Creating a Shopify store: the guide for retailers

You have a shop in Marseille and want to sell online? Or you’re launching a brand and looking for the right platform? Shopify is today one of the solutions most used by retailers. Here are the key steps to launch a store that genuinely sells.

Step 1: define your offer and your organisation

First of all, clarify a few points: how many products, which variants (sizes, colours), which delivery methods, in-store collection or not, stock shared with the physical shop. These answers guide your choice of Shopify plan and apps. Already have a store on WooCommerce or PrestaShop? Follow our method to migrate to Shopify.

Step 2: choose and customise the theme

Shopify offers free and paid themes. Choose a fast theme suited to your catalogue, then customise it to your brand: colours, typefaces, photos, tone. For a truly unique identity or specific needs, a custom theme or a headless architecture are options to consider. And if a theme is no longer enough, a headless Shopify store in Next.js offers complete freedom.

Step 3: get the product pages right

The product page is your online salesperson. It must answer every question a customer would ask in the shop.

• Sharp photos, from several angles, in context.
• An original description: never the supplier’s, copied across dozens of other websites.
• Practical information: materials, dimensions, size guide, care.
• Delivery times and costs, visible before the cart.
• Customer reviews, as soon as you have some.

Step 4: set up payments, shipping and taxes

Enable the payment methods your customers expect (bank card, mobile wallets), define your shipping zones and rates, and check your VAT setup. Test a complete order before launch.

Step 5: comply with legal obligations

Selling online in France requires several pages and notices:

• the company’s legal notice;
• the terms and conditions of sale;
• information on the 14-day right of withdrawal for consumers;
• the privacy policy and cookie consent management.

Step 6: think about SEO from the start

A store without visibility doesn’t sell. Write an introductory text for each collection, optimise page titles and descriptions, compress images and structure your categories around your customers’ searches. This initial work stops you depending solely on paid advertising.

Step 7: connect your store to your tools

If you have a shop, Shopify POS lets you share stock between the physical shop and the online store. Logistics, accounting, email marketing or ERP can also be connected to avoid double entry. See our integrations and automation service.

The mistakes to avoid

• Installing too many apps: each one slows the store down and adds a subscription.
• Neglecting mobile: most purchases are made on a smartphone.
• Hiding shipping costs until checkout: it’s a major cause of cart abandonment.
• Launching without an acquisition strategy: SEO, social media, email marketing and your physical shop’s customers must all be planned for.

Prefer to be supported? Our team builds and develops stores for retailers: discover our Shopify agency in Marseille. Selling in Belgium? Read our guide to creating an online store in Belgium.