A Roadmap to Shopify Selling Made Easy
Are you ready to take your e-commerce business to the next level? If yes, then Shopify is the perfect platform to start selling your products or services online.
With its easy-to-use interface and powerful tools, setting up your Shopify store is a breeze. From understanding the different costs involved to what you can or can't sell, this step-by-step guide will give you everything you need to know to get started.
So what are we waiting for? Let's start your journey to success on Shopify!
How to Sell on Shopify: Getting Started
For a risk-free experience, you can take advantage of Shopify's 14-day trial. This will give you the opportunity to create your online store and explore all of its amazing features.
Sell directly on social media platforms or in person with no limit to what you can do during this period.
After that, if it is right for your business goals, just pick one of their plans and continue progressing forward.
Setting Up Your Shopify Store
1. Go to the Shopify Website.
2. Click on Start Free Trial at the top right corner of the page.
3. Click on ‘I’m just starting’ if you are a start-up company or ‘I’m already selling online or in person’ if you are an established company looking to broaden your horizon
4. Choose where you would like to sell your product online. You can choose as many options as you find fit for your brand.
5. Choose your media presence in the next step. You can choose all the options if applicable.
6. Select the marketplaces where you want to pitch your products or services.
7. Choose what you wish to sell in Shopify.
8. Name your brand.
9. Add your phone number and create your ID in the next two steps.
10. Your Online Shopify Store is ready.
How Much Does it Cost to Sell on Shopify?
Shopify offers a few different pricing plans for sellers, depending on their needs and the size of their business. Here are some of the basic costs associated with selling on Shopify:
- Basic Shopify Plan: This plan costs $29 per month and includes everything you need to get started selling online, including a website and blog, unlimited products, 24/7 support, and more.
- Shopify Plan: This plan costs $79 per month and includes all the features of the Basic Shopify Plan, plus additional features such as gift cards, professional reports, and abandoned cart recovery.
- Advanced Shopify Plan: This plan costs $299 per month and includes all the features of the Shopify Plan, plus advanced features such as advanced report building, third-party calculated shipping rates, and more.
Does Shopify Take a Cut and How Much per Sale
Yes, Shopify takes a cut of each sale made through their platform. The amount of the cut depends on the pricing plan you have selected for your store, as well as the payment gateway you are using to process payments.
If you are using Shopify Payments as your payment gateway, the transaction fee will vary depending on your pricing plan:
- Basic Shopify plan: The transaction fee is 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction. This means that for every sale you make through your store, Shopify will deduct 2.9% of the sale amount, plus an additional 30 cents.
- Shopify plan: The transaction fee is 2.6% + 30¢ per transaction. This means that for every sale you make through your store on the Shopify plan, Shopify will deduct 2.6% of the sale amount, plus an additional 30 cents.
- Advanced Shopify plan: The transaction fee is 2.4% + 30¢ per transaction. This means that for every sale you make through your store on the Advanced Shopify plan, Shopify will deduct 2.4% of the sale amount, plus an additional 30 cents.
It's important to note that if you are using a third-party payment gateway to process payments, you may also be charged additional payment processing fees by the payment gateway provider. These fees are separate from the transaction fees charged by Shopify.
Discovering Profitable Products and Niches
By following these steps, you can discover profitable products and niches that align with your passions and expertise while meeting market demand:
1. Identify Your Passionate Niche
To discover profitable products and niches, the first step is to identify a niche that aligns with your passion and expertise. Choosing a niche that you have a personal interest in can help you stay motivated and committed to your business.
2. Evaluate Niche Market Value
After identifying your passionate niche, it's crucial to evaluate its market value. Conduct market research to understand the potential profitability of the niche and assess the demand for products within that market.
3. Analyze Past and Current Trends
Look into past and current trends to gauge the potential of the niche market. Trends can reveal opportunities for product innovation or highlight potential challenges and saturation within the market.
4. Identify Niche Market Problems
It's essential to identify the problems faced by the niche market you are interested in. Conduct research to understand the pain points of the audience and find ways to solve their problems through your product offerings.
5. Find Ample Products to Promote & Sell
Discovering profitable products and niches also involves finding ample products to promote and sell. Conduct product research to identify items that align with the niche and meet the needs of the audience.
6. Check Audience Willingness to Pay
Check reviews and feedback from the audience to understand their willingness to pay for the products you offer. This can help ensure that the products are in demand and can generate a profit.
7. Analyze the Competition
Analyze the competition within the niche market by studying existing websites and their product offerings. This can help identify gaps in the market that you can fill with your unique product offerings.
8. See Online Advertisement of Niche Market
Check online advertisements of the niche market to understand the targeted audience and their preferences. This can help you align your product offerings with the needs and interests of your potential customers.
