Shopify How-To: Creating Your New Shopify Store

Learn how to get your Shopify store up and running quickly with this tutorial.

Shopify is the most popular and ubiquitous SaaS eCommerce platform with over 28% of the US eCommerce market share. Its easy-to-use and intuitive interface, plus sprawling user community makes Shopify one of the first and leading choices in eCommerce software for beginners and novices. At the same time, Shopify also powers some of the world’s largest consumer brands such as Hasbro, Red Bull, Lindt, Nescafe, and even Amazon’s own Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market. This makes Shopify an attractive eCommerce platform for beginners, novices, independent shops, and small-medium businesses; the very same software that powers corporations can be used by small startups.

Read on to learn how to get your own Shopify store live on the Internet and start selling immediately.

Create a Shopify Account

To begin the process of setting up your new Shopify store, you’ll need to first create a Shopify account. Enter a valid EMail address and a strong password.

Your myshopify.com domain name is assigned automatically during account creation (for example, abc123.myshopify.com). It is unique to your store and will be used to log in to your Shopify admin, as well as to identify your account. Third-party apps, services, etc. may need to ask for your myshopify.com as a Shopify account ID in order to connect your account.

You can only choose a new myshopify.com domain name once. This will be your store’s primary default domain. However, you can purchase a custom domain as a replacement for your myshopify.com to act as your official web address.

Set or Edit Store Name and Contact Information

You will be prompted to provide your full legal name, your business address, an active phone number, and a valid EMail address when opening a Shopify account. Additional information might be requested upon request. If you sign up for a Shopify account, you will be required to provide this information to verify your identity; this information will not be shared with your customers.

1. From the Shopify Admin, go to Settings and click General.
2. In the Store Details section, click on the pencil icon.
3. In the Edit Profile section and under Store Name, enter/edit the name of your store.
4. Save.

Set or Edit Your Legal Name and Business Address

1. From the Shopify Admin, go to Settings and click General.
2. In the Store Details section, click on the pencil icon next to Billing Address.
3. Enter your legal business name and address.
4. Save.

Set or Edit Your Store’s Time Zone

1. From the Shopify Admin, go to Settings and click General.
2. Under Store Defaults, choose the appropriate time zone from the Time Zone list.
3. Save.

Choose Your Store’s Currency

NOTE: If you’re using Shopify Payments as your credit card payment gateway, you will need to change the currency through Shopify Payments’ own settings.

1. From the Shopify Admin, go to Settings and click General.
2. Go to Store Defaults, click … > Change Store Currency.
3. Choose the currency unit from the drop-down menu.
4. If you’re changing the currency after you’ve received your first order, you must check the notification I UNDERSTAND THE RISK OF CHANGING THE STORE CURRENCY. If desired, you can also choose to select your reason for changing the store currency.
5. Save.

NOTE: You can set your store to sell in multiple currencies through Shopify Payments. The currency of the customer’s choice can be used when browsing and checking out on your online store. If you don’t use Shopify Payments, you can still customize themes to include multiple currencies on your store but these will only be for display purposes only. Customers will only be able to check out in the currency you set in your General settings.

Set or Edit Your Store’s Default Weight Unit

Your store can use either the Imperial (pounds and ounces) or Metric (kilograms and grams) systems to display item weight. Default units can be edited later on a product-by-product basis.

1. From the Shopify Admin, go to Settings and click General.
2. In the Store Details section, choose the appropriate weight unit from the Default Weight Unit drop down menu.
3. Save.

Set Your Homepage’s Metadata

Metadata is information that describes your website, such as your page’s title and description. This information is displayed in the search engine results and while it may not help your website’s rankings on its own, website visitors will see this data which can incentivize them to shop your website. The more visits and interaction your website receives, the better the chance your website ranks higher within the search engines.

Each page’s title and meta description must be unique, and must describe its content. Your Shopify admin has a search engine section where you can edit information that will appear on search engine results pages for every product, page, or blog.

Titles are limited to 70 characters. Some search engines will truncate after the character limit is reached but most will do so on a word, rather than in the middle, to make the title easier to read. In search engines, only about 140 characters of your meta description will appear below your title tag. Try to limit your descriptions to only 140 characters or under. Search your own website on Google to see how your metadata displays.

1. From the Shopify Admin, go to Online Store and click Preferences.
2. Under Title and Meta Description, enter your homepage metadata under Homepage Title and Homepage Meta Description.
3. Save.

