify's detailed Taxes guide.

7. Add essential pages to your store

Are you building a Shopify store and want to attract customers and increase revenue? The secret is to build trust and deliver a great shopping experience. Some of the following pages are key to helping you achieve that:

#1. Blog

Turn your store into an attractive destination with a Blog page. Share valuable articles about products, usage tips, and industry trends, attract potential customers, retain current customers, and build an impressive brand.

A blog is a powerful SEO tool, helping you climb search rankings and reach more customers.

To create a Blog page, go to the Shopify Store admin page, click Online Store > Blog post

Click Create blog post to get started, then fill in all information such as title, article content, excerpt, image, SEO,...

Finally, press Save article

#2. About Us Page

The About page helps you build your brand through storytelling, showcasing your shared mission, core values, and passionate team. It allows you to highlight what sets you apart, evoke emotions, and establish a special connection with your customers.

The About page is your opportunity to build trust, attract potential customers, and strengthen existing customer loyalty.

#3. Contact page

Provide complete, easily searchable contact information on the Contact Page. Include email address, phone number, postal address, contact form, etc.

Demonstrate professionalism, improve customer service, and create solid trust with customers.

#4. Privacy Policy page

Protecting customer information is a priority. Clearly explain how you collect, use, and protect their personal data on the Privacy Policy Page. Includes information about data collection, cookie use, data sharing, and customers' rights over their data.

Comply with security regulations, protect customer privacy, and build strong trust.

#5. Refund Warranty Policy page

Make sure customers keep their shopping top of mind with clear payments, refunds, and security policies. Detailed explanations of return conditions, processing time, refund process, and warranty coverage are on the Refund Warranty Policy Page.

It helps minimize disputes, build customer trust, and encourage them to buy with confidence.

#6. Shipping Policy Page 

Bring a comfortable shopping experience with the Shipping Policy Page. Clearly explain operating methods, delivery time, shipping costs, and key links. Includes information about region conversions, single processing times, conversion options, conversion costs, and returns policies. 

Establish clear customer expectations, reduce questions, and create a great shopping experience.

#7. Terms of Service page

Set forth the terms and conditions of your use of the website and services on the Terms of Service Page. Includes information about usage rights, intellectual property rights, user responsibilities, dispute resolution procedures, and more.

Protect your business from liability, establish clear rules for users, and build a trust box.

How to create other pages

To create pages, go to your Shopify Store admin, click Online Store > Pages

Then click Add pages to start, then fill in all the information such as title, article content, SEO,...

Finally, click Save.

8. Add Shopify applications

This list of Shopify apps can provide rich features and functionality that will help optimize your store and enhance your customers' shopping experience.

Here are some recommended categories and apps you should consider installing on your Shopify store:

Marketing & Sales

• Email Marketing Apps: Offset, Shopify Email
• Upselling & Cross-Selling Apps: ReConvert Upsell and Cross-Sell
• Sales & Conversion Apps: PayWhirl, Tip Quik, Pre-Order Alpha, Change Commerce
• Marketing Apps: Promo.com, TikTok.

Customer service 

• Improve customer experience App: BetterReplay.
• Loyalty & Rewards App: Gameball.
• Customers & Community App: Jebbit.

Store design

• Recommended App: ESC - Size Charts & Size Guide, PixPix.

Management & Shipping

• Shipping & Fulfillment App: Easyship, Shopify Local Delivery.
• Product Management App: Easy Digital Products, Stocky.

Printing & Merchandise

• Print-on-demand app: Printful.

SEO

• SEO Optimization App: Smart SEO

By categorizing apps according to your needs, you can easily choose the right app that solves specific problems and increases the efficiency of your Shopify store.

=>> You might find some useful Shopify apps here

9. Customize SEO settings and analytics tools

#1. Optimize your website content

The content on your website, including information like product titles, product descriptions, blogs and more, plays an important role in SEO. It affects the relevance of your website for customers' searches on Google.

To get the best results, you need to make sure your content reflects what your customers are looking for.

Tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush and Ahrefs provide information about relevant and competitive keywords, check backlinks, and evaluate the SEO performance of your website.

#2. Optimize your store speed

Website page loading speed is also one of the important factors in SEO.

Fast page load speeds help reduce page bounce rates and increase conversion rates. It is also an important factor in SEO optimization.

Tools like PageSpeed Optimizer, Nitro, and Lazy Load can help you optimize your website's page loading speed.

You can also hire developers to optimize your Shopify store for you.

#3. Track performance and traffic

You need to keep track of the traffic on your website to further optimize it in the future.

Tools like Google Console and Google Analytics will be your best friends in this matter. Google Search Console helps you monitor your website's performance generally and in search engine results. Google Analytics helps you learn more about your users, including who they are, how they found you, and how they interact with your website..

Some tips for building a Shopify store as a beginner

To summarize, here are some tips for beginners to build your Shopify store:

• Start with a clear plan: Define what you'll sell, who your audience is, and how you'll market your products.
• Choose the right theme: Pick a theme that fits your brand and provides a good user experience.
• Focus on customer experience: Ensure your store is responsive and fast on all devices.
• Enhance product descriptions and images: Use high-quality images and detailed descriptions to boost sales.
• Master SEO: Optimize your store for search engines to improve visibility.
• Provide excellent customer support: Offer various channels for customer inquiries and respond promptly.
• Test and iterate: Experiment with different strategies and use analytics to make data-driven decisions.
• Stay updated: Keep informed about Shopify updates and best practices.
• Seek help when needed: Don't hesitate to reach out to Shopify support or the community for assistance.