3 Things You Need to Know Before Launching a Shopify E-Commerce Website

By now, you’ve probably heard about entrepreneurs launching new businesses overnight on Shopify and immediately earning thousands of dollars per month. While there are some great examples of this overnight Shopify success in Canada, in most cases, there’s a lot of trial and error at the outset before landing on a profitable niche opportunity. With that in mind, here are 3 things that you need to know before launching a Shopify e-commerce website.

#1: Pick a niche that has plenty of untapped consumer demand

The starting point for any Shopify developer or solo entrepreneur is coming up with a winning business category. In the best of all worlds, you want to find a product that costs less than $50, has plenty of consumer demand, and that is largely under-served (or not served at all) by current competitors. An Ottawa e-commerce agency like Hopatoo has plenty of data and information about trending segments and markets, and can help you put together a reasonable product line that will perform well.

#2: Tap into the full power of the Shopify e-commerce platform

In a best-case scenario, you will want to leverage the full power of the Shopify app ecosystem so that you can operate a lean, mean business machine without worrying about things like packaging, fulfillment and packaging. One popular Shopify app, for example, is Oberlo, which enables you to run a dropshipping business with very little initial upfront investment.

#3: Create a visually appealing storefront that will entice customers

At the end of the day, the reason you created a Shopify storefront is to make sales. And one way you can do that is by taking advantage of professional web design services to make your one-person business look like it has a whole team of people behind it. That’s especially true if you are getting started in an industry like fashion apparel. The reality is that nobody is going to buy your hats, T-shirts, or ties if your site isn’t visually compelling.

While it is possible to create a slimmed-down Shopify presence with little or no programming or design experience, you’ll probably want to look into the services of an affordable web design company to build your e-commerce website. Once you’ve narrowed down your choices to a few different Ottawa e-commerce or Shopify agencies, take a closer look at the types of clients these website develoment services agencies have worked with, as well as their overall aesthetic style. For example, Hopatoo, an Ottawa Shopify agency, has worked with a number of popular lifestyle brands like Yatta Life and Mule Ties. If you’re looking to run your own fashion or clothing business, there might be a natural fit with Hopatoo.

Web development services are typically offered on an à la carte basis, meaning that you can choose to add as many - or as few - as you’d like. For some businesses looking to get started with Shopify in Canada, that might mean an initial round of strategy and insights. For others, it might mean taking advantage of professional web design services and creating a professional-looking e-commerce site. As a general rule of thumb, the more expensive the products that you’ll be selling on your e-commerce website, the more you’ll want to invest in a web design development company that has proven expertise in this sector.