June 22, 2026

How to set up a Shopify store?

shopify store

Shopify Store Design & Development

shopify store development

Explore Shopify Services

Starting an online store is easier today than it was a few years ago. You no longer need technical skills, a developer, or a large budget to sell products online. With Shopify, anyone can create a professional ecommerce website and start accepting orders within a few days.

If you are searching for how to start a Shopify store, this guide walks you through the entire process from start to finish. You will learn how to start a Shopify store for beginners, avoid common mistakes, and build a strong foundation for long term growth.

Table of content

What You Need Before You Start
How to Start a Shopify Store: A Complete Step by Step Process
Step 1: Create Your Shopify Account
Step 2: Choose the Right Shopify Plan for India
Step 3: Configure Your Core Store Settings
Step 4: Set Up Payment Gateways
Step 5: Add Your Products
Step 6: Organize Products Into Collections
Step 7: Choose and Customize Your Shopify Theme
Step 8: Set Up Your Custom Domain
Step 9: Install Essential Apps for Indian Shopify Stores
Step 10: Configure GST and Taxes
Step 11: Test Your Store Thoroughly Before Launch
Step 12: Launch and Drive Traffic to Your Shopify Store
Conclusion
Frequently Asked Questions

What You Need Before You Start

Before you even open Shopify's website, gather these things. Having them ready saves you from stopping midway.

A business idea and the products or services you want to sell
A registered business entity (proprietorship, LLP, or private limited company), not mandatory to start, but required for payment gateways
GST registration number (required if your turnover exceeds Rs. 20 lakhs, or Rs. 10 lakhs for special category states)
A current account or savings account for receiving payments
Your Aadhaar and PAN for KYC during payment gateway setup
A domain name idea (Shopify gives you a free subdomain, but a custom domain builds more trust)
Product images and descriptions ready to upload

How to Start a Shopify Store: A Complete Step by Step Process

Let us go through all the steps that you need to know about.

Step 1: Create Your Shopify Account

The first step to starting a Shopify store development is creating your account. Go to shopify.com and click "Start free trial." As of 2026, Shopify offers a 3-day free trial followed by a discounted first month, and you do not need a credit card to begin.

Once you enter your email, create a password and choose a store name.

This name becomes your default Shopify URL(yourstore.myshopify.com), so pick something that reflects your brand clearly.

You will be able to add a custom domain later, but keep the store name consistent with where you want your brand to go.

Shopify will ask a few onboarding questions about your business type, what you plan to sell, and whether you are already selling anywhere.

Make sure to answer honestly.

This information helps Shopify surface the most relevant setup checklist for your situation. None of these answers lock you in permanently.

What to keep in mind while choosing a store name:

Keep it short, easy to pronounce, and easy to spell

Avoid names that are too niche as you may expand your product range later
Check if the .com or .in domain version of your name is available before finalizing
Avoid names that are too similar to existing brands to prevent trademark issues down the line

Step 2: Choose the Right Shopify Plan for India

Starter Plan - A lighter option for sellers who want to sell only through WhatsApp, Instagram, or a link-in-bio page, without building a full website.

If you are just figuring out how to start a Shopify store for beginners, start with the Basic plan. You can upgrade at any time and your store data carries over completely.

Note: Shopify charges in USD. You will need an international credit or debit card, or you can use Razorpay's international payment option to pay your subscription.

Many Indian sellers use a Niyo Global or HDFC Forex card for this.

Also read: Shopify pricing in India: What it really costs (2026)

Step 3: Configure Your Core Store Settings

Before you add a single product, get your store settings right.

Go to Settings from your Shopify admin dashboard and work through each section.

