Forgefont

Launch a Shopify store

Which pages does a Shopify store need?

By the Forgefont team · Published

A Shopify store needs a homepage, product pages, at least one collection, an About page, a Contact page, shipping and returns information, and legal policies. Shopify creates some of these for you. You add the others in Online Store > Pages and Settings > Policies, then link them in your menus.

Pages you must have

PageWhat it answersWhere to set it up
HomepageWhat do you sell, and is it for me?Theme editor
Product pagesWhat is it, what does it cost, can I buy it?Products
CollectionsWhere do I find what I want?Products > Collections
ContactCan I reach a real person?Online Store > Pages
Shipping and returnsWhat will delivery cost, and can I send it back?Online Store > Pages, Settings > Policies
Legal policiesWhat are the terms, and what happens to my data?Settings > Policies

Product pages and collections

These do the selling. Each product needs its own page, covered in our guide to writing a Shopify product page. For grouping them, see how to organize Shopify collections.

Contact page

Shopify has a dedicated template for this. Go to Online Store > Pages, click Add page, enter a title such as Contact us, select contact in the Theme template menu, then click Save. The steps are in Shopify’s contact page guide. A short note on when you reply is a useful addition.

Legal policies

In Settings > Policies, you manage your return, privacy, terms of service, shipping, legal notice, contact information and subscription policies. Shopify can generate some of them from your store settings, or you can write your own, as explained in its policies guide. Which ones you legally need depends on your business and on where you sell, so check with a legal professional.

One detail is easy to miss: Shopify links your policies in the checkout footer automatically, which is late for a shopper who is still deciding. Add them to your footer menu so they can be read before checkout.

Pages worth adding

Pages you can skip for now

Where each page goes

A page nobody can reach does not help. By default, Shopify gives you a main menu and a footer menu on every page. The main menu suits products and collections, and the footer suits policies and contact details. Our tutorial on setting up navigation menus walks through it.

Getting these pages built

Forgefont creates the pages a store needs: your homepage, product pages and collections, an About page written from your story, a Shipping and returns page if you give us your terms, your terms of sale, and a Contact page with its form. Your menus connect them. Configure your store to see the price with your options.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a blog to launch?

No. A blog is optional and you can add it later. Your products, collections, contact details and policies matter more on launch day.

Are Shopify’s policy templates enough?

Shopify says its automated policy templates are for informational purposes and are not legal advice. They are a starting point, so ask a legal professional to review them for your business and the countries you sell to.

Should shipping and returns be one page or two?

Either works. One page is simpler for a small store. Two pages can make sense if your terms are long or differ by country. What matters is that shoppers find the answer before they pay.

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