What should a new Shopify store owner focus on learning first?

BalancedBean
Excursionist
24 1 6

As a newer Shopify store owner, I am still learning the ropes. I am guessing that similar posts have been made before from others who have been at the same point I am. I LOVE my store, and I am loving Shopify, and I have had good feedback about my store so far. I am getting overwhelmed with so much to learn (I have zero background in business, ecommerce, etc.). Having to learn about site design, and SEO, and marketing, and legal policies, and taxes, and pop-ups, and Google/FB ads, and analytics, etc. makes me feel like I might be in over my head, but I REALLY don't want to give up on it. I spend most of my free time trying to figure it all out, but I have no direction, no specifics to focus on, so most of the time, it feels like I am just spinning my wheels, and not getting any traction. I realize that it takes time to see the results of the hard work, but it doesn't feel like I am making any progress at all (averaging less than 10 visitors/day). 

If you have been where I am, how did you get past it? What did you do to figure it all out? What should my priorities be in terms of learning/implementing? I am desparate for solid advice. Anything that any of you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

https://1stduedesigns.com/

Thanks in advance,

Ted

 

EDIT: Please don't message me to try to sell me anything. I am posting in this forum with the hopes of receiving support from the Shopify community. Thank you.

Replies 3 (3)

Nia
Shopify Staff
537 38 79

Hi, @ , 

Thanks for reaching out about this!

Firstly, congratulations on opening your store! This is a great achievement alone! I do understand the overwhelming feeling that can come with opening an online store as there is definitely an abundance to learn. However, our Shopify community is here for you all the way!

You mentioned that you were unsure of the topics you should be prioritising to learn and while there is no concrete answer for this, I wanted to offer advice on what you can look into. I have taken a look at your website and can see you've got a grip on how the navigation, product, collections and policies work on the store so you are on the right track!

I would like to recommend spending time in the Analytics section of your Shopify Admin to gain better insight into the different areas you need to work on. In your Analytics section, you may want to focus on the Online Store Sessions as a starting point. You have mentioned that your average number of visitors per day is 10 or less.

It's best to make the process of purchasing on your website seamless for customers so adding unnecessary steps between viewing the product and checking out are likely to see lower conversions. It is always a good idea to navigate through your own website as if you were a customer and note down any pages or steps that you think are worth editing or removing.

Here are a couple of Shopify Blogs you can read -

Building trust with your customers is also key, so you need to do everything you can to showcase your product’s quality and your dedication to customer service. Social proof is a great way to build this trust so implementing a social media strategy is also something to focus on. This can be through your Instagram and Facebook which I can see you have linked in the footer of your website. We also have a great Shopify Blog on How to Create a Social Media Marketing Strategy.

Like you said, there is so much to learn so I would begin further learning development into the suggestions above before then diving into other parts of your Store Analytics.

If there is anything else I can help you with, please let me know!

Nia | Social Care @ Shopify 
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BalancedBean
Excursionist
24 1 6

@Nia , thank you SO much for taking the time to look at my store, and for giving me your suggestions! I will dive into the analytics, and work on developing my social media strategy. I already use Instagram and FB, but I am certain that I am not using them as effectively as I could be. I appreciate your support 🙂

Nia
Shopify Staff
537 38 79

Hi, @!

It's great that you've been utilising Instagram and Facebook - it's a start! We have a couple of great courses on Facebook Ad Creativity and also Building your Following on Instagram.

These are courses that are located in our Shopify Learn section which is a great feature to take advantage of and up-skill for your business. All the courses and tutorials are free if you have a store on the platform and are taught by experts who work at Shopify, our partners, or successful entrepreneurs!

Nia | Social Care @ Shopify 
 - Was my reply helpful? Click Like to let me know! 
 - Was your question answered? Mark it as an Accepted Solution
 - To learn more visit the Shopify Help Center or the Shopify Blog