How to Make Money on Shopify - BloggersBond
What You'll Learn: How to Make Money on Shopify
Shopify is a platform that lets you create your own online store. You can sell physical products, digital products, or services. No coding needed. This guide gives you 9 proven ways to make money on Shopify. Start with $0 (14-day free trial).
- 9 Shopify money-making methods (start with free trial)
- Step-by-step instructions for beginners
- Free tools + realistic earnings (month 1: $0-200, year 2: $2000-20000+)
- 30-day action plan for Shopify beginners
Dropshipping on Shopify Most Popular
What it is: You list products from AliExpress or other suppliers on your Shopify store. When a customer buys, the supplier ships directly to them. You never touch inventory. You keep the profit margin.
Step-by-Step:
- Sign up for Shopify free trial (14 days, no credit card needed)
- Install DSers app (free) to import products from AliExpress
- Find winning products (look for 100+ orders, 4+ star ratings)
- Import products to your store with one click
- Set your prices: product cost + shipping + your profit ($10-20)
- Customize your store theme (free themes available)
- Run ads on Facebook, TikTok, or Pinterest to drive traffic
Print on Demand with Shopify No Inventory
What it is: Create designs using Canva. Connect Printful or Printify to Shopify. They print on t-shirts, mugs, hoodies, and phone cases. They ship to customers. You earn profit on each sale.
Step-by-Step:
- Sign up for Shopify free trial
- Install Printful or Printify app (free)
- Create designs using Canva (free)
- Add designs to products (t-shirts, mugs, stickers, hoodies)
- Set your profit margin ($5-15 per item)
- Customize your store with a free theme
- Promote on Pinterest, TikTok, and Instagram
Sell Digital Products on Shopify 100% Profit
What it is: Sell digital products like eBooks, templates, courses, printables, and software. No shipping costs. No inventory. Keep 100% of profit after transaction fees.
Step-by-Step:
- Sign up for Shopify free trial
- Create digital product using Canva or Google Docs
- Install Digital Downloads app (free by Shopify)
- Upload your digital product file
- Set price ($5-50) – all profit
- Create product page with description and sample images
- Promote on social media and email list
Private Label Products (White Label) Build Brand
What it is: Find manufacturers to make products with your brand name. Order in bulk (100-500 units). Sell on Shopify. Higher profit margins than dropshipping. Build a real brand.
Step-by-Step:
- Find a product category with demand (skincare, supplements, apparel, accessories)
- Find manufacturers on Alibaba (look for verified suppliers)
- Order samples to test quality ($20-100)
- Place small bulk order (100-500 units)
- Create Shopify store with professional branding
- Take professional product photos
- Launch with Facebook/Instagram ads
Shopify Affiliate Program No Store Needed
What it is: Promote Shopify to others. When someone signs up for Shopify using your affiliate link, you earn commission. Shopify pays $100-500 per referral depending on plan.
Step-by-Step:
- Join Shopify Affiliate Program (free, approval required)
- Get your unique affiliate link
- Create content: blog posts, YouTube videos, social media posts about Shopify
- Share your link: "Start your Shopify store with 14-day free trial"
- Earn $100-500 per person who signs up for paid plan
- Build audience in e-commerce niche
Shopify Store Flipping (Buy and Sell Stores) Lump Sum
What it is: Build Shopify stores, grow sales, then sell them on marketplaces like Exchange Marketplace or Flippa. Stores sell for 20-40x monthly profit.
Step-by-Step:
- Build a Shopify store with 3-6 months of sales history
- Aim for $1000-5000 monthly profit
- List store on Exchange Marketplace (owned by Shopify)
- Price store at 20-30x monthly profit
- Transfer ownership to buyer
- Repeat process with new store
Shopify Theme Design & Development Skill-Based
What it is: Design and sell Shopify themes. Business owners pay $100-500 for premium themes. You can also offer custom theme development services ($1000-10000 per client).
Step-by-Step:
- Learn Shopify theme development (Liquid language) – free on Shopify Dev
- Create 3-5 premium Shopify themes
- Sell themes on ThemeForest or Shopify Theme Store
- Offer custom theme services on Fiverr or Upwork
- Charge $1000-5000 per custom theme
- Build portfolio with client work
Shopify App Development Scalable
What it is: Create apps for Shopify merchants. Solve problems like abandoned cart recovery, product reviews, SEO optimization, or inventory management. Charge monthly subscription ($5-50/month).
Step-by-Step:
- Identify problem Shopify store owners have
- Build app solution (need coding skills or hire developer)
- List app on Shopify App Store
- Offer free trial (14-30 days)
- Charge monthly subscription ($5-50)
- Market app to Shopify merchants via Facebook groups, ads
Shopify Store Management Services Service-Based
What it is: Offer services to Shopify store owners: product listing, order fulfillment, customer service, inventory management, or ad management. Charge $200-2000 per client monthly.
