ART SHOP IN A WEEKEND is the Shopify setup guide for artists who want to do it themselves, but need a little help getting there.
If you're overwhelmed with endless tutorials and decisions, want to use Shopify but can't figure out how to make it work for art, and are tired of always answering "coming soon" when people ask, follow this guide.
Get the clear, step-by-step guide to launching your artist website on Shopify.
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For artists with bodies of work
If you already have an active art practice selling through Etsy or in-person markets, this will walk you through setting up your online home and website on Shopify using a system that's simple, effective, and built for artists. And you'll set it up properly so that you spend less time on admin.
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And creatives looking to expand
Are you a multidisciplinary artist, poet, designer, or illustrator? This guide will teach you the system and setup that gives the work sitting in your studio or on your hard drive somewhere to live: on the most powerful e-commerce platform out there. You'll never have to worry about outgrowing the platform.
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Also great for small studios
This guide is for small art-driven studios and presses who want to add a product-based arm to their businesses. Typical e-commerce advice always feels more heavy and complicated than you need it to be. You need it look good, you need it to sell, you need to know how it works so you can do it yourself.
This guide will help you:
Take the fastest path to building an artist shop that sells
Most e-commerce rules feel too crude for art, and most artist websites are poorly designed for selling. The structure you'll be building is based on the one rule that's universal: complexity kills purchases. You'll learn the exact website structure and (free) theme I recommend, and how to customize your store without the fatigue of worrying you've got it wrong.
Stop tinkering with settings, and get it out there already
Turn a nice-looking website into an operating business with its own domain, a built-in email marketing system, and a checkout. We'll cover all the essential settings, in the right order, so you know you've got it set up correctly the first time. You'll also learn specific guidance for artists on how to set up shipping and taxes for the first time, no matter what kind of product you sell.
Learn the exact steps to make Shopify work for you
Once you've learned how to set up and use Shopify, you'll never look back. Your website is set up to grow with less operational effort: automations handle what would otherwise be manual, and theme updates are quick changes. That's the stuff you can't see but makes a big difference in your day-to-day.
1 live store by Sunday + 6 bonus mini guides = No artist left behind
Everything else you'll want once your store is up, choose-your-own-adventure style. The bonus toolkit covers the setups that didn't fit in a weekend: how to set up a mail club product or inquiry-based originals, plus quickstart beginner guides to photography, SEO, email marketing, and selling in person. Each one is a standalone guide you can come back to when you need it.
I (still) need to set up my shop.
What if you never said that again?
WHO MADE THIS: Ana Wang is a writer and artist with a deep background in building and operating creative projects and helping creative people learn technical skills. She built her first Shopify store in 2012, and previously led a social and community technical support team at Shopify. ✿
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START HERE FOR FREE: THE NO-STRESS SHOPIFY SETUP SEQUENCE FOR ARTISTS
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ART SHOP IN A WEEKEND is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to Shopify Inc.