9. Build Strong Affinity/Association
Building a strong affinity or association with the niche market and its audience is essential to discovering profitable products and niches. Engage with the audience through social media, forums, and other channels to understand their needs and build relationships.
How to Find Products to Sell on Shopify
To find products to sell on Shopify, you can follow these steps:
- Conduct Market Research: Start by conducting market research to identify potential products that are in demand. Look at current market trends, analyze competitors, and identify gaps in the market that you can fill.
- Identify Your Niche: Identify a niche that aligns with your interests, expertise, and audience. This will help you stand out from competitors and attract a loyal customer base.
- Use Oberlo: Oberlo is a Shopify app that helps you find products to sell. It connects you to suppliers that offer dropshipping services, and you can easily import their products into your Shopify store.
- Look for Products on AliExpress: AliExpress is a popular online marketplace that offers millions of products at wholesale prices. You can use AliExpress to find products to sell on your Shopify store and fulfill orders through dropshipping.
- Attend Trade Shows: Attending trade shows can help you discover new products, suppliers, and trends. You can network with industry professionals, see products in person, and make connections that can help you grow your business.
- Consider Private Labeling: Private labeling involves branding products with your own logo and packaging. This can help you differentiate your products from competitors and build a strong brand identity.
Exploring Popular Shopify Niches
Shopify offers a vast range of niches that entrepreneurs can explore to start their online store. Here are some of the most popular Shopify niches:
- Fashion and Apparel: Fashion and apparel is a popular niche that offers a wide range of products, including clothing, shoes, and accessories. With a focus on trendy and stylish products, this niche caters to a broad audience of both men and women.
- Health and Wellness: Health and wellness is a rapidly growing niche that offers products related to fitness, nutrition, supplements, and more. This niche appeals to consumers who prioritize their health and well-being.
- Beauty and Skincare: Beauty and skincare is a popular niche that offers a wide range of products, including makeup, skincare, and hair care. This niche appeals to both men and women, and there is a growing demand for natural and organic products.
- Home and Garden: Home and garden is a versatile niche that offers products related to home decor, furniture, gardening, and more. This niche appeals to homeowners, renters, and anyone who wants to improve their living space.
- Electronics: Electronics is a popular niche that offers products such as smartphones, laptops, headphones, and other tech gadgets. This niche caters to a broad audience, including students, professionals, and tech enthusiasts.
- Pet Supplies: Pet supplies is a niche that offers products related to pets, including food, toys, and accessories. This niche appeals to pet owners who want to provide the best for their furry friends.
- Baby and Kids: Baby and kids is a niche that offers products related to babies and children, including clothing, toys, and accessories. This niche caters to parents and caregivers who want to provide the best for their little ones.
Best Selling Products on Shopify
The best selling products on Shopify can vary depending on the season, current trends, and consumer demand. However, here are some of the top-selling products on Shopify:
- Phone Cases: Phone cases are a popular and affordable accessory that is consistently among the best-selling products on Shopify. With the constant release of new phone models, there is a growing demand for phone cases that offer protection and style.
- Clothing: Clothing is a popular category on Shopify, with a wide range of products from casual wear to formal attire. Products like t-shirts, hoodies, and leggings are always in high demand.
- Jewelry: Jewelry is a popular category on Shopify, with a wide range of products that appeal to both men and women. This category includes necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and more.
- Home and Kitchen: Home and kitchen products are consistently among the best-selling products on Shopify. This category includes products like home decor, bedding, and kitchen appliances.
What You Can and Can't Sell on Shopify
What Can You Sell on Shopify?
- Physical products: You can sell a range of physical products on Shopify, including clothing, accessories, beauty products, pet supplies, electronics, home decor, and more.
- Digital products: You can also sell digital products on Shopify, such as ebooks, courses, music, software, and more.
- Services: Shopify also allows you to sell services, such as web design, consulting, and coaching.
- Subscriptions: You can sell subscriptions on Shopify for products or services that customers can receive on a regular basis, such as a monthly box of skincare products.
- Print-on-demand: You can also use Shopify to sell print-on-demand products, such as t-shirts, mugs, and phone cases, where the products are printed and shipped on demand.
What Not to Sell on Shopify?
While Shopify offers a wide range of products that you can sell, there are some items that are prohibited or restricted. Here are some examples of what you should not sell on Shopify:
- Illegal products or services, such as drugs, firearms, or counterfeit items
- Services that promote hate or violence
- Services that promote fraudulent or deceptive activities
- Products that infringe on intellectual property rights, such as copyrighted material or trademarks
- Products that are regulated, such as tobacco or alcohol, unless you have the necessary permits and licenses
- Adult content, such as pornography or sexually explicit material
Mastering Shopify Dropshipping
Dropshipping is a popular business model that allows entrepreneurs to start an ecommerce business without the need to hold inventory, and mastering Shopify dropshipping can be a lucrative and rewarding endeavor.
