Selling on Shopify in 2022: Step-by-Step Guide

Are you considering selling on Shopify? It takes just a few steps to get your eCommerce store up & running. In no time, you’ll have an attractive online storefront ready for customers to order.

This step-by-step guide will show you how to sell on Shopify. We also include how to sell on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Shopify.

In 10 easy steps, how to sell on Shopify

Most likely, you already have a business strategy with an idea of what products you will sell and who your target market is for online selling. If you don’t have one, creating one and sourcing your products should be your first step.

If you don’t want to do so, here are ten simple steps to sell on Shopify.

1. Buy a domain name

It is an important step to buy a domain name. A domain name is your internet address. It should be easy to remember and relevant to your business.

Shopify offers a free URL but it won’t rank high. It looks like this [yourshopifystore.shopify.com], so it has the added disadvantage of shoehorning ‘Shopify’ into the URL.

Shopify will ask for your store name when you sign up for the first time. It will then use your store name for a free URL. After you sign up, you can change this by:

1. Logging in to Shopify admin from your desktop computer
2. Navigating to Sales channelssection
3. Hitting Online Store
4. Navigating to domains
5. Clicking the Primary Domain Link
6. Select your new domain from this list
7. Hitting Save

Choose a domain name that is similar to or close to your brand. Your brand name should also be used for your social media accounts. Customers will be able to find you easily online using search engines.

Visit major registrars like A2 and GoDaddy to purchase a domain name. It’s easy, provided that no one else has purchased your desired domain name. Before the transaction is complete, you will need to provide payment information. Once that’s done, your domain name is yours!

2. Choose and customize a Shopify Store template

You can personalize the look and feel for your online store. Luckily. Shopify offers a large selection of themes that can be purchased or downloaded for free.

These can be found in the left-hand menu under Templates.

Source: Shopify

Your theme organizes your store and sets the features. It also decides the style. You can take your time and look at the different themes that are available. Different layouts can offer different experiences to your customers.

After you have chosen a theme, it is possible to customize your content, layout and typography. You can customize your store by clicking Customize. Make sure everything matches your brand as you customize your theme.

3. Upload your inventory

Once your Shopify Store template is in place, it’s now time to upload your products. This can be done in the Shopify Admin area you have been using.

Here’s how:

1. Navigate to Products on the left-hand navigation

2. Click Add products

3. Complete all information about your product. Upload any photos

4. Click Save

If you have many products, manually uploading your inventory can be time-consuming. If you have your inventory in a CVS file, you can bulk upload it in just four steps.

1. Navigate to Products from your Shopify Admin

2. Click Import

3. Click Add file and then choose the CSV file with your products in it.

4. Click Upload to continue

Store upkeep includes inventory management. To build a successful eCommerce store, keep your product pages current.

4. Set up payment methods

Clicking the “Buy Now” button means that someone is ready to buy. To avoid losing the transaction fee, you want to make your customer’s shopping experience as smooth as possible.

Shopify stores can use the Shopify checkout secure payment gateway to accept orders and receive payments. Each time a customer adds a product into their cart, it is checked against your store inventory levels. If inventory is available, it is held for the customer until they make the payment.

To view and modify your checkout settings, go to your Checkoutsettings Page in your Shopify admin. To transfer funds, add your bank information.

You can also choose to collect customer emails addresses during the payment process for later email marketing purposes.

5. Set up your shipping rates and decide on shipping methods

Before you place your first order, you need to decide how the order will be delivered to your customer. There are four main options for getting this done:

1. Dropshipping
2. Retailer Shipping
3. Local delivery
4. Local pickup

Dropshipping is where you use a supplier to hold your inventory and ship your product. The supplier will pay wholesale prices, but you have the option to charge your site visitors a higher price.

Dropshipping is a popular option because it reduces inventory costs such as storage and product waste. Dropshipping is where your supplier stores your products in a fulfillment centre. You only need to purchase what you need from them. They will ship your products to you.

Dropshipping is a great option for people just starting out, because it has low overhead. However, there are some drawbacks to dropshipping.

Dropshipping doesn’t allow you to control how much inventory you have. It’s your problem if your supplier runs out. You will also be dependent on the supplier to brand your products. This means that you have very limited branding control. You won’t be able to control the shipping. Your dropshipper may send three orders of three products at different times and charge you shipping.

