Launching your Shopify store? Here’s everything you need to know to avoid common pitfalls and start strong. This checklist covers the four key areas you must prepare before going live:

Basic Store Setup: Connect your domain, set up payment methods (like Afterpay for "Buy Now, Pay Later"), configure GST (10% for Australian businesses), and optimise shipping with Shopify tools.
Store Design: Choose a fast, mobile-friendly theme, create a clear menu structure, and write essential pages like "About Us", "Shipping Policy", and "Returns".
Product Setup: Upload detailed product listings with clear titles, descriptions, and high-quality photos. Organise items into collections (e.g., seasonal or price-based) and track inventory to avoid overselling.
Marketing Prep: Optimise SEO, connect Google Analytics and Search Console, and plan pre-launch campaigns (e.g., email sign-ups, social media buzz, and pre-orders).

Pro tip: Test your checkout process, email templates, and mobile responsiveness before removing the store password. This ensures a smooth first impression for customers.

Shopify Essential Setup, Prelaunch, and Go Live Checklist.

Basic Store Setup

Lay the groundwork for your store’s operations with these essential steps.

Connect Your Domain Name

Your domain name serves as your store’s digital address. To connect it, update your DNS records with your domain provider:

A Record: Set to 23.227.38.65
AAAA Record: Set to 2620:0127:f00f:5::
CNAME Record: Add "www" pointing to shops.myshopify.com

The connection process usually takes about 2 hours but can take up to 48 hours to fully propagate. If you’re using GoDaddy or IONOS, Shopify offers an automatic connection feature to simplify the process.

Set Up Payment Methods

Enable these payment options to give your customers flexibility:

Shopify Payments: Handle credit card transactions directly through Shopify.
Buy Now, Pay Later: Offer Afterpay to let customers split their payments.
Digital Wallets: Activate PayPal and other digital payment methods.

Look into transaction fees and ensure your payment gateways align with your business needs. Once this is done, move on to shipping settings and GST compliance.

Configure Shipping and GST

GST Compliance:

Register for GST if your annual turnover exceeds AUD $75,000.
Set a 10% tax rate for applicable products.
Include your ABN and a detailed GST breakdown on invoices.

Shipping Setup: Shopify Shipping offers features that many Australian businesses find useful, such as:

Shipping Feature	What It Does
Bulk Label Printing	Speeds up order fulfilment
Address Validation	Reduces delivery errors
Embedded Insurance	Covers up to AUD $200 per shipment
Rate Calculator	Shows accurate shipping costs

Add Required Apps

To optimise your store, integrate these key apps:

Inventory Management: Keep track of stock and automate reordering.
Analytics Tools: Gain insights into store performance and customer trends.
Email Marketing: Automate customer communication campaigns.
Order Fulfilment: Simplify shipping and delivery tasks.

For instance, Jenni-Lyn Williams, CEO of SnarkyTea, reported saving AUD $25,454 in shipping costs within 30 days by using Shopify’s built-in shipping tools.

Store Design

Pick Your Store Theme

Your store’s theme shapes its appearance and functionality.

Feature	Why It Matters
Mobile Responsiveness	Ensures a smooth experience for mobile users
Loading Speed	Faster pages improve user experience and increase conversions
Checkout Flow	Streamlined steps encourage purchases
Navigation	Clear categories help customers find products easily
Customisation Options	Lets you align the store with your brand identity

"Choosing your theme doesn’t mean picking the most eye-catching and spectacular one available. Selecting a good one is about speed and conversion." – Alinga

EcoBloom, an Australian retailer specialising in sustainable home goods, saw a 20% boost in mobile conversions after switching to a lightweight theme in Q3 2023. Their page load times improved by 45%, and cart abandonment dropped from 68% to 55%.

After selecting your theme, focus on creating an intuitive menu to guide customers.

A well-planned menu makes navigation easy:

Highlight best-selling categories first with clear, descriptive labels.
Group products logically to make browsing simple.
Optimise for mobile with menus that are thumb-friendly and easy to expand.

The Beach Home, for example, uses straightforward labels for key pages and clear product category names. Their mobile-first design includes a hamburger menu that expands neatly, displaying all options.

Write Store Pages

Your store pages are key to building customer trust.

Page Type	Key Features
About Us	Share your brand story, values, and team details
Contact	Offer multiple ways to get in touch and include response times
Shipping Policy	Outline delivery options, costs, and timeframes
Returns	Explain the process, conditions, and timeframes clearly
FAQ	Provide simple answers to common questions

Keep the branding consistent across all pages while ensuring the information is easy to understand and helpful.

Next up: Set up your product details to finalise your store launch.

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Product Setup

Upload Products and Photos

Make sure your product listings provide all the key details customers need. Here’s what to include:

Element	Best Practice
Product Title	Use a clear, descriptive title that highlights key features (e.g., "Organic Cotton T-Shirt – Round Neck").
Description	Provide detailed specifications, benefits, and care instructions.
Photos	Upload high-quality images from multiple angles.
Pricing	Show prices that include GST and any variations.
Variants	Clearly list options like size, colour, and material.

To make browsing easier, group similar products into collections.

Create Product Collections

Collections simplify navigation, helping customers find related items faster. There are two main types:

Smart Collections: Automatically group products based on specific conditions. For instance, tagging products as "eco-friendly" can automatically add them to a Sustainable Living collection. This keeps your catalogue organised as you add new items.
Manual Collections: Hand-pick products for specific purposes, like seasonal promotions or featured items.

