How to Create Your Shopify Store in 2025 (Beginner’s Guide)

Thinking about launching your own Shopify store, but unsure where to begin?

You’ve noticed other entrepreneurs with stunning online shops and dream of having one just as impressive.

Right now, it might feel like you’re staring at a blank canvas, with your business idea waiting to come to life.

Don’t worry—you’re in good company.

In this walkthrough, I’ll take you step-by-step through the entire process: from creating your store and uploading products, to personalizing your site and even running a test order before your official debut.

By the time you finish, you’ll be fully prepared to open your Shopify shop to the world.

Excited? Let’s dive in!

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What is Shopify?

Shopify is a robust eCommerce solution designed to help business owners launch their own online shops. The company was established in 2006 by Tobias Lütke, Daniel Weinand, and Scott Lake, who originally set out to create an online store for selling snowboarding gear.

That’s truly a motivating story.

Recognising a challenge often sparks creative solutions. Rather than simply selling snowboards, they developed a platform that empowers others to launch their own eCommerce businesses.

Today, Shopify supports more than 1.75 million merchants, making it clear why so many companies depend on it to sell products online.

What makes it so popular?

Shopify enables you to build a polished online store, handle inventory, process payments, and manage shipping—all from a single platform.

And, the checkout process is also easy to use, and they offer a wide range of features that will help you run your business smoothly.

What should you Sell on Shopify?

Launching a store on Shopify is straightforward. You can have your setup ready in about 40 minutes, but the real question is: what products or services will you offer?

The good news is, Shopify supports a wide variety of items.

You can sell physical goods, digital downloads, and services through the platform.

Additionally, Shopify allows you to offer membership plans, consulting sessions, gift cards, and subscription-based products.

You can even sell tickets for events. So, take some time to reflect and get a clear idea of what you want to sell.

How to Create Your Shopify Store

As you’re probably aware, setting up a Shopify store is simple and can be completed in just a few straightforward steps, even without any prior experience.

You don’t have to stress about coding because Shopify handles all the technical aspects for you.

That said, it’s important to follow each step carefully.

Let’s begin!

1 - Sign up for Shopify

To begin, you’ll want to create a new Shopify account by visiting the Shopify website. After setting up your account, you’ll be ready to start designing your online store.

The great news is that Shopify provides a 3-day free trial along with 3 months of access for only $1, allowing you to explore the platform without any risk.

→ Click here to go to Shopify, enter your email address, and select the “Start free trial” option.

Next, Shopify will inquire about your level of experience. If this is your first time creating a store, choose “I’m just starting” and then press “Next.”

 

Where do you plan to sell your products? Just select the option that best matches your business and click “Next” to help Shopify customize your experience.

Your store name is what customers will use to discover you online, so pick something catchy and easy to remember. Take some time to brainstorm several options before settling on the ideal name for your shop. When you’ve made your choice, enter the name and click “Next.”

Finally, provide your business location and then click the “Enter my store” button to finish setting up your account.

Eventually, Shopify will prompt you to create an account. You can either sign up using your Google account or register with your email address.

Congratulations! You’ve just completed the initial step by signing up for Shopify.
Note: You might receive a confirmation email from Shopify asking you to verify your email. Just click the link provided in that email to confirm your account.

2 - Add Your First Product

Adding your first item to your Shopify store is straightforward. Simply go to your Shopify admin dashboard and click the “Add Product” button.

From that point, you can fill in your product’s name, description, pricing, and other details.

Make sure to upload clear, high-quality images of your product as well.
If you have product photos that need their backgrounds removed, consider using an AI-powered background remover tool to easily achieve a clean look.

After entering all the essential details about your product, hit the “Save” button, and your product will be published in your store.
Note: If you ever feel unsure or stuck, I highly suggest taking the free course available at Shopify’s learning center. It will help you fully understand how to add products correctly and avoid common errors.

3 - Choose Your Domain Name

Your domain name is how customers will locate your store online, so it’s crucial to pick one that’s memorable and reflects your brand effectively.
To set up your domain, just click the “Add domain” button located on the right sidebar.
(Alternatively, you can access the Domain settings by going to Settings > Domains within your Shopify admin dashboard.)

By default, Shopify provides you with a subdomain like yourname.myshopify.com, but you also have the option to register a custom domain such as www.example.com. Shopify simplifies the process of purchasing a custom domain for your store—just click “Buy new domain” and follow the easy steps outlined on their platform.

If you already own a domain name from a third-party provider like Namecheap, you can easily link it to your Shopify store.

4 - Personalize Your Online Store

You don’t need to be a design specialist to create a visually appealing and professional shop.
Shopify offers simple tools to help you tailor your store’s theme to fit your brand and preferences.
To begin customizing, navigate to Online Store > Themes and click “Customize.”

