Home > Articles > Selling Shopify Services | A Full Guideline To Online Merchants

Selling Shopify Services | A Full Guideline To Online Merchants

November 30, 2023
Written and researched by experts at AvadaLearn more about our methodology

By Sam Nguyen

CEO Avada Commerce

Meta Description: Investigate how to sell shopify services from scratch. Explore everything you need to start selling services on this famous platform.

shopify services

Shopify can be used to sell not just physical products but also virtual products and services. This article provides an overview of selling Shopify services and setting up a service store on this platform.

Key Takeaways

  • Shopify offers merchants a platform to sell physical and non-physical products, including services. It provides a versatile solution for online businesses.
  • Creating an attractive and compelling product description is essential when selling services on Shopify. Highlight the value, benefits, and outcomes customers can expect from using your service.

What kinds of services to sell on Shopify?

shopify services

As previously mentioned, Shopify provides a platform where individuals can sell various products and services. Here are a few examples of services that can be effectively showcased through a Shopify online store:

  • Appointment Booking: While it’s common for service-based businesses like spas, hair salons, and medical clinics to offer online appointment booking, even clothing and jewelry shops have started incorporating this feature to enhance customer engagement.
  • Consultations: This service spans various industries, including business (financial or legal consultations), healthcare, education (training or guidance), and more.
  • Event Support: Businesses providing services such as food catering for events, party planning, or equipment supply for sports events can benefit from an online store to attract potential customers.
  • Classes, Lessons, and Courses: With the popularity of online learning, you can offer various classes, lessons, or courses through your online store. Platforms like MasterClass or Skillshare are examples of successful players in this field.
  • Home Services: Services like cleaning, gardening, pet care, and others can be efficiently promoted through an online store, allowing customers to book and schedule these services quickly.

By selling Shopify services, you can effectively showcase and market your services, reaching a broader audience and expanding your business opportunities.

How to set up a Shopify Service Store?

Sample themes

There are many ways to discover a suitable theme for your service-based Shopify store. You can explore the Shopify Theme Store or browse theme marketplaces like MOJO or Themeforest for options. Alternatively, we have curated five Shopify themes below that are well-suited for service-oriented businesses, encompassing both free and paid options:

  • Brooklyn:
shopify services

Brooklyn is an excellent choice for a service-based Shopify store as it offers ample space for showcasing large imagery and custom content to describe your services visually. You can also incorporate videos from platforms like YouTube or Vimeo on the homepage to educate visitors about your business.

  • Venture:
shopify services

Venture provides a slideshow and promotion banner, allowing you to display multiple brand images with compelling headings to capture people’s attention and generate interest in your services.

  • Hygene:

If you operate a cleaning service, Hygene is an ideal theme choice. It lets you showcase various services with special discounts directly on the homepage.

  • Garden Center:
shopify services

Garden Center is a “green” theme suitable for landscaping services or businesses selling gardening equipment. The theme provides several content sections on the homepage, allowing you to feature prominent images and blog article previews, enhancing the visual storytelling aspect of your services.

  • PetFood:
shopify services

PetFood is a friendly theme designed for pet lovers and serves as an excellent web layout for pet care services. Considering these themes, you can enhance your Shopify service store’s visual appeal and functionality, attracting and engaging customers effectively.

Setting up Shopify Service Store | Step-by-Step guide (5 steps_

Now that you have selected a theme, consider setting up your service-based online store.

Step 1: Add your services as products on Shopify

This initial step is crucial as it will make it easier to build your homepage later, which will showcase your services. Add your services as regular products, including descriptions and images.

Go to Products > Add product > Modify the title description, and add media.

Display captivating photos of your services and provide detailed descriptions with valuable information to attract customers. Remember to uncheck the “This is a physical product” box in the “Shipping” section.

shopify services

Step 2: Using variants and third-party apps to customize your service

If you offer courses, consider the different types of lessons you can provide. If you run a hair salon or spa, determine specific appointment times and customer service options.

You can likely think of various variations, and Shopify allows you to create and manage them easily.

Flexibility is vital for a service-based Shopify business. Customers appreciate unique offerings and may have specific requests. Installing an app can help meet their needs. For instance, you can use the Product Personalizer by Zepto to add fields or form boxes in the product details to accommodate custom requests.

shopify services

Step 3: Build a compelling homepage

When selling services on Shopify, it’s crucial to have an immediately convincing homepage. It should be responsive and user-friendly, emphasizing the value customers can gain from a glance.

