5 Simple Steps to Start Selling on Shopify
By reading this article, you probably already know what Shopify is. However, we’ll define it for you for formality’s sake.
Shopify is an online e-commerce platform for setting up online stores quickly. Its popularity is because of the convenience, effectiveness, and popularity of online trading nowadays.
E-commerce is slowly taking over traditional retail. About half a million businesses are selling on Shopify this year. The right time to start an online enterprise is today since many active internet users are daily.
You don’t have to have an online store as your primary source of income. Online businesses are also a great side hustle because you don’t have to put much time and money into them.
It’s pretty easy to set up an online store on Shopify. However, remember this is a business account, not a social media profile. So you might take a little more time setting up your Shopify store.
In this article, we’ll show you how you can create your online store on Shopify and start selling on the platform. However, first, let’s check out some benefits of starting an online business.
What Are the Benefits of Selling Products Online?
Digitization has engendered a lazy generation and an online shopping craze. Nowadays, consumers value convenience and flexibility over brand loyalty. It doesn’t make sense for people to walk a few blocks to buy stuff when they can buy them online and have them delivered to their doorstep.
Here are a couple of reasons why e-commerce is the way to go nowadays:-
It’s Cost-Effective
Unlike a physical store, you won’t need a physical establishment or have to hire any workers. Instead, you can start an online business in minutes or hours with Shopify.
You can forget expenses like rent, power bills, or heating costs. As a result, you get more returns from your products since your expenditure is significantly lower.
If you’re wise, you can use some of the money you save to stock up or improve your current marketing setup.
You Can Open it All day and Night.
You don’t have to worry about opening or closing times with an online store. That means you can sell all day and all Night. Also, customers can get whatever they want whenever.
Consider the number of sales you make in a single day. Now think of all the customers you can bag in a single night too. This time flexibility is especially beneficial for food stores that can capitalize on people’s midnight cravings and snacking urges.
Larger Customer Base
The internet instantly connects you to a worldwide frontier. If you have the delivery on lock, then you can sell your stuff all over the world.
You can sell to other states or cities if the world is beyond your store’s vision. Compare this to a physical store that can only sell to a single location.
How to Start Selling on Shopify
Now that you know all the benefits of an online business, it’s time for you to jump on the bandwagon. The prospect of a platform that sets up your online store in no time excites you.
Unfortunately, you have no clue about where to begin. Worry not. Here’s a step-by-step explanation of how to start your online business on Shopify.
1. Register on Spotify
Shopify is free, so don’t worry about getting your credit card details and whatnot. All you need is your email address, and you’re good to go.
You get a 14-day trial period, and you must pay for your Shopify account when it expires. After you enter your email address, next, you have to give a store name. After that, you can change the store’s name whenever you wish.
Shopify uses this store name to create your URL. That said, put a lot of thought into it before you enter your store’s name.
After that, you must fill in a few details about your payment methods.
2. Get Them Dropshipping Apps
Dropshipping isn’t a new concept in the business world. People were dropshipping in the 60s and 70s, way before the invention of the internet. However, the advent of the internet has popularized dropshipping.
Dropshipping is where a retailer outsources all retail operations, including delivery logistics, to the manufacturer.
The retailer can also outsource these operations to another retailer or a wholesaler. That way, you don’t even have to have physical storage for the goods you sell.
A dropshipping app lets you set up a dropshipping mechanism for your store. Click on ‘Shopify Apps’, and you’ll find loads of dropshipping apps.
3. Get All the Products You Want
If you have a dropshipping company on lock, all you have to do next is to pick the products you want. It’s easy to get products— enter what you’re looking for in the search box.
Get everything you want and add them to your import list, and you’re done with the third step.
4. Import the Products to Your Store
Remember that import store you created earlier? Well, it’s time to get the products to your virtual store. Since you’ve opted for dropshipping, you may never get to see the actual products, but your online store will be all stocked up.
5. Set Up and Customize Your Online Store
Setting up your online store will involve three steps. These steps are setting up the store, customizing the dropshipping store, and the payment methods.
a. Setting up the online store– Your online store must be attractive and have an easy-to-use user interface and fast load speeds.
Shopify has templates you can choose for your store’s design. Find a template you like and go with it.
b. Customizing the dropshipping store– Now, it’s time to put a little sparkle into your store. There are plenty of themes to choose from. Go for something spectacular to stand out.
c. Set up Payments– You must set up payments for your store to be a business. Most stores choose PayPal, but there are plenty of other payment options.
This step isn’t the easiest, but luckily you can find helpful Shopify support online. So you can get the most out of your Shopify Online store.
Make a Killing With Your Online store.
That’s about all you need to start selling on Shopify. Remember, you can tweak your online store gradually to make it perfect. You can also venture into selling other items in the future.
You might not need a dropshipping app if you can handle all the deliveries. Instead, you can integrate your delivery means into your online store.
Remember, you still have to put in a lot of work for your store to succeed. Focus on customer service and choose a suitable dropshipping app for the best results.
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Carla is a high performing marketing professional with 5+ years of experience driving growth of in a variety of corporate and entrepreneurial environments. Strong command of digital operations with exposure to influencer marketing strategy, branding, analytics, SEO/SEM, customer success, content development, and social media Core expertise lies in managing end-to-end campaigns, creating memorable content, and facilitating improved conversion rates to enhance e-commerce operations. Adept in ensuring alignment with organizational goals, facilitating streamlined operations, and leveraging a data driven strategy used to make insightful marketing decisions.
