How to Use Shopify: Set Up an Online Store With the Biggest Commerce Platform

If you have ever shopped online, you are likely familiar with the shopping platform Shopify. This popular tool for online stores and retail point-of-sale systems is taking the e-commerce world by storm. At the moment, more than 500,000 active stores are using Shopify. And the next business could be yours. 

If you’ve ever dreamt of becoming an entrepreneur, there is no better time than now. Learning Shopify will allow you to sell your goods or services more efficiently and successfully than you could have imagined. Keep reading and take the next step in your journey towards entrepreneurship today. 

What Is Shopify?

Shopify is a commercial platform that can be used for both online and in-person stores to sell products. The best aspect of Shopify is that anyone can begin selling their own creations immediately. Whether you want to sell online using social media, in a store, or out of your home, Shopify can help you get started. 

There are many different monthly plans you can choose from. However, if you don’t want to commit to a subscription, then signing up for a 14-day free trial is a great option. 

What Is Shopify Used For?

You can sell various products and services on the Shopify platform whether you’re looking for in-person or online purchases. The sky’s the limit on what you can offer with Shopify. Browse Shopify store examples for inspiration. 

Below is a list of products to spark ideas for your business. 

• Physical products. This could be anything! Maybe you make jewelry by hand, carve wood trinkets, or even offer items using dropship. All of these products can be sold with Shopify. 
• Digital products. This includes audio downloads, presets for photographers, and e-courses.
• Services. If you offer services, like coaching, your customers can easily book appointments and consultations on your Shopify site. 
• Ticketed experiences. These experiences can range from concerts to adventures. You can use Shopify to sell tickets to any event you host.

Types of Shopify 

Depending on what you decide to sell on Shopify, your store will fall into the following categories. It’s imperative to research the different possibilities that await using Shopify. 

• General Shopify store. This is a store that sells a variety of products. 
• Niche Shopify store. This focuses on selling items in a specific niche market. 
• Single product Shopify store. This store sells only one product. 
• Selling your own products. This shop will take a brand or product you already sell and transfer it to Shopify. 
• Hybrid Shopify store. This is where a general and niche store combine. An example is REI. They are focused on outdoor gear but also have a variety of other products. 

Learning Shopify

Setting up your business might sound difficult at first. However, learning Shopify is very easy. Once you have set up your storefront, it’s smooth sailing. 

Additionally, if you ever run into any speed bumps, Shopify is excellent at walking you through step-by-step solutions. They have exceptional customer support that you can reach any time you’d like. 

How Long Does It Take to Learn Shopify? 

Setting up your Shopify account is not a long process. It can be done within a couple of hours. What may take you more time is creating a website that your customers will use. This can take some rearranging to achieve that perfect look.

How to Use Shopify: Step-by-Step

Creating your Shopify store is a straightforward process. You will find that some of the steps are possibly already done.

1. Plan your store. Before even opening your computer, begin thinking about and planning your vision. This is typically the most challenging part of the process. It can take the longest.

2. Choose your store’s name. Like the first step, this is one of the most important. You will want to keep your store’s mission in mind when deciding the name. You will also want to register your domain name. Luckily, you can register this through Shopify.

3. Create a Shopify account. Time to make it official and start your account. A free 14-day trial is included. The sign-up process is extremely easy and you will be guided through it every step of the way. 

4. Customize your theme. In this step, you will go to Shopify’s theme store, which has both free and paid themes available. There are various options to choose from. One will surely be perfect for your store.

5. Edit your settings. In this process, you will edit the general settings. Here you will specify your store name, email, address, and more. You will also want to confirm your email addresses. Your account email is how Shopify will contact you and the customer email is how customers will reach you.

This step is very important. You will make important decisions in the settings tab for checkout, email marketing, shipping, and legality details.

6. Add products to your store. To add a product or service to your store, simply click products and then add. You will then see easy-to-follow steps, including adding the product’s title and description. Once a product is created, you will be able to manage your inventory.

A products page is as crucial as your storefront page. The ideal product page will be seamless and aesthetically pleasing to the customer.

7. Create collections. Depending on how you prefer your store layout, a collection can help manage your different products. Click on collections and then click on create collection to manage your inventory.

8. Orders page. To manage and fulfill your orders, you will click on the orders page. On this page, you will see orders coming in, customer details, and order status.

9. Add apps. Once you feel comfortable with Shopify, you may think of features to add to your store. This is simple to do. There are thousands of Shopify apps, both free and paid, to choose from that can be added to your store. 

10. Start making money. You can begin accepting payments immediately with Shopify Payments. This allows you to start processing sales with payment providers around the world. Learn more about payment gateways through Shopify. Transaction fees will be based upon the Shopify plan that you choose. 

