Build your first Shopify store step by step

So, you’re ready to build your first Shopify store. I get it – the thought of setting up an online store can be a bit intimidating, especially with all the technical details involved.

But here’s the thing: Shopify makes it surprisingly easy to get your store up and running, even if you’ve never done anything like this before. No coding, no headaches.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the entire process of setting up your Shopify store, step by step. By the time you’re done reading, you’ll have a fully functional store that’s ready to start selling. We’ll cover everything from setting up an account to launching your first sale.

How to set up your first Shopify store: A beginner’s guide

Before we start picking themes or figuring out payment gateways, let’s get your Shopify store up and running. Don’t worry; this is the easy part.

Follow these steps and you’ll have a solid foundation to build upon:

Step #1: Create your Shopify account

Head over to Shopify and click the Start Free Trial button in the menu.

You’ll be asked for basic information like your email address, store name, and password. The Shopify wizard makes it super easy – just follow the prompts and you'll be all set up in a few minutes.

Here's a quick look at what you can expect to see in the Shopify setup wizard:

Pro Tip: Choose a store name that’s memorable and reflects your brand. While Shopify does let you change it later, this will be your store’s identity for now.

Step #2: Choose your plan

Once you’ve set up your account, Shopify will ask you to choose a plan. If you’re just starting out, the Basic plan is a great option. It offers all the essential features you need to get your store live.

You'll have 3 days to explore Shopify for free, so use that time to get everything set up before you commit to a paid plan. All plans are $1 for the first month and, after that, you’ll be charged the full price. That’s plenty of time to get everything sorted.

Step #3: Set up your store preferences

Next, you’ll be redirected to your Shopify store’s back-end. From here, you can customize your store’s settings.

The Setup guide gives you quick links to define the basics:

• Add your first product. You can set up your first product or start with a sample product. Not sure what to sell? Read our list of the best products to sell on Shopify.
• Design your online store. Enter some keywords to generate custom themes or browse premade themes.
• Add a custom domain. I recommend adding a custom domain to make it easier for customers to find your online store.
• Set up Shopify Payments. This is important so you can start getting paid for your sales.
• Name your store. Enter your store’s name here.
• Confirm your shipping rates. Review shipping rates that have been set based on your location.
• Pick a plan. Once you’ve tried out Shopify, you can pick which paid plan to go with from here.

Don’t worry if you're not sure about everything now as you can always change these settings later.

Step #4: Set up your domain

Your Shopify store comes with a free myshopify.com domain. My domain at this time is quh8uv-ve.myshopify.com which, truthfully, isn’t a very good domain name.

For a professional look, you'll want to buy a custom domain (e.g. something like www.KitesByKatie.com).

You can purchase one directly through Shopify or connect an existing domain. Custom domains are key to building trust with customers, so don’t skip this step!

Design your professional store with themes and customization

You probably hear this all the time but: your store’s design is crucial.

After all, the look and feel of your store can make or break your brand’s credibility. Lucky for you, Shopify makes design straightforward. Whether you’re a design pro or a total noob, Shopify has tons of options – free and paid – for you.

Step #1: Choose a Theme

Shopify offers a wide selection of free and paid themes. You’ll want a theme that’s professional, clean, and fits your niche.

Here’s my two cents on how to pick a solid theme for your ecommerce store:

• Go to the Shopify Theme Store and browse themes by industry (e.g. Toys and games, Electronics, Outdoor and garden, etc…).
• If you’re unsure, start with a free theme. Just tick the Free checkbox in the Price filter options. Some of the best free options include Craft and Origin.
• Paid themes are more customizable and come with additional features, but they can cost anywhere from $100 to $500. This is worth it if you want something unique, but if you’re just starting out, the free themes are great.

Once you pick a theme, you can view a demo store or click Try Theme to get started. Shopify will automatically add it to your store.

And here’s what the demo looks like:

Step #2: Customize Your Theme

Now comes the fun part — customization. Don’t worry. Shopify’s theme editor is intuitive, so you won’t need prior design experience to customize your site.

Click the Customize theme button to get started.

You can add new sections to your homepage and adjust many on-site elements like:

• Colors. Match your brand’s colors for consistency.
• Fonts. Choose fonts that are legible and match your brand’s vibe.
• Layout. Edit sections like your homepage, product pages, and footer.
• Logo. Upload your logo or use Shopify’s free logo maker if you don’t have one yet.

Step #3: Add Essential Pages

Your store needs more than just a homepage. Here are some basic pages you’ll want to create:

• About Us. Tell customers who you are and why you’re in business.
• Contact Us. Add a contact form or email address to let customers get in touch with you.
• Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. These are critical for building trust and are legally required in some regions.

Shopify also offers easy ways to add these pages. Head over to Online Store → Pages from the back-end and click the Add Page button.

Enter basic page details and click the Save button to proceed.

Master product management: Adding and organizing your inventory

Now that your store looks good, it’s time to add products to it.

This is where the magic happens.