Testimonials or reviews on the homepage can reinforce customer trust. After reading about your services, customers want to see previous outcomes and determine if investing in your offerings is worth it.

Step 4: Get an attractive ‘about us page

The ‘About Us’ page is an opportunity to showcase your business’s story. Provide additional information about your company, allowing people to learn and understand your missions and values.

Incorporate helpful text, images, and team members’ photos with brief descriptions to create a genuine and friendly atmosphere in your store.

To customize the ‘About Us’ page, consider using a page builder app like PageFly. It offers a variety of templates and drag-and-drop tools on a simple and clean interface, making it easy to create an exciting and responsive ‘About Us’ page.

Step 5: Check your store on mobile

With over 60% of internet users accessing shopping apps on mobile devices, optimizing your website for mobile is vital. Check the loading speed and ensure your site is responsive. Take advantage of the vast potential customer base that prefers shopping via mobile devices.

Following these steps, you can create a captivating and user-friendly Shopify service store, maximizing your sales potential with desktop and mobile customers.

Available options to sell Services on Shopify 

Sell service as a product

shopify services

On Shopify, you can add your service as a product, but remember to uncheck the box labeled “this is a physical product” in the “Shipping” section.

When crafting the “product description,” you should focus on showcasing the value of your service. Highlight the benefits and outcomes that customers will experience during and after utilizing your service.

Since you are selling promises, it’s crucial to have a compelling description that influencing customers’ decision-making process. Customers will use your service when they recognize the potential value that aligns with their needs and desires.

Set options to personalize the booking experience

Including variants and custom requests is essential and should be noticed. The flexibility of your service is a key factor that attracts customers. You can offer various booking times, locations, and service types to cater to their needs.

Additionally, you can assign specific prices to each variant. For instance, if you offer two training lessons, such as 60-minute ($65) and 90-minute ($75) courses, you can configure the price to adjust dynamically on the product page based on the user’s selection.

Furthermore, it’s important to note that you can incorporate additional fields and forms to accommodate custom requests from customers. This allows them to provide specific details or preferences when making their purchase.

Make use of booking apps

shopify services

Alternatively, another popular app you can consider is the Form Builder App by POWR.io. This app enables you to create various forms, such as order and wholesale quote forms. The best part is that it offers a free plan, so you won’t have to worry about monthly charges for your store.

A quick search on the Shopify App Store reveals several options regarding appointment booking apps. Here are a few recommendations:

  • Booking App by Webkul: This app allows you to create flexible booking schedules and provides easy management for administrators and customers when rescheduling and cancellations.
  • Tipo Appointment Booking: This free app enables clients to book courses, sports activities, services, and more with round-the-clock availability.
  • Sesami: Appointment Booking: This app offers a seamless booking experience across all devices supported by Shopify, including web, apps, and point-of-sale (POS) systems. It also provides a free plan.

By exploring these apps, you can enhance the functionality of your Shopify services store and provide a smooth and convenient booking experience for your customers.

Shopify Service Store Examples

Eat Well Nashville

shopify services

Eat Well Nashville is an online Shopify store specializing in food delivery and catering services. With a selection of seasonal dishes, customers can easily browse the menu and place their orders for convenient delivery to their doorstep every Sunday or Monday.

Engine Studios

shopify services

Engine Studios is a web service company specializing in website development and offering eCommerce consultation services. They have an extensive portfolio, having worked with renowned brands such as DHL, MTV, and FOX International Channel.

Fitzroy

shopify services

Fitzroy is a rental service allowing individuals to rent dresses from regular and designer brands for specific durations. On their product pages, customers have various options, including sizes, rental duration, and preferred dress delivery dates. Fitzroy offers a wide range of variants to cater to different customer preferences.

Bottom line

As demonstrated, selling services on Shopify is entirely feasible and can benefit individuals who understand how to leverage its capabilities.

If you’re considering launching your Shopify services, it’s worth exploring the option of setting up a store on Shopify or migrating your existing store to the platform. This will allow you to experience the features and benefits firsthand, enabling you to decide whether to continue running your service store using this robust eCommerce solution.


Sam Nguyen is the CEO and founder of Avada Commerce, an e-commerce solution provider headquartered in Singapore. He is an expert on the Shopify e-commerce platform for online stores and retail point-of-sale systems. Sam loves talking about e-commerce and he aims to help over a million online businesses grow and thrive.