How To Create A Website On Shopify

Shopify development services provide a streamlined and easy process to create your brand’s website. They are helpful whether you want to have a new e-commerce store for your business or require editing your current web design more professionally. But what is the exact procedure to start with Shopify and build a website? Let us understand in this guide how to create a website on Shopify step-by-step.

Sign Up With Shopify

As usual, you need to have an account first on Shopify to start working on it. If you already have one, just log/ sign in via that. Otherwise, sign up for a new account. Let’s look at the steps on how to sign up for an account on Shopify:

Visit the Shopify website
Click on the “Get Started” button
Enter your email address, password, and store name
Click on “Create your store”

Now, you have an account on Shopify. But what’s ahead? You will also have to choose a plan to start working on the platform. Some of you might have questions about how much does a Shopify website cost. To know about this in detail, let’s have a look at the pricing plans of Shopify development services. These are:

Basic Shopify
Shopify
Advanced Shopify

Each version comes with its different features. Shopify also provides a 14-day free trial to explore its varied components. You can choose one from the above-mentioned plans after this trial period ends.

Set Up Your Store

Once you create an account on the Shopify platform, it’s time to set up your store details. Don’t worry as Shopify will help you here! You need to do the following:

Enter your business information, including address and contact details
Configure your payment details to receive payments from customers
Set up your shipping information, including shipping rates and methods

In addition to all these, if you want to provide or add more relevant information, you can do that as well.

Also, there is a need for a domain name for your Shopify web development. There are two options available: either you can use a free Shopify domain (for example: yourstorename.myshopify.com) or purchase a custom domain. From where? With the help of Shopify or a third-party provider (at your convenience). As you understand the importance of a domain name: it increases the credibility of the brand as a whole. Also with the help of an easy domain name, the customers will find it easy to find your store. Here is how to have a domain name for your Shopify website:

Go to “Online Store” > “Domains”
Click “Buy a new domain” or “Connect existing domain”
Follow the prompts to complete the setup

Design Your Store With Web Design Services

When you explore the services offered by the Shopify website development company, you will find a wide range of free and paid themes available. You can choose as per your business needs. Here is how to do so:

Go to “Online Store” > “Themes”
Browse the theme library and select a theme (as per your requirements)
Click “Add to theme library” & then “Publish” to apply the theme to your business’ store

Now, you might want to customize your web design. If yes, don’t worry as Shopify provides customization options as well. To do so, follow these steps:

Go to “Online Store” > “Themes”
Click “Customize” next to your published theme
Use the Shopify Theme Editor to adjust colors, fonts, layouts, and other design elements the way you want your Shopify site to look like
Upload your logo and other branding assets

Now as you make a site for your business, you will require some essential pages. These include the homepage, about us, contact, and FAQ pages. The steps to add pages on Shopify are as follows:

Go to “Online Store” > “Pages”
Click “Add Page”
Enter a title and content for the page
Customize the page layout using the editor
Click “Save”

After setting up the important pages, you need a user-friendly navigation menu to make the scrolling easier for the visitors. Let’s see below how to do it:

Go to “Online Store” > “Navigation”
Click “Add menu” to create a new menu or edit an existing one
Add menu items and link them to relevant pages, collections, or products
Click “Save”

Add Products and Services

Why are you making a Shopify website design? Obviously, to sell your products and services. Hence, you need to add products as well to the Shopify store by following these steps:

Go to “Products” > “Add product”
Enter product details, including title, description, price, and inventory information
Upload high-quality images of the product
Add product variants (e.g., different sizes or colors) if applicable
Click “Save”

Now, what if you organize the products in the collections? It will help your customers to browse the products they want to buy easily. Here is how to do it:

Go to “Products” > “Collections”
Click “Create collection”
Enter a title and description for the collection
Set conditions to automatically or manually include products in the collection
Click “Save”

Now, if you want to use tags and categories for organizing your products, Shopify development services provide this option as well. This approach will help improve search functionality. Follow the steps to do the same:

Go to “Products” > “Tags” and “Collections” > “Categories”
Add relevant tags and categories to each product

Configure Store Settings

After making Shopify website design, it is equally significant to set up secure payment gateways. They will be the sources where you will accept payments every time a customer buys from your store. Let us have a look at how to set up payments on the Shopify site:

Go to “Settings” > “Payments”
Choose from Shopify Payments, PayPal, or other third-party payment providers
Follow the prompts to complete the setup

After payment setup, you would be required to configure shipping rates and methods. You need to provide this information as well to the customers with transparency. The steps to do so are as follows:

Go to “Settings” > “Shipping and delivery”
Set up shipping zones and rates based on location
Choose shipping carriers and methods (e.g., standard, express)
Click “Save”

