So…how do I start an online shop?

We have lots of answers for you. Do you:

Person working on a laptop at a desk with books and plant.
Open cardboard box with crumpled yellow tissue paper inside and a yellow label with black text, reading 'FRAMES OF BUTTER' and other details, on a light background.

  • currently sell on Etsy, but you’re tired of feeling lost in the noise

  • have a brick and mortar shop, but you want to maximize your sales by setting up online as well

  • starting a new product-based business, and you need to get set up online

Then you’re in the right place! Check out our wealth of resources below—some of the same ones we share with our web design clients!—on all the ins and outs of setting up shop online.

Please note that all our resources are tailored to Shopify as the website platform. Many of the planning docs will apply to any site, but some of the logistical items such as shipping are Shopify-specific.

Helpful blog posts

Downloadable resources

Person sealing a cardboard box with blue tape that has various logos and text, including 'Beast Beast,' on a white wooden surface.
A wooden dining table with four chairs, one with a tablet and keyboard on it, in a bright room with a sliding glass door and a gray doormat.

Customer Experience

  • Packaging, print materials, unboxing

  • Printing/packaging resource guide

  • Email notifications, pop ups, and newsletters

Website Planning

  • Guide to getting started

  • Guide to writing copy

  • Photo shoot list

Your Products

  • Product listing contents

  • Shipping & delivery guide

  • Guide to upselling & encouraging larger orders

Person wearing a mustard-colored sweater using a laptop on a wooden table.
Curved wooden bookshelves filled with colorful books in a library.

After the Launch

You have a great website…now what? You have to work to get people on the site! These are a just a few of our top recommended service providers (that we’ve actually worked with!) for your biz.

  • PR:

    If you’re looking for press coverage, help getting on a podcast, connecting with influencers, or anywhere in between, contact Amy Kaske Berger—she’s a champion of women-owned small businesses!

  • Marketing:

    Are you floundering and need a solid plan? Musso Creative can help you craft the perfect cadence of advertising, social, and content strategy.

  • Copywriting:

    Need help with web copy, newsletter writing, or refining your brand voice? Dotted Comma is the best.

  • Video:

    Video is here to stay. Whether you need to tell a brand story or want snippets for social media, Mina George Films will kill it.

  • Brand Photography:

    Lindsay Stayton • My Brand Photographer

Still feeling stuck?

We have some products and services designed for the new-to-ecomm business owner:

The Brand Box: get a new semi-custom brand identity within a few days! Learn more >

Design Intensives: an accelerated, simple design process to get you a new brand in a week, or a Shopify site set up in two weeks. Learn more >

Questions?