How to set up a TikTok shop (2024)

TikTok can be an excellent platform for growing a business, big or small. If you sell products like clothing or homewares, TikTok Shopping is perfect for users to buy products they see in videos without leaving the app. If you want to learn about creating a TikTok shop for your brand in 2024, this guide is for you! 

In this guide, you’ll learn:

• The benefits of setting up a TikTok Shop
• How to set up a TikTok Shop
• Tips for creating a successful TikTok Shop
• How you can use an app like Countingup to manage your income

Buying something inside the TikTok app means there is less opportunity for a potential buyer to lose interest and abandon the purchase. It also allows you to turn fans into customers directly on the platform. TikTok is becoming a popular platform for brand discovery, especially within Gen Z, so having somewhere quick and easy for people to purchase is ideal.

A TikTok shop allows creators to be introduced naturally to your product range via content creators. It also allows you to be in different content types or styles instead of purely promotional content. 

Here are some other benefits of setting up a TikTok Shop:

• Ability to reach a wider audience of potential customers
• Collaborating with influencers and content creators to increase trust, drive visibility and create revenue for your business
• Position your product amongst the relevant audiences or niche
• Take part in trends and viral content to expand viewership

To set up a TikTok Shop, you need to set up a TikTok business account or a TikTok Shop account. You can do this on the TikTok website or app. 

If you sell through a Shopify account, you can also download the TikTok Shopify app to create video ads, track results, and manage your orders from within Shopify. The app integrates with TikTok Shopping and TikTok For Business Ads Manager.

Businesses with BigCommerce accounts can download their TikTok for Business app, which automatically installs the TikTok Pixel on your storefront. This way, you can easily track the results of your advertising campaigns and adjust your campaigns where necessary.

Customers can complete their purchases within the TikTok app. Or you can redirect them to your Shopify or BigCommerce account to finalise the purchase there. It’s worth noting what we mentioned earlier in this article: completing purchases in-app means fewer opportunities for a customer to drop off and not purchase. 

Your TikTok bio is the first thing people will see when visiting your page. It’s your chance to introduce your brand and products and to make a lasting first impression with potential customers. You need to make a good impression and provide accurate information about your business. Remember to be creative – you want to stick in people’s minds.

Take a minute to describe your brand and what you do. Make sure to use keywords that people might search for to improve your SEO (search engine optimisation) on TikTok. 

For example, if you’re a womenswear clothing brand selling handmade vintage items, use those keywords across your profile and content. Learn more about SEO for small businesses.

Since your shopping tab will be your TikTok storefront, you should optimise it to create an enjoyable experience for your potential customers. The better the experience, the more likely someone will purchase from you.

Use high-quality images and ensure the photo style is consistent with how you present your brand across TikTok and other platforms. Use good lighting and a good-quality camera for the best results. Your product titles should fit within the 34-character limit and clearly describe each item, using as many keywords as possible. Use the description to add as much detail about the product as you can.

It’s also important to mention that links in product descriptions on TikTok are not clickable, so you’re better off not using them.

TikTok and eCommerce giant Shopify have a new deal to integrate Shopify’s eCommerce merchants with TikTok’s audience. This means you can connect your Shopify shop to TikTok and sell products on the app directly through in-feed shoppable videos and ads. 

If you have a Shopify shop, this is an excellent way to grow your eCommerce store and TikTok following at the same time. 

Starting a TikTok Shop in 2024 can be difficult, especially as more sellers join the platform. The quicker you join TikTok Shop, the less competition fighting for customers. Here are our top tips to help you get the most out of TikTok Shopping. 

Creating ads featuring your products is great to give your TikTok shop a boost. TikTok ads can also be shoppable with the TikTop App for Shopify, so users can buy items straight from the ads they see.

If you want to sell products on TikTok, you need to get your brand in front of as many people as possible. TikTok Ads is a great way to do this.

Take your products live and do demos for potential customers. It’s perfect for you to showcase your product and be able to answer any questions potential customers might have in real time – like a QVC-style show. 

A CTA (call to action) is a short statement that tells users what action you want them to take, such as “buy now” or “sign up”. Adding a CTA to your TikTok profile and content can help increase conversions by telling users exactly what to do next. 

Use your CTA to guide users to your eCommerce shop, blog, other social channels, or anywhere else you want them to go. You can also use your TikTok bio to promote discount codes to limited offers you have for your products. 

Being productive and promoting your products right away is another way to ensure your TikTok shop succeeds. So get moving and create dedicated TikTok videos that point your audience in the right direction. Play with different filters and jump on the latest trends to get more followers. 

Try engaging viewers by creating videos they want to re-watch and share with friends. The more people watch and share your videos, the more TikTok will suggest your content to other users. If you’re unsure how to get started, visit the TikTok Business Help Centre to learn about setting up a campaign and advertising your brand. 

If you haven’t kept up with TikTok’s unique trends, inside jokes and subcultures, you might benefit from handing the creative direction over to an expert. In this instance, the experts are TikTok influencers who live and breathe the platform. 

When promoting products, stakes are high, and your content can easily get lost in the Tiktok algorithm. Partnering with TikTok influencers and having them promote your products or services is a great way to reach new audiences. 

The key is to find someone who likes your brand and whose style aligns with yours. For example, if you create vegan soaps, try to partner with influencers that already promote veganism. 

When selling products on TikTok, having a separate business account for incoming payments and making payments for stock is crucial. Having separate business and personal accounts makes it much easier to track your income and for bookkeeping purposes. 

Countingup is a business account with built-in accounting software that allows you to manage all your financial data in one simple app. We also have features that help you prepare for your tax return, including a tax estimate feature and a tax pot to help you save for your tax return. 

Accept and make payments, send invoices on the go, and much more with just a few taps on your phone. The Countingup app also generates up-to-date and accurate cash flow reports to help you track how your TikTok Shop performs. 

Give Countingup a try now with a free trial with no subscription fees now.