Shopify lets you run an online store without managing servers or writing code. That simplicity is also why many first stores launch half-finished: the platform makes it easy to go live before the basics are in place. This guide walks through the setup in the order that saves the most rework, with practical notes for stores selling in Pakistan.
In this guide
What to prepare before you sign up
Most delays in building a store come from missing information, not from Shopify. Gather these five things first and the actual setup becomes much faster.
- A product list. Names, prices, sizes or colours, and stock quantities. A simple spreadsheet is enough at this stage.
- Product photos. At least two or three clear photos per product, shot on a plain background in good daylight. Consistent lighting matters more than an expensive camera.
- A payment plan. Decide whether you will accept cash on delivery, bank transfer, card payments through a supported provider, or a mix.
- A delivery plan. Which courier you will use, which cities you deliver to, and what you will charge.
- Your policies. Returns, exchanges and delivery times. You will need these as pages, and customers will read them before ordering from a new store.
You do not need a logo designed by an agency before starting. A clean text logo in your brand colour is fine for launch and can be replaced later.
Step 1: Create your account and choose a plan
Sign up at shopify.com using an email address you will keep long term. Ideally this is an address on your own domain, such as info@yourstore.com, rather than a personal address you may stop using.
Shopify offers a short free trial and regularly runs introductory offers for new stores. At the time of writing, the Basic plan is listed at US$39 per month when billed monthly, or US$29 per month when billed annually, with higher plans for larger businesses. Prices and offers change, so always confirm the current figures on Shopify's pricing page before you commit. For most new stores, the Basic plan is enough until you have regular sales and need features such as additional staff accounts or more advanced reports.
Tip: While your store is being built, Shopify keeps it behind a password page. Visitors cannot see it until you choose a plan and remove the password, so you can take your time setting it up properly.
Step 2: Set up store settings first
It is tempting to start with the design, but a few settings affect everything else. Open Settings in your admin and complete these before adding products:
- Store detailsStore name, contact email, phone number and business address. These appear in emails to customers and on invoices.
- Store currencyFor a store selling in Pakistan this is usually PKR. Changing currency later, after products and orders exist, creates confusion in prices and reports.
- Time zone and unitsSet your time zone so order times are correct, and choose metric or imperial units for product weights.
- Sender emailThe address your order confirmations come from. Using your own domain looks more professional and is less likely to land in spam.
Step 3: Choose and customise a theme
Go to Online Store › Themes. Shopify's free themes are a solid starting point: they are maintained by Shopify, receive updates, and are designed to work well on phones. Choose a theme based on how your products are browsed rather than on the demo photos. A fashion store needs large images and clear size selectors; a store selling spare parts needs strong search and filters.
Once you have chosen a theme, use the theme editor to set your colours, fonts and logo, then build the homepage with a small number of sections: a clear banner, featured collections, and a short line about your brand. A simple homepage loads faster and is easier for customers to understand. We cover theme choice in more depth in How to Choose the Right Shopify Theme.
Step 4: Add products and collections
For each product, add a clear title, a description that answers buyers' real questions (material, size guide, care instructions), photos, price, stock quantity and weight. Keep products in Draft status until they are complete. If you have dozens of products, Shopify's CSV import is faster than adding them one by one. Our guide How to Add Products to Shopify explains every field.
Then create collections to group products, for example Men, Women, Cotton or New Arrivals. Collections can be manual (you choose each product) or automated (products are added based on conditions such as a tag or product type). Automated collections save time as your catalogue grows.
Step 5: Pages, policies and navigation
Create an About page and a Contact page under Online Store › Pages, and fill in your store policies under Settings › Policies: refund policy, privacy policy, terms of service and shipping policy. Shopify provides templates, but edit them so they describe how your business actually works. A policy that promises something you do not do creates problems with customers and payment providers.
Next, edit your menus under Content › Menus. The main menu should link to your most important collections and pages; five to seven items is usually enough. The footer menu should link to your policies and contact page. See Essential Pages Every Business Website Needs for what each page should contain.
Step 6: Payments and shipping
Payment options depend on the country your business is based in. Shopify Payments is only available in certain countries, so stores based in Pakistan generally use manual payment methods such as cash on delivery or bank transfer, or a supported third-party payment provider. Shopify may charge an additional transaction fee when you do not use Shopify Payments, so check the fee details for your plan. If you will offer cash on delivery, our guide How to Set Up Cash on Delivery on Shopify covers the setup and how to reduce refused orders.
For shipping, go to Settings › Shipping and delivery and create shipping zones, for example Lahore and Rest of Pakistan, each with its own rates. If you offer free delivery above a certain order value, set that as a rate condition so the checkout calculates it automatically.
Step 7: Connect your domain
A store on its own domain looks more trustworthy than the default yourstore.myshopify.com address. You can buy a domain through Shopify or connect one you already own under Settings › Domains, then set it as the primary domain so all visitors are redirected to it. If you have not chosen a name yet, read How to Choose a Domain Name for a Business.
Step 8: Test and launch
Before removing the password, test your store as a customer would, on a phone:
- Browse from the homepage to a collection to a product without getting lost
- Check that every product has photos, a price and a description
- Add products to the cart and go through checkout
- Confirm shipping rates appear for different cities
- Place a test order using Shopify's test payment option or a manual payment method
- Check the order confirmation email and the order notification you receive
- Read your policy pages and contact page once more
When everything works, remove the password under Online Store › Preferences. Then cancel and archive your test orders so they do not affect your reports.
A realistic first setup
Imagine a small brand selling 30 unstitched suits within Pakistan. A sensible first version of the store would have one free theme, three collections by fabric, cash on delivery plus bank transfer, two shipping zones, four policy pages, and an About and Contact page. Everything else, such as discount apps, email marketing and reviews, can wait until the first orders arrive and the owner understands what customers actually ask for. Launching a simple, complete store is better than launching a complicated, unfinished one.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need coding skills to use Shopify?
No. You can build a complete store from the admin and theme editor. Coding is only needed for custom design changes or features that themes and apps do not provide.
How long does it take to set up a store?
With products, photos and policies ready, a simple store can be set up in a few days. Most delays come from missing product information or photos.
Can I change my theme later?
Yes. Products, collections, pages and blog posts stay in place when you switch themes, although theme sections and settings need to be set up again.
Should I install apps straight away?
Install only what you need for launch. Each app can add cost and slow the store down. See Common Shopify Store Setup Mistakes for more on this.
If you would rather have the store set up for you, see our Shopify website development service.
