A checklist for setting up a Shopify store

Setting up a Shopify store comes down to getting your business details, products, payments, shipping, policies and domain in place, then testing a real order before you open. This checklist is ordered so each item feeds the next, which stops you redoing work. Tick them off in sequence and you can launch with confidence.

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Business groundwork

Choose a trading name and check that the matching domain and social handles are free.
Decide whether to trade as a sole proprietor or register a company, and open a separate bank account either way.
Note the VAT position: registration is compulsory in South Africa once taxable turnover passes R1 million in 12 months (check SARS for the current threshold, as it can change).
Work out your costs per product, including packaging and payment fees, so you know your margin before you set prices.

Create the account and pick a plan

Start with the trial or the cheapest plan that fits. You can move up when order volume justifies it. Under Settings, enter your store name, contact email, address, time zone and currency. The store email is where order notifications and customer replies end up, so use one you check daily.

Set your checkout options early. Decide whether customers need an account, which fields are mandatory and whether you collect a phone number. A phone number is useful for couriers, but every extra field costs you conversions.

Theme and brand

Choose a theme that suits the size of your catalogue. A store with twelve products does not need the mega-menu layout designed for twelve hundred. Add your logo, set two or three brand colours, and pick fonts that stay readable on a small screen.

Check the store on a real phone every time you change something. Most browsing and a large share of buying now happens there.

Products and collections

Photograph every product on a clean background with consistent lighting and crop.
Write a title that says what the item is, then a description that covers size, material and use.
Enter accurate weights and dimensions, because shipping rates are calculated from them.
Add SKUs and stock quantities, and turn on inventory tracking.
Group products into collections that match how people shop, such as by category or occasion.
Create a few pages: About, Contact, FAQ and shipping information.

Payments, tax and shipping

Activate the payment provider that supports your country, and add any local methods your shoppers expect. Run a test order using the provider's test mode so you can see exactly what the customer and you receive.

For shipping, set up zones and rates that reflect what your couriers charge. Flat rates are simple. Weight-based rates are fairer on heavy items. Free shipping over a threshold lifts basket size, provided you have priced it in. Decide who you will ship with before launch, because their collection times affect what delivery promise you can make.

Policies and compliance

Shopify can generate policy templates for refunds, privacy, terms of service and shipping. Treat them as drafts. Edit them so they describe what you actually do, including how long returns take and who pays for return shipping. South African buyers have a seven-day cooling-off right on most online purchases under the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, and the Consumer Protection Act covers faulty goods.

Because you collect names, addresses and phone numbers, you also need a privacy policy that reflects how you handle personal information under POPIA. Link all of it from the footer.

Plan for delivery questions before they start

The first weeks after launch are when the 'where is my order?' messages pile up. Buyers who have never heard of your brand are the most anxious ones, and the order confirmation email is often the last thing they see until the parcel arrives. Every one of those messages costs you time and, if answered slowly, a review.

Shopify's own shipping emails cover many cases, but if you use several couriers, ship from more than one place or want a better view of late parcels, a dedicated tracker helps. TrackIt For Business does not have a Shopify app, so with Shopify you add shipments by CSV import or through the REST API, and the tracking number is then followed across 3,000+ carriers. Customers receive automatic notifications, a self-serve tracking page and an optional branded Apple Wallet or Google Wallet pass. Your dashboard shows delivery performance per courier and flags shipments that are at risk. The price is $14.99 a month plus R1.50 per package the first time its Wallet passes are generated.

Pre-launch checks

Place a test order, pay for it, fulfil it and refund it, so you see the whole journey.
Read the order confirmation and shipping emails as a customer would, and fix any wording that confuses.
Connect your custom domain and confirm the https padlock appears.
Install Google Analytics or an equivalent, and verify the store in Google Search Console.
Remove the storefront password only when every item above is ticked.

Questions fréquentes

How long does it take to set up a Shopify store?

A small store with a dozen products can be ready in a weekend. Larger catalogues take longer because of photography, descriptions and shipping setup. The slowest part is usually getting product content ready, not the Shopify settings themselves.

Does TrackIt have a Shopify app?

No. TrackIt For Business does not have a Shopify app at the moment. With a Shopify store you can add shipments by CSV import or through the REST API, and tracking works the same way after that.

What should I do about customers asking where their order is?

Send tracking updates proactively and give buyers a page to look up their parcel. TrackIt For Business sends automatic notifications and offers a self-serve tracking page, so routine questions stop reaching your inbox.

Do I need to be VAT registered to open a Shopify store?

Not at the start. In South Africa you must register once your taxable turnover exceeds R1 million in a 12-month period (check SARS for the current threshold, as it can change), and you can register voluntarily before then if it suits your business.

Which policies must a Shopify store publish?

At minimum a refund and returns policy, a privacy policy, terms of service and shipping information. Edit the templates so they match your real process and link them in the footer and at checkout.