Store Details:

Set your store name, contact email, and phone number exactly as they appear on your business registration documents
Set currency to Indian Rupee (INR) - go to Settings > Store details > Store currency and select INR. Do this before adding any products. Changing currency after products are added requires manual repricing.
Set your timezone to India Standard Time (IST, UTC+5:30)

Legal Pages:

Every trustworthy Shopify store needs legal pages in place before launch. Shopify generates basic templates - go to Settings > Policies to access them. The four you need are:

Privacy Policy - tells customers how you collect and use their data
Refund and Return Policy - your single most conversion-influencing policy page
Terms of Service - outlines the rules of using your store
Shipping Policy - sets delivery expectations and reduces support queries

Do not just copy-paste the template and leave it. Edit each one to reflect your actual business practices. Payment gateways like Razorpay and PayU review these pages during KYC.

In India especially, a clear "7-day easy return" statement on your policy page can be the difference between a customer buying and bouncing.

Shipping and Delivery Setup

Go to Settings > Shipping and delivery and configure your zones before launch.

Create a domestic zone covering all of India. Start with a flat rate or weight-based rate. A free shipping threshold (typically Rs. 499 or Rs. 999) works very well for Indian buyers and increases average order value.
If you plan to ship internationally, create separate zones for specific countries or regions with appropriate rates.
Estimated delivery timelines matter enormously for Indian customers. Set realistic windows (3-7 days for metros, 5-10 days for tier 2 and tier 3 cities) and display them clearly at checkout.
For automated shipping label generation, order tracking, and multi-courier rate comparison, integrate a shipping aggregator from the Shopify App Store.

Step 4: Set Up Payment Gateways

This is the most important step for any Indian seller setting up a Shopify store, and also the one where most people get stuck.

Shopify Payments is not available in India. Unlike sellers in the US, UK, or Australia who can use Shopify's built-in payment system, Indian merchants must use third-party payment gateways.

Best Payment Gateways for Shopify in India

Razorpay - The most popular choice for Indian Shopify stores and the easiest to set up.

It supports -

UPI
credit and debit cards
net banking
EMI (both bank EMI and cardless options like Simpl and ZestMoney)
All major wallets
International cards.

KYC approval typically takes 2-3 business days. Standard transaction fee is 2% plus GST per successful transaction. Razorpay also offers a lower rate of 1.8% for UPI transactions, which is significant given how much of India pays via UPI.

PayU - A strong alternative with similar payment method coverage. PayU's dashboard offers more granular reporting than Razorpay for some use cases.

Rates are negotiable once your monthly volume consistently crosses Rs. 5 lakhs. Setup is simple and approval timelines are comparable to Razorpay.

Cashfree - A good option for businesses that also need recurring billing, subscription payments, or frequent vendor payouts.

The developer documentation is excellent, and the merchant dashboard is clean and easy to understand. Transaction fees are competitive with Razorpay.

CCAvenue - The interface is dated compared to newer players, but CCAvenue accepts business categories that Razorpay and PayU sometimes decline.

If you are in travel, digital products, or any category that newer gateways are cautious about, CCAvenue is worth exploring.

How to add a payment gateway to Shopify:

Go to Settings > Payments
Under "Third-party providers," click "Choose third-party provider"
Search for your gateway (Razorpay, PayU, etc.) and select it
Click "Connect" and you will be redirected to that gateway's dashboard
Complete KYC (upload business registration, PAN, GST certificate, cancelled cheque, and ID proof)
Once approved, return to Shopify and your gateway will be active

Documents typically needed for KYC:

Business registration certificate (GST certificate, MSME certificate, or incorporation documents)
PAN card of the business or proprietor
Aadhaar card of the authorized signatory
Cancelled cheque or bank statement showing account number and IFSC
A working URL of your store (most gateways check the store before approving)

Setting Up Cash on Delivery (COD)

COD accounts for 40-50% of orders across many Indian product categories.

To enable COD in Shopify, go to Settings > Payments > Manual payment methods > Cash on Delivery (COD).

Turn it on and write clear instructions for your customers explaining how it works as in when they pay, what happens if they miss the delivery, and your COD availability by pin code if applicable.

