A Guide How to Create an Online Shop | Sell on Shopify
To sell on Shopify is a good way to earn money on the site as an artist. In today’s digital age, starting an online shop has become more accessible than ever. Whether you are an artist, content creator or entrepreneur, an e-commerce store can be a game-changer. Among the many e-commerce platforms, Shopify stands out as a user-friendly and professional option. In this blogpost I will explain to you how you can create an online shop to sell on Shopify.
Table of Contents
Why Choose to sell on Shopify?
Before diving into the steps, let’s understand why Shopify is a preferred choice for many online entrepreneurs. In the past I created and tested a lot of different online shops and shop providers. I am super happy with Shopify. I use it to sell my art prints with a print on demand provider. If you want to read more about print on demand websites take a look here.
User-Friendly Interface and Customization:
Shopify provides you an easy drag-and drop interface, which makes it super accessible for beginners to sell on shopify without any technical skills. Even when it is super easy, you still have many possibilities to create your online shop as you wish and imagine. Shopify offers a wide range of customizable templates and themes, which makes it super easy to customize your online shop and to suit your brand’s aesthetics and functionality requirements.
Payment and Security:
Shopify integrates with multiple payment gateways, which makes it super easy for customers to make purchases and to sell on shopify. Shopify always makes sure that your customers’ data is safe.
For most people who are just starting out to sell on shopify, the first package should be more than enough. This package costs 36 € per month, which can be a lot for the beginning. But I would say that this is definitely worth it. In my opinion there is no better online shop builder out there that comes with so many helpful tools and features.
App Ecosystem:
Speaking about helpful features to sell on Shopify: The website hosts thousands of apps to enhance your store’s functionality, from marketing to inventory. You can add so many helpful tools to your online shop to get the best out of it. For example, as I mentioned earlier, I use Shopify to sell my art prints with a print on demand provider. I was able to just download the app from this provider and to connect everything with Shopify in just a minute.
Step to Step Introduction how to sell on Shopify
Now that you know why Shopify is a good option to create your online shop I will dive into a step to step introduction to show you exactly how you can sell on Shopify
Step 1: Sign Up for a Shopify Account to Sell on Shopify
Just follow this link to the website of Shopify here, to create an account. Click on the “start free trial” button, and you will be prompted to create an account. You only need to fill in your email address, password and store name.
Shopify will ask you a few questions about your business and what and why you want to sell on Shopify. This way they can already suggest a template and specific tools to you.
After that you need to provide your billing information. When you entered it, you will activate your Shopify account, but don’t worry, you won’t be charged yet, because they offer a free trial first.
Step 2: Choose a Domain Name
A super important step is to find a good domain name. If you are not using a hoster already and if you are super new in the business, you can buy a domain directly through Shopify, which makes it super easy. But if you already have on you can also connect the existing one to your account. Make sure that your domain name is relevant, memorizable and reflects your brand.
Step 3: Customize Your Online Store
Now we are coming to the most interesting part. Because I am an illustrator I always love to design something and to be creative. With Shopify you can let your creativity run wild. Browse through the Shopify Theme Store and choose a template that aligns with your brand. Install and customize it to suit your needs.
You can use the theme editor to adjust colors, fonts, and layout. Upload your logo and high-quality images of your products. Don’t forget to create essential pages such as the homepage, product pages, about us, contact, and the privacy policy and terms of conditions pages, which are super important for an online shop.
If you want to learn more about Online Shops and Print on Demand Systems, click here.
Step 4: Configure your Settings to Sell on Shopify
Besides the fun design part there is another point which is sometimes difficult at the beginning, but absolutely necessary for the success of your online shop. Here is a quick overview of the points you need to take care of:
General Settings: Configure your store’s name, address, currency, and time zone.
Payment Settings: Set up your preferred payment options. Shopify offers multiple options, including credit card payments, PayPal, and more.
Shipping Settings: Define your shipping rates, regions, and options. Shopify offers tools to help with calculating shipping costs.
Tax Settings: Set up tax rates based on your business location and customer location.
Step 5: Add Your Products
Now a fun part again: add products you want to sell on Shopify. You have multiple options to upload your products. You can add all products manually and provide details like title, description, price, and images.
Or you can import a large product catalog as a CSV file, if you already have that. Like that you can upload many products in bulk.
In my case I upload my products on the Print on Demand provider, for example Printify, and they are automatically imported and connected with my Shopify Shop. When someone orders from my Shopify Shop, Printify automatically receives this order and prints my art print and sends it to the customer.
You can organize your products by creating collections and categories to make the navigation easier to your customers.
Step 6: Set Up Your Online Store Navigation
To help your customers to find everything that you offer, you should create a clear menu. Like that they can find products and essential pages easily.
Don’t forget to configure a footer, where you include all the most important pages just like privacy policy, terms of conditions, shipping, return and FAQs. That is not only better for your customers, to have all important information, it is also mandatory to create an Online Shop.
Step 7: Install Essential Apps to sell on Shopify
Take a look at the Shopify App Store to find apps that can enhance your store’s functionality. Consider apps for SEO optimization, email marketing, and social media integration. You can also find the app Printify in the App Store to connect your Print on Demand provider with your Online Shop to easily sell on Shopify.
Step 8: Set Up Analytics and SEO
Google Analytics: Integrate Google Analytics to track your website’s performance, user behavior, and conversions.
SEO Optimization: Optimize your product listings and content for search engines to improve your store’s visibility. Use descriptive product titles, meta descriptions, and alt tags for images.
Step 9: Test Your Store
It is super important that you test your store before you sell on Shopify. You don’t want someone to buy anything and then the shipping doesn’t work and you already earn a bad review, which would be the worst for your online shop.
Before launching, preview your store to ensure everything looks and works as intended. Test the shopping cart and checkout process.
Don’t forget that most users nowadays use their phones to shop for something. That is why mobile responsiveness is super important. Verify that your store is mobile-friendly and that the customers can see everything perfectly.
Step 10: Launch Your Store
Remove Password: If you set a password during the setup phase, remove it to make your store accessible to the public.
Announce Your Launch: Use your social media channels and email list to announce your store’s launch. Offer promotions to attract your first customers.
Step 11: Manage and Promote Your Store
Now that you have done all the steps, the work is not completely done yet. To sell on Shopify successfully, you need to work constantly on your store. Regularly update and manage your inventory. For this you can also find tools and help on Shopify.
Implement marketing strategies like email marketing, content marketing and paid advertising to drive traffic and sales.
Ensure good support for your customers. Engage with your customers through various channels, including live chat and email and make sure that you always help when there are any questions.
Continuously monitor your store’s performance using Shopify’s built-in analytics and make adjustments based on customer feedback and sales data.
Conclusion: How to sell on Shopify
Congratulations! You’ve now successfully created and launched your online shop and you are ready to sell on Shopify. Remember that building a successful e-commerce business takes time and effort. Stay committed, adapt to changing trends, and keep your customers at the center of your business strategy.
In conclusion, Shopify offers an excellent platform for entrepreneurs and businesses looking to establish an online presence. With its user-friendly interface, customization options, and app ecosystem, you have the tools you need to create a thriving online store. So, roll up your sleeves, follow these steps, and start turning your e-commerce dreams into reality with Shopify!