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Starting an eCommerce store might seem daunting, but here’s the truth: setting up a Shopify store is far easier than most business owners imagine. You don’t need coding skills, technical expertise, or weeks of preparation. With the right approach, you can have a functional online store ready to accept orders in just a few hours.
The biggest misconception I hear from clients is that building an online store requires technical know-how or expensive developers. That’s simply not true anymore. Shopify has made eCommerce accessible to everyone, and I’m going to show you exactly how to set up a Shopify store without the overwhelm.
While getting the basics set up is absolutely something you can do yourself, many business owners prefer working with a Shopify professional for hands-off management and optimised results. Either way, understanding the process helps you make informed decisions about your online store.
What you need before you start
Before you dive into Shopify, let’s gather everything you’ll need. The good news? Most of this is standard business preparation, not technical requirements.
Essential items to prepare:
Business fundamentals: You’ll need your business name sorted and basic branding decisions made. If you’re operating in Australia, ensure you have your ABN registered and any necessary business registrations completed.
Product information: Have detailed descriptions ready for each product you want to sell. Include an overview, specifications and any other relevant details your customers would want to know.
Professional product photos: Quality images are crucial for online sales. You don’t need a professional photographer, but your photos should be clear, well-lit, and show your products from multiple angles.
Website structure: Think about what pages you’ll need beyond just your product listings. Consider an About page, Contact information, shipping and returns policies, and any other content that builds trust with potential customers.
Payment method: You’ll need a business bank account and payment processing setup. Shopify Pay is an excellent starting option, or you can integrate other payment gateways.
Here’s what you don’t need: perfect everything. Your store doesn’t need to be flawless from day one. You can refine and improve as you go.
Choosing and customising your theme (keeping it simple)
This is where many beginners get overwhelmed, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Shopify offers dozens of themes, but you only need one that works for your business.
Start with free themes. Shopify’s free themes are professionally designed and perfectly functional. I recommend starting with one of Shopify’s new Horizon themes first. These themes come with a lot more flexibility, improved structure and AI features.
There are a large range of paid themes, these can come with a decent price tage but are definitely worth considering. I’d recommend starting with a free theme, and if needed you can always upgrade to a paid theme at a later time.
Focus on these key factors when choosing:
- Does it showcase your products clearly?
- Is it mobile-friendly? (They all are, but some do it better)
- Does the layout match how you want to organise your products?
Keep customisation minimal initially. Change your logo, adjust colours to match your brand, and add your business information. That’s it. Don’t spend hours tweaking fonts or rearranging sections – you can do that later.
Remember, your customers care more about finding what they want quickly than about fancy design elements. I’ve seen some hugely successful stores that are just using a basic free theme with some simple customisations.
Keep in mind here too, the default Shopify themes are always going to be well supported and are less likely to have issues with compatibility, updates and add ons.
How to make basic theme customisations:
- Go to Sales Channels > Online Store > Customize
- Go to Theme Settings (the gear icon in the right menu)
- Update the basics (colours, typography, settings)
Adding your first products
This step is straightforward but important to get right. Start with your best-selling or most representative products rather than trying to upload everything at once.
For each product, you’ll need:
Clear, descriptive titles: Use terms your customers would search for. Instead of “Red Widget”, try “Premium Red Kitchen Widget – Stainless Steel”.
Detailed descriptions: Write for your customers, not search engines. Explain benefits, not just features. How will this product make their life better?
High-quality images: Upload multiple photos showing different angles. Include lifestyle shots if relevant – show the product being used, not just sitting on a white background.
Accurate pricing and inventory: Double-check these details. Nothing frustrates customers more than incorrect pricing or out-of-stock items.
Product categories and tags: Organise your products logically. Think about how customers browse your store and group similar items together. In Shopify, you group products together for customers with either manual or automated collections.
Start with 5-10 products maximum. You can always add more later, but launching with a focused selection helps you learn the system without feeling overwhelmed.
How to add your first products:
- Go to Products > Add product
- Add the key information (title, description, images, price, type & inventory settings)
- Save and repeat
Setting up essential pages
Your store needs more than just product listings to build trust and answer customer questions. Focus on these essential pages first:
About page: Tell your story. Why did you start this business? What makes your products special? Keep it genuine and focused on your customers’ needs.
Contact page: Include multiple ways to reach you – email, phone, and physical address if applicable. Consider adding business hours and expected response times.
Shipping and returns policy: Be clear about costs, timeframes, and return conditions. Transparency here reduces customer service enquiries later.
Privacy policy and terms of service: Shopify can generate basic versions of these, but consider having them reviewed by a legal professional, especially if you’re handling sensitive customer data.
Don’t overthink these pages. Simple, clear information is better than elaborate content that takes weeks to write.
If you’re finding your online store is content heavy, using a different platform like WooCommerce can be a better option as it gives you more flexibility for a full website outside your online store.
How to add pages to Shopify:
- Go to Sales Channels > Online Store > Pages
- Click Add page and add your title & content
- You can manage your menu from Content > Menus
Configuring basic settings (the must-haves only)
Shopify has hundreds of settings, but you only need to configure the essentials to get started. Ignore the advanced options for now.
Store details: Add your business name, address, and contact information. This appears in customer communications and helps with local SEO.
