How to Start a Shopify Store in 2024: A step-by-step guide

Starting an online store can feel like a big challenge, especially with so much information out there. In this article, we’ll go through the basic steps of how to start a Shopify Store, along with related tips to make the process simple and approachable for newbies.

Make sure to read till the end so you'll have everything you need to confidently launch your Shopify store and start selling.

Things to consider before starting a Shopify store

Starting a Shopify store can be exciting, but there are a few important things you need to think through before diving in. I’m going to share some of the key considerations that will help you get off to a strong start and avoid common mistakes when you try to create a Shopify store:

• Define Your Niche and Audience: Take the time to pick a niche that you’re genuinely interested in because it makes connecting with your audience easier and running the store more enjoyable.
• Research Competitors: Don’t just look at what they do right—find their weaknesses and figure out how you can do better so your store stands out in the market.
• Set a Budget: It’s easy to overspend, so decide early on what’s essential and what you can hold off on until you start making sales; a clear budget keeps you on track.
• Pick the Right Shopify Plan: Start small and keep costs low at first; you can always upgrade to a bigger plan once your sales justify it.
• Create a Brand Identity: Consistency is key—use the same style and colors everywhere so people recognize your brand easily, which helps build trust and loyalty.
• Optimize for SEO: Make sure to use relevant keywords, but keep it natural. I’ve learned that stuffing keywords can hurt more than it helps in the long run.
• Plan Your Product Strategy: Consider your resources and skills—if managing stock sounds overwhelming, dropshipping might be the best option to keep things simple.
• Prepare a Marketing Plan: Focus on where your audience hangs out most—don’t try to do it all. It’s better to be great at one or two platforms than mediocre at many.
• Set Up Customer Service: Always be responsive and friendly; in my experience, good customer service can turn even a small issue into a chance to create loyal customers.
• Review Payment and Shipping Options: Think about your customers’ preferences—offering multiple payment and shipping choices makes checkout easier and improves conversion rates.

How to start a Shopify store in 9 steps

Starting a Shopify store can feel like a big leap, especially when you’re not sure where to begin or what steps to take. I’m going to walk you through how to launch a Shopify store in 9 steps, breaking it down in a simple way so you can get your business up and running without feeling overwhelmed:

Step 1: Sign Up Your Shopify Account

Go to the free trial page to sign up for a Shopify account. Click the 'Start free trial' button and follow the directions. You'll need to provide some basic information, such as a valid email address, a password, and your store name.

When you establish your first Shopify account, you must correctly answer the questions in order to receive store-building support from the platform. Following that, you will be prompted to name your Shopify store.

Then, it’ll ask you to sign up, choose the proper signup method you want, and set up the location of your store. Here, I’ll choose to sign up with Google. 

Then Shopify will give you the pricing plan; in this case, I’ll choose Skip, and I’ll decide later.

Shopify will then set up your store. This process usually takes a moment. Once it finishes, you should see the Shopify Dashboard.

That is how to launch a shopify store. Remember, the trial will last for 3 days, so make sure to try as many functions as possible. Below is the video of how to start a store on Shopify:

Step 2: Add Products to Your Store

From your Shopify admin, go to Products. From the Products page, click Add product.

Enter a title for your product, along with any additional details that you want to add. Click Save.

Remember to optimize your product descriptions for SEO by using relevant keywords. This will help potential customers find your products when searching online.

Step 3: Organize The Products in The Collection

From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Collections. Click the name of the collection that you want to update. Or you can create a new collection. Here, I’ll create a new one.  So, I’ll choose the Create Collection.

On the collection details page, enter a new title or a new description. At this step, you need to pay special attention to the Collection Type:

• A manual collection only includes the goods you select separately. As a result, the collection will always include the same goods until you manually add or delete them.
• An automated collection includes matching goods based on selection circumstances. You may specify up to 60 selection criteria. You may optionally indicate whether the goods must fulfill all or any of the parameters to be included in the collection.

After setting, Click Save.

Step 4: Choose a Theme

When exploring themes in the Shopify Theme Store, utilize the drop-down options at the top of the page to sort them by collection or industry. Here are the steps to choosing a theme: 

Go to the Shopify Theme Store. At the top of the page, click Collections or All themes > Industry, and then select a category. 

To refine your search results, use the filters on the sidebar menu. In this case, I’ll choose the Dawn theme. Then, I’ll click the Try theme.

Shopify will then create a new store; this process will take a moment. You’ll be navigated to the Shopify dashboard, where you can choose Customize to edit the theme. 

Each theme will have different setup options, so make sure to design the theme to align with your brand.

Step 5: Configure Payment Gateways

From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Payments.

Activate Shopify Payments in one of the following ways:

• If you HAVE NOT already set up a credit card payment provider in your Shopify account, go to the Payments section and select Complete account setup.
• If you HAVE a different credit card payment provider enabled, click Activate Shopify Payments in the Shopify Payments box, followed by Activate Shopify Payments in the dialog. This will eliminate any other credit card payment providers from your account.

Enter the necessary information about your shop. If you are eligible, a Shopify Balance account will be established for you. Otherwise, you will be required to input your bank details.

• Depending on your country and eligibility for Shopify Balance, you must additionally enable two-factor authentication for your store.

Then, you can click Save. 

Step 6: Set Up Shipping Settings

From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Shipping and delivery.

In the General shipping rates section, click the New profile.

For each shipping zone that you want in your shipping profile, complete the following steps:

• Create a name for the shipping profile.
• Add products to the shipping zone.
• In the Shipping zones section, choose Add shipping zone. Choose the nations or areas that are part of the zone, then click Done.
• For each shipping rate you wish to include in the zone, click Add rate, enter the rate's parameters, and click Done.

