How to Open a Shopify Store in 24 Hours (Beginner Step-by-Step Guide)

Starting an online business no longer requires specialized technical skills, a large budget, or extensive preparation. If you are wondering how to open a Shopify store as a beginner, you are in the right place.

In this complete guide, you will learn how to launch a Shopify store, set it up properly, add products, configure payments, and finally open your Shopify store to the public all within 24 hours.

Whether you want to sell physical products, digital products, or dropshipping items, Shopify makes the entire process simple and beginner-friendly.

Why Shopify Is Perfect for Beginners

Shopify is one of the easiest e-commerce platforms for beginners to use. It takes care of hosting, security, payments, and store management all in one place, so you don't need any technical skills to start an online store.

Shopify provides:

• Easy store setup with no coding

• Secure hosting and payments

• Professional themes

• Built-in SEO and mobile optimization

• 24/7 support

Whether you want to start dropshipping, print-on-demand, or sell your own products, Shopify is a fast, secure, and beginner-friendly platform for launching and growing your online business.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Open a Shopify Store (Preparation Checklist)

Before launching your Shopify store in 24 hours, prepare the following things. This simple preparation will help you move forward quickly and avoid confusion during the setup process.

• An email address

• A business or store name idea

• A laptop or desktop computer

• A stable internet connection

• Basic knowledge of the product or niche you want to sell

That’s all you need to get started. You don’t need any technical skills, coding experience, or advanced tools. Shopify is designed to be simple, even for complete beginners.

Step 1: Create Your Shopify Account 

The first step in starting your online store is to create a Shopify account. This step is simple and beginner-friendly. Go to Shopify.com and click the “Start free trial” button. Shopify lets you try the platform before paying, so you can start without stress.

To create your account, you need to enter a few basic details.

Steps to Create Your Shopify Account:

• Enter your email address.

• Create a strong password.

• Choose a simple and unique store name.

• Select your country and currency.

After this, Shopify may ask a few questions about your business. You can answer them or skip them to save time. Once finished, you will be taken to the Shopify admin panel.

Next, go to Settings > General and review your basic information, including your business address and account currency. Take a few minutes to explore the dashboard so you feel comfortable.

Tip: Use a strong password to keep your store secure.

Step 2: Get Familiar With the Shopify Admin Panel

After setting up your account, you will see the Shopify admin panel. This is the main control center of your store. From here, you can manage products, orders, customers, and other important settings.

At first, it may look new, but once you understand the main sections, everything becomes easy.

Main Sections in the Admin Panel

• Orders – View and manage customer orders, fulfill orders, or handle cancellations.

• Products – Add products, upload images, write descriptions, and manage prices.

• Customers – See customer details and order history.

• Content – Manage pages and blog content for your store.

• Finances – Track sales, payouts, and store earnings.

• Analytics – Review sales and store performance reports.

• Marketing – Run email campaigns and simple promotions.

• Discounts – Create discount codes and special offers.

• Apps – Add additional segments to your store using apps.

You don’t need to learn everything right now. Just understand where things are. This will make the next steps much easier.

Step 3: Choose and Customize a Shopify Theme

Now it’s time to design how your store will look. Your Shopify theme controls the layout, colors, and overall appearance of your store. This is important because visitors often decide within a few seconds whether they trust a store or not.

From your Shopify admin panel, go to Online Store > Themes. Shopify already provides a default theme, but you can change it at any time. Click “Visit Theme Store” to explore other themes. For beginners, it’s best to start with a free theme.

Recommended Shopify Free Themes for Beginners

• Dawn

• Refresh

• Craft

• Sense

These themes are simple, fast, and work well on mobile devices.

How to Customize Your Theme

After adding a theme, click the Customize button. You can change most things using drag-and-drop—no coding needed.

Focus on:

• Adding a logo (text logo is fine)

• Choosing clean colors

• Using easy-to-read fonts

• Setting up a simple homepage layout

Add basic sections such as a banner, featured products, and a short description of your store. Create a simple menu with Home, Shop, About, and Contact pages.

Don’t overdesign. Keep everything clean and easy to understand. Once finished, preview your store on desktop and mobile. If it looks good and feels easy to use, you’re ready for the next step.

Step 4: Set Up Navigation Menus

Navigation helps visitors move around your store easily. A clear menu makes your store look more professional and helps customers find what they need without confusion.

