How to Start a Shopify Store in 2026: Complete Step-by-Step Guide
Starting a Shopify store in 2026 takes about a week and costs £29/month for the Basic plan (plus transaction fees). The hardest part is not building the store — it is finding a product people want to buy and getting traffic. Most new Shopify stores make their first sale through social media or paid ads, not organic search.
- Is a Shopify store right for you?
- Choosing what to sell: the most important decision
- Setting up your Shopify store: step by step
- Writing product descriptions that sell
- Getting your first sale: what actually works
Is a Shopify store right for you?#
Shopify is the best all-in-one eCommerce platform for most small business owners. It handles payments, inventory, shipping calculations, discount codes, abandoned cart emails, and analytics — all without needing technical skills. It is not the cheapest option (WooCommerce on WordPress has lower monthly costs but requires more technical knowledge) and it takes a monthly fee regardless of whether you sell anything. Shopify makes most sense if you are selling physical or digital products, want a professional storefront quickly, and do not want to deal with server management and plugin updates.
Choosing what to sell: the most important decision#
Your product choice determines everything else. The most common mistakes: choosing a product you love but that has no existing demand; choosing a product with massive competition from Amazon and established retailers; and choosing a product with margins too thin to cover Shopify fees, advertising, and shipping. Research before you invest. Use Google Trends to see if interest in your product is growing or declining. Search Amazon and eBay for competitors — lots of sellers means demand exists; no sellers means either a gap or no market. Check that your margin after product cost, Shopify fees (2.9% + 30p per transaction on Basic), and shipping leaves at least 40% gross margin.
Setting up your Shopify store: step by step#
Go to shopify.com and start a free trial (14 days, no credit card needed). Choose a store name. Pick a theme — the free themes (Dawn, Refresh, Sense) are professional and fast. Add your products: for each one, write a title and description, upload at least 4 photos (white background for main image), set the price and compare-at price if you want to show a discount, enter your stock levels, and fill in the weight for shipping calculations. Set up your payment methods — Shopify Payments is simplest (you get paid directly to your bank account). Configure your shipping rates. Add your policies (returns, shipping, privacy — Shopify generates templates). Do a test purchase before you launch.
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Writing product descriptions that sell#
Most product descriptions are just lists of features. The ones that convert focus on the transformation or outcome the customer gets. Instead of "Waterproof jacket, 10,000mm HH, taped seams, adjustable hood," write "Stay completely dry in any downpour — this jacket has been field-tested in the Scottish Highlands and keeps water out completely, from a drizzle to a storm." Lead with the benefit, follow with the features. Keep paragraphs short. Use bullet points for specs. Include the answer to the most common objection — "Will this fit me? Does it run small?" — in the description so customers do not have to ask.
Getting your first sale: what actually works#
Organic search traffic takes months to build. For your first sales you need faster channels. Post your launch on your personal social media accounts — friends and family are your first customers. Create a TikTok or Instagram account for the store and post content showing the product being used. Run a small Meta (Facebook/Instagram) ads campaign — £5–£10/day, targeting people who have interests related to your product, running for 7 days. Email everyone you know with a launch announcement and a discount code. These methods, done consistently for the first 30 days, should produce your first 10–20 sales without a large advertising budget.
Shopify costs: what you actually pay#
The Basic Shopify plan is £29/month (billed annually, or £39 month-to-month). Transaction fees on Shopify Payments are 2% plus 30p per sale. A £50 sale costs £1.30 in fees, leaving £48.70. Domain name: approximately £12–£14/year through Shopify or a registrar. Apps: the Shopify app store has thousands of paid apps — start with none and only add apps that solve a specific problem you have (most stores run well with zero paid apps initially). Advertising: budget at least £100–£200 for your first month of paid ads. In total, budget approximately £250–£350 for your first month including plan, ads, and domain.
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What to do after your first 10 sales#
Once you have your first 10 sales: analyse which products sold and which did not; email every customer asking for a review and asking what they liked (this feedback is gold); identify your best-converting product and put your advertising spend behind it; start building an email list from day one using a pop-up offering a discount code for sign-ups; and consider whether to expand your product range or go deeper on what is already working. Most successful Shopify stores grow by finding one product that consistently sells, optimising the page and ads around it, and scaling ad spend once the economics are proven.
People also ask
How much does it cost to start a Shopify store?
The Basic Shopify plan costs £29/month (annual billing) or £39 month-to-month. Add transaction fees (2% + 30p per sale on Basic), a domain name (£12–14/year), and your advertising budget. Your first month will typically cost £200–£350 total including initial ad spend.
How long does it take to set up a Shopify store?
A basic store with 5–10 products can be set up in 2–3 days. A more polished store with professional photography, custom branding, and properly configured settings takes 5–7 days of part-time work. You do not need any coding or design experience.
Do I need a business registered to start a Shopify store?
You do not need a limited company to start. You can operate as a sole trader. Once you are earning over £1,000/year from the store, register for Self Assessment with HMRC. You only need to register a limited company if you choose to — typically when turnover grows significantly.
Can you make good money from a Shopify store?
Yes, but it requires the right product, decent margins, and a willingness to learn paid advertising. Many Shopify stores generate £2,000–£10,000/month profit within their first year. The stores that fail typically have thin margins, no traffic strategy, or a product with no proven demand.
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