Launch Your Shopify Store: 3 Tips from a Shopify Expert

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This episode covers everything you need to know about launching your store, whether you're starting from scratch, switching platforms, or simply redesigning your existing site. These tips are relevant in all situations. Even if you're just tidying up your current store, these principles will guide you through the process.

Tip #1: Plan Ahead

Before creating a store, it is crucial to do your research and have a plan in place. You need to know things like your target audience, the types of customers you’re aiming for, photos you’ll need, and copywriting. Make a list of everything you need for your site.

What often happens with DIYers is they pick a new theme and start filling in the boxes without a cohesive plan. The result is a store that misses crucial sections or lacks brand personality, making it feel cookie-cutter. Planning ahead helps avoid this issue.

Check out our previous podcast episode and training on essential elements for your homepage for more insights.

Tip #2: Focus on Customer Experience

While researching and building your site, the number one thing to keep in mind is your customer’s experience. What do they need to know to purchase your product? Ensure your shipping information is clearly outlined and that you have easy ways for customers to make a purchase, such as express pay options like Apple Pay and PayPal.

Clear and detailed product descriptions, an easy checkout process, and excellent customer service (like timely email responses or an FAQ page) build trust and make customers feel confident in buying from you. This is what we call UX (User Experience) in web design.

For those unsure about the platform, listen to our episode on why we love Shopify. Shopify’s easy checkout process is a critical element of a great customer experience.

Tip #3: Prioritize Marketing

Many think the hard part is building the store, but the real work is in marketing. Once your store is ready, you have to consistently market it. Without marketing, even the coolest designed website won’t get any sales.

Check out our Shopify launch checklist and 14-day roadmap to help you through the process. Remember, marketing your store involves multiple channels—social media, SEO, email marketing, and more.

You have to put in the work to get your store in front of people. It’s not just about building it; you need to drive traffic to it. Focus on the marketing channels that work best for you and where your target audience is.

Quick Recap

Plan Ahead: Research, write, and gather all necessary content before starting.
Focus on Customer Experience: Make it easy for customers to purchase and feel confident about buying from you.
Prioritize Marketing: Spend significantly more time marketing your store than building it.

Need help designing a killer Shopify store? Check out DIY Shop(ify) - a self-study program to help you create an amazing Shopify website!

If you have questions or want to talk more about this, join our Product Powerhouse Community on Facebook. It’s a free group of almost a thousand shop owners who are passionate about their products, just like you. We’d love to see you there!

Thank you for tuning in! If you found these tips helpful, please share this episode and leave a review. Until next week, happy selling!

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