Want to Build Your Own Shopify Store? Here’s Everything You Need to Do
Setting up a Shopify store yourself is absolutely possible. This guide covers every step we handle for our clients – so you can do it yourself if you have the time.
Estimated time: 60-100+ hours across 3-4 weeks
Technical skill required: Medium-High
Tools you’ll need: Shopify account, Razorpay account, Shiprocket account, domain, business documents
Phase 1: Account Setup & Legal (Day 1-2)
Shopify Account
- Sign up for Shopify free trial at shopify.in
- Choose a plan (₹1,994/month Basic recommended)
- Set up your store name and initial settings
- Configure timezone to IST (Asia/Kolkata)
- Set default currency to INR
Legal Setup
- Create Privacy Policy (use Shopify generator + customize for India)
- Create Terms of Service
- Create Refund/Return Policy (crucial for D2C)
- Create Shipping Policy with delivery estimates
- Add GSTIN display in footer/about page
- Set up business address (required for invoices)
Phase 2: Theme & Design (Day 3-7)
Theme Selection
- Browse free themes (Dawn, Refresh, Sense) or purchase premium
- Install theme and preview with dummy products
- Customize header: logo, navigation, announcement bar
- Set up color scheme matching your brand
- Configure typography (use web-safe fonts or Google Fonts)
Homepage Setup
- Create hero banner with CTA
- Add featured collections section
- Add testimonials/reviews section
- Add trust badges (secure payment, shipping, returns)
- Set up newsletter signup form
- Configure footer with links, contact info, social icons
Phase 3: Products & Collections (Day 8-12)
- Plan your product taxonomy (categories, tags)
- Create collection pages with descriptions
- Add products with optimized titles (include keywords)
- Write compelling product descriptions (features + benefits)
- Upload high-quality product images (multiple angles)
- Set up variants (size, color) with correct inventory
- Configure pricing and compare-at prices for sales
- Add product tags for filtering
- Set up size charts (crucial for fashion)
- Configure inventory tracking
Phase 4: Payment Gateway (Day 13-14)
- Sign up for Razorpay business account
- Complete KYC verification (PAN, GSTIN, bank details)
- Wait for Razorpay approval (2-7 days typically)
- Install Razorpay Shopify app
- Configure payment methods (UPI, cards, wallets, COD)
- Set up COD with appropriate limits
- Test payment flow with test mode
- Process a real ₹1 transaction to verify
Phase 5: Shipping Setup (Day 15-16)
- Sign up for Shiprocket/Delhivery aggregator
- Install shipping app and connect to Shopify
- Set up pickup address(es)
- Configure shipping rates (free shipping threshold strategy)
- Set up pincode serviceability checker
- Configure order sync and label printing
- Test full order-to-shipment flow
Phase 6: Going Live
- Domain connection (purchase and point to Shopify)
- SSL certificate verification
- Mobile responsiveness testing
- Speed optimization (image compression, app audit)
- WhatsApp integration setup
- Google Analytics configuration
- Facebook Pixel installation
- Final checkout testing
Things That Usually Go Wrong (DIY Problems We Fix)
- ❌ Razorpay KYC rejected – wrong document format
- ❌ Shipping rates not calculating correctly
- ❌ Mobile site looks broken on certain devices
- ❌ Slow loading speed killing conversions
- ❌ WhatsApp not triggering order messages
- ❌ GST not showing correctly on invoices
- ❌ COD orders with 40%+ RTO because no verification
Honest Assessment
If you have:
- 60-100+ hours to spare
- Technical comfort with new software
- Patience for troubleshooting integrations
- No urgent launch deadline
…then DIY is absolutely viable!
If you’d rather focus on product, marketing, and customers while we handle the tech – we can have you live in 15-20 days with everything configured correctly.
Want Us to Handle This?
We’ve done this 150+ times. Our package includes everything above plus WhatsApp automation, training, and 6 months support.
→ View our Shopify Development Service
📞 Get a quote: Chat with us on WhatsApp
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