Formatting Order IDs

Your first order ID is given the format #1001 by default. Each new order is incremented by one. The order ID number cannot be changed, but you can customize its format by adding or editing a prefix or suffix to your order IDs.

Add or Edit the Order ID Prefix

1. From the Shopify Admin, go to Settings and click General.
2. Under Order ID, click Prefix and enter your unique prefix for your order format.
3. Save.

Add or Edit the Order ID Suffix

1. From the Shopify Admin, go to Settings and click General.
2. Under Order ID, click Suffix and enter your unique prefix for your order format.
3. Save.

Add a Product

Adding and updating products is easy from the Products page of your Shopify admin.

1. From the Shopify Admin, go to Products and click Add Product.
2. Enter your product title and all relevant product information.
3. Save.

Choose a Theme for Your Store

When you open an account with Shopify, a default theme is set up on the Themes page in your admin. If you want a different theme for your online store, then you can add it. You can choose to go with a free theme from the admin, or opt for a paid premium theme from the Shopify Theme Store. Paid premium themes do need to be purchased before you’re allowed to publish them on your store, but you can try one out before committing to buy.

Add a Free Theme from the Admin

1. From the Shopify Admin, go to Online Store and click Themes.
2. Near the bottom of the page is the Free Themes section. Click Explore Free Themes.
3. Click on a theme to learn about its features as well as preview the available styles.
4. Click the Add button to add the theme to the Themes section in your admin.

Add a Theme from the Shopify Theme Store

Paid themes are created by third-party designers. Third-party theme customization instructions are often provided by the theme designer. 

A paid theme can be previewed before you commit to purchasing it, so you can see how it looks with your products, brand colors, and style. When previewing a theme, you can make customizations by using the theme editor. All changes will be saved when you purchase the theme. You can preview up to 19 paid themes before purchasing so that you can compare and contrast before making a purchase.

1. Pick a theme from the Shopify Theme Store. If you’re still in your free trial period, choose a free theme so that you don’t incur any additional charges.
2. For free themes, click Add Theme or Start With This Theme. For paid themes, click Buy Theme to purchase.
3. Click Approve Charge to approve the purchase. Your purchased theme will be added to the Themes section of your admin. [PAID THEMES ONLY]

NOTE: Paid themes are NON-REFUNDABLE.

Set Up Your Store’s Domain

Domains are your store’s URL, or website address, where customers can find your online store. You can either purchase a new domain or transfer an existing one.

New Domain from Shopify

1. Purchase domain from Shopify.
2. You can prevent domain registration from expiring by activating Auto-Renewal.
3. Make your Shopify domain your primary domain so that it appears in your customers’ browsers, search results, and social media accounts.
4. Set up EMail forwarding so that your customers can contact you at your @mycustomdomain.com address.
5. Make sure you can receive customer inquiries by sending yourself a few test EMails.

New Domain from a Third-Party Provider

1. Purchase your custom domain from the third-party provider of your choosing.
2. Set up your root domain and subdomains by following the instructions for custom domains.
   • If you purchased your domain from Google Domains, GoDaddy, or IONOS, then connect your domain automatically.
   • If you purchased your domain from a different domain provider and you have their requirements, then connect your domain manually.
3. Configure your primary domain so that it appears in your customers’ browsers, on search results, and on social media.
4. Create a custom domain EMail address so your customers can contact you.

Transferring an Existing Domain

1. From the Shopify Admin, go to Settings > Domains.
2. If you haven’t connected additional domains, click Connect Existing Domain and then click Transfer it to Shopify. If you have other domains connected, click Transfer Domain.
3. Enter the domain that you want to transfer on the Transfer Domain page. Don’t add the www. at the beginning of the URL.
4. Click Next.
5. Enter your domain provider’s authorization code in the Authorization Code field.
6. Click Verify Domain.
7. On the Approve Charge page, review the Domain to be Registered section. If you want to ensure that your domain is automatically renewed before it expires, then select Auto-Renew This Domain Every Year.
8. Review and recheck the data entered in the Contact Information section.
9. Review the ICANN policy and Domain Registration Agreement.
10. In the Charge Summary section, click Approve.
11. Ensure that the EMail account associated with your domain receives a transfer-approval message, and follow the instructions in that message to approve the domain transfer.

