Shopify : A Beginner’s Guide to Starting an Online Store

What is Shopify?

Shopify is a hosted e-commerce platform that lets you create an online store, manage products, and accept payments - without dealing with servers or complex coding. It’s popular because it combines simplicity with enough flexibility for growth.

From home-grown brands to top global companies, Shopify supports businesses at every stage.

Why choose Shopify?

1. 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 - prebuilt themes and guided setup get you online quickly. 

2. 𝗣𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 - built-in payment processing and support for many gateways.

3. 𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 - thousands of apps add features like reviews, subscriptions, and shipping.

4. 𝗠𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲-𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 - Your store automatically looks great on phones, tablets & desktops.

Reliable performance and security - Shopify handles hosting, SSL, security, and speed - even during high traffic like Diwali sales.

How to Start a Shopify Store

1. 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗨𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁

     To start with Shopify, you’ll first need to create an account. Shopify

     offers a 14-day free trial, a great way to explore the platform without

     Commitment.

2. 𝗦𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲

    Now that you have an account, it’s time to set up your store. This part 

    is about choosing your store name, domain, and overall design to

    make your store appealing to customers.

3. 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲 & 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 

     Choose a theme that matches your brand identity :

• Upload your logo     

• Choose your colors

• Adjust layout and fonts

4. 𝗔𝗱𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀

     Upload product details such as :

• Title & detailed description

• High-quality images from multiple angles

• Price, discount price & variants (size, color)

• Stock & SKU information

5. 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝗽 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 & 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗼𝘂𝘁

     Enable options like :

• Shopify Payments

• Other Gateways

• COD

6. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝘁𝗮𝘅 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀

     Define :

• Delivery locations

• Charges (flat rate, free shipping above ₹X, etc.)

• Automated tax settings (Shopify handles most calculations)

7. 𝗔𝗱𝗱 𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 & 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀

     Must-have pages :

• About Us

• Contact

• Refund Policy

• Privacy Policy

• Shipping Policy

8. 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁 & 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲

    Place a test order → ensure everything works → Publish

Useful Shopify Features to Know

𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 & 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 : Help customers find what they want faster.

𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 : Sell on social media, marketplaces, and offline POS - all synced in one dashboard.

𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 : Track what products sell best, where traffic comes from, and what to improve.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

𝗟𝗼𝘄-𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 : Low-quality, dark or inconsistent photos reduce trust. Use clean backgrounds, proper lighting & show multiple angles.

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 : Keep your menu simple and use clear Categories.

𝗪𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 : Just listing features isn’t enough. Write benefit-driven descriptions that explain why someone should buy it.

𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲 : 70%+ shoppers browse on phones. Test your store on multiple devices to ensure smooth browsing & Checkout.

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 : Remove unnecessary steps. Enable fast checkout options like UPI and wallets.

Conclusion

Shopify has become the go-to eCommerce solution for businesses that want to start selling online without technical complexity. With its powerful features, secure checkout system, clean designs, and endless customization options through apps - it gives every brand the ability to launch fast and scale confidently.

Whether you’re a startup testing your first ideas or an established business expanding into digital commerce, Shopify provides the tools to build trust, deliver a smooth shopping experience, and grow revenue worldwide.

If you’re ready to take the next step:

Let Nine58 help you build, optimize, and launch a high-performing Shopify store - faster than you think.