Summary
Highlights
Once in the Shopify dashboard, activate the three-month trial by selecting a basic plan. Then, navigate to 'Online Store' to choose and install a theme. The 'Dawn' theme is recommended for beginners, though the video demonstrates how to browse and install other free or paid themes.
Upload images for your slideshow slides and adjust their content, text, and button links. Customize the position and alignment of text and buttons within each slide, and ensure proper color schemes for readability. Apply these changes across all slides.
Enter the store editor to customize your homepage. Understand the structure of sections and blocks, and how to add, move, or delete them. This part focuses on adding a slideshow section to the top of the homepage to display engaging images.
Begin by signing up for a Shopify account, ideally using a referral link to extend the free trial to three months for only $1 per month. Skip the initial questions and create your account using email, Apple, Facebook, or Google.
Switch to the Shopify dashboard (in a new tab for efficiency) to add products and create collections. Fill in product details, add high-quality images, set pricing, and configure variants if necessary. Create manual collections like 'women,' 'men,' and 'new arrivals,' and assign products to them.
Return to the editor to display your newly created collections on the homepage. Remove the default featured collection and add a 'featured collection' section, linking it to your 'new arrivals.' Then, add a 'collection list' section to showcase 'women's' and 'men's' collections, adjusting the layout and titles.
Customize the header, including the announcement bar and main navigation. Add your store's logo and adjust its size and position. Learn how to modify the main menu by adding and rearranging links to your collections and contact page.
Configure the store's footer. This involves disabling the email signup if not needed, adding social media links, and activating country/region and language selectors. Crucially, set up your store policies (return, privacy, terms of service, shipping, contact) in the Shopify dashboard settings using templates, then display them in the footer menu.
Learn a simple trick to remove the 'Powered by Shopify' text from the footer by editing the theme's default content. Then, update your store's name in the settings to ensure it appears correctly in the footer and across the site.
Explore additional theme settings, such as adding a Favicon for your browser tab and adjusting color schemes or typography. Emphasize the importance of checking your store's appearance on mobile devices, as most users shop on their phones.
Before launching, configure critical settings in the Shopify dashboard: verify store details, set up payment systems (Shopify Payments, PayPal), define shipping rates, manage tax collection, and connect a custom domain. For international sales, consider adding multiple languages.
Finally, remove the password protection from your online store to make it accessible to the public, officially publishing your Shopify store.