You can also ship it yourself. You have full control over your packaging, shipping methods, branding, and packaging. This may be the right option for you if your brand’s goal is to create a beautiful experience, right down to the packaging and unboxing.

Dropshipping is easier than shipping as a retailer. You will need to package the products yourself, use a shipping company like FedEx or DHL, and make sure you include shipping costs in your eCommerce model.

Pickup and local delivery are easy. You will still need to package your products and keep track.

Local delivery is as simple as collecting your customers’ addresses. You can either drop off the packages yourself or use local courier services. Give your customers clear instructions on how to pick up their packages from you for local pickup.

6. Add pages, navigation, and adjust your preferences

On the left-hand menu bar, you’ll find the option to add pages, navigation, and preferences. Add any additional site pages to Pages that your customers might be interested, such as your brand’s story, in an About Us section.

You can ensure that your menus are easy to read for your shop visitors by using Navigation. Bad UX can stop users from moving forward.

You will need to make sure your Shopify Store is set-up for SEO. This can be done under Preferences. Here, add your Page’s title (or meta description) and description. This is what will appear on the Search Engine Response Page, (SERP), when people search for your company. This is used by engines like Google to match your store with search queries. Make sure you include relevant keywords.

This section allows you to link Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel, and you can also decide how you will collect user data. Near the bottom of the page you’ll find a box that states your site is Password Protected.

Once you are ready for your store to go live, click choose a plan.

7. Go live

Shopify Plans: Choose a plan! Shopify Admin has many touch points to help you navigate to their plans. It’s easy to give them money. If you are still unsure, go to Home on the left-hand menu. Choose Select an option from the menu at the top of your screen.

You can now choose the plan that is right for your needs.

8. Connect your store with your social media accounts

Choose a theme with social media integrations to add your social media accounts in your Shopify store. These themes can be found by searching for “social media” in the Theme Store.

You can also check if your theme supports it by clicking on its footer or area, then on the right menu navigate to the section Social media icons and click Show social media icons.

You can connect your social media accounts with Shopify to make on them.

9. Create a Shopify chatbot

After your store is up and running, you will need to invest in a Shopify chatbot. Shopify chatbots automate tasks for customers, which can save you time and money.

First, choose the right chatbot for your store. Our sister chatbot, Heyday is recommended as it works with almost all eCommerce business models. It is easy to integrate due to its intuitive interface.

Heyday allows site visitors to connect remotely with store associates via video chat and live chat.

Source: Heyday

Get a 14-day free Heyday trial

10. Integrate Hootsuite

This last step will make it easier to manage your shop. Shopview integrates Hootsuite with your Shopify store. You will be able share products from your shop to your social media networks easily.

Shopify: How to sell on social media

Did you know that you can sell your Shopify store directly through many social media platforms. This allows you to market and sell where your customers shop.

Shopify – How to Sell on Facebook

Shopify makes selling on Facebook easy. There are just a few steps to get started.

Make sure that you are the administrator for your Facebook Business Manager

You must have a Facebook Ad account in order to sell on Shopify. You should be the admin for your Facebook Business Manager and own your brand’s Facebook page. These accounts will be required to connect to Shopify’s Facebook channel.

Install the Facebook channel in Shopify

First, log in to Shopify on a desktop computer. Next, navigate to the Shopify admin page.

1. Click Settings
2. Click To Visit the Shopify App Store
3. Search for Facebook
4. Click Add channel
5. Select the feature you wish to install (e.g Facebook Shop), and then click Start Setup
6. Click Connect account
7. Register for your Facebook account
8. Follow these prompts to connect the Facebook assets required for setup
9. Accept the terms & conditions
10. Click To finish setting

Start selling and marketing on Facebook

When you install Facebook Shop Shopify, your product category will automatically upload into your Facebook Shop. You’re now free to market and sell products on Facebook.

What if I already have my Facebook Shop?

It’s easy to integrate Shopify into your Facebook Shop if you already have it set up. Follow these instructions to integrate Shopify into your shop.

This is how to set up your Facebook Shop using Meta instead of Shopify.

