What should you decide before designing a Shopify site?
Choose one product and trace how a visitor finds it, understands the price and gets to checkout. Shopify gives the store a product catalog and storefront. A simple site that only describes a service may not need that setup.
For a new full storefront, start by evaluating Basic. Starter is a simpler plan for stores that already use it. Shopify says new stores cannot choose it and current Starter merchants cannot return to it after switching plans.
Who gets a message, and when can visitors see the store?
The theme contact form sends submissions to the store sender email address configured in Notifications. A storefront password can restrict who sees the store while you work. Publishing a theme and opening the storefront are distinct decisions.
Before any actual test, verify the store, inbox and checkout are isolated from customer records and real payments. If you cannot verify all three, trace it on paper.
Which files can you keep when moving the store?
Export the product catalog as CSV, a spreadsheet-friendly file. Product images are not stored in the CSV as image files. Keep the originals. Shopify documents separately downloading the theme and exporting other store records.
Check which customer or order fields can move and which settings you need to recreate. A product spreadsheet by itself cannot rebuild a working checkout.
How would you rehearse the first order without taking payment?
Draw a fictional mug and its product page, contact page and checkout. Use no account, connected store, mail or checkout action.
- Trace the public pathMark where the price and delivery information appear. Decide what should be visible while the storefront is restricted.
- Label the two outcomesDraw a contact message going to the store inbox and an order following a separate path.