From there, you can modify the appearance and style of your store.
Spend some time exploring the various settings and features to ensure your store looks just right and provides a seamless experience for your customers.

You also have the option to select a different theme for your Shopify store.
With a wide range of themes available, take your time to browse and choose one that best fits your brand’s style and needs.

One of the most important steps is adding a custom logo to establish your brand identity.For this, you can use an AI-powered logo maker like Looka to design and download a unique logo. While it isn’t free, it’s a cost-effective way to get a professional logo without hiring a designer—potentially saving you hundreds of dollars.

Besides using Shopify’s theme customizer, be sure to review these key settings under the Online Store section to keep your shop running smoothly:

• Blog posts: Shopify includes built-in blogging tools, allowing you to publish articles about your business, industry trends, or helpful tips for your customers.

• Pages: Your store should have essential pages like About Us, Contact Us, Privacy Policy, and Terms of Service. Keep these pages current to protect both your business and your customers. Shopify even offers a privacy policy generator to help you create legal pages.

• Navigation: Organize your menus and links to make it easy for visitors to find their way around your store.

• Preferences: Here, you’ll find settings for SEO, social sharing, cookies, and tracking options.

If you’re short on time or want a truly polished look, consider hiring a Shopify expert to build or revamp your store. While this may require some initial investment, the long-term benefits can be significant.

5 - Shipping and Delivery

Managing shipping and delivery can sometimes be challenging, but Shopify offers a range of built-in tools to streamline the process. Whether you handle shipping yourself or use a fulfillment partner, it’s crucial to understand your shipping setup to ensure your products reach customers efficiently.

Shopify allows you to set up various types of shipping rates, including flat, free, and calculated options. You can configure these by going to Settings > Shipping and Delivery in your Shopify admin, where you’ll find the Shipping rates section to add rates for different locations. For more in-depth guidance, check out Shopify’s help center for detailed instructions.

It’s also essential to be aware of any taxes you might need to collect and remit, which can vary by business type and location. Shopify provides resources to help you understand your tax obligations.

6 - Payments

Before launching your Shopify store, you’ll need to select a payment provider. Shopify supports a variety of payment gateways, so consider which countries you plan to sell in, the payment methods you want to accept, and the fees associated with each provider. Customer support is another important factor—reliable support can help resolve any payment issues quickly.

To connect a payment provider, go to Settings > Payments in your Shopify dashboard and choose the provider that best fits your needs.

7 - Place a Test Order

Once your store is set up, it’s a good idea to place a test order to experience the checkout process as your customers would. This helps you ensure that everything is functioning correctly and lets you review the features from the buyer’s perspective. Shopify offers step-by-step instructions on how to do this.

8 - Launch Your Online Store

With your store ready, it’s time to go live. This is an exciting milestone as you begin your eCommerce journey. Before launching, make sure everything is in order.

First, select the Shopify plan that suits your business. To do this, navigate to Settings > Plan in your Shopify admin and click “Choose a plan.” The Basic Shopify plan starts at $29 per month, which is ideal for new small businesses, though pricing may vary depending on your region.

Shopify’s Grow plan (previously called the “Shopify” plan) is priced at $79 per month and unlocks additional features for expanding businesses, such as advanced reports and more staff accounts. For larger operations with higher sales volumes, the Advanced Shopify plan is available at $299 per month and includes even more robust reporting and lower transaction fees, making it ideal for scaling businesses.

If you’re unsure which plan fits your needs, it’s wise to start with the Basic plan and upgrade as your store grows.

Before you launch, thoroughly test your store: ensure all products are listed, priced accurately, have high-quality images and detailed descriptions, and that the checkout process works smoothly.

Next, remove your store’s password protection so customers can access your site. You can do this by going to your Shopify admin, selecting Online Store, and clicking “Remove password.” Once removed, your store will be live at yourname.myshopify.com or your custom domain.

If everything looks good, you’re ready to start selling!

What to do Next?

Congratulations on getting your eCommerce store set up! Shopify is a user-friendly and powerful platform, packed with built-in marketing tools to help you reach more customers and grow your business.

If you also sell in person or have a retail location, Shopify POS (Point of Sale) is a great solution. It provides both the hardware and software you need, and lets you manage your online and offline sales in one place.

Don’t forget about Shopify’s free online courses—they’re a valuable resource whether you’re just starting or looking to expand. These courses cover everything from store setup to marketing and sales, and are designed to be easy to follow.

If you haven’t tried Shopify yet, you can start with a 3-day free trial to see how it fits your business.

Wishing you success with your new store!

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The great news is that Shopify provides a 3-day free trial along with 3 months of access for only $1, allowing you to explore the platform without any risk.

→ Click here to go to Shopify, enter your email address, and select the “Start free trial” option.