How To Launch A Shopify Store In 2023 Guide

1. File LLC

Visit your state website or search “File LLC + Your State” in Google. The pricing varies by state. Each site provides steps to create an LLC. Be aware of websites that offer to do it for you for a small fee. Filing an LLC is very straightforward process that will take about 10 minutes.

2. Obtain EIN

Next you’ll need to request an EIN from the IRS. Visit irs.gov and search EIN. You’ll be given instructions on applying for an EIN. The process will take about 10 minutes and you’ll receive an EIN at the end of the process.

3. Open Bank Account

Visit a local bank to open an account. You’ll need your ID, LLC Registry, EIN from IRS and a business plan. The business plan can be simple outlining how the business will operate.

4. Buy Domain

Buy your domain from any domain registry. Godaddy or Namecheap are good options.

5. Set Up Email

You’ll need to set up an email for your domain that you will use for your business communications. We recommend Google Workspace, it comes with enhanced security and comes with access to Google Docs and file sharing.

6. Shopify Sign Up

Visit Shopify.com and register for an account. We recommend starting with the Shopify basic plan and then upgrading as needed. Shopify typically offers a free trial.

7. Payment Processor

You’ll need a payment processor to accept payments on your Shopify store. Unless you already have a payment processor you plan to use, we recommend going with the default Shopify Payments Processor.

8. Design Logo

At this step you’ll want to have a logo designed. It can be simple, no need to over think it. The logo will live on the website and be used throughout creating an online presence.

9. Product Photography

If you’re distributing a product, you can typically requests product photos from the supplier. High quality product images are very important. If you are selling your own brand or manufactured product, you’ll need to photograph the products before moving to the next step.

10. Add Products

To add products you’ll need the product name, product description, product image, product SKU’s, product price and product cost. If you are shipping based on weight, then you’ll also need to add the weight of each product.

11. Create Collections

Collections are the way you’ll merchandise your store. Each product should fall into a category, this category is called collections in Shopify. Merchandising your store properly is very important as it will be how users shop your website and find the products they are looking to buy.

12. Choose Theme Template

Explore theme templates on Shopify. Consider whether you want a free or paid theme. Shopify’s free themes are good if you’re unsure as you can always switch to a paid theme. Shopify paid themes are built for Shopify and maintained to Shopify standards. It is strongly recommended to avoid third party theme market places.

13. Website Assets

Once you have your theme picked out and collections created, it’s time to begin designing the website. Gather all the asset requirements such as banners, collection images, logos, fonts and color schemes.

14. Build Store

Once you have your website design assets, you can begin to fill out the template and build your store.

15. Policy Pages

You’ll need to add policy pages to remain compliant. Shopify has boiler plate templates you can use. It’s recommended to update these to meet your business requirements.

16. Customer Service Inquires

Consider how you will respond to customer inquires. Whether they have a question or want to cancel an order or have an issue with an order. You can do this by listing a customer service email, creating a contact form or listing a phone number with office hours.

17. Order Fulfillment

Order fullfilment is how you will get orders to your customer. You’ll need to set up shipping zones for domestic and international shipping if you plan on shipping internationally. You can take advantage of Shopify shipping rates or set up your own shipping labels.

18. Launch Store

Congratulations! Your store is officially ready to be launched.

The easy part is done but the journey is just beginning, the next step is getting your first order!

If you need help launching your store or getting your first order, please contact us and we will work with you to help create a successful e-commerce store.

BONUS GUIDE

The next steps are not necessary to launch your store but it is highly recommended to implement these steps to run a successful Shopify store.

1. Google Analytics

Create a Google Analytics account and connect it to your store. This will help give insights on the traffic and users who visit your store.

2. Social Media Accounts

Social media is a good way to gain organic traffic. Create accounts on the platforms where your target audience will be most active and create engaging content for that platform.

3. Klaviyo Account

We recommend Klaviyo for email list building and sending. It integrates well with Shopify and has powerful automations and segmentation capabilities.

4. Email Flows

Creating email flows are highly effective at enticing potential customers to make a purchase. Highly effective flows include: Welcome Series, Cart abandonment and Thank You Emails.

5. Ad Accounts

At somepoint you’ll need to drive traffic to your store to generate orders. Paid traffic is a sure fire way to get traffic fast. Prioritize the ad platforms where your target customer is the most active.

6. Create Ads

Depending on which platform you’re targeting, you have the option to create text listing ads, image based ads or video ads.

7. Reporting

The way to continuously improve the shopping experience is to stay on top of your KPIs. Setting up a standard set of reports will help you make data driven decisions.