NOTE: It can take up to 20 days for domains to be fully transferred. After the domain transfer, you will receive a confirmation EMail from Shopify. You can access your domain settings on the Domains page from your Shopify Admin. If your domain has not transferred to Shopify after 20 days, check your Junk or Spam folders for any notices regarding the transfer or required actions. Contact Shopify Support if you didn’t receive any email messages. You will be refunded your 1-year renewal charge if your domain transfer fails.

Set Your Data Use Consent Preferences

An EMail with the subject line Control how your data is shared is sent to you after you complete your domain transfer. In the EMail, you’ll find a link to Tucows, Inc.’s Data Use Consent Settings. Tucows, Inc is the company behind OpenSRS, which Shopify uses to resell domains to merchants. You can withdraw your consent at any time as this is fully optional.

Choose Your Store Management Settings

Add Package Type

1. From the Shopify Admin, go to Settings > Shipping and Delivery.
2. In the Saved Packages section, click Add Package.
3. In the Package Name field, name your package.
4. In the Package Type section, select your package type.
5. Add your package’s dimensions and weight.
6. Optional: If you want to use this package to calculate rates at checkout instead of the store’s default package, select Use This Package to Calculate Rates.
7. Click Add Package.

Set Payment Method

There are a number of payment methods supported on Shopify, but Shopify Payments are the simplest method of accepting payments online. You can accept payments on your Shopify store without having to open up a third-party account. You can manage your business and finances in one place with Shopify Payments.

NOTE: Before you use Shopify Payments, check the following:

• Shopify Payments is only available to stores that operate in certain countries and regions. Click to find out which countries and regions are supported.
• To use Shopify Payments, you must secure your account by setting up two-step authentication. Learn more about setting up two-step authentication and account security. You are at risk of losing your account and financial information if you deactivate two-step authentication in the future.

1. From the Shopify Admin, go to Settings > Payments.
2. Activate Shopify Payments in one of the following ways:
   • If you haven’t set up a payment provider on your account, then click Complete account setup in the Shopify Payments section.
   • If you have a different payment provider activated, then click Activate Shopify Payments in the Shopify Payments box, and then Activate Shopify Payments in the dialog. This removes any other payment provider from your account.
3. Enter the required details about your store and your banking information, then click Save.
4. Click Complete Account Setup.

Set Up Your Taxes

It might be necessary for you to charge taxes on your sales as well as report and remit those taxes to your government, but you can also set up Shopify to handle common sales taxes. The default sales tax rates in Shopify are updated regularly and you can override them to address unique tax laws and situations. You should confirm that the default rates are accurate if you use them. Ensure your tax settings are correct for your store, and don’t forget to file your store’s taxes.

State Your Store’s Policies

In order to make sure that your customers have access to all your policies for return, privacy, and terms of service before they buy a product, you will need to add your policies to a separate webpage. Your policies will be displayed as links at the bottom of your checkout page.

Prepare for Launch!

Place a Test Order

Placing a test order is a smart way to check your settings and that your store is functioning properly. You’d rather any bugs, errors, or hiccups show up now during this process rather than when your website is live–and you’re dealing with REAL customers and REAL money. Test orders do not incur charges. If you make any changes to your payment settings during store setup, you should take advantage of this opportunity to place a test order.

Preview Your Store Before Launch

In the Shopify Admin, navigate to the Sales Channels section and hover your mouse over Online Store. Click the eye icon that appears next. You can preview your store in a new tab by returning to the previous tab or clicking Navigate to Admin at the bottom. The preview opens as a new tab and displays your store as a customer would see it.

Remove Your Online Store Password

During your free trial, your online store is automatically password protected. Using the password page, you can create a password and customize the message your customers see when they visit. When you are ready to launch your online store, you’ll need to remove the password. You can also remove your online store password if you decide to launch your store during your free trial.

Your online store password can be removed in two ways: from the Themes page or from the Preferences page under Online Store.

From the Themes Page

1. From the Shopify Admin, go to Online Store and click Themes.
2. If your store is password protected, you should see the message: Your online store is password protected. Click Remove Password. If you do not see this message, your online store is/was not password protected.

From the Preferences Page

1. From the Shopify Admin, go to Online Store and click Preferences.
2. Under Password Protection, deselect Restrict Access to Visitors With the Password.
3. Save.

Congratulations! Your Shopify store is now ready for launch. Happy selling!