Sell Services on Shopify: Empowering Your Success Journey

Struggling to find new clients and grow your service-based business? Perhaps you’ve tried traditional marketing methods, but they don’t seem to work as well as you’d like.

Imagine having a powerful online platform to showcase your services and attract new clients worldwide. With Shopify, you can do just that.

But wait, isn’t Shopify primarily a product-selling platform? Sure, but isn’t your service essentially an intangible product?

In this blog post, we’ll show you how to set up a store to sell services on Shopify and share some tips to grow your business.

Let’s get started!

The Rundown

Shopify is an e-commerce platform that allows businesses to create their own online store to sell products and services. It’s arguably the best e-commerce platform out there.

While Shopify is best known for its use in selling physical products, it’s also an excellent tool for service-based businesses, freelancers, and consultants who want to sell their services online.

In fact, using Shopify to sell services offers many perks.

First, it’s a customizable platform that allows you to create a unique online store that reflects your brand and your services. You can choose from various themes, customize your store’s design, and add features and functionality to make it stand out.

Shopify also simplifies service listings and order management. For example, you can create custom service listings with detailed descriptions and pricing. Customers can easily browse and purchase your services directly from your online store. You can also manage your orders and track your sales in one place, saving you time and streamlining your workflow.

If you’re serious about your business, then you’re concerned with getting paid. Shopify understands that and makes it easy to accept payments from customers. It supports a variety of payment methods, including credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google, and more. 

You can also use third-party payment gateways for those who want to offer additional payment options to your customers. Plus, it has built-in security features to ensure safe and secure transactions.

Then, there are the marketing perks. With Shopify, you get built-in marketing features, such as email campaigns and social media integrations, to reach new customers and grow your business. 

Shopify also allows you to collect customer reviews on your store. This way, you can build trust and credibility with potential customers.

Setting up your Shopify store

So, you understand the why. Great. Now, let’s talk about the how. Here’s how you can set up your Shopify store in minutes:

Sign up for a Shopify account

Go to the Shopify website and click Get Started to create an account. You’ll need to provide basic information, such as your email address, business name, and payment information. 

Choose a theme

Once you’ve created your account, you’ll be taken to the Shopify dashboard. From there, click Online Store. 

Shopify will want some information about your new store. Fill out the information and click Enter my store at the bottom right side of your window.

Next, themes. Click on Theme to browse and choose a theme for your store. You can filter by features such as “Services” to find themes well-suited for selling services.

You get two options for themes: a free or paid one. 

If you’re not ready to commit to anything, we suggest using a free theme and having a feel for the platform before investing in the paid theme. But, as you’d expect, the paid themes have a certain je ne sais quoi that just makes them hit harder.

Customize your theme

Once you’ve chosen a theme, you can customize it to make it your own. For example, you can add your logo, change the colors and fonts, and customize the layout to fit your needs. 

To do this:

1. Go to the Online Store tab in your left sidebar
2. Hover over your selected theme and click Customize.

The theme editor will open, allowing you to make your changes..

Once you like the look and feel of your theme, exit and start adding your listings. All you have to do is click the Exit icon. It’s in the top left corner of the theme editor.

Add service listings

By now, you’re back on the main dashboard page. In the navigation sidebar, select Products and then click Add your Products to start inputting your service listings.

Shopify helps you find products for your store too. How? You can use the Find products to sell button to, well, find products to sell in your store. This is helpful if you still haven’t figured out what you want to sell when creating your store.

After selecting Add your products, you can enter the details of your service, including the name, description, and price. You can also add photos to showcase your services.

Of course, you may offer more than one service — most businesses do. You’ll need to use the Collections feature to list your other offerings if you sell multiple services. 

The Collections feature helps organize your products and makes it easier for customers to find what they want on your website. By grouping products logically, you can create a more intuitive browsing experience for your customers and increase the chances that they will find something they want to buy. 

So, how do you do that? Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Click on the Collections tab at the top of the screen. You’ll find it under the Products category.

2. Click on the Create collection button.

3. Next, fill out the details for your collection. This information includes the collection name, availability, description, and type. 

By collection type, we mean the mode of product selection for your collection. There are two options: Manual and Automatic. 

Selecting Manual as the collection type means you will manually add products to the collection, rather than relying on automatic sorting based on tags or other criteria. Automatic just means the opposite.

4. Click Save.

Now, let’s talk bookings.

Add booking options

Depending on the type of service you offer, you may want to add booking options to your service listings. You can do this using a third-party booking app, such as BookThatApp or Appointlet, which integrates seamlessly with Shopify.

Be sure to read the documentation and follow the instructions provided by the app developer to ensure that your booking options are set up correctly.

Setting up payment processing

On to the big one: payments. 