Collection Type	Best Used For
Category-based	Grouping products by type (e.g., "Kitchen", "Bedroom").
Theme-based	Organising items by style (e.g., "Coastal", "Modern").
Seasonal	Highlighting time-specific items (e.g., "Summer 2025").
Price-based	Featuring items within budget ranges (e.g., "Under $50").

Once your collections are set, focus on managing your stock effectively.

Track Your Inventory

Good stock management avoids overselling and keeps customers happy. Use your admin panel to:

Keep an eye on stock levels for all variants.
Set alerts for low stock.
Review inventory history.
Generate detailed stock reports.

Steps to streamline inventory tracking:

Enable inventory tracking for each product.
Set reorder points for popular items.
Regularly check stock levels.
Use inventory reports to plan restocking.

You can also opt for inventory alert apps to get automatic notifications when stock is running low. This ensures your products remain available and your operations run smoothly.

Marketing Setup

With your store’s design and product setup ready, it’s time to focus on driving traffic and getting people engaged.

Add SEO Basics

Make sure your store is easy to find online by covering the SEO essentials:

SEO Element	Best Practice	Example
Meta Titles	Keep under 60 characters with target keywords	"Organic Cotton Baby Clothes – Sustainable Kids’ Fashion"
Meta Descriptions	Include keywords and a clear call-to-action (max 160 characters)	"Shop our eco-friendly baby clothes made from GOTS-certified organic cotton. Free shipping Australia-wide."
Image Alt Text	Clearly describe images using relevant keywords	"organic-cotton-baby-onesie-white-front-view"
URLs	Use short, keyword-focused paths	`/products/organic-cotton-baby-onesie`

Once your SEO basics are in place, add tracking tools to monitor how your store performs.

Connect Google Tools

Set up these tools before launching your store:

Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
To create your GA4 property:
- Sign in to Google Analytics
- Create a new property
- Set up a web data stream
- Install the necessary Shopify plugins
- Link GA4 with Google Ads for detailed tracking
Google Search Console
Submit your sitemap so Google can index your store correctly. Shopify automatically generates your sitemap at yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml.

These tools will help you track user behaviour and refine your strategies.

Plan Marketing Campaigns

Build excitement and start engaging your audience with pre-launch campaigns:

Type	Goal	Action
Email Collection	Grow your subscriber list	Create a pre-launch landing page with a sign-up form
Social Media	Create buzz	Schedule posts showcasing products and announcing launch dates
Early Access	Reward loyal supporters	Offer a password-protected preview for subscribers
Pre-orders	Drive early sales	Enable pre-orders for key products

Make sure your campaigns provide valuable content that builds trust and showcases your expertise.

Launch Preparation

Test Your Checkout

Use Shopify’s Bogus Gateway to simulate different checkout scenarios. Here’s what to focus on:

Use an @example.com email address to avoid spam filters.
Test both guest checkout and purchases through customer accounts.
Double-check GST calculations for accuracy.
Verify shipping rates for various Australian postcodes.
Ensure discount codes apply correctly.
Test the checkout process on both mobile and desktop devices.

Once you’re confident everything works, it’s time to check your store’s email communication.

Check Store Emails

Make sure your email templates are ready to go. Key templates include:

Order confirmations with GST details.
Shipping updates that include tracking information.
Abandoned cart reminders to recover missed sales.
Customer account creation emails for new users.

To keep your branding consistent:

Add your logo and match email colours to your brand’s palette.
Include your ABN and physical address.
Link to your social media profiles.

Test email delivery on platforms like Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail. Check that images, links, formatting, and personalisation tags display correctly.

These steps ensure your emails look professional and function as intended.

Open Your Store

Before going live, run through these final checks:

Confirm product prices include GST and that contact forms are working.
Test Google Analytics 4 to ensure tracking is accurate.
Enable two-factor authentication for admin accounts to enhance security.
Review legal pages, such as your Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
Check your site’s mobile responsiveness.
Ensure your SSL certificate is active.
Remove any test products and placeholder content.

Finally, disable password protection in your store settings. During the first 48 hours, monitor analytics closely to catch and fix any issues. Pay attention to customer feedback and keep an eye on technical performance throughout your first week.

Wrapping Up

Setting up a Shopify store that thrives takes careful planning and attention to detail across all parts of your business. Nailing these pre-launch tasks is key to starting strong.

By following a comprehensive checklist, you ensure that every part of your store works together smoothly. Here’s what a solid pre-launch plan delivers:

Technical Setup: From your domain to payment systems, everything functions smoothly to build trust with shoppers.
Polished Look: Your store design, product collections, and content work together to showcase your brand effectively.
Marketing Preparedness: With SEO basics and Google tools ready, you’re set to attract and convert customers from day one.
Smooth Operations: Reliable inventory tracking and email systems keep your business running without hiccups.

This approach sets your store up to compete in Australia’s bustling ecommerce market. Completing these 15 tasks ensures your business has a strong start, so you can focus on what truly matters during launch – building connections with your customers and delivering great experiences.

Your store’s first impression is crucial. Test and optimise every detail. This effort will save you time later, reduce customer service headaches, boost conversions, and strengthen customer loyalty once your store is live.

Tackle these tasks with care, and you’ll be ready to launch with confidence.

Shopify Store Launch Checklist: 15 Pre-Launch Essentials