Shopify provides one of the easiest ways of setting up an online store. Some would even argue it is the easiest option. The platform allows you to create your shop, add the products you are selling, and manage the shop for a reasonable monthly fee. You won’t require any technical IT or SEO skills. It’s all taken care of by Shopify, giving you sufficient time to handle your orders.
Here Is How To Get Started:
1. Sign Up
Signing up is a straightforward task that shouldn’t take more than a few moments. You’ll also get a free trial for your trouble!
Visit the official Shopify website, enter your email address from the homepage, and you will start your free trial. In the next step, you’ll be asked if you want to be a seller or you’re simply playing around. There are a few more questions to answer here before moving to the next stage, where you’ll enter your name, address, contact number, and country. You also have to provide a unique store name.
2. Add The Basic Details Of Your Store
After signing up, you’ll be directed to the admin page of your shop. Customize your store as much as you want from this page. Besides the basic details of your products, you’ll also get a chance to pick and customize a theme.
Shopify provides dozens of themes to choose from. The themes are supported by developers, so you don’t have to worry about maintenance or anything of the sort.
The website has paid and free themes. Both options provide customization options to help you build a unique store. However, you’ll find that paid themes have more modification capabilities, so they are an investment worth considering. These themes cost anything from $100 to $190.
Don’t worry if you don’t have the budget for a premium theme. There is still a good selection of free themes that’ll give your store a decent face.
Modifying Shopify themes is pretty simple since you don’t need any coding knowledge to get the job done. However, for more complex customizations, you’ll need the services of Shopify experts or design agencies. They’ll use CSS and HTML to customize the store and make it stand out. Themes depend on your target market. Therefore, if you’re concentrating on selling clothes, make sure your theme reflects that. It’s recommended that you work with customer cohorts in Shopify as they are better than tags or smart collections. With these, you can optimize your store for the different cohorts so that they each get a unique experience.
3. Add Your Products
Now it’s time to start adding products to your store. Hover over the “Products” menu on the left and click on add product. This will bring up a screen where you can add the items you’re selling and their description.
To make your products more visible, add the relevant keywords in the name, description, and URL. This is basic search engine optimization (SEO) that’ll increase your visitors and buyers. The product description also needs to be detailed enough for the customers to know what they are buying.
Something else you will add from this page is product images. Quality images can boost conversion rates significantly. Make sure your photos are bright and crystal clear. Don’t hesitate to show off the fine details with closeups.
Once you are satisfied with the product details and images, click on “Save Product.”
Shopify products can also be placed in groups. Add similar products under the same collection to give your customers a seamless shopping experience.
4. Choose Payment Getaways
Payment getaways let you receive payments through your website. There are different options to choose from, but some may prove to be better than others. Here are some of the factors to consider when selecting a payment gateway.
Transaction Fee
Different getaways charge different fees. Choose an option that won’t eat into your earnings by a lot. For beginners, it’s advisable to get a cheap option as you monitor your revenue. You can always upgrade to better plans later on.
Note that the Payment Gateway transaction fees are different from Shopify’s transaction fees. However, US and UK sellers can use Shopify payments to avoid the extra charges. Shopify Payments also let you monitor your money in real-time.
Offsite Checkout
Some payment getaways redirect customers to another page to make the payment from a different server. The customer will be directed back to your page after completing the payment.
Card Type
Check the type of credit cards accepted. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted, but a few getaways do not take American Express.PayPal payments are also becoming popular.
5. Add Your Domain Name
Before your store goes live, you’ll need to buy and add a domain name. You can buy the domain name from Shopify, which is easy and convenient, or go through 3rd party vendors. If you choose the latter, you’ll need to change the DNS records and point them to Shopify. The process is a bit technical, but you should be able to get it done with the help of a basic tutorial.
That’s it! Your shop is finally live. You can now start monitoring its performance and fulfilling your orders. Thanks to the tips stated above, you can finally have a credible way to do business online using a Shopify store.