A Beginner’s Guide to Launching an Online Store on Shopify
4 min read
In 2024, Shopify storefronts in India saw a 55% year-over-year increase. More than 85,000 stores in India are actively using Shopify to give their customers a smooth online shopping experience.
Shopify is an e-commerce solution that offers tools to create and manage online storefronts. It is a popular choice among business owners because it is easy to set up and use, gives you a variety of design options to customise your store website, is flexible enough to accommodate the needs of rapidly growing businesses, and provides many advanced features such as AI support and SEO tools. In this article, we discuss all the steps needed to set up a Shopify store for your online business.
Steps to Launch an Online Store on Shopify
Before setting up a store on Shopify, you need to identify your target audience and carefully select vendors for your products. You can then follow the steps below to create an online store on Shopify.
Step 1: Pick a unique name for your business and register on Shopify
The name of your business is its identity. It’s how your customers will recognise you and find you among your competitors. Carefully weigh the different names you have in mind and select one that matches your brand’s identity and is both memorable and descriptive. Once you have your name, you can register on Shopify. To do this, visit the Shopify website and start a 4-day free trial by providing your email ID. Answer the series of questions, then create a password and enter your Store Name.
Step 2: Pick a theme for your e-commerce store
The next step is to add a theme that matches your brand and the product you are selling. To select a theme on Shopify, navigate to your Shopify Admin>Theme page. You can choose a free theme or a paid one from the Shopify Theme Store.
Step 3: Design a logo for your brand
Your brand also needs a logo to represent it visually. A logo should be simple, attractive and memorable. You can use Shopify’s free logo maker to create a logo in just a few seconds. To upload this logo to Shopify, head to Admin>General>Brand Assets> Logo, and then upload the logo file.
Step 4: Set up relevant web pages
Your Shopify website needs essential pages like About Us, Contact Us and Terms and Conditions to build trust among your customers and provide them with all the information they need about your e-commerce store. To create a new page, navigate to Admin> Online Store> Pages and then click Add Page. Give the page a relevant title and add content.
Step 5: Add products to your store
Each product in your store needs a product title, description, price, SKU number, high-quality images and inventory information. After preparing these details, navigate to Admin> Products>Add Product and fill in all the details. You will also need to set up pricing information.
Step 6: Set up your online Shopify payment gateway
For payment options, you can choose from Shopify’s native payment processor or use third-party payment gateways like PhonePe Shopify Payment Gateway. To set up a payment gateway, navigate to Settings > Payments and set up Shopify Payments. Alternatively, click on Choose Third-Party Provider to integrate other payment gateways.
Step 7: Configure your shipping settings and rate
Next, you will need to configure your shipping settings, such as selecting shipping zones. You will also need to set shipping rates for different regions and types of products. You can add your shipping information by navigating to Settings > Shipping and Delivery > Manage Rates.
Step 8: Set up the billing information
After your free trial, you can choose from any of Shopify’s subscription plans based on your requirements. Shopify needs to bill you for these subscriptions to keep your online store up and running. In Settings > Billing, you need to provide your business details to create a proper billing setup and select a Shopify plan for your business.
Step 9: Launch your store
Once all the setup is complete, it’s time to launch your online store. Shopify websites are protected with a password during setup. To launch it, go to Online Store > Preferences and then uncheck the Password Protection. Review your website once more and then publish it to officially open for business.
Step 10: Market your store to expand your business
The final step is to attract customers and grow your brand. Some marketing strategies you can use for this include:
Now that you know how to create a digital storefront and set up a Shopify payment gateway, you can get started on your e-commerce venture. The most important aspect to consider is your choice of payment gateways. A good payment gateway offers customers a smooth and secure experience.
