Learning how to start a Shopify store is one of the most practical first steps you can take toward building an online business. If you’ve been researching e-commerce platforms, you’ve probably noticed that Shopify keeps coming up—and for good reason.
After 14 years in ecommerce and helping build over 800 online stores, I can tell you that Shopify is genuinely beginner-friendly. You don’t need coding skills. You don’t need a tech background. You just need a clear guide that walks you through each step.
That’s exactly what this is.
By the end of this Shopify tutorial, you’ll have a fully functional store ready to accept orders. I’ll show you how to start a Shopify store the right way—no fluff, no unnecessary complexity, just the steps that actually matter.
Let’s build your store.
Why Shopify? A Quick Overview
Before we dive into the Shopify setup guide, let’s address why Shopify is worth your attention.
Shopify powers over 2 million online stores worldwide and has processed more than $700 billion in sales. It holds roughly 10% of the global e-commerce market and is the most popular platform in the United States with a 28% market share.
But numbers aside, here’s why I recommend Shopify to beginners who want to start a Shopify store:
It’s genuinely easy to use. The dashboard is intuitive. Adding products, customizing your design, and managing orders all happen in one place without needing technical skills.
It scales with you. Whether you’re selling 5 products or 5,000, Shopify handles growth without requiring you to switch platforms.
The app ecosystem is massive. Need email marketing? There’s an app. Inventory management? There’s an app. Whatever functionality you need, someone has probably built it.
Support is available 24/7. When you’re starting a Shopify store and something goes wrong at midnight, you can actually get help.
Now, let’s get into the step-by-step process for how to start a Shopify store.
Step 1: Create Your Shopify Account
Starting a Shopify store begins with creating your account. This takes about five minutes.
Here’s what to do:
Go to Shopify.com and click “Start free trial.” Shopify currently offers a 3-day free trial, followed by your first month for just $1. This gives you time to set everything up before committing to a full subscription.
Enter your email address and create a password. Shopify will ask you a few questions about your business—what you’re planning to sell, whether you’re already selling elsewhere, and your expected revenue. Answer honestly; these responses help Shopify customize your dashboard with relevant recommendations.
Choose your store name. This becomes part of your default URL (yourstore.myshopify.com), though you can add a custom domain later. Don’t stress about getting the perfect name right now—you can change your store name anytime, though the myshopify URL stays the same.
Once you’ve completed these steps, you’ll land on your Shopify admin dashboard. This is your command center for everything related to your Shopify store.
Pro tip: Use an email address you check regularly. All your order notifications, customer inquiries, and Shopify updates will go there.
Step 2: Configure Your Basic Store Settings
Before adding products or designing your store, take 10 minutes to configure your Shopify store settings. This prevents headaches later.
From your Shopify admin dashboard, click “Settings” in the bottom left corner.
Store details: Enter your business name, address, and contact information. Don’t worry—your home address won’t be visible to customers if you’re running your Shopify store from home.
Currency and units: Set your default currency and measurement units (inches vs. centimeters, pounds vs. kilograms). If you plan to sell internationally, Shopify can display different currencies to customers automatically.
Timezone: Set this correctly so your sales reports and analytics reflect accurate timing.
Standards and formats: Choose your preferred date format and default weight unit for products.
These settings form the foundation of your Shopify store. Getting them right now means you won’t have to fix inconsistencies later when you’re busy filling orders.
Step 3: Choose and Customize Your Shopify Theme
Your theme controls how your Shopify store looks and feels to visitors. Shopify offers over 100 themes—both free and paid—in the Shopify Theme Store.
How to choose a theme for your Shopify store:
From your admin dashboard, go to “Online Store” > “Themes.” Click “Visit Theme Store” to browse options.
For beginners learning how to start a Shopify store, I recommend starting with a free theme. Shopify’s free themes are professional, mobile-optimized, and fully functional. You can always upgrade later.
Dawn is Shopify’s default theme and works well for most stores. It’s clean, fast, and flexible.
When evaluating themes for your Shopify store, consider:
- Does it match your brand’s personality?
- Is it mobile-friendly? (Most Shopify themes are, but always check)
- Does it support the features you need? (Some themes are better for stores with few products, others for large catalogs)
- What do the reviews say?
Customizing your Shopify theme:
Once you’ve chosen a theme, click “Customize” to open the theme editor. Here you can:
- Upload your logo
- Change colors and fonts
- Rearrange sections on your homepage
- Add or remove page elements
- Preview how your Shopify store looks on mobile vs. desktop
Don’t aim for perfection right now. Get your Shopify store looking presentable, then refine it over time based on customer feedback and your own observations.
Step 4: Add Your Products to Shopify
This is where your Shopify store starts feeling real. Adding products is straightforward once you understand the process.
From your Shopify admin, go to “Products” > “Add product.”
For each product in your Shopify store, you’ll need:
Title: Clear and descriptive. Include relevant keywords that customers might search for.