A few important things to manage with COD:

Send an automatic WhatsApp or SMS confirmation after every COD order to reduce RTOs (return to origin shipments where the customer refuses delivery)
Consider restricting COD to orders below a certain value (Rs. 1,500 or Rs. 2,000) to limit your risk on high-value orders
Apps like Interakt and Shiprocket help automate COD confirmation messages

Let’s work together to build your store

We are one of the world’s most trusted and experienced Shopify Plus Partners.

Get in touch

Step 5: Add Your Products

Go to Products > Add product. This is where most of your time before launch should be spent.

Product Title:

Write a title that uses the words your customer actually searches for. "Men's Cotton Linen Kurta White" is far more effective than "White Kurta" because it gives Google and shoppers more information. Include the primary descriptor, material, and key attribute in the title.

Product Description:

Write for the buyer, not for search engines. Your description should answer every question a customer might have before buying:

What is the product made of?
What size should I choose? (Include a size chart if applicable)
How do I care for this product?
What problem does it solve or what occasion is it for?
What is included in the package?

Avoid copying descriptions from your supplier or manufacturer.

Product Images:

Images do more conversion work than any other element on a product page.

Upload a minimum of 4-6 images per product
Use a 1:1 square ratio at 2048 x 2048 pixels or higher for crisp display on retina screens
Include a front shot, side shot, back shot, lifestyle or in-use shot, and a scale reference image
Compress images using Tiny PNG or Shopify's built-in compression before uploading to keep page load speed fast
Add descriptive alt text to every image — this helps with SEO and accessibility

Pricing and Inventory:

Enter your price in INR
Use the "Compare at price" field to show the original higher price when running a discount — this shows a strikethrough price and a "Sale" badge automatically
Enter your SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) — your internal product code for tracking
Set your stock quantity and turn on inventory tracking so Shopify marks items as out of stock automatically

Product Variants:

If your product comes in multiple sizes, colors, or configurations, use Shopify's variants feature.

Click "Add variants" and set up your options.

SEO Settings for Each Product:

Scroll to the bottom of the product page and find the "Search engine listing" section. This controls what appears in Google search results.

Page title: Include your primary keyword and keep it under 60 characters
Meta description: Write a compelling description between 130-160 characters that includes your keyword and gives someone a reason to click
URL handle: Keep it short and keyword-rich (e.g., /products/mens-cotton-kurta-white instead of /products/3829172)

Product Organization

Assign each product a product type, vendor name, and relevant tags. Tags drive automated collections and make filtering easier as your catalog grows.

Step 6: Organize Products Into Collections

Collections are the categories of your store as they help customers browse, help Google understand your site structure, and make your navigation menu useful.

Go to Products > Collections and build collections that reflect how your customers think about your products.

Shopify gives you two types of collections:

Manual Collections:

You handpick which products belong. Use these for curated pages like "Bestsellers," "New Arrivals," "Editor's Picks," or "Gift Ideas." Manual collections require you to add and remove products yourself.

Automated Collections:

Shopify populates these automatically based on rules you define.

For example: all products tagged "festive" go into a Festive Collection, or all products priced below Rs. 999 go into a Budget Picks collection.

As your catalog scales, automated collections save enormous amounts of time.

Tips for building effective collections:

Every product should be in at least one collection as products not in a collection are invisible to shoppers browsing your navigation
Create collections based on product type, occasion, price range, and top-level categories
Write a short description for each collection. This text appears on collection pages and is indexed by Google, so include relevant keywords naturally
Set a collection image that represents the category clearly
Avoid creating too many collections. Aim for 5-8 primary collections in your main menu

Step 7: Choose and Customize Your Shopify Theme

Go to Online Store > Themes to browse and install themes. The right theme is one that loads fast, looks clean on mobile, and makes products easy to discover and buy.

Free Themes Worth Using for Indian Stores

Shopify's free themes have improved substantially. These are genuinely good options:

Dawn - Clean, minimal, and fast. Works well for almost any product category
Sense - Well-suited for beauty, wellness, and lifestyle brands
Refresh - Good for stores with a wide catalog and multiple collections
Crave - Strong layout for food, beverage, and consumable products

All of Shopify's free themes are mobile-first, which is critical because 70-80% of Indian shoppers browse on mobile.

