About eComStart
Practical Shopify and ecommerce guidance, built for people starting out
eComStart is an independent English-language blog about Shopify and ecommerce. We are a sub-brand of BSS Commerce, and we write for people who are choosing a platform, picking a theme, or trying to get a first online store live.
What eComStart is
eComStart launched in early 2024 as a place to explain ecommerce in plain language. Many first-time store owners worry that they cannot code, that the process is overwhelming, or that it costs too much. Most of those worries come from missing information, not from the work itself. Our articles aim to close that gap.
eComStart is a sub-brand of BSS Commerce, a Shopify and ecommerce development agency (more on the company below). The blog is edited as its own publication, with its own editorial rules, which are described on this page.
Our mission
Make ecommerce accessible, affordable, and achievable for anyone who wants to start an online business, with clear steps, honest comparisons, and current prices.
We do not promise quick riches. We try to give you the information a careful friend with Shopify experience would share: what to do first, what to skip, what a tool really costs, and where a popular option falls short.
Who we write for
First-time founders
People with a product idea who want to know how to name a business, choose a platform, and launch without hiring a developer.
Small store owners
Merchants who already sell online and are comparing themes, apps, point-of-sale systems, or platforms to improve their setup.
Dropshippers and side-hustlers
Readers testing a business idea at low cost who need honest pricing, trial details, and realistic expectations.
Switchers
Sellers considering a move to Shopify from another platform and weighing the differences before committing.
What you will find here
Tutorials
Step-by-step Shopify guides for setup, settings, and everyday tasks. Browse tutorials
Theme and app reviews
Evaluations of features, pricing, and trade-offs for Shopify themes and apps. Theme reviews and app reviews
Platform comparisons
Side-by-side looks at Shopify and other ecommerce platforms and tools. Read comparisons
Business ideas and names
Idea lists and naming guides for people who are still shaping what to sell. Business ideas
Free resources
Templates and checklists you can use while you build:
How we write and edit
Official sources first
We start from primary sources such as Shopify's own documentation, pricing pages, and each vendor's published terms, then add context.
Prices kept current
Pricing and plan details change often. We re-check them and update articles when they change, so figures reflect what vendors list.
No invented experience
We do not make up personal stories, test results, or screenshots. When we summarize a product from its documentation rather than testing it ourselves, we say so.
Corrections
When we find an error or a reader points one out, we fix the article and update it. Accuracy matters more than looking certain.
How eComStart earns money
This site is free to read. We earn revenue mainly through affiliate links: if you click a link to a product or service and then buy or sign up, the company may pay us a commission. That commission comes from the company, and it does not raise the price you pay.
Affiliate relationships do not decide what we recommend or how we rate it. We include drawbacks, and we compare options objectively. Read the full details in our affiliate disclosure.
About BSS Commerce, our parent company
BSS Commerce is an ecommerce development agency founded in 2012 and headquartered in Hanoi, Vietnam. It builds stores and custom solutions on Shopify, Shopify Plus, Magento, BigCommerce, and Shopware, and it develops its own Shopify apps, including the B2B apps BSS B2B Solution, BSS B2B Lock, and BSS B2B Quote. The company states that it is a Shopify Premier Partner and is ISO 27001 certified for information security.
Because eComStart is a BSS Commerce sub-brand, we may sometimes mention BSS Commerce products or services in our articles. When we do, we label it clearly as our parent company's offering. Learn more at bsscommerce.com.
Our team
Our most recent articles are written by Finn Nguyen. You can see every article he has published on his author page. Bylines on older articles show the author who wrote each one.
Keep exploring
Start with the blog, grab a template from our resources, or read our affiliate disclosure, privacy policy, and terms of service. For ways to reach us, see the contact page.