To add or edit menus, navigate to your Shopify admin panel and open "Content"> "Menus". Here, you will see options for your main menu and footer menu.

Start with the main menu. Click on it and add simple menu items, such as Home, Shop, About, and Contact. You can link these items to pages, collections, or products.

Next, set up the footer menu. Click on the Footer menu and add links such as Privacy Policy, Refund Policy, Terms of Service, and Contact. Shopify will open a side panel where you can name each menu item and add the correct link.

Shopify also allows you to create drop-down menus. This is useful if you want to group products or pages under one menu item, such as categories. 

Keep your navigation simple and clear. Good navigation helps customers stay longer in your store and find products easily.

Step 5: Add Products to Your Shopify Store

Products are the most important part of your Shopify store. This is what people come to see and buy. So keep it simple, clear, and honest, especially if you are a beginner.

How to Add a Product

From your Shopify admin:

• Go to Products

• Click Add product

• Enter a clear product title.

• Write a helpful product description.

• Upload product images

• Set price and inventory

• Click Save

That’s it. Your product is live.

What to Include in Every Product Page

Product Title

Keep it short and clear. Use words customers actually search for.

Product Description

Explain:

• What the product is.

• Who it’s for.

• Why it’s useful.

Focus on benefits, not just features. Use simple sentences or bullet points.

Product Images

• Use clear, high-quality images.

• Add multiple photos if possible (front, back, close-up).

Price

• Set a realistic price. You can always change it later.

• If you want, add a compare-at price to show a discount.

Inventory

• If you’re dropshipping, you can enable “continue selling when out of stock.”

If You’re Dropshipping

• Use apps like DSers or Spocket.

• Start with 1–5 products only.

• Don’t add too many products on day one.

Beginner tip: Never copy supplier descriptions. Always rewrite them in your own words.

If You Sell Your Own Products

• Upload real product photos.

• Add correct pricing.

• Set the inventory quantity properly.

Organize Your Products

Collections

Create collections to group products (example: Best Sellers, New Arrivals).

Tags

Use tags to organize products and help with search and filters.

SEO for Products (Basic but Important)

• Open a product

• Scroll to the Search engine listing.

• Click Edit

• Write a simple page title and description.

• Save

This helps your product appear in Google search.

Manage Products Easily

• Duplicate a product if you want a similar one.

• Archive products you don’t sell anymore

• Delete products you don’t need

All options are available inside the Products section.

Common Beginner Mistake

Adding too many products too fast. Start small. Test your store. Improve step by step. Once products are added, your store starts to feel real. Now you’re ready to move to the next setup step.

Step 6: Write High-Converting Product Descriptions

A product description should do more than explain the product. It should help the customer understand why they need it and why they should buy it now.

Many beginners skip this part or write very short descriptions. That’s a mistake. A good description improves both sales and SEO.

Simple Formula to Follow

When writing a product description, answer these questions:

• What problem does this product solve?

• How does it make the customer’s life easier?

• Why is this product better than others?

Keep your writing clear and honest. Avoid big or confusing words.

Recommended Description Structure

You don’t need long paragraphs.

Use a simple structure:

1. Short Introduction

Start with 2–3 lines that explain what the product is and why it matters.

2. Bullet-Point Benefits

Explain how the product helps the customer.

Focus on benefits, not just features.

3. How to Use

Briefly explain how the product is used.

4. Who It’s For

Tell customers for whom this product is best suited.

Tips for Better Product Descriptions

• Write like you are talking to your customer.

• Use simple, everyday language.

• Be specific and clear.

• Make the text easy to scan.

• Avoid copying supplier descriptions.

• Add keywords naturally for SEO.

If possible, mention how the product is made or where it comes from.

Why This Step Matters

A well-written product description:

• Builds trust.

• Helps customers decide faster.

• Improves search engine ranking.

• Increases conversion rate.

Take your time with this step. Even one good product description can make a big difference. Once your product descriptions are ready, your store will look more professional and trustworthy.

Step 7: Create Important Pages for Your Shopify Store

Pages play a key role in building trust and making your store look professional. Before launching your Shopify store, you should create a few essential pages that help customers understand your business and feel confident buying from you.