Tax settings: Configure this correctly from the start. If you’re in Australia, ensure GST is calculated properly. Shopify can handle most tax calculations automatically.
Shipping zones: Set up basic shipping options for your target areas. Start simple – maybe free shipping over a certain amount, or flat-rate shipping for your country.
Checkout settings: Enable guest checkout so customers don’t have to create accounts. Add your preferred payment methods and configure order confirmation emails.
Legal pages: Link the policies you created earlier to your footer menu.
Resist the urge to fiddle with every setting. The defaults work well for most businesses, and you can always adjust things later as you learn what your customers need.
How to update Shopify Settings:
- Go to Settings, and work your way through the basics:
- General (for key business information)
- Payments (set up your payment method – see below)
- Shipping & Delivery (set up your shipping zones and pricing – see below)
- Taxes & duties (setting up / checking your store is correctly adding GST
Setting up payments and shipping
Getting paid and delivering products are obviously crucial, but both are simpler than you might expect.
Payment processing:
Shopify Payments is the easiest option for most Australian businesses. It integrates seamlessly and handles most payment types including credit cards, digital wallets, and buy-now-pay-later services.
If you prefer alternatives, PayPal, Square, and Stripe all integrate easily. Compare transaction fees and choose what works best for your business model.
How to set up Payment processing:
- Go to Settings > Payments > Shopify Payments > Set up
- Follow the prompts and provide the key information
Shipping setup:
Start with simple shipping options. You can always add complexity later:
Flat rate shipping: Charge the same amount regardless of order size. Simple but may not reflect actual costs.
Free shipping threshold: Offer free shipping over a certain order value. This can increase average order sizes.
Australia Post integration: Shopify connects with Australia Post for real-time shipping calculations. This ensures accurate costs but requires more setup.
Local delivery or pickup: If you have a physical location, consider offering these options to reduce costs and serve local customers.
Test your shipping setup with a few trial orders to ensure everything calculates correctly.
How to set up Shipping
- Go to Settings > Shipping and delivery
- Go to General shipping rates > Add shipping zone
- Choose Domestic • Australia, and add your method(s) and any conditions
How to start a Shopify store with a free trial
Now that you’ve prepared everything, it’s time to start your free trial. This timing is crucial – don’t start the trial until you’re ready to build, because the free trial is short and can go quickly.
As of August 2025, Shopify offer a completely free 3 day trial, then $1 per month for 3 months, so it’s very affordable to get started.
Starting your trial:
Head to the Shopify website and start your free trial. You’ll need an email address and to create a password. Shopify will ask about your business, and you’ll have to provide some key information.
Making the most of your 3 days:
Since you’ve prepared everything in advance, you can move quickly through setup. Aim to have your basic store ready within your 3 day trial, so you’re confident in knowing Shopify is the right fit for your business.
What to focus on during your trial:
- Upload your prepared products
- Customise your chosen theme with your branding
- Set up your essential pages and policies
- Configure your payment and shipping settings
- Place test orders to ensure everything works
- Get feedback from friends or family
Beyond the trial:
If you’re happy with your store, you’ll need to choose a Shopify plan. The Basic plan suits most small businesses starting out. You can always upgrade as you grow.
Going live with your store
Making your store public is both exciting and nerve-wracking, but remember – launching doesn’t mean everything has to be perfect.
Final checks before going live:
- Test the complete customer journey from browsing to purchase
- Ensure all your contact information is correct
- Verify your payment processing is working
- Double-check shipping calculations
- Review your product descriptions and pricing
Removing password protection:
During development, your store is password-protected. To go live, remove this protection in your store settings. Your store will immediately be accessible to the public.
You’ll need to set up a domain for your site which you can do via Settings > Domains.
Soft launch strategy:
Consider starting with a soft launch – tell friends, family, and existing customers first. This helps you identify any issues before promoting to a wider audience.
Monitor closely:
Watch your first orders carefully. Check that automated emails are sending, payments are processing correctly, and you’re receiving order notifications promptly.
What to focus on after launch
Congratulations! Your store is live. Now focus on these priorities to build momentum:
Customer service excellence: Respond quickly to enquiries and resolve any issues promptly. Great service turns first-time buyers into repeat customers.
Inventory management: Keep stock levels updated and remove out-of-stock items promptly. Nothing frustrates customers more than ordering something unavailable.
Analytics and improvement: Use Shopify’s built-in analytics to understand which products are popular, where customers are coming from, and where they might be dropping off.
Marketing your store: Now that your foundation is solid, focus on driving traffic. This might include social media marketing, email campaigns, or local advertising.
Gradual expansion: Add more products gradually rather than overwhelming yourself with a massive catalogue. Focus on quality over quantity.
Remember, every successful online store started exactly where you are now. The key is starting with something functional rather than waiting for perfection.
Starting a Shopify store isn’t the technical challenge many business owners imagine. With proper preparation and a focus on essentials over perfection, you can have a professional eCommerce store running in hours, not weeks. The hardest part is often just getting started.
Ready to take the plunge? Your online store is just a few hours of focused work away.
Ready to start your Shopify store but want professional guidance? I help businesses set up and optimise their online stores for success. Get in touch to discuss your eCommerce goals, or get my free guide to hiring a web designer you can trust.