Paid Themes

If you want a more distinctive design, Shopify's Theme Store has paid themes ranging from $150 to $350 (approximately Rs. 12,000 to Rs. 29,000). ThemeForest is another marketplace with quality Shopify themes at lower price points.

Customizing Your Theme

Click "Customize" on your chosen theme to open the visual editor. You do not need coding knowledge to make most changes.

From here you can:

Upload your logo (use SVG or PNG with a transparent background for best results)
Set your brand color palette and typography
Build your homepage section by section.
Edit your header navigation and footer links
Add an announcement bar at the top for free shipping thresholds, ongoing promotions, or important notices

Also read: Top 30 brands using Shopify in 2026

Let's Build Your Custom Shopify Store

We help you build a Shopify store that fits your brand perfectly.

Get in touch

Step 8: Set Up Your Custom Domain

Your default Shopify URL (yourstore.myshopify.com) works, but it signals a new, unestablished store to anyone who notices it. A custom domain builds credibility immediately, especially in India where awareness of online scams means customers look closely at website addresses.

Where to buy a domain:

GoDaddy - widest selection, regular discount offers for first-time purchases
BigRock - India-based registrar, easy payment in INR, good for .in domains
Namecheap - competitive pricing for .com domains, clean interface
Directly through Shopify - convenient but slightly more expensive

Domain pricing in India:

.com domain: Rs. 700 to Rs. 900 per year
.in domain: Rs. 400 to Rs. 500 per year
.store domain: Rs. 200 to Rs. 500 per year (often on deep discount in year one)

A .com is the most trusted globally. A .in works well for brands targeting exclusively Indian customers and can sometimes rank slightly better for India-specific searches.

Connecting your domain to Shopify:

Go to Settings > Domains in your Shopify admin and click "Connect existing domain." Enter your domain name and Shopify will show you the DNS records to update at your registrar. You need to update two things:

Modify the A record and enter Shopify's IP address (23.227.38.65) as the destination.
The CNAME record for www - point it to shops.myshopify.com

DNS changes take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours to propagate globally, though it is usually under 2 hours.

Once connected, set your custom domain as the primary domain and Shopify will automatically redirect all myshopify.com traffic to it.

Shopify also provides a free SSL certificate automatically. The https:// padlock is now a baseline expectation for any credible online store, and Google uses it as a minor ranking signal too.

Step 9: Install Essential Apps for Indian Shopify Stores

The Shopify App Store has over 8,000 apps. Most of them you do not need.

Here are the apps that genuinely matter for Indian sellers:

Interakt
AiSensy
Shiprocket
Pickrr
Judge.me
Loox
Klaviyo
Tera Invoices

Install apps one at a time and test your store speed after each addition using Google PageSpeed Insights. If an app drops your mobile score significantly, it may not be worth keeping.

Step 10: Configure GST and Taxes

India's GST structure is product-specific, and getting this wrong can create compliance issues or cause customer-facing pricing confusion.

Go to Settings > Taxes and duties in Shopify.

Key configuration steps:

Add your GSTIN (GST Identification Number) under Settings > Taxes — this links your tax registration to your store
Enable "Charge taxes on shipping rates" if your shipping charges are taxable under your product category
For each product, scroll to the Taxes section and enable tax charging, then set the correct GST rate

The simplest approach for most Indian stores is to set prices inclusive of GST and display that clearly on your storefront ("All prices inclusive of GST").

Step 11: Test Your Store Thoroughly Before Launch

Never launch without running a complete test.