Now, what about taxes? It’s important to set up tax rates as well during website development. It will make sure that your business or brand is compliant with tax regulations. Here is how to do it:

Go to “Settings” > “Taxes”
Configure tax rates based on your business location and customer location
Click “Save”

There is an option of adding legal policies on your Shopify site. This is only to protect your business and inform customers. The steps to have legal settings for your Shopify website are as follows:

Go to “Settings” > “Legal”
Create or customize templates for policies like Privacy Policy, Refund Policy, and Terms of Service
Click “Save”

Launch Your Store

It is the final time to launch your Shopify store now. But before directly doing so, make sure you perform a thorough test beforehand to ensure that everything works well. In the initial test, you can do the following:

Place a test order to check if the checkout process is working properly
Also, verify that the payment gateways function well
Make sure that all links and navigation menus work properly
Do not skip to test how well your Shopify site responds on different devices (let’s say desktop, mobile, laptop, etc.)

As you are satisfied with the functioning of your Shopify store, launch it by following these simple steps:

Go to “Settings” > “General”
Uncheck “Enable password protection” to make your store public
Click “Save”

Promote Your Store

After setting up and launching the store finally, it’s the turn of promotions. You can do so in various ways. One of the most potential ways to do it is through SEO (Search Engine Optimization). It simply means improving the visibility of your Shopify store on various search engines. Here’s how to do it:

Go to “Online Store” > “Preferences”
Enter meta titles and descriptions for your homepage
Use relevant keywords in product titles and descriptions
Add alt text to product images

Connecting your social media accounts with the Shopify site is also a type of promotion. Here’s how to do it:

Go to “Online Store” > “Preferences”
Link your social media accounts
Use social media plugins to add share buttons to product pages

Thirdly, you can have a loyal customer base with the help of email marketing on the Shopify store as well by following these steps:

Go to “Marketing” > “Campaigns”
Create email campaigns using Shopify Email or use it with third-party email marketing services
Collect email addresses through sign-up forms and pop-ups

Discounts and special offers are some more effective ways to attract customers. Here’s how to include these on your Shopify store:

Go to “Discounts” > “Create discount”
Set up discount codes or automatic discounts
Promote the discounts on your website and social media

Manage Your Store

After having a professional web design with the help of Shopify, you need to manage your store as well. It includes managing the orders and customers and keeping analytics and reports.

Let’s, first of all, understand how to manage the orders to track and fulfill the requirements on time:

Go to “Orders” to view and manage orders
Use order tags and notes to organize and prioritize orders
Fulfill orders by printing shipping labels and packing slips

Alongside, maintaining good relationships with your customers is equally essential. Here’s how you can track your customers:

Go to “Customers” to view customer information
Divide customers based on behavior and purchase history
Use customer data to personalize marketing efforts

At last, you can also monitor the performance of your store using analytics and reports. The steps to the same are as follows:

Go to “Analytics” to view key metrics like sales, traffic, and customer behavior
Use these reports to identify trends and make data-driven decisions accordingly to uplift your business
Customize reports to track specific metrics relevant to your business

Enhance Your Store with Apps

In the end, if you want to increase the functionality of your Shopify web development, you can integrate apps from the Shopify App Store. Here’s how to do it:

Go to the Shopify App Store
Look for the apps you require or search for specific features
Install apps to add features like email marketing, inventory management, and customer support to your Shopify site design.

Here is a list of some recommended apps:

Shopify Inbox, Shopify Email, Shop, Headless, Theme Access, Fraud Filter, Shopify Audiences, Digital Downloads, and many more.

Keep Your Store Updated

Now, you need to keep your store updated by regular maintenance to ensure its smooth working. All you need to do is:

Check for theme and all updates regularly
Keep an eye on the performance of your store
If any problems are prevalent, solve them promptly
Keep your content fresh by updating product descriptions and images

One of the most efficient ways to keep your Shopify website design updated is through regular customer feedback. You can try with feedback forms and surveys to gather insights from your customers. And, make improvements as per the suggestions you receive.

Conclusion

Overall, it’s easy to build a website using Shopify if you have a strong grasp of the basics. In case you don’t, follow this step-by-step guide and you will be able to get your hands on the same. From setting up your store to customizing your theme and adding products, this guide covers it all. And in the end, your business or brand will get a professional and functional online Shopify store, ready to attract customers and drive sales.
If you need assistance from a professional Shopify web design company, the Digital Care Agency can answer all your queries! Our Shopify experts work dedicatedly round the clock to help our clients get the best Shopify web design services. Our goal is to ensure your Shopify store stands out in the competitive market. You can get in touch with us for personalized guidance and solutions as per your specific needs– we are here to support and guide you!