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Want to learn how to Launch a Shopify Store? Here is a beginner’s guide to starting an online business.

If you have been thinking of owning an eCommerce store, launching a Shopify store is one of the best ways to get started. 

Shopify is one of the easiest and most popular e-commerce platforms for beginners looking to start an online store. 

It is a user-friendly platform with tools that simplify selling online, even if you have never built a Shopify website.

Why Choose Shopify to Start an Online Store?

Shopify is a platform that simplifies the process of launching an e-commerce business. Here’s why Shopify is perfect for building a professional online store for those new to eCommerce.:

Ease of Use: Shopify is beginner-friendly with no need for advanced technical skills, it makes it easy for anyone to create and manage an online store.

Customizable: It offers different themes and apps to make your store uniquely yours.

Support: With around-the-clock customer support, you’ll always have help when you need it.

Scalable Plans: Whether you’re starting small or growing big, Shopify has plans that adapt to your needs.

All-in-One Solution: From hosting to payment processing, Shopify handles the complicated stuff so you can focus on your business.

Other Tools For Building An Ecommerce Website

Shopify is a great choice for building an e-commerce website, but it’s not the only way to create an online store.

Bluehost (our first choice), Hostinger, and Hostgator are our favorite and affordable hosting providers for building a WordPress website and WooCommerce. They are more affordable than Shopify but they are harder to set up.

10 Steps How To Launch A Shopify Store

This step-by-step guide on how to build a Shopify store will show you everything you need to know so you don’t have to pay someone to do it for you.

Following this guide to build a Shopify store will save you thousands of dollars, and you can create a Shopify store even as a beginner.

Whether you want to sell digital products, start a drop shipping business, or sell physical products, this guide will work for you.

Create A Shopify Account

To create your e-commerce store, go to Shopify and create an account.

When you create your Shopify account, you’ll get 3 days free trial after that pay only $1 a month for the next 3 months. ($3 for 3 months)

Click this link to get the special promotion, enter your email address, and click start a free trial.

The next page will ask you to answer a few questions about your business, your products, and where you sell, you can answer them or just click Skip all because they are not that important.

Select your country then click next finish the setup process and go to the next page which is the Shopify dashboard. The next step is customizing your store.

Choose A Shopify Theme

Go to the dashboard or main page click Online Store, then click Themes.

When you first set up a Shopify store, a default theme is available, but you can change it to what you prefer.

You will see free themes you can use for your store, you don’t need to use a paid one.

Look through the themes and choose the one you want to use for your store by clicking add.

If you are not sure what theme to use, I recommend Sense. 

Click add and the theme will be installed into your store then click publish.

I advise you not to spend too much time overthinking about how it should look. All it needs is to look simple, clean, and professional.

Add Important Pages To Your Shopify Store

Now it’s time to add some pages to your Shopify store. Go to the dashboard, click Online Store, and under Online Store click on Pages.

You can add an About Us page here. Start by adding a shipping page. It’s one of the most important pages for any store that sells products. You can also add your Terms And Conditions here.

On the Shipping Policy page, you write your shop terms about shipping time and return policy.

Having this page helps you when a customer complains, you can refer them to your shipping terms.

Add Navigation To Your Store (Menu)

Now add the important Pages you have created to the Menu so that your customers can find them. These pages can include your Shipping Policy, About Us, and more.

On the dashboard under Online Store, click Navigation click Main Menu and then click Add Menu Item, then Add the Page you created, then click Save. 

How To Add Products On Shopify

On your Shopify dashboard, on the left side, click the products tab, This will bring you to a page where you can add products. Click add product, then add a product title, and product description and also include relevant keywords. 

Price your products, write how many are in stock in the inventory tab, if you sell physical products, and include shipping costs.

If you want to add variants such as sizes or colors, make sure you add them in the variants section.

Click save when you are done adding all the product information.

Set Up Payment Options

Another important tab is finances.  On the dashboard Click finances and set up payment options. This is how you will receive the money from your customers.

Publish Your Shopify Store (Go Live)

You need to choose a plan for your store in order to keep your store, publish it, and go live.

Click plan, and choose from different options. As a beginner, you can choose the basic plan which is the cheapest.

Enter your credit card information and continue, now you can go live with your Shopify store.

Get A Custom Domain ( Name Your Shopify Store)

We’ll show you how to get a custom domain for your Shopify store. 

While Shopify provides a free domain, buying your own custom domain is better if you plan to run your store long-term. 

A custom domain lets you choose a name that fits your brand and makes your store stand out. 

You can choose options like .com or .net, but I recommend .store because it’s clear and makes sense to customers.

You can get a .store domain from anywhere including on Shopify but it’s a bit pricey. Below we will show you where to get a cheap domain name for your Shopify store.

Tip: E-commerce stores or websites that end .store, get more visibility on Google.

How To Get A Domain Name For A Shopify Store 

Next, We will show you how to get a domain and connect it to your Shopify store.

Buy a Domain Name

Use the special discount link to purchase a domain at Namecheap.

On Namecheap, use the search bar to find a domain name you like. Include endings like .com, .store, or .net (e.g., luxfragrance.com or luxfragrance.store).

If your chosen name isn’t available, try a different variation until you find one that works.

Complete Your Purchase

Once you find an available domain, add it to your cart.

Enter the discount code (highlighted in a red circle on the image below) at checkout and confirm your order.

You’ll then be prompted to create a Namecheap account.

After creating your account, complete the payment process to finalize your purchase.

How To Connect Your Domain Name To Shopify Your Store

With your domain ready, the next step is to connect your domain to your Shopify store.

Go to Namecheap. On the dashboard, click on the domain list tab. Click Manage on the right side.

From there go to Advanced DNS. You’ll need to add HOST RECORDS.

First find CNAME Record, change from parkingpage.namecheap.com to shops.myshopify.com then click on the green check mark to save changes.

Once you have changed the CNAME Record, you need to modify the URL Redirect Record and change it to A Record.  

Click on the URL Redirect Record and then choose the A Record option. 

After that change the Value to the Shopify IP address which is 23.227.38.65 Keep everything else the same, and click on the green check mark to save changes. 

Double-check that the records match the example image provided below.

Now that you have both of the records changed,  Log in to Shopify and go to your dashboard.

Click Online Store, then click Domains, and then click on Connect existing domain. 

Enter the domain name you purchased from Name Cheap click next, then click verify connection. It might take a couple of minutes to connect.

Once your domain connects, you’ll get a message that says, your domain has successfully connected.

It might take up to twenty-four hours to apply so don’t be alarmed.

Your Shopify store is now ready. You can add more products and explore the Shopify dashboard.

Tips When You Launch A Shopify Store

• Choose a clean, professional theme that fits your brand and makes it easy for customers to navigate. Write clear product descriptions with high-quality photos that show off your items. 
• Set up payment and shipping options so customers can check out smoothly. 
• Remember to test everything, such as adding products to the cart and completing a purchase, to make sure it works. 
• Finally, promote your store on social media or email marketing to let people know you’re open for business!

Conclusion 

Now that you know how to launch a Shopify store, focus on marketing to drive traffic, engage with your customers, and improve your products and services. 

Monitor analytics to understand what’s working and where you can improve. 

Be patient and stay consistent, success takes time and effort. 

Most importantly, listen to your customers and adjust to their needs. 

If you have any questions on how to launch a Shopify store, leave a comment below.