Complete pre-launch checklist:

Place a test order using Shopify's Bogus Gateway - go to Settings > Payments > Manage > Use test mode. Walk through the full checkout to confirm every step works.
Switch your gateway to live mode and process a real Rs. 1 or Rs. 10 transaction through your actual payment gateway to confirm it is functioning correctly.
Open your store on an Android phone (cover the majority of your audience) and an iPhone. Test navigation, product pages, add to cart, and checkout on both.
Check that all four legal pages (Privacy Policy, Refund Policy, Terms of Service, Shipping Policy) are linked in your footer and load correctly.
Test your shipping rate calculation by adding products to the cart and entering 5-6 different pin codes including metros, tier 2 cities, and remote areas, to confirm rates are appearing as expected.
Verify your contact page has a real phone number or email address. Indian customers are significantly more likely to trust and buy from stores where they can reach a human being.
Check your store's Google PageSpeed score at pagespeed.web.dev and aim for a mobile score above 60. Below 50 will hurt both user experience and SEO rankings.
Review every product page on mobile: images loading correctly, descriptions readable, Add to Cart button visible without scrolling, price clearly displayed.

Step 12: Launch and Drive Traffic to Your Shopify Store

Here is how successful Indian Shopify sellers get their first customers and grow from there.

Google Shopping:

For product-based businesses, Google Shopping ads are one of the highest-intent traffic sources available.

Begin by creating your Google Merchant Center account, then link your Shopify store to it through the Google & YouTube app, you will find it in the Shopify App Store at no cost. Once connected, sync your product catalog so your listings are ready to serve ads.

Once approved, you can run Shopping ads targeting India with a budget as low as Rs. 300 to Rs. 500 per day to test performance.

Instagram and Facebook:

A large portion of Indian buyers discover new brands on Instagram and Facebook, particularly in fashion, beauty, home decor, and lifestyle categories.

Start with consistent organic content i.e., real product shots, behind-the-scenes footage, customer testimonials, and before-and-after content if your product lends itself to it.

Build an audience before spending on ads.

When you are ready to run paid campaigns, use Meta Ads Manager rather than the "Boost Post" button.

Proper campaign setup with targeted audiences, clear creative, and a well-configured pixel delivers far better results than boosted posts.

WhatsApp:

WhatsApp is uniquely powerful for Indian ecommerce in ways that no other channel replicates. Building a WhatsApp broadcast list of interested customers gives you direct access to their attention without algorithm interference.

SEO:

Learning how to start a successful Shopify store means understanding that SEO is a long game, but it pays off permanently. Unlike paid ads, organic traffic does not stop when your budget runs out.

Focus on:

Writing unique, detailed descriptions for every product page
Building collection pages that target category-level keywords (e.g., "handloom cotton sarees online India")
Starting a blog on your Shopify store that answers questions your target customers are searching for
Earning backlinks by getting your products featured in gift guides, listicles, and press coverage
Internal linking between blog posts and product pages to distribute SEO authority across your store

Micro-Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing at the micro level i.e., creators with 5,000 to 50,000 followers in a specific niche delivers the strongest ROI for Indian D2C brands at the early stage.

Macro-influencers (1 million+ followers) have high costs and often low engagement relative to their audience size.

Look for creators whose audience matches your customer profile by geography, age group, and interest. Engagement rate matters more than follower count.

Conclusion

Setting up a Shopify store is not about launching the perfect website on day one. It is about creating a solid foundation that allows you to start selling, learn from real customers, and improve over time.

The sooner your store goes live, the sooner you can gather feedback, refine your strategy, and grow your business.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I set up a Shopify store in India without GST registration?

You can create the store and start setting it up, but most payment gateways require GST registration for business accounts. If your annual turnover is below the GST threshold (Rs. 20 lakhs for most states), you can apply for a composition scheme or operate without registration, but check current rules or consult a CA before doing so.

Q: Is Shopify beneficial for small Indian sellers?

Yes, if you are serious about building an online brand. For pure marketplace selling, Amazon and Flipkart are easier to start with. But if you want control over your brand, customer data, and margins, Shopify is the right platform.

Q: Can I sell on Shopify and Amazon/Flipkart at the same time?

Yes. Shopify has integrations with Amazon and Flipkart through third-party apps that sync inventory across channels. This is called multichannel selling and is increasingly common among Indian D2C brands.