ForgefontShopify store guides
Practical guides to launch your Shopify store and get it found: setup, SEO, product pages, photos, themes and selling abroad.
Launch a Shopify store
- Hire a Shopify expert or build it yourself?When to hire a Shopify expert, when to build the store yourself, what partners charge, and what to ask before you sign a quote.
- How long does it take to build a Shopify store?What decides how long a Shopify store takes to build: product count, content and the waits you cannot shorten, with a simple way to estimate yours.
- How much does a Shopify store cost? A realistic budgetWhat a Shopify store really costs: the monthly plan, payment fees, theme, apps, domain and setup, with current Shopify prices and three example budgets.
- How to start a Shopify store, step by stepStart a Shopify store in ten steps: gather your content, pick a plan, add products, choose a theme, set up payments and shipping, then go live.
- How to remove the password from your Shopify storeRemove your Shopify store password in four steps: set your store from Private to Public, launch it, and fix what blocks you if the option does not work.
- How to organize Shopify collectionsOrganize Shopify collections the way shoppers browse: choose a structure, use tags and conditions, avoid empty collections, and link them in your menus.
- How to set up Shopify navigation menusSet up Shopify navigation menus: edit the main and footer menus in Content > Menus, add drop-downs, and fix the problems that stop changes from showing.
- Which pages does a Shopify store need?The pages a Shopify store needs before launch: what exists by default, what you must add, what is optional, and where each one goes in your menus.
- Shopify store launch checklist: what to check before going liveA 12-point Shopify launch checklist: plan and password, products, policies, payments, shipping, SEO basics and a real test order before you go live.
- Why your new Shopify store has no sales: 10 checksNo sales on your new Shopify store? Run 10 checks in order, from store access and traffic to product pages, shipping costs and checkout, to find the cause.
- Shopify vs Etsy: when to open your own storeEtsy brings buyers and charges per sale. Shopify costs a monthly fee and brings none. See the fees on a $50 order and when each choice makes sense.
- Shopify vs Wix for selling onlineShopify vs Wix compared on price, payment fees and templates, with November 2026 figures, and an honest look at when Wix is the better choice.
- Shopify vs WooCommerce: which one to chooseShopify is hosted, WooCommerce is software you run yourself. Compare real first-year costs and upkeep, and see when WooCommerce is the better choice.
- Which Shopify plan should you choose?Basic, Grow or Advanced: how to choose a Shopify plan, what really changes between them, and the sales level where a higher plan pays for itself.
Shopify SEO
- Does a blog help a Shopify store rank?When a blog can help a Shopify store in search, when it will not, and what to fix before you publish your first post.
- How to get your Shopify store on GoogleWhy a Shopify store does not appear on Google, and how to fix it: private mode, plan, sitemap, hidden pages, and the difference from ranking.
- How to fix duplicate content on ShopifyWhere duplicate content comes from on Shopify, what the platform handles for you, and how to fix the part that is left to you.
- How to connect Google Search Console to ShopifyVerify your Shopify domain in Google Search Console with an HTML tag, submit your sitemap, and know which reports to check first.
- Keyword research for a small Shopify storeA simple keyword research method for a small Shopify store, using free Google tools, and how to assign one search to each page.
- Shopify SEO guide: what actually matters, according to GoogleWhat Shopify handles for you, what is left to do, and what you can ignore. A Shopify SEO guide based on Google’s own documentation.
- How to write Shopify title tags and meta descriptionsWrite a clear title tag and meta description for each Shopify page: examples by page type, length limits, and where to edit them in the admin.
- Shopify URL structure and redirects explainedHow Shopify builds URLs from handles, when to change one, and how to create redirects so old links keep working and customers avoid 404 pages.
- How to speed up a Shopify storeMeasure your Shopify store’s speed with real data, then fix what slows it down, in order: apps, images, theme, sections and tracking tags.
- How to write a Shopify blog post that gets foundWrite a Shopify blog post from a real customer question: pick the topic, structure it, set the search listing and publish it, step by step.