Step #1: Add your products

Adding products is pretty simple with Shopify.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Go to Products from the back-end and click the Add Product button.
2. Enter your product title, description, and images.
3. Set the price and SKU. If you have variants (e.g. different sizes or colors), you can set those here, as well.
4. Choose whether your product is taxable, and enter the product weight if you’re offering physical products. This is crucial for calculating shipping rates.
5. Click the Save button to add the product to your store.

Step #2: Organize your inventory

You don’t just want your products scattered everywhere; they need to be organized. Shopify makes inventory management easy with several built-in tools:

• Collections. Group products based on type, season, or sale.
• Tags. Use tags to help customers filter and search for products.
• Stock Tracking. Shopify can track your inventory in real-time. Set up low-stock alerts to avoid running out of popular items.

By keeping your inventory organized and up-to-date, you ensure a smooth shopping experience for your customers and maintain efficient stock management.

Step #3: Add product variants

If your product comes in different sizes, colors, or materials, you can add variants. Product variants allow you to offer customers a variety of choices without creating separate product listings for each option.

Shopify allows you to customize each variant with a price, SKU, and inventory level. This helps customers easily choose the right option when shopping.

Here’s how you can effectively set up and manage product variants:

• Customize each variant. Shopify allows you to create unique variants for products, such as different sizes, colors, materials, or patterns. Each variant can have its own price, SKU, weight, and inventory. This gives you the flexibility to manage them separately.
• Track inventory for each variant. Shopify helps you manage stock levels for each variant, preventing overselling. You can track inventory separately and set up alerts for low stock, ensuring you're always aware of which product variant needs to be restocked.
• Easier shopping experience for customers. Variants improve the shopping experience by allowing customers to easily select options (like size or color) on a single product page. This effectively reduces the need for searching through multiple listings.

By adding product variants, you make it easier for customers to find exactly what they want, while also simplifying your inventory management. Whether you sell clothes, toys, electronics, or home decor, offering variants ensures that your store can accommodate a wide range of customer preferences without creating unnecessary complexity.

Set up your store operations: Shipping, taxes, and payments

By now your store should start taking shape. This section covers shipping, taxes, and payment settings – the backbone of your store’s operations.

Step #1: Set up shipping

Shipping can be one of the trickiest parts of running an online store, but Shopify makes it simple.

Go to Settings → Shipping and delivery to set up your shipping zones and rates:

• Shipping zones. Set up rates based on weight or price.
• International shipping. Define which countries you’ll ship to and set global shipping rates.
• Carrier Calculated Shipping. Shopify can integrate with major carriers (e.g. USPS, UPS) to provide real-time shipping rates at checkout.

Step #2: Configure Taxes

Shopify automatically calculates taxes for most countries. However, you’ll need to confirm your tax settings based on your location. You can do this under Settings → Taxes and duties.

If you're selling internationally, make sure you understand the tax rules in each country, as some require tax registration and collection.

Shopify can help you with that, but you may need professional advice for more complex tax needs. You can integrate paid apps like Avalara Tax Compliance and Vertex Tax & Compliance to get started.

Step #3: Set Up Payments

Shopify makes it easy to accept payments by integrating with various payment providers.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Go to Settings → Payments.
2. Choose Shopify Payments if it’s available in your region (this offers the lowest fees).
3. Alternatively, set up third-party payment gateways like PayPal or Stripe.
4. Add your business’s bank account details to receive payments.

Once you’ve set up payments, test the checkout process to make sure everything works smoothly.

Compare ecommerce platforms and launch your store

At this point, your Shopify store is nearly ready for launch. But before you go live, let’s quickly compare Shopify with other platforms like WooCommerce to ensure you’re making the right choice.

Shopify vs WooCommerce

• Ease of use. Shopify is incredibly user-friendly, offering an all-in-one solution with hosting, security, and payment processing. WooCommerce is a plugin for WordPress, meaning you need to manage hosting and security separately.
• Customization. Shopify has a range of themes and apps to add features. WooCommerce offers more flexibility, but you’ll need a bit more technical know-how.
• Costs. Shopify has a monthly fee, while WooCommerce is free but you’ll need to pay for hosting, themes, and plugins.

Ultimately, Shopify’s simplicity and all-in-one nature make it ideal for beginners, while WooCommerce offers more flexibility for those with some technical expertise.

Check out our article where we compare Shopify vs WooCommerce in detail for more information.

Launch your store

Once everything is set up, it’s time to launch! Double-check that your store is optimized for mobile, that all pages are complete, and that your checkout process works perfectly.

Once you’re happy with how everything looks and functions, hit Publish and make your store live!

Here’s a preview of the product page:

Conclusion

Building your first Shopify store may feel like a lot, but breaking it down into simple, actionable steps makes it manageable.

By following this guide, you’ve set yourself up for success in launching a professional-looking, functional store that’s ready for business.

Ready to build your first store? Get started with Shopify today! And once you've finished, check out our Shopify SEO checklist for the steps to market your store to success.