Today, anyone can learn how to make money on Shopify. While there are plenty of options, not every idea may be suitable for you. Whether it’s a dropshipping business or affiliate marketing, each requires specific skills.
Ideally, you should find an opportunity that aligns with your personality, passions, and skills to increase the likelihood of success.
In this article, we explore the 12 best Shopify business ideas so you can find a way to make money that’s right for you.
1. Open a Print on Demand store
With the print-on-demand business model, anyone can start an eCommerce store without any inventory or storage space.
What’s this online business idea all about? In short, you design, create, and sell products to customers worldwide via the Shopify platform.
It’s a beginner-friendly and low-investment way of starting your own store, allowing you to personalize a wide range of products. Whether you want to create your own clothing line or simply sell funny t-shirts, it’s great for all types of entrepreneurs.
When you make a sale, the supplier takes care of the rest. You don’t have to worry about inventory management, printing, packaging, or shipping.
Quick tip
If you’re ready to open an online store, learn how to start a print-on-demand business from our guide.
Start your own business today!
2. Start a dropshipping business
Dropshipping is an order fulfillment method in which an entrepreneur purchases products as needed from a dropshipping supplier. They offer clothing, home decor, and even beauty products.
Similarly to Print on Demand, starting a dropshipping store is a common way to make money on Shopify, but there’s a slight difference. Unlike private-label dropshipping, you can’t customize the products you sell, so the competition’s fiercer.
There are plenty of dropshipping websites. Select a dropshipping supplier, integrate with your Shopify store, and start building your dropshipping business.
Quick tip
Is dropshipping worth it? Explore the pros and cons of starting a dropshipping business.
3. Try affiliate marketing
![How to make money on Shopify: 12 ideas to try in [bp_year] 1](https://printify.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Try-Affiliate-Marketing-1.jpg "Try Affiliate Marketing 1")
Affiliate marketing is a business model in which third-party publishers promote products or services.
If you’re an established blogger, influencer, or educator, the Shopify affiliate marketing program is a great way to make money.
The Shopify Affiliate Program is free to join. You can apply if you:
- Own and run an active website
- Have an established audience
- Create original content
- You have experience with commerce, entrepreneurship, Shopify, or other eCommerce platforms
After you become a Shopify affiliate, you earn a commission for each user who signs up for a paid Shopify plan via your link.
You can also create your own website on Shopify and use it as a platform to promote and sell products as an affiliate marketer.
While you can approach brands yourself, networks like Rakuten or Awin help you find opportunities faster.
Quick tip
If you’re new to this and starting from scratch, learn how to start affiliate marketing with no money.
You can also use other affiliate programs. For example, with the Printify Affiliate Program, affiliates get a 5% commission on every order their referrals make for the next 12 months. Just sign up, share the affiliate link, and earn a commission.
Profit with Printify!
4. Sell handmade goods
If you have a knack for creating products, Shopify is the perfect platform for you. Industry experts forecast that the worldwide arts and crafts market will reach $50.9 billion by 2024, providing a promising opportunity for Shopify merchants.
You can sell a variety of handmade goods:
- Apparel
- Accessories
- Jewelry
- Artwork
- Paper products
Increase the likelihood of success by exploring our market research on what to sell on Shopify.
5. Create a subscription service
For the right product or service, adding a subscription as a purchase option can be an effective approach and create a predictable and steady stream of income. Typically, customers pay a weekly, monthly, or yearly fee.
As an example, a popular Shopify store, Wohven, sends a new t-shirt every month to their subscribers, showing that a subscription service can work even for t-shirts.
You can get third-party subscription apps from the Shopify App Store. Then, learn how to set up subscriptions from the Shopify Help Center.
6. Sell digital products
Shopify is a great online platform for selling digital products. While they take time to create, you can sell them repeatedly afterward without worrying about replenishing inventory.
A few ideas for digital products and downloads:
- eBooks
- Online courses
- Digital art
- Graphic design templates
Quick tip
Remember to remove shipping for digital products in the Shopify admin dashboard.
7. Promote your services
Whether you’re a writer, graphic designer, fitness trainer, or teacher, use Shopify to promote and sell services.
With their platform, you can create a professional website to showcase your skills and attract potential customers. It offers useful marketing tools that will help grow your service-based business.
List your available services – for example, consultations, online courses, or workshops – as your products.
Quick tip
After setting up a Shopify store, search engine optimization (SEO) is essential for driving traffic. Learn how to improve Shopify SEO from our step-by-step guide so people can quickly find your business.
8. Monetize your social media presence
How to use Shopify to make money? Easy. If you already have a devoted following, you can sell to them directly via social media. After all, industry experts estimate that in 2023, sales through social media will reach $1,298 billion, so it’s a great opportunity for Shopify merchants.
Shopify apps for the most popular platforms for social commerce:
Use these to sync your Shopify’s store product catalog to Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to start selling online today.
Additionally, with the Shopify Starter plan, which costs $5/mo, you can quickly create a Starter store. The Starter plan is great for selling via social media platforms, email, or anywhere else you share a link to a product. You can also sell in person with Shopify POS.
Quick tip
Design, create, and sell fan merch with Printify to supercharge your profits.
9. Start an online grocery store
While many shop for groceries in physical stores, more and more people choose online shopping. In the United States, the number of people who shop for groceries online might reach 163 million by 2024.
With Shopify, anyone can start their own grocery business and reach customers easily by setting up local delivery or on-location pickup.
