Sell on Shopify: A Step-by-Step Beginner’s Guide to Become a Shopify Seller in 2024
Published on May 24, 2022
Last updated on January 25, 2024 • 13 min read
Shopify Inc. is an eCommerce company and an online selling platform that is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. Its platform enables users to take advantage of a vast online marketplace by setting up an online store to sell on Shopify. More than 1.7 million businesses worldwide have opted to sell their products on Shopify which has made it one of the largest eCommerce companies in the world.
A unique aspect of Shopify is that they not only offer a selling platform for online business but also for offline business, a market that few other big eCommerce players have opted to enter. In this blog, we will take a look at how retailers can sell on Shopify, how they can become a Shopify seller, the pros and cons of using Shopify’s platform in 2024 and much more.
Why Should You Choose to Sell on Shopify?
Fast and Simple Setup Process
Setting up an account on Shopify is extremely seamless and user-friendly, especially for people who don’t have much technical knowledge and experience. The biggest advantage is that even though the platform is feature-packed, it still has a decluttered and intuitive user interface. There are also multiple guides and tutorials on Shopify’s website that makes solving queries even simpler.
Mitigates the Need for Technical Knowledge
Shopify is designed to work well for normal people who maybe had a killer business idea or product and seek to sell on Shopify but may not have any technical knowledge. Every software feature is created in-house as well as all website hosting activities. This makes the platform faster, more efficient and secure. Additionally, software updates are pushed by Shopify themselves so you can throw any need for learning complex technical processes out the window. There are no learning curves involved.
Enhanced Security and Reliability
Retailers who want to become a Shopify seller can reassure themselves and their customers with the extreme level of security and reliability that is offered by Shopify. eCommerce businesses deal in heaps of ultra-sensitive information such as contact details and credit card numbers and it always pays off to not have to worry about the security of personal information. Shopify takes care of all website and server-related maintenance as well as constantly pushing software updates and security patches to ensure that the network and users’ information is always safe and secure, issuing SSEL certificates for data encryption and PCI compliance to secure credit card information.
Round the Clock Customer Care Facilities
When retailers sell on Shopify, their customers also gain access to 24/7 customer support to take care of any query or issue that might arise. Customers can choose their contact preferences ranging from phone calls, emails and online chats to community forums and the Shopify Help Center to make sure that their needs are always met and at their convenience.
Choice of Applications at Users’ Fingertips
Not only does Shopify offer a web experience that is tailored to desktops, mobiles and tablets, it also offers a range of customization and applications that users can download with the click of a button. There are more than 160 themes users can choose from to give their page a unique look as well as applications for the addition of different functionalities such as wishlists, reviews, loyalty programs, analytics, marketing apps, integration with social media and much more.
You can also read our blogs on how to sell on Amazon, Myntra and Flipkart to get more information about similar services.
6 Simple Steps to Start to Sell on Shopify in 2024
Step 1: Registering Your Shopify Account
The initial step in order to sell on Shopify and become a shopify seller is to register an account. You will need to fill out information such as your name and contact information. If you choose the “free 14-day trial” option, you won’t need a credit card to sign in.
Doing this will enable you to play around with the different settings and options before committing to it permanently. The free trial ends after 14 days post which you will need to select a purchase plan.
You will then need to enter your store name. You will get the below error message if the store name you want already exists. The store name will be your main domain name but it can be changed anytime.
After the details of your Shopify store have been added, you will be asked if you are an existing seller. If you are, you will need to mention your current revenue.
Post answering these, you will be prompted to answer other questions. You can skip this portion but responding appropriately will enable Shopify to give you better recommendations.
Whether you answer the questions or not, you will then be prompted to enter your business address.
Once you finish creating your store, you will be redirected to the main admin panel. You can now sell on Shopify. You can now choose between 3 options:
- Add a product
- Customize a theme
- Add a domain
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Step 2: Setting Up Your Domain
A primary domain is assigned to you by Shopify. The default format is domainname.myshopify.com but you can always choose a different domain or connect an existing domain. Every seller can only have 1 primary domain.
Step 3: Choosing a Theme
Your theme is what customers will see when they click on your store, which can be customised according to your preferences. Therefore, choosing an attractive theme that fits your brand image is very important. You can either customise your own theme or choose an existing theme from Shopify’s theme store.
Step 4: Listing Products
After creating your store, the next step is to list your products – the main reason for setting up an account in the first place. This is generally the step that takes the most time but it’s worth it if you want customers to see your products in all their glory.
Go to your admin panel and select “products”. This is where you can list new products and see your existing inventory. You can add a product in 3 ways:
Manually: You will have to enter all the information about your product such as the description, features and dimensions, in addition to adding photos.
Importing via CSV File: If you want to upload a huge amount of inventory, you can do this by importing a CSV file that gets added to Shopify in bulk.
Identifying on Oberlo: You can connect your account to Oberlo to sync your inventory with Shopify.
You May Like: Alternatives to Oberlo
Step 5: App Installation
You can download apps to enhance the functionality of different aspects of your business to enable faster growth and expansion. There are more than 2600 apps, out of which some are free and some are paid apps. You can choose the ones that fit your requirements.