Description: Explain what the product is, what it does, and why someone should buy it. Focus on benefits, not just features. Break up text for easy scanning.
Media: Upload high-quality images. Products with multiple photos convert better than those with just one. If possible, show the product from different angles and in use.
Pricing: Set your price and compare-at price (if you’re showing a discount). Don’t forget to factor in your costs, shipping, and desired profit margin.
Inventory: If you’re tracking stock levels, enter your quantity and set up low-stock alerts. Shopify can automatically stop selling products when they’re out of stock.
Shipping: Enter the product weight so Shopify can calculate shipping costs accurately. This matters more than most beginners realize.
Variants: If your product comes in different sizes, colors, or options, add variants rather than creating separate product listings.
Pro tip for your Shopify store: Write descriptions as if you’re explaining the product to a friend. Avoid jargon. Focus on how the product improves the customer’s life.
Organizing products in your Shopify store:
Once you’ve added several products, organize them into collections. Collections group related products together—”Summer Collection,” “Men’s Shoes,” “Under $50,” etc.
From your admin, go to “Products” > “Collections” > “Create collection.” You can manually add products or set up automated collections based on rules (like all products tagged “bestseller”).
Step 5: Set Up Payments for Your Shopify Store
You need to accept payments before you can make sales. Shopify makes this easy, but it’s worth understanding your options.
From “Settings” > “Payments,” you’ll see several choices for your Shopify store.
Shopify Payments is the simplest option. It’s Shopify’s built-in payment processor—no third-party accounts needed. If you use Shopify Payments, you won’t pay additional transaction fees beyond the standard credit card processing rates.
Credit card rates for Shopify Payments depend on your plan:
- Basic: 2.9% + $0.30 per online transaction
- Shopify: 2.6% + $0.30 per transaction
- Advanced: 2.4% + $0.30 per transaction
PayPal integrates easily with your Shopify store and gives customers a familiar checkout option. Many shoppers prefer PayPal because they don’t have to enter card details.
Third-party payment providers are available if Shopify Payments isn’t available in your country or you prefer another processor. Just note that using third-party providers adds transaction fees on top of the processor’s own fees.
My recommendation for your Shopify store: Enable both Shopify Payments and PayPal. This covers most customers’ preferences while keeping your fees reasonable.
Step 6: Configure Shipping Settings
Shipping setup confuses many people learning how to start a Shopify store. Let me simplify it.
Go to “Settings” > “Shipping and delivery.”
Shipping zones define where you’ll ship and what you’ll charge for each region. When setting up your Shopify store, create zones for areas you want to serve (domestic, international, specific countries).
Shipping rates determine what customers pay. You have several options:
Free shipping: The most customer-friendly option. You can offer free shipping on all orders, or free shipping above a certain amount (like “Free shipping on orders over $50”). This often increases average order values in your Shopify store.
Flat rate shipping: Charge one fixed amount regardless of order size. Simple for you and predictable for customers.
Calculated shipping: Let carriers (USPS, UPS, FedEx) calculate real-time rates based on package weight and destination. This is accurate but can surprise customers with higher costs at checkout.
For beginners starting a Shopify store, I typically recommend either free shipping (built into your product prices) or flat rate shipping. Keep it simple until you understand your actual shipping costs.
Shipping profiles let you set different rates for different products. Heavy items might need special handling, for example.
Step 7: Set Up Taxes
Nobody’s favorite topic, but your Shopify store needs to handle taxes correctly.
Go to “Settings” > “Taxes and duties.”
The good news: Shopify automatically calculates sales tax for most regions based on your location and where you’re shipping. For a basic Shopify store setup, you can often leave the default settings.
Key decisions for your Shopify store:
Tax-inclusive pricing: Decide whether the prices customers see include tax or whether tax is added at checkout. In the US, tax is typically added at checkout. In many other countries, displayed prices include tax.
Tax registrations: Enter your tax registration numbers for regions where you’re registered to collect tax. This gets more complex as your Shopify store grows, and you may eventually need professional tax advice.
Important: I’m not a tax professional, and tax requirements vary by location. Consider consulting an accountant, especially if you’re selling across state or country borders.
Step 8: Create Essential Pages for Your Shopify Store
Your Shopify store needs more than just product pages. Certain pages build trust and meet legal requirements.
Go to “Online Store” > “Pages” > “Add page.”
Pages every Shopify store needs:
About Us: Tell your story. Who are you? Why did you start this business? What do you believe in? Customers buy from people they connect with.
Contact Us: Provide a way for customers to reach you. Include an email address, contact form, and physical address if applicable. Even a simple contact page makes your Shopify store feel more trustworthy.
FAQ: Answer common questions before customers have to ask. What’s your return policy? How long does shipping take? What payment methods do you accept? A good FAQ reduces customer service inquiries for your Shopify store.
Shipping Policy: Explain delivery timeframes, costs, and carriers you use. Set accurate expectations to prevent frustration.
Return/Refund Policy: Clearly state what customers can return, within what timeframe, and how refunds work. This is crucial for building trust in your Shopify store.
