How to Set Up a Shopify Store — Step-by-Step Guide for Makers (2026)

Shopify is a popular platform for creating e-commerce stores, and by following the right steps and using the right tools, you can set up a Shopify store that not only showcases your products to the right customers, but also helps you to maximize profits.

Firstly, why Shopify? Of the many e-commerce platforms available, Shopify offers some of the best features for businesses both big and small.

This includes a user-friendly dashboard, detailed analytics to track your store’s performance, and easy payment processing integration. With its many customizable themes and templates, you can also easily create an attractive website that perfectly reflects your brand image.

It’s also used by some of the biggest brands in the biz: Allbirds, Gymshark, and Glossier are a couple of examples that immediately spring to mind. So, if Shopify is good enough for these huge companies, odds on they’ll be a good fit for your business too. Let’s take a deeper dive into the specifics of getting your Shopify store up and running.

What other options are there other than Shopify?

While Shopify offers the most comprehensive features for businesses, there are other platforms you can use to build your store. WooCommerce is a popular alternative, and it provides similar features such as customization and analytics.

However, WooCommerce requires more technical knowledge to set up, so if you’re new to e-commerce it may not be the best option for you. Wix and BigCommerce are also viable options, as they offer a wide range of tools for businesses to use.

How much does it cost to set up a Shopify store in 2026?

The cost of setting up a Shopify store in 2026 largely depends on the features you want and the subscription plan you choose.

Shopify offers four main plans:

• Starter ($5/month) — sell on social media and messaging apps only, no full storefront
• Basic ($39/month) — full online store with core features; 2.9% + $0.30 per online transaction
• Grow ($105/month) — everything in Basic plus lower transaction rates and additional staff accounts; 2.6% + $0.30 per online transaction
• Advanced ($399/month) — advanced reporting, custom pricing by market, and the lowest rates; 2.4% + $0.30 per online transaction

Note: the plan previously called “Shopify” was renamed to Grow in 2025. If you’re on an older plan, you may still see the original name in your billing.

Use our free Shopify fee calculator to see exactly how much you’ll pay per sale on each plan.

Shopify typically offers a free trial period for new accounts — full pricing and current trial details are available here.

What do you need to create a Shopify store?

Before getting started, there are some essentials you’ll need to have in place first.

You’ll need an email address for customer support and marketing purposes, a business license (if you’re selling products or services), and an SSL certificate to protect customer data. Make sure you have a clear plan for setting up your storefront, including what products you’ll be selling, how you’ll fulfill orders, and how you’ll market your store.

When setting up a Shopify store, the first step is to decide on your shop’s name. Keep it simple and memorable — you want customers to easily recall it when shopping online. After this, you’ll also need to create a domain name for your store. This will be the address that customers type into their browsers when they want to shop at your store. You can purchase one through Shopify, or if you already have one registered with another provider you can use that too. After setting up your domain, the next step is to choose a theme for your store. Shopify offers numerous customizable themes, so you can create an attractive website without any coding knowledge.

Once your store’s appearance is finalized, you’ll be ready to add products and services. You’ll need to provide detailed product information such as images, descriptions, pricing, and shipping costs. It’s important at this stage to start thinking about your inventory management strategy: how are you going to maintain your product listings and track orders. We cover this topic in more detail here: How to manage your inventory on Shopify. If you’re on Advanced Shopify or Shopify Plus, you can also set up automated inventory workflows with Shopify Flow to get low-stock alerts, automatically notify suppliers, and prevent stockouts without manual tracking.

Your store’s checkout process should also be set up so customers can easily pay for their purchases. Shopify offers payment processing integrations with major platforms like PayPal and Stripe, so you won’t need to worry about setting up your own system.

Tip: It’s a good idea to run a test order through on Shopify just to make sure everything is working as expected and you are getting alerted to new sales: check that your product prices are correct, images are displaying correctly, and any tax configured is being applied correctly.

