Shopify Setup Checklist for your eCommerce Store -Top 20 Steps to Check

It is nice to have your Shopify eCommerce website ready to launch. But, we believe that it’s a bit frustrating knowing that still, you have so many things to do. In a hurry, sometimes, launching an eCommerce website becomes messier. You must be prepared for the earliest escape for maximum loopholes and give a grand success to your future website or online store.

Achieving perfection is the first target for any new business owner launching his first-ever online store. But, things are not easy as it appears in the beginning, and you come across plenty of glitches and issues which you need to short right before you launch your website.

Considering all these things, we have tried to put down a list of the Shopify setup checklist, which you need to go through before you launch your Shopify website. Here’s the list.

Checklist to Setup Shopify Website

Manage What Your Customers See First

It takes no more than 50 milliseconds (that’s 0.05 seconds) for users to form an opinion about your website.

There is a saying, “The first impression is the last impression.” The saying exactly fits into this context here. The users first see how appealing the interface and navigation are, how easily they can browse through things, and how useful the content you have for them. These are not the big, complicated, or costly to accomplish. Just start small, start correctly. Here are the things you can follow to make the UI/UX mind-blowing. If you have your store on Shopify, you need to ensure that you have the following;

• Excellently designed logo
• Supported all traditional and latest browsers
• Your primary purpose has to be visible on the homepage through graphics or link
• Links of what sets you apart from others
• Compelling and attractive CTA (Call to action) to drive users to sales pages
• Search navigation clearly visible and effectively workable
• Effectively, display discount vouchers, free shipping, etc. to lure users
• Put language options on the top of the site

These are some of the basic things which you need to keep in mind right before launching the website.

Add Custom Domain

The next essential thing you need to do is to change the domain name. If you have a domain containing the service provider’s name, such as www.aglowid.myshopify.com, then you need to use your own domain name. You can buy your domain from any domain registrar or find cost-effective. But, choose the domain name carefully.

Sometimes, you may not see the required domain name available. In such a condition, you can choose something similar, though the URL must be easy to spell and convey your business purpose.

Note: If you have already changed, then you are ok to skip this part.

Integrate & Double-Check Your Payment Gateway and Settings

Payment Gateway integration is one of the essential parts which you need to look into seriously. Integrating payment gateways are integral and accepting payment through credit, and debit cards and wallets give exceptional benefits to your business.

Today’s users are tech-savvy, they look for quick, comfortable, and convenient solutions and acceptance of online payment is the crucial one. Shopify offers a range of major payment gateways, including Shopify Payments, PayPal, or Stripe. It also provides suggestions on how to integrate them. BTW, they are very easy to do.

Note: Check, re-check if the payment gateways are working well and smoothly.

The preferred payment method of global online shoppers is eWallets (36%), followed by credit cards (23%) and debit cards (12%). – Worldpay Global Payments Report

Do a Content Audit for Spelling and Grammar Mistakes

Spellings and grammar errors are small, very tough to catch in first go through. You need to ensure that the content is grammatically perfect, and there are no spelling mistakes. It can change the meaning of what you want to convey, which in some cases can bring disaster for your eCommerce business. Take a look at some of the suggestions;

• Have your friends to take a look at your content
• You can refer the content to professional as well
• Install an app like Grammarly to check typos, spelling and grammar error

Support Pages for Your eCommerce Site

It is important to establish confidence which is possible through static pages, policies, norms, declaration, etc. These essential pages and you should keep it ready and readable right before you launch your website. You need to confirm that all the support pages are appropriately integrated, updated, uploaded, and function correctly. Here are some of the top lists of support pages;

Social Media Integration, like Facebook, Chatbot, Instagram, Twitter, etc.

You can add as many things as you need to provide to your users as per your business.

Optimize All Images on Your Website

If your website loads content slowly, there can be nothing worse than this. It is better not to have any high graphic-consumed image or plugin than to slow down the process. You need to ensure that the image and other content on the page load faster.

Make sure not to use a bulky bandwidth consuming flash sales images on the home page. Or even if you like to place such images, then make sure to optimize it as much as possible, so that it will not take much time to load on your Shopify website.

You can use online tools like Tiny PNG or Compressor.io tool before uploading any images to your Shopify website. Even there are many 3rd party Shopify apps on Shopify store like Crush.pics and Image Optimizer

Have a Prelaunch Marketing Plan

Have you started marketing for your business? If not, then you should drop the launching plan for your website. Yes, marketing is essential, and that should be initiated much before you plan to launch your website. It will prove to be costly.

Let your customers know about your initiative, stimulate them with services and products you are going to provide them, and then introduce your online portal or website. Use social media, create pages, and start marketing for your initiative. That’s the smartest way to launch your successful eCommerce site.