How to Add Pages in Shopify

Creating pages in Shopify is simple:

• Go to Online Store → Pages from your Shopify admin

• Click Add page

• Enter a clear and meaningful page title.

• Write your content using the editor (you can add text, images, or links)

• Choose when the page should be visible (publish now or later)

• Click Save

After saving, remember to add the page to your menu so visitors can easily find it.

Create Legal Pages Automatically (Beginner-Friendly)

Shopify makes this step very easy by offering ready-made legal templates.

To generate them:

• Go to Settings → Policies.

• Click Create from template.

• Edit the content with your store name and contact email.

• Save the pages

This saves time and helps keep your store legally compliant.

Must-Have Pages for Every Shopify Store

These pages are essential for trust, transparency, and legal protection:

• About Us – Share your brand story and what you sell.

• Contact Us – Provide an email address, contact form, or support details.

• Privacy Policy – Explain how customer data is collected and used.

• Refund Policy – Clearly state your return and refund rules.

• Terms of Service – Outline your store’s rules and conditions.

Why This Step Is Important

These pages help you:

• Build trust with customers.

• Protect your business legally.

• Make your store look professional.

• Get approval for payments and ads.

Once these pages are set up, your Shopify store will look complete, reliable, and ready for launch.

Step 8: Set Up Payments & Checkout

Before launching your Shopify store, you must make sure customers can pay you easily and safely. Without a proper payment setup, your store cannot accept orders. Shopify makes this step simple, even for beginners.

Enable Shopify Payments

The easiest option is Shopify Payments, which is built into Shopify.

To activate it:

• Go to Settings → Payments.

• Find Shopify Payments

• Click Activate

• Enter your business and banking details.

Shopify Payments allows you to accept:

• Credit & debit cards

• Apple Pay

• Google Pay

• Local payment methods (depending on country)

: Shopify Payments is available only in supported countries. If it’s not available in your country, you can use third-party gateways.Note

Add Other Payment Methods

To increase trust and conversion, enable multiple payment options:

• PayPal

• Credit / Debit Cards

• Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) options (if available)

You can add them from:

Settings → Payments → Add payment method

Customers are more likely to buy when they see their preferred payment option.

Complete Business & Security Setup

During payment setup, Shopify may ask for:

• Business or personal details

• Bank account information

• Tax or identification numbers (based on location)

• Identity verification documents

Make sure all details are accurate to avoid payout delays. Enable two-step authentication (2FA) to keep your account secure.

Customize Checkout Settings

You can improve the checkout experience by:

• Allowing guest checkout

• Enabling abandoned checkout emails

• Adding discount or promo codes

• Setting the correct store currency

• Auto-calculating taxes (from Settings → Taxes and duties)

These small settings help increase the number of completed orders.

Test Your Checkout

Before going live:

• Use Shopify’s test mode or bogus gateway.

• Place a test order

• Verify that payments, emails, and order status functions are working correctly.

This ensures customers won’t face issues during real purchases.

Why This Step Is Important

A proper payment and checkout setup:

• Builds customer trust

• Reduces cart abandonment

• Ensures you receive payouts smoothly

• Makes your store look professional

Once payments are ready, your Shopify store is officially ready to sell.

Step 9: Set Up Shipping Rates

Shipping is a crucial aspect of your Shopify store. If shipping costs or delivery times are unclear, customers may leave without making a purchase. That’s why you should keep your shipping rules simple and clear, especially as a beginner.

How to Set Up Shipping in Shopify

To start setting up shipping rates:

• Go to Settings → Shipping and delivery.

• Select the shipping profile you want to edit

• Click Manage to add or change shipping rates.

Add a Shipping Rate

Follow these steps to create a shipping rate:

• Click Add rate

• Enter a clear name (for example: Free Shipping or Flat Rate Shipping)

• Set the shipping price (free, flat amount, or based on order value or weight)

• Add conditions if needed (such as minimum order value)

• Click Done, then Save

Beginner-Friendly Shipping Options

For most new stores, these options work best:

• Free shipping (highly recommended to reduce cart abandonment)

• Flat-rate shipping (for example, $5 for all orders)

• Clear delivery time (example: 7–12 business days)

Simple shipping rules build trust and increase conversions.

Shipping for Dropshipping Stores

If you are dropshipping:

• Match your shipping rates with your supplier’s delivery time.