Privacy Policy and Terms of Service: These are legally required in most places. Shopify provides templates under “Settings” > “Policies” that you can customize for your Shopify store.
Step 9: Test Your Shopify Store Before Launch
Before you start taking real orders, test everything. I’ve seen too many people launch a Shopify store without testing and then scramble to fix problems while customers are trying to buy.
How to test your Shopify store:
Enable test mode: Under “Settings” > “Payments,” you can enable Shopify Payments test mode or use Shopify’s “Bogus Gateway” to simulate transactions without real money.
Place a test order: Go through your entire checkout process as a customer would. Add products to cart, enter shipping information, and complete the purchase.
Check everything:
- Did the order confirmation email arrive?
- Does the order appear correctly in your admin?
- Are shipping calculations accurate?
- Do all page links work?
- Does your Shopify store look good on mobile?
Ask a friend to test: Fresh eyes catch things you’ve become blind to. Have someone unfamiliar with your Shopify store try to make a purchase and note anything confusing.
Fix any issues before you launch. It’s much easier to solve problems now than after real customers encounter them.
Step 10: Launch Your Shopify Store
You’ve configured everything. You’ve tested the checkout. Your products are loaded and your pages are written. It’s time to make your Shopify store live.
Choosing a Shopify plan:
After your trial period, you’ll need to select a paid plan to keep your Shopify store active. Current pricing:
- Basic ($39/month): Best for most beginners. Includes everything you need to start selling.
- Shopify ($105/month): Lower transaction fees and additional features like professional reports.
- Advanced ($399/month): For high-volume stores needing advanced reporting and lowest transaction fees.
Start with Basic. You can always upgrade your Shopify store plan as you grow.
Removing password protection:
By default, your Shopify store is password-protected during setup. To go live:
Go to “Online Store” > “Preferences” and uncheck “Restrict access to visitors with the password.”
Adding a custom domain:
Your default URL (yourstore.myshopify.com) works, but a custom domain looks more professional. You can:
- Buy a domain through Shopify
- Connect a domain you already own
- Transfer a domain to Shopify
A custom domain costs around $10-15/year and makes your Shopify store easier to remember and share.
Congratulations! You now know how to start a Shopify store from scratch. Your store is live and ready for customers.
What to Do After You Start Your Shopify Store
Launching is just the beginning. Here’s what to focus on next:
Announce your launch: Tell friends, family, and your social media followers that your Shopify store is open. These early visitors often become your first customers.
Set up Google Analytics: Connect Google Analytics to track where your visitors come from and how they behave on your Shopify store. This data becomes invaluable as you grow.
Start building an email list: Email marketing is one of the most effective channels for ecommerce. Set up a popup or signup form to collect emails from day one.
Create your first promotion: Consider a launch discount to encourage early purchases and generate reviews for your Shopify store.
Focus on traffic: Your Shopify store won’t sell products if nobody visits. Start learning about SEO, social media marketing, or paid advertising.
Common Mistakes When Starting a Shopify Store
I’ve watched hundreds of people learn how to start a Shopify store. Here are the mistakes I see most often:
Spending too long on design: Your theme doesn’t need to be perfect before launching. A clean, functional Shopify store beats a beautiful one that never goes live.
Not testing checkout: Always place test orders. Broken checkout costs you sales.
Underestimating shipping costs: Calculate your actual shipping costs before setting prices. Many new Shopify store owners lose money on shipping because they didn’t plan properly.
Ignoring mobile: Over half of e-commerce traffic comes from mobile devices. If your Shopify store doesn’t work well on phones, you’re losing sales.
Waiting for everything to be perfect: Done is better than perfect. Launch your Shopify store, learn from real customers, and improve as you go.
Your Next Steps
You now have a complete roadmap for how to start a Shopify store. The process isn’t complicated—it just requires working through each step methodically.
Here’s what I’d suggest:
- Block out 2-3 hours this week to work through Steps 1-5
- Complete Steps 6-9 in your second session
- Launch within a week of starting
The sooner your Shopify store is live, the sooner you can start learning from real customers and making real sales.
You’ve got this. Take it one step at a time, and you’ll have a functional Shopify store before you know it.
Related Articles:
- What to Sell on Shopify in 2025: 9 Proven Methods to Find Profitable Products — Still deciding what to sell? Start here
- What is Dropshipping? A Beginner’s Guide to Starting Without Inventory — Learn about low-risk ways to stock your store
- How to Name an Online Store: 10 Tips for Choosing a Name You Won’t Regret — Get your store name right
- How to Choose the Perfect Shopify Theme for Your New Store — Deep dive into theme selection
- [The Ultimate Shopify Pre-Launch Checklist: 15 Things to Do Before You Go Live] — Make sure you haven’t missed anything
With 14+ years in ecommerce and over 800 stores built, I’ve helped countless entrepreneurs launch their first Shopify store. Have questions about getting started? Drop a comment below.