In the first class Two Makers Crew provided a checklist of everything needed to launch a Shopify store before the free trial expires. If you want to review that first, click here. In this course they walk-through the Shopify admin to data enter that information and explain the best order to do so. Shopify uses the information you add in the admin to build your website before you start customizing your theme.
Step 1: Sign up for a Shopify Trial.
Note: do this on a computer, not on your phone - you’ll make your life so much easier.
Step 2: From your new Shopify admin, go to Settings
Fill in your Store Details.
Note: as you go through, there are links to the Shopify Help Center.
Next, go to Billing and add your credit card information
Go to Payments. Set up Shopify Payments, add banking info and connect PayPal
Enter tax info in Taxes and Duties if applicable
Go to Domain to connect a custom domain
Note: Something that people often don’t understand is that as soon as you start your trial, Shopify gives you a website. This is a string of numbers .myshopify.com. You can purchase a custom domain from Shopify or point an existing domain to Shopify. Until your store is launched, it is protected by a password page.
In Brand, add your logo, colors, slogan, short description, along with social links
In Notifications, add sender email and customize email templates to add your branding
In Policies, use the templates but be sure to update and fill in as needed. Notice the shipping policy doesn’t have a template because it’s unique to you.
Step 3: Add Products (Pro Tip: start with 5 MAX, you can add more later)
In Products, click Add product
Enter Title and Description
Upload product images and video in Media, and add alt tags
In Pricing, enter the product price
Choose Inventory settings
In Shipping check the box for physical product (if applicable)
In Variants, add options like wood species and size
In Collections, click Create collection, give it a title, create as manual and save. Once it’s saved then we can browse and choose the products to add to this collection.
Step 4: Customize your Online store
From Online store go to Preferences
Add Title and meta description
Add Social sharing image
In Pages, click, Add page and create pages called “Contact Us” and “About Us”
In Navigation add items to Main menu and footer menu
Next, go to Themes and click Customize
Upload your Banner Image (3000 x 2000px, no less than 72dpi)**
Connect your collections
Note: Shopify’s themes are drag and drop. There are lots of Sections with different functions.
In Settings add your logos, colors and typography
Step 5: Set up your Shipping rates
From Settings, go to Shipping and delivery
In General shipping rates, make sure to add rates for all your products.
Pro Tip: Stick to the US or North America to start, you can always add international shipping as you grow.
Step 6: Now you’re ready to open your store!!
Go to Settings > Plan and choose a plan (see Part 1 for the plan Two Makers Crew recommends)
To remove the password page, go to Online store > Preferences > in Password protection uncheck “Restrict access to visitors with the password”
Step 7: Test the checkout with a 100% off discount code.
In Discounts, create a 100% off and limit to one use only.
Go to your website and shop as if you’re a customer! Add items to your cart and apply the discount code. You’ll get to know the buyer experience, check your emails to see the notifications that get sent.
In the Admin, you’ll now see your first order.
Step 8: Add Apps & Sales Channels
Some are made and supported by Shopify, usually free, others are third party and usually paid. Apps are found in the Shopify App Store.
Two Makers Crew Recommend:
Apps Made by Shopify:
Digital downloads
Email (newsletter)
Linkpop (Shopify’s link in bio)
Inbox (chat)
Third Party Apps:
Instafeed (adds your instagram posts and carousels to your site)
A Review app
Print on demand
Bonus Apps:
Heat map apps
Shipping app
Newsletter apps (Mail Chimp is not recommended for a Shopify Store)
Sales channels
Sales channels are places to sell your goods other than your online store, like in person via POS, marketplaces, social media, and wholesale. Shopify has the ability to connect to all of those, so you can manage your inventory and orders in one location. This class focuses on Google & YouTube, and Facebook & Instagram.
After adding the Google & YouTube, and Facebook & Instagram sales channels, follow the setup wizards to connect your accounts.
Other Sales Channels are:
POS (it’s free and made by Shopify, and in the US you can tap your phone to accept payments)
Pinterest
Etsy
Amazon
eBay
Step 9:
Start with a Soft launch - tell your friends and community to test your site, get feedback, fix any spelling mistakes.
Next step is driving traffic to site:
Let your audience know by posting to your social media channels!
If you don’t have an audience, you need to let your customers know by sending a newsletter.
If you don’t have a newsletter list, you need to be running ads.
Whew! We know that was a lot to take in but we believe this is going to help you guys take your online selling to the next level. Want to hear more from Two Makers Crew and how to strategically improve your Shopify selling experience? Let us know in the comments below how we can help and we hope you’ll consider joining TMCU today if you aren't taking advantage of our live classes yet!
There was a ton of info in that class that was so valuable. I don’t even have a Shopify store and there were a lot of good takeaways there for me so thank you guys!