Product pages that sell
- How to write an About page for your storeWhat an ecommerce About page should say: who you are, why the store exists and how products reach buyers. With a template, questions and an honest example.
- How to add real customer reviews to ShopifyAdd real reviews to Shopify: install a reviews app, place its block, ask buyers after delivery, import reviews you already have, and stay within the rules.
- Why visitors add to cart but do not buyWhy shoppers leave after adding to cart: what Baymard’s research lists, how to find the cause in your Shopify store, and how to set up recovery emails.
- How to write product descriptions that sellA five-step method for Shopify product descriptions: pick one buyer, turn features into benefits, back them with facts. With a before and after example.
- 10 product page mistakes that cost you salesTen common product page mistakes, from hidden shipping costs to inflated compare-at prices, each with a fix you can apply in your Shopify store today.
- How to write a returns page for your storeWhat a returns page should say, with a fill-in template, the US, EU and UK points to check, and how to set return rules in Shopify. General information.
- How to write a shipping page customers trustWhat a Shopify shipping page must say, with a fill-in template: processing time, rates by destination, tracking, customs, delays and lost parcels.
- How to improve your Shopify conversion rateFind where your Shopify store loses buyers in the Conversion rate breakdown report, then fix that step first, with a method for measuring what changed.
- How to write a Shopify product page that answers every questionWhat a Shopify product page needs, block by block: title, photos, description, dropdowns, shipping and returns, with common mistakes to avoid.
Product photos
- How many photos should a product page have?There is no magic number of product photos. Use the questions a buyer asks to decide which shots a page needs, in what order, and when to stop.
- How to optimize images for a faster Shopify storeShopify already compresses your images. Here is what is left for you to do: measure, size files sensibly, cut extra images and protect your hero image.
- How to take product photos with a phoneA step-by-step method for shooting product photos with a phone: window light, a white background, the right settings, useful angles and simple editing.
- Alt text for Shopify images: how to write it, with examplesHow to write alt text for Shopify product images: good and bad examples, what Google recommends, and the mistakes that waste the field.
- What size should Shopify product images be?The recommended size for Shopify product images, the upload limits, accepted formats, and how to size banners when your theme sets the shape.
- Studio or lifestyle: which product photos sell?Studio and lifestyle product photos do different jobs. See how they compare, which products need which, and where to use each type in your store.
Shopify themes and design
- How to change your Shopify theme without breaking your storeChange your Shopify theme step by step: what stays, what you must redo, how to prepare the new theme as a draft, and how to go back if something is wrong.
- How to choose a Shopify themeThe best Shopify theme is the one that fits your catalog, your photos and your needs. Six checks to compare themes before you pay or publish anything.
- What makes a good ecommerce homepageA good ecommerce homepage says what you sell, who it is for and where to click. The sections to include, in order, and the mistakes to leave out.
- Free or paid Shopify theme: what is the difference?Free and paid Shopify themes compared: price, support, licence, trials and refunds, with current Theme Store figures and when each option makes sense.
- Mobile-first design for Shopify storesHow to design a Shopify store for phones first: what to check in the header, product page and cart, button sizes, speed targets and how to test it.
- How to preview an unpublished Shopify themePreview a draft Shopify theme from your admin, share it with a link, and know when links expire. Includes a short checklist of what to test.
Selling abroad
- Selling in Europe from a Shopify store: what to check firstA checklist for selling to EU customers from Shopify: VAT, customs, product safety, returns, prices and privacy. General information, November 2026.
- How to sell internationally on ShopifySet up a market, then decide on language, currency, shipping, duties and tax. What to configure in Shopify, and in what order, to sell abroad.
- Hreflang on Shopify explained simplyWhat hreflang tags do, what Shopify generates for you, when no tag appears, and how to check yours. Based on Google’s and Shopify’s documentation.
- How to handle currencies on a Shopify storeHow Shopify shows and charges local currencies: the payment provider you need, exchange rates, conversion fees, rounding and shipping rates.
- How to translate a Shopify storeAdd a language, translate your content, check what automatic translation skips, then publish. A step-by-step guide based on Shopify’s documentation.