Perfect to set up your Shopify shop with a subdomain since you’ll have a well-organized business online according to the brand. You would be using a far more professional look with a subdomain, such as, for example `shop.yourdomain.com` instead of `yourstore.myshopify.com`, where you don’t lose your structure on your domain.
We’re going to take you through this whole setup process of having a Shopify store on a subdomain in this blog. This is going to be the support process for all those who want to put up a Shopify store – whether it be to market products under some new section of your website or simply keep your ecommerce site separated from your main site.
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ToggleWhat is a subdomain and why use one?
A subdomain is basically an additional extension to your primary domain name. If your website is `www.yourwebsite.com`, you could have a subdomain as `shop.yourwebsite.com`. Subdomains are sometimes utilized to keep different parts of a website separate or even create separate environments for blogs, stores, or forums.
A subdomain offers the following benefits for an ecommerce store:
Brand consistency: Both the main website and store will look exactly the same as you are both under the same root domain, engraving your brand.
Advantages of SEO: Since subdomain establishes the ability to keep the content of your store different from that of the rest of your website, it can be more beneficial for SEO targeting and tracking.
Easier control: You have full control over your main site and store, yet you remain part of that overall brand.
Requirements to Set Up a Shopify Store on a Subdomain
Before you move on to setting up your Shopify store on a subdomain, here’s what you’re going to need below:
– Shopify account: You already have a Shopify account or sign up for one over at shopify.com .
– A custom domain: We will need a custom domain. So, if you don’t have a custom domain, say `yourwebsite.com`, you can buy it at a domain registrar such as GoDaddy or Namecheap.
– Access to DNS settings: We will access your DNS settings using your domain registrar or hosting provider for us to create the subdomain.
Let’s just head into the steps
Step 1: Set Up Subdomain via Domain Provider
First of all, you have to set up the subdomain using your domain’s DNS settings. Here is how you do it:
A. Access Your Domain Provider Account
If you purchased your domain from a registrar, such as GoDaddy, Namecheap, or any other service, sign into that service and proceed to DNS settings or Domain Management.
B. Create a New Subdomain
Discover how you can create a new DNS record or subdomain. Again, this may vary based on your provider, but generally, you will find yourself following the instructions below:
– Create new record/Add new subdomain.
– In the box labeled Name or Subdomain, enter the name you want your subdomain to be. Example: if you want to have `shop.yourdomain.com` then you would put `shop`.
– You’ll select the Record Type as CNAME, which is widely accepted as pointing a subdomain to another URL.
– In the Value or Target field, you will type in Shopify’s URL: `shops.myshopify.com`.
C. Save the DNS Changes
Now that you’ve created your CNAME record, go ahead and save the changes. DNS updates can take anywhere from several minutes to up to 48 hours to propagate across the web, so sit back and relax.
Step 2: Setup the Subdomain in Your Shopify Store
You’ll also need to setup the subdomain within your Shopify store settings.
A. How to Access Your Shopify Admin Panel
Go to [Shopify.com]. Login to the admin dashboard there.
B. Online Store Settings
After successful log in to the admin panel, click on the Settings option found at the lower left part of the dashboard. From the settings menu, select Domains.
C. Connect existing domain
Click the Connect existing domain button to add your subdomain. Into the field they provided, type in your subdomain URL, like `shop.yourdomain.com`.
D. Verify the Domain
Shopify will attempt to verify the connection after you input your subdomain. If your CNAME record was installed in DNS correctly then, Shopify should be able to locate and connect your subdomain to your store.
If you get it wrong the first time, your verification may take a few hours or you may have to check on your DNS configurations and double check that everything is correct.
E. Designate Your Subdomain as Your Primary Domain(Optional)
If you wish for your subdomain to be the storefront address of your store, you can also make it your primary domain. You can navigate to your Shopify admin panel and click the Set as Primary button next to your newly connected subdomain in the Domains section.
Step 3: SSL Certificate (Secure Your Store)
One of the major necessities for your store to safeguard information from the customers is security. Shopify, as a gesture, gives SSL certificates to all domains linked with the service – this includes custom domains and even subdomains.
After you’ve connected your subdomain to Shopify, the service automatically creates an SSL certificate for this subdomain. In order for you to verify your store’s security follow these steps,
– Go to Shopify settings, then click the Domains.
– Check the padlock beside your connected subdomain so that you can confirm that SSL is enabled.
If SSL automatically does not apply, you can seek help from Shopify support.
Step 4: Customize Your Shopify Store
Now that you have a subdomain in place, it is time to make your store look and feel however you want. You can start customizing your Shopify store by :
– Choose a theme: You should go to Shopify’s Themes section and click on a theme that will be representing your brand. You have paid and free options
– Adding the products: you will find Products under products; add some items in the store.
– Configuring payment and shipping: you can put together the payment gateways such as PayPal and Stripe, shipping options by going to the Settings.
Step 5: Test the Store
When you have everything set up, proceed to test your shop on the subdomain by visiting the URL (`shop.yourdomain.com`). You should check:
– The website loads
– SSL is enabled (for the padlock icon)
– Pages of your store and checkout work as they should
Step 6: Promote Your Store
Now that your store goes live on a subdomain, it’s time to share it with the world. This is a short overview along with a few marketing tips for your new online store:
– Social media: Share your subdomain on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
– Email marketing: Get the word out to your email subscribers of your new store going live.
– SEO optimization: Optimize your store for SEO using the proper keywords and including product descriptions and meta tags.
Conclusion
A subdomain setup of Shopify is pretty much a straightforward process which can help in keeping a professional and branded online presence. With these steps in mind, connecting a subdomain with your Shopify store is easy, simple, and so you would get a chance to sell your products on the go.
You should also be carrying on process optimization for the stores, performance observation, testing, and tweaking of everything so that you could have nice smooth experience from your customers at websites.
Good luck with your new Shopify store, and happy selling!
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