Frequently Asked Questions
If you are interested in starting a website with Shopify with a free unlimited trial, but still have questions, this list of questions and answers will help! If you have questions that are not included, please contact me and I am happy to help.
Once I receive your request for a development store, I'll create the development account for you, using the store name and email address you provided.
You'll receive an email from Shopify with the subject "Create Staff Account" . The email will show your shop name and then (Shopify) as the "from" heading. You'll need to open that email and click on the Create Staff Account button. This is how you access your new development account.
You'll receive an email from me (jd@thedrawingboard3.com) with the subject "Welcome to Shopify! Here's What To Do Next". This email guides you through how to access your new account and how to change the account holder information to your preference. It also gives you helpful links on how to get started working on your store.
You'll also receive an email from Etsy To Shopify Slack group as an invitation to join our private help group on Slack. When you click on that email and accept the invitation, you'll be able to start interacting with other members in that private group, search for information, and get assistance with your store.
If you do not receive these three emails, make sure to check your SPAM or JUNK folders.
No. Shopify has templates (“themes“) that you can use to start your store. Each theme can be customized using menus.
Of course, if you are familiar with HTML, CSS, Javascript and other code, you can customize your store even more, beyond the scope of the built-in menu options for customizing.
You can also hire a designer/developer to further customize your store if you desire.
No. Some Shopify Affiliates are able to offer a 20% discount for store fees. While I am a Shopify Partner, I am not an affiliate (affiliates are generally developers who have a business to develop stores on Shopify). Therefore, I am unable to offer any kind of a discount.
However, you CAN get a 10% discount from Shopify, if you pay for a year in advance, or a 20% discount if you pay for two years in advance – so there is that savings.
The other savings to you is not having to pay that monthly fee while you are still working on your shop. The difference between the 20% discount and the 10% discount is $34.80 over a year – which is pretty much equal to one month of fees on Shopify. So if you use the 20% discount, but don’t have your shop ready to go live within the 14-day free trial, you’re paying a monthly fee even before you open your shop.
Sometimes Shopify extends the 14-day free trial to 28-days, but usually not beyond that. So give these options some thought before signing up for a discount – you might be better off using the development option and save money on monthly fees before you open your store. Make sure to choose the best option for you.
This is the best part! Shopify has 24-hours a day, 7-days a week (including holidays) live phone support, live chat, and email support! And the Shopify Guru’s are awesome! You just give them a call or chat with them live, and they walk you through whatever issue you are having. They answer your questions and get you pointed in the right direction. They really are that good!
And, if you choose, you can also join the help forum that I lead for even more personalized help. There is no cost for any of this help – you’re covered!
Click here to see the Shopify Support.
Unfortunately, no. If you've recently signed up for Shopify through a 14-day free trial, you will not be able to transfer that store into a development store.
Shopify created development mode for people who do not already have a store or an account on Shopify. Only new customers to Shopify can be included in this program.
If you know you are going to need more time to work on your store, you could download your theme files that you have now, then upload them into a new development store and then close your original account.
The other option is to export your existing blog contents and import that file into the Shopify Blog that is part of your store. This works well for most blogging platforms, but keep in mind, it does not import images from your existing blog. So that could be an issue for you.
There are pros and cons for having your own stand-alone blog versus your blog as part of your Shopify store. To summarize here, having your blog as part of your Shopify store might be the best option for you as far as SEO. It keeps your Shopify website "fresh" and that helps boost your ranking in SEO.
Unfortunately, no. The way the Slack forum is set-up is for shops that are currently in development mode, or stores that have launched from development mode through my Partner account. HOWEVER, I have also created a help group on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/EtsyToShopify/ and would love to have you join us there! We also have a Facebook Page that has helpful articles and tips at https://www.facebook./com/TheDrawingBoard3 - and hope you will "like" and follow that page.
This website (TheDrawingBoard3.com) is also filled with helpful tips, tricks, and articles and each article includes a comment area where you can ask your questions. I hope you find the articles here helpful!
No. Getting started with Shopify through this unlimited free trial does not require a credit card or any other banking information.
The only time you need to enter a credit card or banking information is when your website is ready to launch and is open for business. At that point, it is no longer in development mode, and the website has been completely transferred over to you. A credit card and banking information is necessary at that time in order for you to pay the Shopify monthly charge and to receive deposits from your sales. That personal information is something I NEVER see.
Absolutely not! Sellers who sign up through my partner account do not pay me ANYTHING to get started with a development store, or when their store goes "live" and is open for business. Not a percentage of their sales, not a monthly fee - NOTHING.
Getting started with a development store only allows a seller unlimited time to get their store ready to launch. There are NO FEES for this. None. Not from me, not from Shopify.
When a seller opens their store, they start paying Shopify a monthly fee for the plan of their choice (which in most cases is the Basic Plan at $29 a month). This fee is paid directly to Shopify. Not to me, as a Shopify Partner. As I mentioned in the Getting Started post, Shopify does pay me a 20% referral fee of whatever plan you select. For example, if you use the Basic Plan with Shopify, Shopify pays me around $5.80 as a referral fee (20% of the $29 fee). This fee is COMPLETELY, 100% paid to me by Shopify as a referral. It is NOT paid by the merchant.
You can read more about the Shopify Partner program at Shopify Partner.
Just so you know - some sellers need additional help when setting up their stores in development mode. Maybe they are looking for special customizations, or they need someone to do some of the set up work for them. In cases like this, sellers have the OPTION to hire me to do the work for them, just like they have the option to hire ANY Shopify Partner or Shopify Expert. This is purely OPTIONAL. Any tasks a seller is hiring me to do - the fees are quoted upfront and a seller has a choice whether to hire me (or someone else) or not. MOST of the help I offer sellers - when getting started, when launching their store, and in the support I continue to provide after launch is without charge. Only the specialized, very time consuming tasks are things I need to charge someone for - but again - this is purely optional. In addition to my help, you can find Shopify Partners and Shopify Experts to hire directly on the Shopify website, if needed. If you have additional questions about this, please contact me - I am happy to help.
No. I am not a Shopify employee. I am a Shopify Partner. As a Shopify Partner, I work with Shopify to help people get started with their stores. Shopify provides resources to it’s Partners, and I use those resources to help you.
In addition to helping others start their stores on Shopify, my goal as a Partner is also to eventually develop themes, apps, and do development programming work.
I understand skepticism. Here's some information that will give you peace of mind.
Shopify teams up with Partners, like me, to help merchants get started on the Shopify platform. Shopify Partners not only set up development stores, they also work with those merchants to ensure a successful start. This website that you're on - TheDrawingBoard3 - is filled with resources to help you succeed. There is also a Slack help group you can join, and a Facebook Group for more support. I'm here to help!
You can read more about the Shopify Partner program at Shopify Partners.
For more information about development stores, please visit Everything You Need to Know About Development Stores.
If you want even more peace of mind, please feel free to call Shopify at 1-888-746-7439 and any Guru you talk to can explain the Shopify Partner program and confirm development stores for you. You can also ask them to verify that I am a verified Shopify Partner - my partner account is JayDee at TheDrawingBoard3 - jd@thedrawingboard3.com