How to get started on Shopify

Article Topics

1. Create an account
2. Check out your dashboard
3. Review your settings
4. Customise your store
5. Style your online store
6. Download new apps
7. Go live!

We’re big fans of Shopify here at Xigen!

It’s easy to use, you get excellent customer support, and you can add the specific features you need to provide the perfect experience to shoppers.

Follow this comprehensive guide, and you can get up and running with Shopify in just a few clicks.

Not sure if Shopify is the right choice for your business? Check out our big eCommerce guide to Shopify!

Step #1: Create an account

Shopify gives you a free three-day trial, no credit card required. This gives you plenty of time to try it and see if the platform is right for your needs.

To get started, go to the Shopify website and click the Start for Free button in the top right-hand corner of the site.

You can create an account with an existing Google, Apple, or Facebook ID, or with an email address.

We’re going to create an account with an email address, but if you want to take advantage of another option, click the appropriate button, log in to your account, and follow the prompts.

Please bear in mind that if you’ve already used an email address to open a Shopify account, you can’t use that email address again to get a free trial.

Enter your email address and create a password, and then select Create Shopify Account.

Next, Shopify will ask you some questions to help customise your store, and suggest some features you may benefit from adding. You can answer these or click Skip customised setup if you prefer.

While your Shopify trial is free, the platform will try to encourage you to sign up for a plan. You will need to sign up for and pay for a plan if you want your site to go live.

If you’re not ready to do this just yet, select Skip, I’ll decide later. You can revisit the different plans on offer in Settings.

Finally, go to your inbox and verify the email you used to sign up for Shopify.

Step #2: Check out your dashboard

When you’ve finished creating your account, as well as when you log in, you’ll see the Shopify dashboard.

From here you can:

• Access your settings
• View store and account alerts
• Customise the front-end and back-end of your store
• Download new apps
• Switch between stores (with Shopify, you can manage up to ten stores per account)

If you need help or are looking for a specific setting, you can use the search bar at the top of your dashboard or use Sidekick, Shopify’s AI assistant.

Step #3: Review your settings

Before you start building your store, we recommend reviewing your settings to make sure your Shopify account is set up to meet your precise needs.

To check these, click Settings, which is in the bottom left-hand corner of your dashboard.

Let’s run through the different settings.

General

From here you can:

• Add the name of your store (your default name is ‘My Store’)
• Add your store email and store phone number (your default store email is the email address you signed up to Shopify with, but you can change it)
• Set the billing address associated with your Shopify account
• Set your default currency, time zone, and units
• Set your default order ID (the unique code Shopify assigns to each order)
• Define your brand assets, including logos, colours, and images

Plan

Here you can choose a different Shopify plan. You can upgrade or downgrade to a new plan whenever you want.

Billing

Here you can download invoices, check app subscriptions, and add or change your payment method. You can add a debit/credit card or pay through PayPal.

While you don’t need a payment method in place for your free trial, you will need one afterwards. Shopify will prompt you to add your details once your trial ends.

Users

Here you can add users who will be able to log in and access your Shopify store, and determine what permissions they have.

You can only add users on the Grow and Advanced plans.

You can also add third-party designers, marketers, web developers, and eCommerce agencies as collaborators.

Payments

Here you can set the payment gateways available on your store.

Shopify’s platform of choice is Shopify Payments, but you can use other payment providers like PayPal, Klarna, and Alipay.

You can also accept bank deposits and cash on delivery.

Checkout

Here you can determine what information you ask customers for at checkout.

If you need to implement product limits or ask for proof of age, there are apps you can install here to do this.

Customer accounts

Here you can determine how customers manage their online accounts.

For example, if they can arrange returns through their account, or see how much store credit they have.

Shipping and delivery

Here you can manage where you deliver items to and what rates you charge.

You can also set up local delivery and store pickup.

Taxes and duties

Here you can manage store taxes and duties.

Shopify offers its own tool which calculates tax and duties for you, or you can connect your app of choice.

Location

If you operate brick-and-mortar stores, you can add your locations here.

Apps and sales channels

Here you can see which apps you’ve installed, access settings, and uninstall them if required.

We’ll talk about apps and sales channels in more detail later.

Domains

As part of your plan you will get a free myshopify.com domain. However, it’s likely that you’ll want your own bespoke domain that customers will recognise and remember.

You can buy a new domain or connect your existing domain here.

Customer events

Here you can add pixels to your website to support your marketing efforts.

A pixel is a small piece of code you embed on your website so you can track user behaviour.

For example, if you use Facebook Ads, you can add a pixel to your site so you can show customised ads to people who have visited a specific web page. This is called retargeting.

Notifications

Here you can determine which emails and SMS messages you send to customers, as well as which emails you receive.

You can also edit the emails and SMS messages so they match your brand style.

Metafields and metaobjects

If you sell a niche product or service, the display fields Shopify offers on its product pages may not be enough. For example, if you sell food online and want to display a complete list of ingredients.