Don’t forget to hit Save at the end.

Step 7: Add Essential Pages

From your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Pages > Click Add page.

Now, you need to provide a title and content for the page. Remember to choose a descriptive and clear page title. Your page title appears in the tab or title bar of browsers, as well as in search results.

In the Visibility section, specify when the page should be published. When you click Save, your new page appears by default. When you want your new page to be hidden from your online store, select the Hidden option; otherwise, click Set a specific publish date to decide when it is published.

Click Save to finish the process.

Step 8: Manage Sale Taxes

From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Taxes and duties.

In the Countries/regions section, click your region.

In the Sales tax section, do the following:

• Add the region and Sales tax ID of that region
• Add Shipping and Product overrides with the percentage

Step 9: Optimize Your Store for SEO

Building a brand takes time and effort, especially when you’re just starting out with Shopify. Make sure your site is optimized for search engines to help it rank better on Google. There are several things you can do, like getting backlinks from other websites, optimizing your page titles with the right keywords, and making your product descriptions and image alt text SEO-friendly. 

Also, remember to disable password protection so that everyone can access your store. Go to “Online Stores” > “Preferences.” And then, uncheck the enable password. Lastly, save all the changes you have just made. 

How much does it cost to start a Shopify Store?

The cost to start a Shopify store can vary, but at a basic level, you’ll need at least $39/month for the Shopify Basic plan.

Currently, Shopify pricing plans include 4 main options for you to create a Shopify store:

• Basic: $39/ month
• Standard: $105/ month
• Advanced: $399 /month
• Basic: $2300 /month

On top of that, you should budget for things like domain registration (around $10-$15/year), themes (free to $200+), and any paid apps you need, which can add anywhere from a few bucks to hundreds each month depending on what features you want. It’s all about starting small and scaling up as your store grows.

Overall, you should only focus and charge the fees that you require at first to build your store without wasting too much money on something you do not really need right now.

How to start a Shopify store with no money?

Opening a Shopify store with no money can feel impossible, especially when you think about all the upfront costs. But there are ways to make it work, and I’m going to show you how to get started with the open online store on Shopify without breaking the bank:

• Start with Shopify’s Free Trial: Shopify offers a 3-day free trial, giving you time to set up and test your store before paying for a plan. It’s a great way to explore how to start a store on Shopify without upfront costs.

• Use Free Themes and Apps: Shopify has free themes that look professional and are mobile-friendly. Begin with these to create a Shopify store that’s simple but effective.
• Choose Dropshipping or Print-on-Demand: Avoid inventory costs by using dropshipping or print-on-demand services. You pay only when a customer orders, making it a cost-effective way to open an online store without stock or shipping expenses.
• Leverage Social Media for Marketing: Instead of paid ads, use social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest to promote your store for free. Engaging content can attract your first customers without needing a marketing budget.
• Stick with Shopify Payments: Avoid transaction fees from third-party payment processors by sticking to Shopify Payments, which helps keep your initial costs lower.

Tips for starting your first Shopify store

Taking the time to set things up well from the start will make a world of difference as you work to open an online store that attracts and keeps customers. Here are some practical tips I’ve learned along my first online store building experience that can help make your launch smoother and more successful:

• Start with a Clear Plan: Take the time to nail down your product and target audience; in my experience, having a clear direction makes everything else—like marketing and design—much easier.
• Choose the Right Shopify Plan: Start small with the plan that fits your needs now, and don’t rush into upgrading until you’re sure your store can handle more; growing step by step worked well for me.
• Focus on Branding from the Start: Consistency is key—stick to your colors, tone, and logo everywhere; I found that even little things like matching social media posts with my store colors made my brand more recognizable.
• Use Quality Images and Descriptions: Don’t underestimate the power of good visuals and detailed descriptions; they make your products more appealing, and I’ve noticed customers are more likely to buy when they get a clear sense of what they’re getting.
• Enable Multiple Payment Options: Offering multiple payment methods has definitely helped me avoid losing customers during checkout—people like having a choice, so it’s worth adding the most popular options.
• Offer Responsive Customer Support: The faster you can reply, the better; when I respond quickly, even a small issue can turn into a positive review and repeat sales, which is great for building loyalty.

FAQs

Is Shopify worth it for beginners?

Yes, Shopify is a great choice for beginners. It’s a powerful e-commerce platform that makes it easy to start a store on Shopify and manage it effectively.

Can you start selling on Shopify for free?

Shopify offers a 3-day free trial. During this period, you can create your online store, add products, and explore Shopify’s features. After the trial, select a paid plan that best suits your business needs.

What is the minimum amount to start Shopify?

There’s no fixed minimum to start with Shopify. You can begin with a low budget or low plan. However, additional costs like a custom domain (for branding) and marketing expenses may come up as you grow.

How much can I earn with Shopify as a beginner?

Earnings depend on various factors, including your niche, product selection, and marketing efforts. Success in launching and growing a Shopify store varies based on these elements.

Final words

This article provided a detailed step-by-step guide on how to start a Shopify store in 2024, covering everything from setup to launching your first product. Now that you have a solid understanding, take action by following each step carefully, and don't be afraid to experiment as you build your store—learning as you go is part of the journey!

Related posts:

• How Many Products/Items Should You Start With on Shopify?
• Shopify Domain Checker: Find Your Perfect Domain Name
• How to Find Products to Sell Online?
• Building A 6-Figure Shopify Store