Where to Begin When Planning Your Shopify Launch
You’re here because, presumably, you want get started selling online. You might you have a brick and mortar shop that you want to open up to wider, non-local audience. You might be currently selling on Etsy and are ready to break out into an online shop of your own. Or, perhaps you’re new to this whole business thing and are excited to explore the possibilities of sharing your product with others!
Whatever your motivation, setting up an online shop is totally doable. It can feel overwhelming, so my hope is this post will give you a road map for getting started with confidence.
Our top platform recommendation for online product shops is Shopify (aff. link) because it was designed exclusively for selling products online with endless powerful features. (Uncertain? You can read my blog post comparing the top website platforms right here if you want to know more!)
What are the top reasons to have your own online shop?
You can sell to anyone, anywhere -- you aren’t reliant on local customers
Set your own rules and don’t rely on a marketsplace’s policies (like Etsy, Creative Market, etc.)
Own your customer data so that you can connect directly with them
Build a signature brand of your own with loyal customers (they’ll say they got it from you, not from fill-in-the-blank big box store--how cool!)
01. First Things First
There are a few very important questions to answer before you’ll be in a confident position to open an online shop.
Who is your audience?
You can have the best product in the world, but if you don’t know who you’re selling it to, you’ll never communicate with your audience clearly. Trying to sell to everyone = selling to no one. Define who it is you want to connect with and make sure all your messaging is about how you are uniquely set to help those people!
What makes your product stand out?
Understanding your unique selling point is key. There may be a million brands that sell sweaters, so why do you always end up buying yours from J. Crew? You probably connect with that brand, appreciate the quality of the product, and have had a positive prior experience with them.
Your customer has to feel like they are getting some sort of value in what they are buying from you and that you are solving a problem they are experiencing. A few examples of ways a customer may define the value you provide could include:
Convenience/speed (think: Amazon Prime)
Price point (you’ll probably buy the cheapest cotton balls on the shelf, since it’s not a premium item)
Quality (you may pay more for the premium shampoo without sulfates rather than the generic one)
Social connection (like donating a percent of sales to a cause)
Uniqueness of product (only place you can find the cute gender neutral clothes for your baby)
Personal connection (they may love that you are fellow single mom and want to support you)
Bottom line: clearly define what makes you special in the eyes of your customer and shout it from the rooftops.
02. Establish Your Brand Visuals
To create a memorable customer experience, you’ll need a clearly defined brand. This is integrated into everything from your social media and website to the box and inserts you send when shipping your products.
Why is this important?
Creates familiarity. People make a purchase when they feel confident and familiar with a brand.
Creates loyalty. Once someone knows what to expect from you, they will want to keep coming back.
Signals this is a business—not a hobby. It’s the best way to connect with your audience and create a customized, premium experience.
You can work with a pro to design it, DIY it, or go somewhere in between with a semi-custom brand. My top advice? I cannot overstate the importance of staying consistent. Nothing confuses an audience more than a constantly changing visual. You might feel like things are repetitive, and that is because you see it every day. Think about how many things your customer sees each day: having a consistent look means that you brand becomes familiar to your customer in a sea of visuals.
03. Pages Your Site Will Need
There’s so much to think about when it comes to setting up your online shop, some of it fun (product photoshoot!) and some of it mundane (establishing shipping policies). Here’s what you need to consider, broken down by category.
Pages all shop sites need
Homepage: this is where you introduce what you sell, to whom, and why. Think of it as a table of contents for your site: show all the ways one can interact or purchase with you, and links to do so.
Category pages: depending how many products you have, they may be broken down into categories. For example, if you sell jewelry, you may have a page for all bracelets, one for necklaces, one for earrings, and so on. (Hint: in Shopify, these are called “Collections.”)
Individual product pages: this displays information specific to a certain product, like a description, price, photos, and relevant details. Try to answer as many questions as you can think of to instill confidence in your customer. (Bonus: see this blog post about the product photos you’ll need!)
About: a place to tell your brand’s story and further connect with your audience. This page is super important if you plan to get any press for your business. Journalists always want more than a great product for their story!
Contact: you definitely need a place where customers can contact you with questions or issues.
Privacy Policy / Terms & Conditions: this is a must-have any time you collect customer data. You can work with a lawyer to create something custom, or you can purchase a template like this one from The Contract Shop.
Pages you should consider including
FAQs: this is a great place to anticipate questions you get over and over from customers and is actually one that’s helpful for SEO.
Blog: having a blog is great way to up your SEO (Google loves sites that are frequently updated) and connect with customers on a more personal level.
Shipping Policies: you will definitely get questions about shipping rates, returns, exchanges. Write up your policies for this so you have a simple place to send customers for this info. Shopify offers templates for most of these that you can start with and customize! Check out this article from Shopify for some of the basics on shipping.
Preparing your product listings
Make a list of products: start by listing out everything you will be selling on a spreadsheet.
Photography: the number one thing that affects purchases is quality photography. If all at possible, consider a professional photoshoot for your products. While quick iPhone shots are great in places like Instagram Stories, low quality shots will look totally out of place on your website and leave customers assuming you aren’t serious about your business. You’ll also want some wide-angle lifestyle shots (like of people using your product) to use on your homepage.
Descriptions: tell your customers what they need to know. Depending what you sell, you can include things like materials or ingredients, nutrition, benefits, gifting ideas, reviews--possibilities are endless.
Want even more help?
Download our FREE Start Selling Online Guide with checklists, more details on starting your branding, tips for increasing your average order size and encourage sales, and some of our favorite helpful Shopify apps.
