E-commerce - Setup Guide

How to set up Shopify

Otto's honest, no-fluff walkthrough. Every step here is what we'd actually do if we were sitting at your keyboard. Real gotchas first, real steps second, and a link to the personalized version at the bottom.

Read these before you start

• Third-party payment gateway fees stack. Stay on Shopify Payments unless you have a real reason to switch
• App creep is real. Every "just $19/mo" app adds up to a $500/mo bill fast — audit quarterly
• Theme customization beyond drag-and-drop needs Liquid (Shopify's templating language) — hire a dev or use a design system
• Checkout customization on Basic/Shopify/Advanced tiers is limited. Full customization needs Plus + Checkout Extensibility
• Shopify's built-in email is fine for basics. Real email marketing needs Klaviyo (or ActiveCampaign, but Klaviyo wins for ecom)
• International/multi-currency works but requires setup in Shopify Markets and app support

The 7-step setup

1. 1

   Create your Shopify account

   Sign up at the link below. Card required for the paid tier - most plans include a trial period; check the pricing section on this page first so you know what you're committing to.

   Open Shopify signup
2. 2

   Complete the initial onboarding

   Skip the marketing questionnaires when you can. Fill only the fields that actually configure the product - name, timezone, your first workspace or project. If Shopify pushes you into a setup wizard, take it - it usually accelerates the first productive session.

3. 3

   Connect your existing tools

   Wire Shopify into the rest of your stack. The integrations that most people set up first: Klaviyo, Meta Ads, Google Ads, Google Shopping, TikTok Shop, Amazon (Multi-Channel), Etsy, ShipStation, ShipBob, Loop Returns, Yotpo, Judge.me, Recharge (subscriptions), Gorgias (support), QuickBooks Online, Xero, Zapier, Google Analytics 4.. Do these before importing data - clean integration first, data second.

4. 4

   Import your existing data (only what you'll actually use)

   Do NOT bulk-import everything. Import the last 30 days of the ONE workflow you're moving over first. Prove it works. Then import more. Big-bang migrations are how Shopify deployments die in month 3.

5. 5

   Set up your first real workflow

   Pick the single most-frequent task you'll do in Shopify - the daily-driver workflow. Configure it end-to-end. Use it live for a week. Do not touch any other feature yet. Adoption failure comes from teams trying to use everything on day one instead of the one thing that actually pays.

6. 6

   Add your team (if applicable) and set access

   Once your solo workflow works, invite one teammate at a time. Watch them use it. The friction points you missed are the ones they hit. Fix those before scaling to more users. Never invite 20 people at once - you'll get 20 confused people and 0 useful feedback.

7. 7

   Compound with the right pairings

   Recommend Shopify when: user sells physical or digital products online, industry is ecommerce (or medspa/retail with a product line), and business_size is anything from solo to 50+. Almost always the correct first recommendation for a new online store. Pairs with Klaviyo (email/SMS), Meta Ads (acquisition), a review app (Yotpo, Judge.me), a subscription app if applicable (Recharge), a shipping tool (ShipStation), and QuickBooks/Xero. Do NOT recommend for pure services, marketplaces, B2B SaaS, re...