• Avoid showing very fast delivery if your supplier is slow.

• Use simple flat or free shipping instead of complex rules.

Advanced Options (Optional)

If needed, you can also:

• Set shipping zones (domestic and international)

• Offer free shipping over a certain amount (example: Free shipping over $50)

• Use carrier-calculated rates with USPS, UPS, or other services.

• Adjust calculated rates to add or remove handling fees.

Why This Step Matters

A good shipping setup helps you:

• Reduce cart abandonment

• Set clear expectations for customers.

• Increase trust and sales.

• Avoid refund issues later.

Once your shipping rates are set, your store is much closer to being ready for launch.

Step 10: Set Up Taxes in Shopify

Before launching your Shopify store, you need to set up taxes properly. This helps you comply with local laws and avoid potential problems later. The good news is that Shopify automatically handles most tax calculations based on your store's location.

Before You Enable Taxes

First, make sure you know whether you need to charge tax:

• Check local tax rules in your country or region.

• Register with the tax authority if required.

• Get your tax number (you can add it later if you don’t have it yet)

If you’re unsure, it’s always a good idea to talk to a tax professional.

How to Set Up Taxes in Shopify

Follow these simple steps:

• Go to Settings → Taxes and duties.

• Select your country or region.

• Click Collect sales tax.

• Enter your tax number (optional)

• Click Collect tax to confirm

You can add more regions later if you sell in multiple countries.

Helpful Tax Settings

• Shopify automatically calculates taxes at checkout.

• If your store is in Europe, enable tax-inclusive pricing.

• You can manage exemptions, overrides, and tax rules at any time.

Test Your Tax Setup

Before launching your store:

• Add a product to the cart.

• Go to checkout

• Make sure tax is calculated correctly.

Why This Step Is Important

Setting up taxes correctly helps you:

• Stay legally compliant

• Avoid checkout errors

• Build customer trust

• Run your store smoothly after launch.

Once taxes are set, your Shopify store is one step closer to going live.

Step 11: Mobile Optimization Check

Most customers will visit your Shopify store from a mobile phone. That’s why mobile optimization is not optional; it’s a must. A minor issue on mobile can lead to lost sales.

Why Mobile Optimization Matters

More than 70% of online shoppers use mobile devices. If your store is hard to use on mobile, visitors may leave without buying—even if your products are good.

What to Check on Mobile

Open your store on a mobile device and review these key areas:

• Buttons are easy to tap and not too close together.

• Text is clear and readable without zooming.

• Images load quickly and fit the screen properly.

• The navigation menu works smoothly.

• The checkout process is fast and error-free

How to Test Mobile View

• Use Shopify’s theme preview and switch to mobile view.

• Open your store on your own phone.

• Add a product to the cart and complete a test checkout.

Quick Tip

Shopify themes are mobile-friendly by default, but always double-check before launch. Fix anything that feels slow, confusing, or hard to use.

A smooth mobile experience increases trust, reduces cart abandonment, and helps you get more sales.

Step 12: Install Essential Shopify Apps

Apps help your Shopify store work better and look more trustworthy. But as a beginner, you should keep things simple. Installing too many apps can slow down your store and create problems later.

Start by installing only the apps you really need.

Add Customer Reviews to Build Trust

Customer reviews are one of the best ways to build trust and increase sales. When new visitors see real reviews, they feel more confident about making a purchase from you.

How to add reviews:

• Install Shopify’s free Product Reviews app.

• Use a trusted third-party review app for more features.

• Send automated emails after purchase, asking for reviews.

• Show positive reviews on product pages or the homepage.

Even a few real reviews can increase sales.

Recommended Beginner Apps

• DSers – For dropshipping stores

• Product Reviews app – To collect and show reviews

• Page speed optimizer – To improve store loading time

Tip: Avoid installing unnecessary apps at the start.

Step 13: Set Up SEO Basics for Your Shopify Store

SEO helps your store appear in Google search results and brings free traffic over time. You don’t need to be an SEO expert—starting with the basics is enough.

Begin with these simple SEO tasks:

• Write clear meta titles and descriptions for products and pages.

• Use your main keywords naturally in titles and content.

• Add alt text to all product images.

• Keep URLs short, clean, and easy to understand

These steps help search engines understand what your store sells and improve your chances of ranking higher.