Step-by-Step:
- Learn Shopify basics (free on Shopify Learn)
- Create portfolio (manage a test store or friend's store)
- Offer services: "$300/month for product listing + order fulfillment"
- Join Shopify Facebook groups and offer your services
- Start with discounted rates for first 3 clients (testimonials)
- Raise prices after building portfolio
Shopify Money Methods - Monthly Earnings Comparison
| Method | Startup Cost | Month 1-3 | Month 6 | Year 2+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dropshipping | $0-50 | $0-200 | $200-2000 | $2000-10000 |
| Print on Demand | $0 | $0-100 | $100-800 | $800-5000 |
| Digital Products | $0 | $20-100 | $100-500 | $500-3000 |
| Private Label | $100-500 | $0-500 | $500-3000 | $3000-20000 |
| Shopify Affiliate | $0 | $0-500 | $500-2000 | $2000-10000 |
| Store Flipping | $100-1000 | $0-2000 | $2000-10000* | $10000-50000* |
| Theme Design | $0 | $0-500 | $500-2000 | $2000-10000 |
| App Development | $0 | $0-500 | $500-5000 | $5000-50000 |
| Store Management | $0 | $200-1000 | $1000-4000 | $4000-15000 |
*One-time earnings from selling stores
Shopify Profit Calculator
Estimate your Shopify store profit:
30-Day Shopify Money Action Plan
- Week 1 (Setup): Sign up for Shopify free trial. Choose niche (pet, home, fitness, beauty, gadgets). Install free theme. Set up payment gateway (Shopify Payments).
- Week 2 (Products): Find 20-30 products on AliExpress (dropshipping) or create designs (print on demand). Import products using DSers. Write product descriptions. Set prices.
- Week 3 (Traffic): Create TikTok account. Post 3 videos daily. Create Pinterest account. Pin 10 Pins daily. Run Facebook ads ($10-20/day). Aim for first sale.
- Week 4 (Scale): Analyze best-selling products. Double down on what works. Increase ad spend on winning products. Add email capture popup. Aim for $100-500.
Shopify tip: Order your own products. Test quality and shipping time. Use real photos in your ads. Customer trust = more sales.
Import products from AliExpress
Product sourcing and import
Email marketing for Shopify
Shopify Income Tracker (Use Spreadsheet)
| Date | Product | Orders | Revenue | Profit | Ad Spend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Track every order – small profits compound into big income!-- | |||||
Shopify Troubleshooting - "Why Aren't I Making Sales?"
- No sales after 2 weeks? Test more products. 20 products = 0 sales? Add 50 more. Test different niches. Run ads at $10-20/day minimum.
- Ads not converting? Improve product photos. Add video content. Test different ad copy. Lower product price. Offer discount codes.
- Low profit margins? Raise prices by $5-10. Test higher prices. Remove unprofitable products. Focus on best-sellers only.
- Cart abandonment? Install abandoned cart recovery app (free). Send email reminders with discount codes. Add urgency (limited stock).
- Feeling stuck? Join Shopify Facebook groups. Watch free YouTube tutorials. Test one new product daily. Persistence wins.
Shopify Success Roadmap (Realistic Timeline)
Test 50-100 products. Learn ads. Find first winner. Earnings: $0-500
Scale winning products. Add more products. Build brand. Earnings: $500-3000
Scale ads to $100+/day. Outsource fulfillment. Earnings: $3000-10000
Multiple stores. Automation. Passive income. Earnings: $10000-50000+
This Week's Shopify Challenge
Challenge: Find 20 new products on AliExpress. Import them to your store. Create 20 TikTok videos (1 per product). Post 3 videos daily. Run Facebook ads ($10/day) on top 3 products. By Sunday, you'll have data on what works.
🔥 Extra credit: Order samples of your top 3 products. Film unboxing videos. Use in ads for higher conversion.
Frequently Asked Questions About Making Money on Shopify
Do I need a lot of money to start with Shopify?
No. Shopify has a 14-day free trial. You can start with $0. For ads, start with $10-20/day. Order samples cost $20-50. Many successful stores started with $100-500.
How much can a beginner earn with Shopify?
Month 1-3: $0-500. Month 6: $500-3000. Year 1: $3000-10000. Year 2: $10000-50000+. Most beginners fail first store – learn, adapt, restart.
Do I need to register a business to sell on Shopify?
Not at first. Start as sole proprietor. Register LLC when you make $1000+ monthly. For taxes, track all income and expenses. Consult local accountant.
What's the best product to sell on Shopify?
Winning product categories: pet supplies, home decor, fitness gear, beauty products, phone accessories, kitchen gadgets, baby products, outdoor gear. Solve a problem or fulfill a desire.
Can I use Shopify for free forever?
No. After 14-day trial, plans start at $29/month. However, you can use the trial to test products and get first sales. Many stores profit enough to cover monthly fee within first month.
Your Shopify Action Plan - Start Today
- Sign up for Shopify free trial (14 days, no credit card needed)
- Choose niche (pet, home, fitness, beauty, gadgets)
- Find 20 products on AliExpress (orders 100+, 4+ stars)
- Import products using DSers (free)
- Set prices (cost + $10-20 profit)
- Create TikTok account. Post 3 videos today.
Remember for Shopify beginners: Shopify success is a numbers game. Test 100 products, find 5 winners, scale them. Most stores fail because they quit after 10 products. Keep testing. Keep learning. Your first profitable product will change everything. Start today – your future Shopify income depends on products you list now.