Shopify – How to Sell on Instagram

Shopify requires you to do a few things in order to sell on Instagram.

Check that your Professional Instagram account is connected to your Facebook business page

Meta owns Instagram and Facebook. Make sure your Shopify store is connected to your professional Instagram account in order to integrate it with your Instagram account.

Learn how to convert an Instagram account you have created to a professional one.

Install the Facebook channel

Follow these steps to add the Facebook channel to Shopify.

Install the Instagram Shop feature

Once you have your Shopify account integrated with Facebook, you will need the Instagram Shop feature installed. Go to your Shopify admin page.

1. Navigate to Apps in Settings.
2. Click Facebook
3. Click Open sales channel
4. Click Overview
5. Click Setup in the Instagram Shopping Section to begin
6. If you haven’t already, connect your Facebook accounts with the Facebook Sales Channel
7. Accept the terms & conditions and then click Request approval
8. Wait for Facebook reviews to take place (this could take up to 24-48 hours).

Start selling!

Now you can start selling on Instagram! The Hootsuite Insta experts have created some Instagram Shopping cheat codes (AKA how to sell more) just to help you.

Shopify and Pinterest: How to Sell

It’s easy to sell on Pinterest using Shopify It has the potential to get your products in front 400 million Pinterest users.

Add the Pinterest sales channel in your Shopify store

All you have to do to make Pinterest products sell is to add the Pinterest sales channel in your store.

1. Check that you are logged in to your Shopify account
2. Go to the Pinterest app
3. Click Add App
4. Follow these steps to install the Pinterest app from Shopify

Once installed, buyable pins for all your products on Pinterest will be enabled. This allows users to browse Pinterest and purchase your products. Shopify will handle the synchronization for these purchases.

Do you have Pinterest tags that you have manually added?

If you have manually added Pinterest tags in your Shopify account, you need to delete them before you can integrate the Pinterest Shopify app. You can always add them back later.

Hootsuite Pinterest professionals have created a winning strategy for your Pinterest shopping strategy.

Shopify FAQ: Selling

What can you sell on Shopify

Shopify allows you to sell digital and physical products and services, provided they are legal and in compliance with Shopify’s standards.

Shopify’s Acceptable use Policy states that they believe in free and open trade of ideas and products. However, Shopify does not accept any activity that is incompatible with their mission to make commerce more accessible for all.

These activities include child abuse, illegal substances, as well as services from terrorist organisations. You’re likely to succeed monetizing your grandmother’s homemade pies or your social media strategy templates. Except Grandma doesn’t use wild ingredients.

Why should you sell on Shopify

Shopify is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms. Shopify offers affordable pricing plans that can be used by all sizes of businesses and an easy-to use back end. It’s a great choice for store owners with any digital skill.

Shopify scales with your business. Shopify offers a wide range of digital tools that can be integrated into your shop, including chatbots that assist customers with service inquiries.

How much does it cost for Shopify to sell?

Prices for Shopify Basic plans start at $38/month, Shopify Basic plans start at $99/month, and Shopify Advanced plans start at $389/month. The cost of selling on Shopify depends on the plan you choose and how much you want to spend.

Shopify may offer a 50% discount if you sign-up for a 14-day free trial (like I did).

Selling on Shopify comes with additional costs. You’ll need to calculate your expenses if you want to know how much it costs to sell on Shopify. These expenses could include your internet bill and your shipping costs.

How do I get started selling on Shopify

Congratulations if you’ve completed steps 1-8 in the section How to sell on Shopify in 8 Steps. You are now ready to sell on Shopify.

Now it’s time for you to market your brand, advertise your products and services, and make your first sale. For best results, ensure you have followed the best social commerce practices.

Is it possible to sell on Shopify via social media platforms?

Yes! Yes! You can sell products through your social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Pinterest. Shoppers can browse your products, then order directly from the apps. It’s easy to set up your shop; see the instructions above.

Heyday, our chatbot for social commerce sellers, allows you to engage with shoppers on social media. It turns customer conversations into sales by turning them into sales. At scale, deliver 5-star customer experiences

Enjoy a 14-day Heyday trial for free

The first Social Media Marketing & Management Dashboard article was Selling on Shopify in 2022: Step-by-Step Guide.