Setting up payment processing in Shopify is a relatively straightforward process. Here are the general steps to follow:

1. From your Shopify admin panel, go to the Settings section and click on Payment providers.

2. Choose a payment provider that you want to use. Shopify offers a variety of options, including Shopify Payments, PayPal, Stripe, and many others. If you choose Shopify Payments, you’ll first need to activate it. Then, you’ll provide additional information, such as your business and bank account information.

3. Configure your payment settings. Depending on your chosen provider, you may need to set up additional settings such as currencies, transaction fees, and payment methods.

4. Test your payment processing. Once you’ve set up your payment provider and configured your settings, test your payment processing to ensure everything works properly. Shopify provides a test mode that allows you to simulate transactions without actually charging customers.

Note that the steps required may vary depending on your chosen payment provider and location. So, as with the booking options, carefully review the documentation provided by your payment provider and follow their instructions to ensure your payment processing is set up correctly.

Test your store

Before launching your store, make sure to test it out to ensure that everything is working correctly. You can do this by placing a test order and going through the checkout process.

Marketing and promoting your services

Promoting your Shopify store requires a multifaceted approach. By using a combination of these strategies, you can build a robust online presence and attract more customers to your store:

Using social media

Social media can be a powerful tool for promoting your services and reaching a wider audience. Create profiles on relevant social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn, and regularly share updates and promotions about your services. Also, engage with your followers by responding to comments and messages and using relevant hashtags to increase your visibility.

Run ads

Consider running paid advertising campaigns on social media or search engines to promote your services. This can be a particularly effective strategy if you have a specific target audience, as you can use targeting options to reach the right people. Track your ad campaigns closely and adjust your targeting and messaging to maximize results.

Leverage email marketing

Email marketing can be a powerful way to reach your existing customers and encourage them to book your services again. Collect email addresses from your customers and create a regular newsletter or email campaign highlighting your services, promotions, and updates. You can also use email marketing to promote new services or upsell existing customers with complementary services.

Collaborate with influencers

Consider collaborating with influencers or other businesses in your industry to promote your services to their audience. You can offer them a discount or free service in exchange for promoting your services on their social media or blog.

Optimize your SEO

Ensure your Shopify store is optimized for search engines by including relevant keywords in your service listings and website content. This can improve your search engine rankings and make it easier for potential customers to find your services when searching online.

Best practices to sell services on Shopify

You don’t want to simply sell to an audience — every business does that. What you want to do is set yourself apart from the competition and build a loyal customer base over time.

To do that, you need to apply a different approach to your operation. This differentiation begins with getting the basics right. 

If we were selling services on Shopify, we’d implement some of these no-brainer practices so that prospective customers can pick us out of the noise.

1. Clearly defining our services

It’s essential to clearly define your services and communicate them to your customers. Use descriptive language and provide as much detail as possible about your services. This helps customers understand what they’re getting and can help avoid confusion or misunderstandings later on.

2. Use high-quality visuals

High-quality visuals can help make your work pop. And you need your store to catch attention and convert prospects. That’s where visuals come in. This can include photos or videos of past projects, portfolio pieces, or even mockups of what your services might look like. They help your customers visualize what they’re buying and make a more informed purchasing decision.

3. Include customer reviews and testimonials

Customer reviews and testimonials are powerful tools for building credibility and trust with potential customers. Encourage your past clients to leave reviews or testimonials on your Shopify store, social media platforms, or other review sites. This demonstrates the value of your services and encourages others to try them.

We’ve created a more comprehensive guide on adding reviews on your Shopify page. Read this guide to start raising your store’s credibility and closing more deals. 

4. Offer clear pricing and payment options

When selling services, be transparent about pricing and payment options. Use clear and concise language to explain your pricing structure and summarize your offerings. Provide multiple payment options to make it easy for customers to pay for your services.

5. Provide exceptional customer service

Providing exceptional customer service is critical when selling services on Shopify. Be responsive to customer inquiries and provide clear and helpful communication throughout the service delivery. This builds trust and ensures customers are satisfied with the services they receive.

These best practices are relevant because they can help you build a strong reputation for your services and attract more customers to your Shopify store.

Bottom line?

Shopify is an excellent platform for selling more than physical products. In fact, we actually recommend it for service-based businesses, freelancers, and consultants who want to sell their services online. It helps you showcase your services and attract new customers from all over the world.

However, selling services on Shopify requires more than just setting up a store and waiting for customers to come. To succeed, you must effectively promote your services, build credibility with potential customers, and drive more sales to your Shopify store. 

How? Clearly define your services, use high-quality visuals, and leverage customer reviews and testimonials to highlight your expertise. Also, offer transparent pricing and payment options and exceptional customer service. 

By focusing on these critical areas, you can set yourself apart from the competition and build a successful business selling services on Shopify. 

So what are you waiting for? Start selling your services on Shopify today and join the millions of businesses that are already thriving on the powerful platform!