2.1 Getting Started

Hello again, and welcome to Chapter 2 of this course. 

Last chapter, we went over the basics of e-commerce. What it is, the various ways it works, and the different forms it takes.

I bet you’re itching to get into learning about how to talk to clients, what to get in order, and of course, actually building the store, but before that, let’s talk about how you can start.

While Shopify makes it incredibly easy to set up a store, users sometimes require the assistance of an expert to make their business a success. In order to do this, we suggest signing up to Shopify’s Partner Program.

Through this program, you’ll be able to make full use of the knowledge from creatives and experts across the industry.

No seriously. We’ve tried it out ourselves and think it’s pretty dope. You’ll help different merchants succeed online, and of course... you’ll make some good money.

To give you some context, Shopify has over 45,800 partners in the ecosystem and in 2020, these Shopify Partners generated $12.5 billion in revenue. Yeah, I know. 

So let's look at what being a Shopify Partner means. 

1. Build or migrate stores: As a Shopify partner, you can either build new stores or migrate existing ones from other platforms, so brands benefit from our intuitive solutions. I'm gonna keep blowing our own trumpet here, and you'll see why-- Everytime you get someone onto the Shopify platform, you earn a recurring 20% commission of that company’s monthly subscription fee. How do you feel about that!
2. Solve existing merchant problems: 1 in 3 Shopify merchants seek help from Shopify Partners every 6 months. So you can earn revenue by using your design, development, or marketing skills to help their businesses grow.
3. Create Shopify Apps: 87% of Shopify merchants say they rely on apps to run their business. So you can either create apps to earn regular income on the Shopify App Store, or build custom apps for individual merchants. 
4. Become a Shopify Affiliate: Use your voice to inspire entrepreneurship around the world. Earn revenue by referring your audience to Shopify.

Now, here’s the exciting part: the Shopify ecosystem has over 1.7 million merchants who could use your help! You can immediately start using your new skills, and jump right into creating this income stream for yourself. 

Don’t worry if all of this is sounding a bit much. As a Shopify Partner, you’re always going to be supported. There are tons of resources you can find that will help you grow your business. 

You’ll also become a part of the global Shopify Partners Community, where members can support each other by sharing tips, asking for help, or just celebrating each other’s success!

The best part about this whole thing is that there are no start-up or subscription fees, and you can practice on unlimited test stores for as long as you’d like. 

And of course, since we’re the gift that keeps giving, we’ve put together a document that lists down all of these resources for you. You’ll find it in the “Episode Notes” of this chapter. 

But for now, we’re going to quickly walk you through signing up to be a Shopify Partner. So, let’s get cracking. First things first, you need to create your Shopify Partner account. Click the link that just popped up on your screen.

Cool! Once you land there, you’ll find a bunch of information right on the top, here: articles, webinars and details about events and community engagements. You can check this out a bit later, or find the link in the “resources” document down below.

Now enter your email address and click “Join Now”. 

Then, on the “Account Information” screen, go ahead and enter your details.

Once you’re done entering your details, there are a bunch of questions you need to answer. 

After you’ve done that, scroll down to the “Business goals” section and select the option that suits you best. We’re just going to click this for now. 

If you scroll down further, you’ll get a list of e-commerce platforms. Here, you can indicate which platforms you’re currently using or have used before. This will help Shopify develop custom tools and resources that suit you best. 

Once you’re done, you can read the Partner Program Agreement by clicking on the embedded link at the bottom of the screen. 

Click on “Agree”. (unless, of course, you disagree. And if you disagree… what are you even doing here?)

Once you’ve agreed, click here on “View your dashboard”. Now that that’s done, you should receive an email with a link to verify your email address.

And, that’s pretty much it! You’re now a Shopify Partner. Welcome aboard! I hope you’re excited.

In the next chapter, we’ll talk about what your entire process with clients should be, and how you can understand their needs. I’ll see you there!