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How Do I Sell on Shopify?

Selling on Shopify helps you turn your store into a successful e-commerce business by letting you set up an online store where you can list products, manage inventory, handle payments & shipping, & use digital marketing strategies to attract and retain customers.
By MarketBlast
How Do I Sell on Shopify?

 

Why Shopify is the Go-To Platform for E-Commerce

In today's digital age, having an online store is crucial for business success. Shopify, one of the world's leading e-commerce platforms, has made it easy for entrepreneurs, startups, and established businesses to sell products online with little technical expertise. However, for those who are new to Shopify, the question remains: How do I sell on Shopify?

Shopify offers an intuitive platform with all the tools you need to build, manage, and grow an online store. However, achieving success on Shopify requires more than just setting up a store—it involves thoughtful planning, strategic marketing, and continuous optimization to convert visitors into loyal customers. Whether you're selling handcrafted goods, digital products, or a full range of inventory, Shopify's flexibility and scalability make it a top choice for online sellers.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk through the entire process of selling on Shopify, from creating your store and listing products to driving traffic and managing your sales. Whether you're just starting or looking to grow your existing Shopify business, these steps will help you achieve e-commerce success.

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Step 1: Set Up Your Shopify Account

The first step to selling on Shopify is setting up your account. Shopify offers a straightforward, user-friendly process for beginners but robust enough for experienced sellers.

Sign Up for Shopify

Visit Shopify's website (shopify.com) and sign up for a free 14-day trial. During the sign-up process, Shopify will ask for basic information, such as your email address, password, and store name. Your store name will become part of your Shopify URL, but you can also purchase a custom domain later.

Choose Your Shopify Plan

Shopify offers several pricing tiers depending on your needs:

  • Basic Shopify: Best for beginners, this plan provides all the necessary features to start selling, including unlimited product listings and support for two staff accounts.
  • Shopify Plan: This mid-tier option is ideal for growing businesses. It offers more advanced reporting features and support for five staff accounts.
  • Advanced Shopify: This plan is tailored for businesses looking to scale and offers advanced features like detailed reporting, third-party shipping rates, and support for up to 15 staff accounts.

Evaluate the features of each plan based on your business needs and goals. You can start with the Basic plan and upgrade as your store grows.

Choose a Domain Name

Your domain name is how customers will find you online, so it should be memorable, relevant, and easy to type. Shopify offers the option to purchase a custom domain directly through their platform or connect a domain you've purchased elsewhere. A custom domain adds professionalism to your store and helps establish your brand.

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Step 2: Customize Your Shopify Store

After setting up your account, it's time to design and customize your Shopify store. Shopify provides a variety of tools to help you create a visually appealing and functional website without needing any coding skills.

Choose a Theme

Shopify offers a wide selection of free and premium themes that you can use to build your store's design. Choose a theme that aligns with your brand and products. Free themes are a great starting point, but premium themes (available for a one-time fee) often come with more customization options and advanced features.

You can browse and install themes from the Shopify Theme Store. Once you've chosen a theme, you can customize it to suit your brand by changing fonts, colors, layouts, and adding custom banners.

Customize Your Store's Layout

Once your theme is installed, use Shopify's drag-and-drop editor to customize your website's layout. You can add sections such as image galleries, product collections, or featured products to your homepage. Make sure your navigation is intuitive so customers can easily find the products they're looking for.

To enhance your brand, upload your logo, add a custom favicon (the small icon in the browser tab), and adjust the color scheme to match your brand identity.

Add Essential Pages

Every Shopify store needs essential pages that provide important information to customers. Make sure to create and customize the following pages:

  • Home Page: This is the first page customers will see, so make it engaging. Highlight featured products, promotions, or best sellers.
  • About Us Page: Share the story behind your business, your mission, and what sets you apart. Customers appreciate authenticity, so use this page to connect on a personal level.
  • Contact Page: Add a contact form, email address, and/or phone number to make it easy for customers to reach you.
  • Shipping and Returns Page: Clearly outline your shipping policies, delivery times, and return process. Transparency builds trust.
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Service: These pages are necessary to ensure your customers understand how their data will be handled and to protect your business legally.