This section allows you to add your own custom data fields, which you can then apply when you add products.

Languages

Here you can determine the languages you want to feature on your store.

Translating content can be a great way to boost sales if you sell internationally.

Customer privacy

Here you can customise your cookie banner and privacy policy, and set your marketing in order to comply with regulations like GDPR.

Policies

Here you can add store policies including your return and refund policy, and terms of service.

Shopify has templates you can add to your site and customise.

Step #4: Customise your store

This section allows you to modify your store and keep an eye on your sales.

Click on the icons on the left-hand side of the dashboard to get started.

Orders

Here you will see your orders and how they’re progressing. You can also see any abandoned checkouts and take action to encourage customers to come back and make a purchase.

You can also buy shipping labels, meaning you can download and print postage labels within Shopify.

Products

Here you can add products to your store. You can input products directly, import them from a CSV file or another eCommerce platform, or add them from a dropshipping platform.

You can also create product collections, keep track of your inventory, and sell gift cards, as well as write product descriptions using AI.

Customers

Here you can view your individual customer accounts and see what they’ve ordered. You can also add customers manually or import them from another eCommerce platform.

You can create segments for your customers, making it easier to send personalised marketing to them.

For example, you can segment customers who have bought from you more than once, or who ordered within the last month.

Marketing

Here, you can see metrics for your online store and which sales have been attributed to your different marketing channels. 

If you have downloaded any marketing-related Shopify apps, you can access them here.

Discounts

Here you can create discount codes and automatic discounts for your store. You can also offer free delivery.

Content

Here you can use the metaobjects you created in settings, as well as upload files for use across your website.

You can also build your website menus and create blog posts.

Markets

Here you can determine your international markets. Here you can determine which countries you sell to, as well as:

• Which currencies you use
• Which languages you use
• Which taxes and duties are in place
• Which products you sell

Finances

Here you can see how much money you’ve received, and what payouts are due.

You can also collect taxes separately and set up automated filing.

Analytics

Here you can see your overall sales, how many people have visited your online store, and which products are most popular.

Step #5: Style your online store

Now the fun part – it’s time to customise the look and feel of your Shopify store!

To do this, click on Online Store under Sales Channels on the left-hand side of the dashboard.

Under Themes you can select a theme for your online store. Shopify offers a wide range of free themes, as well as paid-for ones, some of which have specific features like image sliders, mega menus, and back-to-top buttons.

(Alternatively, an eCommerce agency specialising in Shopify web design can create a bespoke theme for you.)

Once you have chosen a theme, you can amend it further by:

• Adding new sections for text, images, and announcements
• Changing the colours and font
• Uploading your company logo
• Embedding relevant apps (for example, an Instagram feed)
• Amending the size and colour of borders

While you don’t need to know code in order to update Shopify, you can add CSS code here if you’re confident in doing so.

Under Pages, you can add additional content, like an about us page, sizing charts, or an FAQ.

You can set your page live from Preferences, which we’ll look at in more detail at the end of this article.

Want some more style inspiration? Check out these ten stunning Shopify websites!

Step #6: Download new apps

Shopify offers a range of free and paid-for apps you can use to enhance the functionality of your website.

You can use these apps to gather product reviews, implement live chat, enhance your product descriptions, and much more!

There isn’t a limit to how many apps you can download. However, too many apps can slow your website down, which can frustrate customers and affect your search engine rankings.

Any apps you download will appear in the Apps section on the left-hand side of the dashboard. From here you can manage the app, change your plan, or unsubscribe.

You can also pin selected apps so they always appear at the top of the menu.

Step #7: Go live!

By default, your store is only available to view if people have the password to access it.

Shopify will generate a password for you when you create an account. You can view this account (and change it) by going to Sales channels > Online Store > Preferences.

When you go live, you remove this password so everyone can see your website.

To go live you need to:

• Choose a plan
• Set up a billing method
• Complete any mandatory settings. For example, if you sell to countries in the EU, you need to add your contact details to your site

We also recommend testing your website on both desktop and mobile before you go live, to make sure it’s easy to use and that customers can sail through checkout without any issues.

When you’re ready, go to Preferences.

Uncheck the box that enables password protection, click Save, and you’re good to go!

Xigen: Your Shopify eCommerce agency

Shopify is renowned for being one of the easiest eCommerce platforms around. You don’t need to know code to use it, and everything is well-set out and easy to find.

Of course, if you don’t have the time to work on your Shopify site, or you want something extra special, we can help.

We specialise in designing, developing, and managing high-quality Shopify sites across a variety of industries, from charities to construction. Our expert team will create high-quality content, build a stunning, one-of-a-kind theme, and make sure your store is primed for sales.

Get in touch today, and we’ll make sure your Shopify site visitors can shop until they drop!

Note: The information in this article is accurate as of August 2025. We recommend talking to an accountant regarding tax and duty issues.