How to Dropship on Shopify
To dropship on Shopify, you can follow these general steps:
- Choose your niche: Start by selecting a niche or product category that you want to focus on.
- Find a supplier: Once you have identified your niche, find a supplier that offers dropshipping services. Some popular options include AliExpress, Oberlo, and Spocket.
- Set up your Shopify store: Create a Shopify account and set up your store. Choose a theme, add products, and customize your store to match your brand.
- Install a dropshipping app: Install a dropshipping app like Oberlo or Spocket to help you manage your product inventory, pricing, and shipping.
- Import products: Import products from your supplier's website or through the dropshipping app.
- Set pricing and shipping rates: Set your pricing and shipping rates to ensure that you make a profit while remaining competitive.
- Start marketing: Use various marketing techniques to drive traffic to your store and increase sales. This may include social media marketing, email marketing, or paid advertising.
Top Shopify Dropshipping Apps
Here are some of the top Shopify dropshipping apps that can help you manage your dropshipping business:
- Oberlo: Oberlo is a popular app that makes it easy to find and import products from AliExpress to your Shopify store. It offers features like automated order fulfillment and real-time product inventory updates.
- Spocket: Spocket allows you to source products from suppliers in the US and Europe. It offers features like one-click order fulfillment and branded invoicing.
- Modalyst: Modalyst offers a marketplace of curated products from suppliers worldwide. It offers features like automated inventory updates and product customization.
- Dropified: Dropified allows you to source products from various suppliers and manage your product inventory, pricing, and shipping. It offers features like automated order fulfillment and multiple store integration.
- Printful: Printful allows you to create and sell custom print-on-demand products like t-shirts, hats, and mugs. It offers features like automated order fulfillment and real-time shipping rates.
- AliExpress Dropshipping: This app allows you to source products from AliExpress and import them directly to your Shopify store. It offers features like automated order fulfillment and product customization.
Finding Reliable Shopify Dropshipping Suppliers
Finding reliable Shopify dropshipping suppliers is crucial for the success of your e-commerce business. Here are some tips to help you find trustworthy suppliers:
- Use reputable supplier directories: Use directories like SaleHoo, Worldwide Brands, or AliExpress to find verified suppliers with good track records.
- Check reviews and ratings: Check reviews and ratings of the suppliers you are considering to get an idea of their reputation and reliability.
- Contact suppliers directly: Contact suppliers directly to get a sense of their communication skills and responsiveness. Ask them about their products, shipping times, and return policies.
- Order samples: Order samples from potential suppliers to test the quality of their products and their shipping times.
- Research their business history: Research the supplier's business history, including their payment terms, return policy, and any legal issues or complaints.
- Look for certifications and accreditations: Look for suppliers with certifications and accreditations, such as ISO certification or membership in trade associations.
- Avoid suppliers with red flags: Avoid suppliers with red flags, such as inconsistent product quality, negative reviews, or a lack of communication.
Choosing Shopify Dropshipping Products
When choosing Shopify dropshipping products, it's important to keep in mind what will sell well and what your target audience is looking for. Here are some tips for choosing successful Shopify dropshipping products:
- Choose products with high demand: Look for products that are currently trending or have consistent high demand.
- Consider niche markets: Focus on niche markets that are underserved and have a passionate customer base.
- Check product viability: Verify the quality and availability of the product by ordering a sample before selling it.
- Look for products with high margins: Choose products with high margins that will allow you to make a profit after deducting your costs.
- Analyze the competition: Research your competition to find out what products they're selling and how you can differentiate your store from theirs.
- Choose products that can be marketed visually: Choose products that can be marketed visually and have good product images that can be used to create visually appealing ads.
- Keep shipping costs in mind: Choose products that can be shipped affordably to avoid high shipping costs that can turn customers off.
Get On Road
Starting an online business can be a daunting task, but with the right tools and guidance, it can be a rewarding experience. Shopify offers a comprehensive platform for entrepreneurs to launch and manage their online store.
By following the roadmap we have laid out, you can take the first steps towards building a successful business on Shopify. Remember, starting a business requires patience, dedication, and hard work.
But with Shopify's intuitive platform, customizable templates, and powerful marketing tools, you have everything you need to create a thriving online business.
Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, Shopify is an excellent choice for anyone looking to sell products or services online. So what are you waiting for? Start your journey today and take your first step towards becoming a successful online retailer on Shopify.
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