The first time I set up an online store, I remember staring at the blank canvas before me not knowing where to start.

I agonized over picking the perfect theme. I started building my homepage before adding any products. And I spent a lot of time trying to get the wrong things exactly right before I launched.

Looking back, the mistakes I made are not uncommon for first-timers. That’s why I wanted to create the kind of resource I wish I had when I started—a walkthrough of all the decisions that go into setting up a ready-to-launch online store on Shopify that anyone can follow along with.