 

Step 3: Add Products to Your Shopify Store

Once your store's design is in place, you're ready to start listing your products. Shopify makes it easy to upload products, add descriptions, and organize them into collections.

Create Product Listings

Go to your Shopify dashboard and navigate to the Products section. Click Add Product to create a new product listing. Each product listing should include:

  • Product Title: Choose a clear and concise title that reflects what the product is.
  • Product Description: Write a detailed description highlighting the product's key features, benefits, and unique selling points. Use engaging language to appeal to your audience and answer common questions.
  • Product Images: Upload high-quality images that show the product from multiple angles. Shopify allows you to upload multiple images, so take advantage of this to showcase your products in the best light. If possible, include lifestyle images or videos to help customers visualize the product in real-life settings.
  • Product Pricing: Set your price and, if applicable, the "compare at" price to indicate a sale. Consider your profit margins when setting prices.
  • Inventory Management: Shopify allows you to track inventory automatically. Set stock levels and SKU numbers and decide whether or not to continue selling products when they're out of stock.
  • Shipping Information: Enter the product's weight and any relevant shipping details. If you're selling physical goods, Shopify will use this information to calculate shipping rates at checkout.


Organize Products into Collections

If you sell a variety of products, organizing them into collections makes it easier for customers to browse. For example, you could create collections for seasonal items, product categories (like shirts, pants, and accessories), or new arrivals. Collections also allow you to feature specific groups of products on your homepage or in special promotions.

 


Step 4: Set Up Payments, Taxes, and Shipping

Before your store goes live, you need to set up your payment, tax, and shipping options. Shopify makes it easy to handle these logistics directly from the platform.

Choose Your Payment Gateway

Shopify offers its own payment processor, Shopify Payments, which is integrated into the platform and supports all major credit and debit cards. Shopify Payments is the easiest option to set up, and it eliminates transaction fees (though you'll still pay standard credit card processing fees).

You can also integrate other payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, or Authorize.net. To set up payments, go to Settings > Payments in your Shopify dashboard, choose your payment method, and follow the instructions to connect your account.

Set Up Tax Settings

Depending on your location and where you ship products, you'll need to charge taxes on your sales. Shopify can automatically calculate taxes for most regions, or you can set tax rates manually. To configure taxes, go to Settings > Taxes and input the tax rates for your region or country.

Configure Shipping Settings

Shipping can be a significant factor in customer satisfaction, so offering accurate rates and reliable shipping options is essential. Shopify allows you to set up shipping rates based on location, weight, or price. You can also offer free shipping for orders over a certain amount, which can incentivize customers to make larger purchases.

To configure shipping, go to Settings > Shipping in your Shopify dashboard. From here, you can set up shipping zones, rates, and carrier-calculated shipping if you're using carriers like UPS or USPS. If you plan to ship internationally, make sure to set up shipping rates for different countries.

 

Step 5: Launch and Market Your Shopify Store

With your products listed and your store settings configured, it's time to launch your Shopify store and start marketing to attract customers. Successful marketing is key to driving traffic and converting visitors into buyers.

Set Up Your Custom Domain

Before launching, make sure your domain is set up correctly. A custom domain (e.g., www.yourstorename.com) helps establish brand credibility and makes your store easy to find. You can purchase a domain directly through Shopify or connect a domain you already own.

Create a Launch Plan

Announcing your store's launch is an exciting milestone but requires careful planning. Here are some steps to ensure a successful launch:

  • Create a pre-launch buzz: Use social media, email newsletters, and blog posts to build anticipation before your launch. Offer sneak peeks of your products, behind-the-scenes content, or limited-time offers for early shoppers.
  • Run a promotion: To encourage sales during the launch period, consider offering a discount code, free shipping, or a special gift with purchase.
  • Send an email blast: If you have an email list, send a dedicated email announcing your store's launch and inviting subscribers to shop.


