Essential store launch checklist for new Shopify businesses
Before launching a new Shopify business, you must complete a multi-step checklist spanning technical setup, store design, product management, and marketing. One of the first and most crucial steps is to hire Shopify developers who can customize your store, integrate necessary apps, and ensure that everything runs smoothly. Following these steps helps ensure your store is functional, professional, and prepared for customers from day one.
Store foundation and settingsFinalize store details:
Enter your business name, legal information, and address in your Shopify settings. Set your store's currency and time zone to match your target market.
Register a custom domain:
Purchase a custom domain name that aligns with your brand. Connect it to your Shopify store to create a professional web address (e.g., yourstore.com).
Add brand assets:
Upload your logo and other branding elements. Ensure they are correctly formatted for display in your theme and as your store's favicon.
Create essential policy pages:
Draft and add legal pages, such as your Privacy Policy, Terms of Service, and Shipping and Returns policies. Use Shopify's free policy generators to get started.
Confirm billing information:
Enter your billing details in the Shopify admin to ensure your account remains active beyond the free trial period.
Store design and contentSelect and customize a theme:
Choose a responsive, mobile-friendly theme that aligns with your brand. Customize it with your brand's colors and fonts.
Add products and collections:
Input all product details, including high-quality photos, descriptive titles, pricing, inventory information, and SEO-friendly descriptions. Organize products into collections to improve site navigation.
Set up navigation:
Organize your main menus and footer links to help customers easily browse your site. Clear navigation is crucial for a positive user experience.
Develop key pages:
Create a compelling "About Us" page to tell your brand story and build trust. A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page can also help answer common customer questions upfront.
Optimize images:
Compress and optimize all image files for faster loading. This will prevent a slow website, which can increase bounce rates.
Proofread everything:
Conduct a thorough content audit to check for spelling and grammar errors, and fix any broken links.
Functionality and testing
Set up payments:
Activate Shopify Payments and add alternative payment options like PayPal and Apple Pay. Use Shopify's fraud prevention tools for security.If you're using advanced front-end technologies like Vue.js, Vue.js testing becomes an important step to ensure your store's interactive elements perform optimally and are free from errors. Following these steps helps ensure your store is functional, professional, and prepared for customers from day one.
Configure shipping and taxes:
Set up your shipping zones and rates based on location. Ensure your tax settings are correctly configured for your target regions.
Install essential apps:
Add integrations for functions like email marketing, customer reviews, and advanced analytics. Be mindful not to install too many apps, which can slow down your site.
Perform test orders:
Place test orders on your storefront to check that the checkout process works correctly. Test different payment methods, shipping addresses, and discount codes.
Review automated emails:
Customize your automated email notifications for order confirmations, shipping updates, and abandoned carts.
Ensure mobile compatibility:
Test your entire store on various mobile devices and browsers to confirm it is fully responsive.
Check website speed:
Use a tool like Google PageSpeed Insights to measure and optimize your store's loading speed.
Marketing and launchSet up analytics and tracking:
Connect Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track your store's performance from day one.
Create a pre-launch marketing plan:
Build anticipation for your launch through social media posts and email campaigns. Create a "coming soon" page to capture initial email sign-ups.
Plan a launch event:
Strategize your public launch. This can include announcing a launch-day promotion or a special discount for early subscribers.
Promote across channels:
After launching, actively promote your store on social media and other platforms where your target audience is active.
Collect early feedback:
Engage with your first customers to gather valuable feedback on their shopping experience. Use this input to make improvements.
Go live:
Once all the checks are complete and you are ready, remove your store's password protection to make it public.