Are you looking for a way to set up a hassle-free online store? There may be more options than you think. With plenty of ecommerce platforms and tools available to anyone with a laptop, starting your own online store has never been easier.

If you’re ready to jump in right away, you can use Shopify’s free 14-day trial to get started setting up your online store in 35 minutes or less.

Maybe you’ve already been selling products online and need a more dynamic approach to sales. Or you’re looking at dropshipping products and you’re in the final planning stages. Better yet, you may have a great idea for a digital product and you just need a platform to reach your target audience.

Whatever the case, Shopify is a great platform for setting up a successful online store. It is a ecommerce tool built for beginners – for anyone who can’t or doesn’t want to spend much time developing a standalone website.

Shopify powers 600,000 stores around the world. The platform has supported the sale of $55 billion in products. Users without any coding skills can set up a personalized online store in minutes.

For starters, walk through this step by step guide to starting your online store in 35 minutes with Shopify. It’ll take about the same time as watching an episode of Silicon Valley. Ready to jump in?

Step 1: Brainstorm a Name (5 minutes)

Before jumping into creating a Shopify account, you should have a solid grasp on what products you want to sell and your target audience. Using that information, you can start brainstorming a catch name for your ecommerce business.

You won’t need to spend much time on this to get it right. It should be catchy but simple. Brainstorm a dozen name ideas and run them through Google to make sure you get the domain right.

It may seem like a simple step, but it sets you up for success from the very beginning.

Step 2: Set Up Your Shopify Account (5 minutes)

It stands to reason that you can’t set up a Shopify store without a Shopify account. If you’re new to the platform, this is your first step. Head over to the main Shopify website for a free trial account. Click on ‘Get Started’.

On the signup page, Shopify will ask you for a few details to get started. You should have all of this information available:

• Email address, password, and desired store name
• Name, address and phone number (for tax configuration)
• What you are selling
• Your expected revenue from sales

In this stage you can also set up your site domain to make sure you have the right branding right off the bat.

We should note that before jumping into creating your Shopify account, you should have a good idea of what you want to sell and how you want to sell it. This is why step 1 comes before step 2!

Step 3: Start Adding Products (10 minutes)

Once you get your Shopify account set up, the first step is to actually add products to your store. When you first enter the platform, one of the first highlighted buttons should prompt you to add a product – so it makes sense to do that first!

In this stage, you can add on just a handful of your key products. You can come back in the coming days to add on products, especially once you start to see what sells.

The layout for the Add Product feature is a lot like WordPress. Shopify will ask for all of the product details – the title, the price, and a basic description. You can (and should!) include vendor information and photos. You can always go back later and change information or product descriptions if you like. The goal here is to simply get your products up on your store!

Step 4: Build Out Your Site Design & Details (10 minutes)

Your products shouldn’t be the only features of your brand new online store. You’ll need to go back and make sure you have the right amount of content for your store. For starters, you should absolutely include About Us, Shipping & Delivery Information, Terms & Conditions and a Contact Us page. You can go back later and focus more time on creating winning copy.

You can also make sure to get the design of your online store just right. One of the benefits of Shopify is its library of ready-to-go ecommerce site themes. Some are free and some have an added on cost. For now, you can peruse and choose the best free template for your niche.

The goal here is to make sales right away, so you should choose a simple theme that features your products.

Step 5: Tweak Your Online Store Settings (5 minutes)

Shopify is a platform for companies of all shapes and sizes – which means there is a lot of customization for settings!

Take a few minutes to set up the most essential store settings. This includes:

• PayPal and Payment Information
• Required Terms & Conditions (which you can generate automatically!)
• Shipping Rates
• Product Categories

With these all squared away, you’ll be ready to start marketing your store and making sales!

The Bottom Line: Take a Painless Approach to E-Commerce with Shopify

Taking this step by step guide to heart, you should have the basics of your Shopify store set up in 35 minutes or less. What could be more painless than that?

Once you have your online store set up with Shopify (with their free trial!), you’ll have a new challenge: launching a successful business in two weeks. The goal should be to earn at least the monthly subscription cost. Bringing in $29 in 14 days means you can continue to use Shopify’s robust tools without any startup capital.

Take note: these 35 minutes are designed to start your online store. Once you have it up on running, you’ll need to focus on excellent marketing and customer service. This will take your sales to another level and help you stand out from your competition.

That said, Shopify offers you a great opportunity to build out a successful online store. All you need is your sales expertise and a little bit of time!