Utilize Digital Marketing Channels

Marketing your Shopify store effectively is essential to driving traffic and generating sales. Leverage a variety of digital marketing channels to reach your target audience:

  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Use relevant keywords to optimize your product listings, blog posts, and website for search engines. This helps increase organic traffic from search engines like Google.
  • Social Media Marketing: Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and TikTok are powerful tools for reaching your target audience. Share product photos, run contests, and use hashtags to engage followers. Shopify also integrates with Facebook and Instagram, allowing you to sell directly through social media.
  • Email Marketing: Build an email list and use it to nurture relationships with your customers. Send personalized offers, product recommendations, and updates about new arrivals. Shopify integrates with email marketing tools like Klaviyo and Mailchimp to automate your campaigns.
  • Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising: Consider running paid ads on Google, Facebook, or Instagram to target specific demographics and drive traffic to your store. PPC ads allow you to target shoppers based on their interests, behaviors, and search queries.


Leverage Shopify's Marketing Tools

Shopify provides built-in marketing tools to help you promote your store and track performance. Use Shopify's marketing dashboard to create discount codes, launch email campaigns, or set up Google Smart Shopping campaigns. Shopify's analytics tools also give you insight into key metrics such as website traffic, sales conversions, and customer behavior.

 

Step 6: Monitor and Grow Your Shopify Business

After your store is live, the work doesn't stop. Growing your Shopify business requires continuous optimization, customer engagement, and adaptation to changing market trends.

Monitor Analytics

Track your store's performance using Shopify's analytics dashboard. Key metrics to monitor include:

  • Traffic: Where are your visitors coming from (organic search, social media, paid ads)?
  • Conversion rate: How many visitors are converting into customers?
  • Average order value (AOV): How much are customers spending per order?
  • Customer lifetime value (CLV): How much revenue do customers generate over time?

By regularly reviewing these metrics, you can identify areas for improvement and optimize your store accordingly.


Engage with Customers

Customer retention is just as important as acquiring new customers. Focus on providing excellent customer service, responding to inquiries quickly, and offering easy returns or exchanges. Encouraging customer reviews and testimonials helps build trust and credibility.

Consider implementing a loyalty program or referral incentives to reward repeat customers and encourage them to recommend your store to others.

Expand Your Product Range

Once your store gains traction, consider expanding your product offerings. You can introduce complementary products, seasonal collections, or even digital products. Continuously test new ideas and use customer feedback to refine your product range.

 

Building a Thriving Shopify Store

Selling on Shopify offers tremendous potential for anyone looking to launch an e-commerce business, but success requires more than just setting up a store. By following these steps—defining your audience, optimizing your store design, strategically listing your products, and using effective marketing tactics—you'll be well on your way to building a thriving online business.

With Shopify's extensive tools, user-friendly interface, and scalability, you have everything you need to grow and adapt as your business evolves. Stay consistent, experiment with marketing strategies, and always keep customer experience at the forefront of your efforts. With dedication and the right approach, your Shopify store can become a powerful source of income and brand growth.

 


About MarketBlast®

Founded with the vision to transform the landscape for monetizing and commercializing innovative products and brands, MarketBlast® is the leading Product Hunt and Submission Management Platform connecting buyers and sellers across the globe. Since our inception, we have been dedicated to empowering small companies, startups, entrepreneurs and emerging brands to connect directly with industry companies and accelerate their own marketing and sales efforts to achieve lasting results.

At MarketBlast®, we believe that innovation thrives on collaboration. Our platform provides seamless access to a diverse network of companies, proprietary content marketing and advertising programs, and access to a wide range of resources designed to support the overall journey toward success.  

For more information on signing up for a premium membership or to start a content marketing campaign for your products, email info@marketblast.com or visit www.marketblast.com.   


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