Promoting your Shopify store

Finally, the last step is to promote your Shopify store — as Shopify is not in itself a marketplace like Etsy or eBay, you’ll need to do the legwork to reach the customers you want.

You’ll want to create a well-crafted website and attract visitors with SEO optimization, blog posts, social media campaigns, email marketing strategies, and more.

Additionally, consider running promotions or offering discounts to get customers interested in your products. With the right combination of online tools and strategies, you can make sure your Shopify store is successful.

Tips for maximizing your chance of Shopify success

Choose the right theme

First impressions matter, and your store’s theme affects customers’ perception of your products and brand. Shopify has various themes to choose from, and it’s essential to select one that aligns with your business. Whether you’re selling handmade goods, clothing, beauty, or home goods, make sure your theme is visually appealing and easy to navigate. A clean, sleek theme is usually the best choice.

Optimize your store for mobile

Now more than ever, customers are using their mobile devices to shop online. According to Shopify, mobile accounts for the majority of all e-commerce traffic. Make sure your Shopify store is optimized for mobile: use a responsive design, optimize images, and keep text concise and clear.

Use the right apps

Shopify has a large app store with tools that can help you automate your business, improve the customer experience, and increase profitability. One of the best Shopify apps for small manufacturers is Craftybase: an all-in-one manufacturing and inventory system designed specifically for in-house DTC makers.

Create high-quality product pages

Customers rely on images and descriptions to make a purchasing decision, so high-quality product pages matter enormously. Include multiple images of your products from various angles, write an easy-to-read product description, and highlight key features and benefits.

Also, consider including customer reviews, as they are powerful social proof that can help customers trust your brand and products.

Use social media to drive traffic

Social media is one of the best ways to drive traffic to your Shopify store. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest are excellent for showcasing your products, sharing customer reviews, and reaching a wider audience. Create a social media strategy that integrates with your Shopify store’s branding and marketing efforts.

Setting up a Shopify store is an excellent way for small manufacturers to sell their products online and reach a broader audience. By following these tips, you can create a visually appealing and easy-to-use store that maximizes profits.

Inventory management for Shopify makers

One area where many Shopify sellers — especially those who handmake their products — run into trouble is inventory management.

Shopify’s built-in inventory tools track finished product stock well, but they’re not designed for makers who work with raw materials. When you’re producing goods in batches, you need to know not just how many finished items you have on hand, but also whether you have enough materials to fulfill the next round of orders — and what each product costs you to make.

This is where dedicated Shopify inventory management software for makers comes in. A purpose-built tool like Craftybase connects directly to your Shopify store to:

• Auto-import orders and deduct materials automatically as products sell
• Calculate your true COGS so you know your profit margin on every item
• Track raw material stock levels and get alerts before you run out
• Generate year-end reports with accurate cost data for tax purposes

Without this level of tracking, it’s easy to set prices too low (because you haven’t accounted for all your material costs), run out of supplies mid-order, or struggle to produce accurate figures at tax time. If you’re serious about running a profitable Shopify store, getting inventory management sorted early pays dividends.

Learn more: Shopify inventory management for makers

Using Craftybase with Shopify

If you’re looking for an easy way to keep track of your Shopify store’s products, orders, revenue, expenses, and more, Craftybase is the perfect solution. This powerful Shopify inventory and manufacturing software can sync with any number of your Shopify stores to automatically capture orders, calculate COGS, and generate financial reports.

Craftybase also allows you to track inventory levels across multiple channels, including Shopify. You can view an overview of your shop’s current inventory status and drill down into individual product SKUs to see more detailed information. With Craftybase, you’ll have total visibility into your store’s performance metrics.

By pairing Craftybase with Shopify, you can improve your store’s profitability and maximize growth potential. You’ll be able to focus on the bigger picture of running a successful business, thanks to these two systems working together.

Start harnessing the power of Craftybase and Shopify today — try our free 14-day trial!

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