The Best Shopify Courses

There is no better way to learn than with a hands-on training class. Luckily, there are a lot of options available. In-person, online, and free courses are available to those ready to start their own online store. 

Best In-Person Shopify Courses 

Learning in-person is a great way to get the most out of your classes. If you learn better in a classroom setting, then an in-person course is for you. 

Shopify- LA 

• Shopify Workshops – Los Angeles 
• Time: Varies
• Prerequisites: Varies
• Price: Varies 

Typically held in Los Angeles, these classes are now. Register for various courses, including Shipping 101, Product Photography 101, Organic Marketing, and many more. 

Best Online Shopify Courses  

Online classes are a great way to learn on your own schedule. Find some great options for online learning below. 

Udemy

• Google Analytics for Shopify: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide
• Time: 2 hours
• Prerequisites: You should have created an online business, maintain an internet connection, and hold the desire to run your own business 
• Price: $139.99

This is a paid course for $139.99 but can also be on sale occasionally. There are 34 lectures offered. Google Analytics is essential for any store. This is an important topic to learn and helps you analyze your data correctly. 

Udemy

• Shopify Power: Build an E-commerce Website Using Shopify
• Time: 4.5 hours
• Prerequisites: Ability to pay the monthly Shopify costs, familiarity  with online tools like Paypal, photo editing with Photoshop or other photo tools, and a Shopify account
• Price: $124.99

This best-selling e-commerce course on Udemy features analysis, techniques, shortcuts, and tips to launch, run, and own a successful Shopify store. However, this course is not aimed at web developers because custom themes and coding will not be covered. 

Best Free Shopify Courses

There are many online Shopify courses. Most of them are free as well. Explore some of these options below. 

Shopify

• General Shopify Academy 
• Time: Varies
• Prerequisites: Varies
• Price: Free

Shopify Academy is a set of courses for complete beginners. It covers everything from marketing to photography. This is a free course offered by Shopify. 

SkillShare  

• Shopify Theme Development: Build and Customise Your Own Online Store
• Time: Varies
• Prerequisites: Intermediate level 
• Price: Free 

Self-taught web developer, Youtuber, and blogger Christopher Dodd will teach you how to customize and build your own Shopify store. At the end of the course, you will understand how to use Shopify themes and make adjustments with your Shopify account. 

Canva Design School

• Personal Branding with Dr. Talaya Waller, Branding Your Business
• Time: Varies
• Prerequisites: Varies 
• Price: Free 

Learn how to identify your brand with Canva Design School courses. It covers what branding means to your business and how to deliver your brand consistently. 

Best Shopify Books 

Shopify is extremely relevant today, so it is no surprise that numerous books are written on the subject. Design your dream theme, begin setting up your store with step-by-step instructions, or begin making a profit with these books below. 

Shopify: Beginner to Pro Guide, Timothy Short 

This comprehensive guide by Timothy Short is a great book to read when first beginning. It will give you the best tips and practices for starting your store.

Selling on Shopify: How to Create an Online Store & Profitable eCommerce Business, Brian Patrick

Need more step-by-step instruction? Then this is your book. Selling on Shopify walks you through the process of setting up a profitable online store. 

Shopify: Step By Step Guide on How to Make Money Online, Brett Standard

Learn how to build a profitable store, gain traction, earn sales, and more in this user guide. Avoid mistakes other drop shippers make when only pursuing free resources online by getting this read. 

The Definitive Guide to Shopify Themes: Master the Design Skills to Build World-Class E-commerce Sites 1st Edition, Gavin Ballard

Shopify Plus expert, Gavin Ballard, walks you through the techniques needed to build your own Shopify themes and make your business profitable. Build the theme of your dreams with this exciting and useful book. 

Best Online Shopify Resources

There are numerous Shopify resources available. A few of those resources are included below. 

Shopify

At Shopify, some options include reading their blog, the Shopify help center, 24/7 support, contacting Shopify experts, and more.

LinkedIn Learning 

Sign up for a 30-day free trial with LinkedIn Premium and enjoy unlimited classes, including Shopify courses. Shopify Essential Training, Shopify Ecommerce for Marketers, and Learning Shopify are just a few of the courses available. 

Should You Use Shopify?

If you’ve ever dreamed of owning your own business, then Shopify should be one of your first destinations. The platform makes it easier than ever to launch a successful brand and storefront all from your computer. 

With the right Shopify resources, books, training, and more, you can easily turn your dreams into a reality. If you were looking to start an online or in-person store, Shopify is definitely the top platform to use.