Step 6: Marketing Your Company
Marketing is important to make your product visible to as many people, especially your target audience, as you can. An optimised marketing strategy will be able to drive customers to your store and assist in convincing them to make a purchase.
You are now ready to sell on Shopify and boost the sales of your business.
8 Strategies to Sell on Shopify
Integrate with an Email Marketing System
Email marketing is a really efficient and cost-effective way to promote your products. If you sell on Shopify, you can implement email marketing campaigns through various dedicated platforms such as Mailchimp to generate leads and stir interest in your products. These platforms give you the ability to customise your emails with various themes, stickers and designs to make them stand out from the sea of generic promotional emails that customers receive on a daily basis. You can also schedule automatic emails and have different templates for each campaign.
Strive Towards Retaining Customers
If you sell on Shopify and want to sell your products, scouting for new customers is often more expensive and cumbersome than focusing on retaining existing customers. You can retain customers by putting in effort into minor details such as providing premium branded packaging, order tracking updates and stellar customer support. Research shows that just a 5% gain in customer retention can lead to a 75% gain in profits. So give your customers the same importance post-sale to achieve an enhanced customer experience and gain their trust and loyalty so they will think of you and your brand if they ever have similar requirements.
Implement Cross-Selling Strategies
Cross-selling is a means of focusing on the creation of a more robust network of revenue streams from a single order. To do this, you can offer extended warranties, suggest complementary products and offer discounts if a minimum order amount is reached. These tactics convince customers that they are getting a better deal so they are willing to spend more money.
Utilise SEO Techniques
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an age-old marketing technique that focuses on increasing the rank of various web pages on search engines such as Google and Yahoo. This is done through adjusting content according to SEO guidelines, adding relevant keywords and using backlinks to and from other pages so that your page ranks as close to the top of search results for those particular keywords as possible. This not only makes your pages more visible and increases traffic but also legitimizes your page in the eyes of potential customers.
Write Attractive Product Descriptions
While listing products to sell on Shopify, you need to add suitable and well-written descriptions of your products to convince customers that they need them in their lives. You can describe what it is, its use case scenarios, provide clear and accurate measurements of its dimensions, colour and size and what the aim was when creating it. This paired with high-resolution pictures of the product is a recipe for success.
Utilise Coupon Marketing Strategies
Coupons are another way to increase the hype and visibility of your products by making consumers feel that they are getting a steal of a deal. A consumer might not think of purchasing a product but if they see a coupon code that says 20% off, it’ll instantly make them reconsider because they are associating it with more value for their hard-earned money. They might even end up buying more items to capitalize on all the discounts they are receiving through coupons.
Sell on Different Channels
Retailers should never relegate themselves to selling on only one platform if they want to be successful. If you choose sell on multiple channels such as Shopify, Amazon, Flipkart and eBay, among others, you open your business to up to every customer that uses these platforms and may require what you are offering. Many customers also faithfully stick to one platform and if you are not visible to them on that platform, you have instantly lost an opportunity to make a sale. Keep your options open and sell on as many platforms as you can. Choose an eCommerce Fulfillment Company for Shopify Fulfillment as well to fulfill Amazon orders, fulfill Flipkart orders etc.
Offer Upsizing Options on Orders
Upsizing is a form of offering a better and more expensive version of a product that sellers have already shown interest in. For example, if a seller is browsing for an iPhone 12 and they see an iPhone 13 in the recommendations for not that much extra, they instantly start contemplating buying the better version because they can now compare the features and price with a single tap. This paired with discounts or coupons can instantly increase the volume and prices of each order. Of course, you need to upsize according to each customer and make sure that the product is not too out of their budget.
Conclusion
Opting to sell on Shopify is a goal for many eCommerce retailers and for good reason. It has a simple setup process and an easy to use interface that provides users with multiple features and benefits. However, it is easy to get caught up in trying to make your online shop as exclusive as possible by purchasing high-end themes and plugins and before you know it, the costs have skyrocketed and that is before Shopify takes a cut of each order you make. In order to get the best of both worlds, we suggest partnering with a 3PL company like WareIQ to enhance your Shopify selling experience, without breaking the bank.
WareIQ is one of India’s leading and fastest-growing full-stack eCommerce fulfillment companies that offer a variety of services from same-day and next-day delivery, shipping badges, and RTO Shield, to state of the art technological solutions such as our custom WMS and our intuitive, well-designed app store. Our custom WMS offers seamless integrations with more than 20 online selling platforms including Snapdeal, Amazon, Flipkart, and much more. We can take care of your brand’s entire retail fulfillment requirements and ensure that you and your customers get the best order fulfillment in the country and have a hassle-free experience and raise satisfaction levels to new heights. You can learn more about Shopify order fulfillment here.
Over 300 of the fastest-growing eCommerce brands such as The Man Company, Future Group, Kama Ayurveda and Wingreens Farms, already trust WareIQ with the fulfillment services of their companies, so they can focus entirely on core aspects of their businesses such as sales, marketing and R&D. You can also reap all these amazing benefits while stepping up your eCommerce game. We are tailored to every kind of business and offer the most competitive prices in the industry.
Sign Up Now with WareIQ to take advantage of our superior fulfillment tech platform & accelerate the growth of your online business.
Sell on Shopify Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