Good SEO helps you attract the right visitors, build long-term traffic, and grow your store without relying only on paid ads.

Step 14: Connect a Custom Domain to Your Shopify Store

A custom domain makes your Shopify store look professional and trustworthy. Instead of using a long Shopify URL, a custom domain helps customers remember your store and feel more confident about making a purchase from you.

Option 1: Buy a Domain from Shopify

This is the easiest option for beginners.

• Go to Settings → Domains.

• Click Buy a new domain.

• Search for your domain name.

• Choose a domain and complete the purchase.

Domains usually cost around $14–$20 per year, and Shopify automatically sets up everything for you.

Option 2: Connect an Existing Domain

If you already own a domain:

• Go to Settings → Domains.

• Click Connect existing domain.

• Enter your domain name (example: yourstore.com)

• Click Next, then Connect automatically.

• Click Close and wait for verification.

Domain connection can take up to 48 hours. Once connected, the domain status will display 'Connected'.

Set Your Domain as Primary

After your domain is connected:

• Go to Settings → Domains.

• Select your custom domain.

• Set it as the primary domain.

This ensures all visitors are redirected to your main domain.

Why This Step Matters

Connecting a custom domain helps you:

• Look more professional

• Build customer trust

• Improve brand recognition

• Get better results from ads and SEO.

Once your domain is connected, your Shopify store is fully branded and ready for promotion.

Step 15: Test Everything Before Launching Your Shopify Store

Before launching your Shopify store, it’s essential to test every part of the customer journey. Even small issues can cause visitors to abandon their purchase. Testing helps you identify and fix problems before your store goes live.

Test Your Store Like a Real Customer

Browse your store from the homepage and complete a full purchase flow.

Make sure you test:

• Add products to the cart.

• View and update the cart.

• Proceed through checkout.

• Enter shipping and customer details.

• Complete an order.

• Confirm order confirmation messages.

• Check that emails are delivered correctly.

• Test all menu, footer, and page links.

Fix anything that feels confusing or broken.

Place a Test Order Using Shopify Test Mode

Shopify allows you to simulate orders without real payments.

To enable test mode:

• Go to Settings → Payments.

• Click Edit.

• Enable Use test mode.

• Click Save.

This lets you safely test the checkout process.

Use Test Card Details to Complete Checkout

After enabling test mode:

• Add a product to the cart.

• Proceed to checkout.

• Enter shipping details.

• Use any valid test card information.

Test Card Rules:

• Card name: Any two words.

• Expiry date: Any future date.

• CVV: Any three digits.

Example Test Card Numbers:

• Visa: 4242 4242 4242 4242

• Mastercard: 5555 5555 5555 4444

• American Express: 3782 822463 10005

This will create a successful test order without charging money.

Check Mobile Experience and Store Speed

Most customers shop on mobile, so mobile testing is critical.

Ensure:

• Buttons are easy to tap

• Text is readable

• Images load fast

• Checkout works smoothly

Also, test your store speed using Google PageSpeed Insights. Aim for a score above 90 for better performance and conversions.

Why Testing Matters Before Launch

Testing helps you:

• Prevent checkout and payment errors.

• Reduce cart abandonment.

• Build customer trust.

• Launch your store with confidence.

Once everything works smoothly, your Shopify store is ready to go live and accept real orders.

Step 16: How to Open a Shopify Store to Public (Go Live)

Many beginners do not know how to open a Shopify store to the public. By default, Shopify keeps new stores password-protected.

To open your Shopify store to the public:

1. Go to Online Store → Preferences

2. Scroll to Password Protection

3. Disable the password

4. Save changes

Once completed, your Shopify store becomes live and accessible to everyone.

Final Thoughts

Learning how to open a Shopify store in 24 hours is possible—even for beginners. Shopify removes most technical barriers, so you can focus on your products, brand, and marketing.

Follow a clear step-by-step process, stay consistent, and don’t wait for perfection. Your e-commerce journey begins the moment your store goes live.

Launch Your Shopify Store with Sofeby

Want a professionally designed Shopify store launched in just 24 hours?

Sofeby helps beginners and business owners:

• Launch quickly without stress.

• Build stores optimized for sales.

• Avoid common beginner mistakes.

• Start selling with confidence.

Contact Sofeby today and learn how to open your Shopify store the right way!