You can even sell vegetables, which is a great option for those who grow their own produce. The platform has a product collection feature, so you can categorize and group vegetables by type, making it easy for people to find the produce.
However, carefully research the laws and regulations of your country first.
Quick tips
Shopify’s mobile app helps to check in on sales, track deliveries, and address customers’ needs quickly.
Get started by exploring Shopify’s checklist for setting up a local grocery store.
10. Buy and sell Shopify stores
While it may sound complicated, the idea is simple – you buy an established eCommerce store, improve until perfection, and resell for a higher price, basically flipping Shopify stores.
You can explore websites like Flippa or Empire Flippers to see what’s available for purchase. These marketplaces provide detailed information about each store, including traffic and revenue.
Quick tip
If you enjoy building Shopify stores, another way how to make money on Shopify is by building a store from scratch and selling for profit. While the profit will be smaller, so will the risk.
11. Become a Shopify expert
If you already have experience with the platform, you can earn money by becoming a Shopify partner and helping other Shopify store owners build, scale, or market their businesses.
Take a look at the service categories and check whether there is a specific area that aligns with your expertise.
A few in-demand categories:
- Marketing and sales
- Visual content and branding
- Development and troubleshooting
As an expert, you can offer either a fixed price or an hourly rate, tailoring the service to fit the requirements of each client so you can accommodate both small and large businesses.
12. Create Shopify apps
A Shopify app extends the functionality of the platform. Most Shopify apps are built by third parties.
While this option is not for everyone, it’s a great opportunity for developers who want to use their coding knowledge to build solutions for millions of Shopify merchants and create a steady income stream.
The Shopify App Store provides developers with a worldwide audience. However, if you want to build an app the Shopify community loves, carefully follow the platform’s app requirements.
How to make money with Shopify and Printify?
Print on Demand is one of the best ways to make money on Shopify. With Printify, anyone can start their own online store today.
Step 1: Sign up
Sign up for an account and access a wide collection of products, beginner-friendly design tools, and thoroughly vetted Print Providers.
Step 2: Choose a product
The Printify Catalog has more than 900 customizable products. Choose your next bestseller, and click Start designing.
Step 3: Add a design
With our Mockup Generator, designing is quick and easy. Add graphics, illustrations, or text to create one-of-a-kind products.
Step 4: Integrate with Shopify
We offer a seamless Shopify integration so you can start your online store without any hassle.
Step 5: Start selling
After you make a sale, our Print Providers handle the rest – printing, packaging, and shipping directly to your customer’s doorstep.
Start a Print on Demand business today!
What to know before starting a Shopify business?
Before starting a business on the Shopify eCommerce platform, there are several aspects entrepreneurs should consider.
Target an audience
Save time by focusing on those most likely to buy from you – explore who your target audience is, what they do, and what their interests are.
Segment an audience by:
- Demographics. Age, education, income level.
- Geographics. Residents of a specific town, city, or country.
- Psychographics. Attitudes, aspirations, values.
In addition, analyze competitors’ customer feedback and gather information from social media, forums and other online sources to understand your ideal customer better.
Make sure to have a business plan
A business plan is a prerequisite for a successful business. It outlines the company’s goals and strategy for achieving them. It helps acquire customers, anticipate challenges, and make informed decisions.
Types of business plans
- Standard. A version that’s very detailed and specific. It takes more time to write.
- Lean. If a business is simple, write a lean plan with key information and ideas.
With a business plan, it’s easier to set and achieve goals.
Market well
After identifying the target audience, market your Shopify store via channels they frequent the most.
- Social media marketing. Today, social presence is everything. With it, increasing sales and making money becomes easier.
- Email marketing. In 2023, the revenue from email marketing will reach $10 billion, proving that it’s an effective way to reach people.
- Content marketing. If you consistently publish relevant content, you’ll build trust and reach the hearts and minds of your audience quickly.
In addition, don’t forget to build long-lasting relationships by providing excellent customer service. If you’re successful, they’re more likely to buy from your Shopify store again.
Whether you plan on starting a clothing line or selling digital products, try these Shopify marketing tips to advertise effectively.
Analyze and adjust performance
When your Shopify store is up, don’t neglect the power of statistics. With Shopify’s analytics, you can see how your business is performing.
Use the data to gain insight into what works and what doesn’t to improve certain areas of your online storefront and marketing efforts.
Frequently asked questions
Shopify provides many business opportunities, but you should let your passions guide you in choosing the right one.
Whether you want to start a Shopify dropshipping business, become an affiliate marketer, or promote your services, the platform offers different ways of making money.
If you have a social media following, you can make money on the platform by joining the Shopify Affiliate Program – it’s free to join.
Once you become a Shopify affiliate, you earn a commission for each user who signs up for a paid Shopify plan via your link.
The time it takes to make money on Shopify can vary greatly depending on the niche, marketing strategy, and effort. While some business opportunities may generate profit quickly, others may take longer.
Plus, if you want to make money online fast, choose options requiring minimal investment, skills, and specialized equipment like Print on Demand.
A few closing thoughts
When learning how to make money on Shopify, it’s vital to evaluate all options carefully – each is unique, requiring different skills and strategies.
If you’re ready to explore these avenues, consider your strengths first, thus increasing the likelihood of success. With the right approach, anyone can make money by doing what they’re good at.
Printify allows you to start a business easily. Our platform is 100% free, beginner-friendly, and available to everyone.