Adjust Your Tax and Shipping Settings

Tax may differ from one country to another, one product to another and even within states. So, ensure that you tax is properly configured based on the products and regions’ tax plan. As far as shipping settings are concerned, you need to ensure which location you deliver the services and where you don’t.

When deciding what to charge buyers for shipping, you need to consider the following options:

• Exact shipping costs: Charge buyers the same thing that carriers like USPS or Canada Post charge to ship.
• Flat rate shipping: Charge fixed shipping rates based on order value or weight. For example, charge $5 to ship anywhere in the United States.
• Free shipping: Offer free shipping on all orders or set free shipping rules. For example, offer free shipping on orders over $150.

Unexpected costs at the checkout are the main reason why buyers don’t complete purchases. The most common unexpected costs are for shipping. Make your shipping costs clear on your home or product page to avoid surprises at the checkout.

Make it Easy for Potential Customers to Contact You

Smooth communication, such as how easily your customers connect with you will impact on your business future. If you are easily reachable, your users will love to be engaged with your services and products. Ensure that you have set a highly effective and smooth communication channel to connect with your users.

Remain available on social media channel/Ensures All Social Media Channels are Properly Integrated

Social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr, LinkedIn, etc. are correctly functional and integrated well. These are essential and keep your users informed and engaged.

Be available on Chat and respond to users when want to

Chat is the most powerful tool which can boost user engagement and brings lots of benefits. Integrating Chat into your business website will help you reach a large number of people and help them engage with your website.

Activate Any Sales Channels Apart from Website

Reaching your customers beyond just the limit -your website, you need to keep the third party sales channels will help. You can add any sales channels which you find helpful and will bring core customers around your defined geographical regions. More than that, the sales channels, whatever you choose to, will connect with the core of your Shopify business, which will enable you to track things like your orders, products, and customers that, too, from your Shopify admin panel.

Respond to their emails, even it is negative

Prepare yourself to face the hard facts. It will be negative and positive both. You need to respond both feedback with as polite and generously as you do with the positive feedback. It will make you reliable and help your customers believe in your business and brand.

Platforms like Email, Contact Us page, Chat, etc.

You need to provide your customers with various platforms like email, contact us page, Chat, etc. to connect with you. One size, here in this case, ‘the communication channel, will fit all. You need to provide all available and possible communication channels to help so that customers would have easy to connect with you as the need arrives.

Review Your Email Notification as well as Push Notification Settings

Checking the email notification settings will help you find if the purpose is appropriately served or not. There are times when notifications are not sent timely to your customers; sometimes, it does not get sent, and even sometimes, notifications are sent without any content. So, you need to ensure it well that the notifications are sent to an email address, and is fulfilling your intend.

In case, you don’t have activated the push notification, you need to do it before launching the Shopify eCommerce website. The push notification helps you send customized emails and messages to your registered customers. You can send customized offers and deals directly to your customers.

Set up Your Billing Information

Setting up billing cycle, billing information, Shopify plan, store type, etc. becomes essential when you take a final call. Remember to add these crucial things so that there won’t be any issues when the store is finally live.

Don’t start heavy, install only necessary apps first

You need to ensure that all essentials and appropriate apps are connected with your Shopify website. Again, don’t try overloading your website with unnecessary apps right in the beginning. It will slow down your website, which brings no benefits all.

Every app you add to your Shopify website will not only incur a cost but also put some extra work and load to your website. Initially, they may be not so useful for your business. Therefore, don’t go on what the app promises to deliver, instead go on the current need to the website.

Become a customer

The best way to begin with your eCommerce initiative and make it a grand success is to think from your customers’ point of view. To ensure, become a customer and buy something from your store. What will you want to buy; why will you want to buy, what is the problem you are facing while buying, selecting the products and checkouts? It helps you find the issues which your customers might face while surfing through your website.

You need to ensure;

• How your website works (sluggish, fast, smooth)
• How it navigates through -how will be your customer’s journey
• Ordering process and Checkouts

Just try to be honest and behave like frequent users would with your website. You will find the perfect feedback from your side.

Email Helpdesk setup

Email helpdesk will ensure smooth management and organizing the emails. Have a secure public email, generally starting from “[email protected],” integrate it to your helpdesk email. You can also take third party customer service support such HelpScout as it easy to use and deliver excellent customer service.

Edit Homepage Meta Title & Description

To let Google know about your business and help your customers find you easily on the internet, you need to ensure that the ‘Homepage title and meta description have all the information which users utilize in their search keyword to find the website. It should have all the right information in the description. Also, ensure that this information does not exceed 160 characters.

Final word

Now you are done with the necessary things, but re-ensure things are going perfect. Remember, the ideal start is considered “the mission is half completed.” Don’t get things in haste, give proper time to understand things, integrate every single thing which you need to keep the website smooth, and perform better. You can also contact a professional or Shopify Development Company for the right suggestion.