Table of Contents
Introduction
This guide serves as a roadmap for Thai entrepreneurs looking to create and launch a successful online store on the Shopify platform, especially when looking ahead to the business landscape in 2025. The world of e-commerce is constantly evolving, with global growth expected to reach 8% annually. Thailand’s e-commerce market ranks 18th globally in size, indicating tremendous opportunities. Shopify has become a powerful tool that makes creating an online store much easier.
However, to succeed in 2025, it’s necessary to understand and adapt to important trends that will play significant roles, such as AI-driven personalization, the explosive growth of Social Commerce, the importance of providing an Omnichannel experience that seamlessly connects online and offline channels, and the growing consumer emphasis on sustainability.
Beyond global trends, entrepreneurs in Thailand also face country-specific contexts, including regulations related to e-commerce operations. A particularly important issue is the selection of payment methods, as Shopify Payments, Shopify’s own payment system, is not yet available in Thailand, making it necessary to rely on external service providers.
This 11-step guide is designed to help entrepreneurs fully utilize the Shopify platform amid changing trends and specific conditions of the Thai market, to build a strong foundation for an e-commerce business that will grow in 2025 and beyond.
Step 1: Develop Your Business Idea
The starting point for creating a successful business is having a strong and viable business concept. This idea doesn’t need to revolutionize the industry but might involve identifying a problem that no one has satisfactorily solved yet, or turning your personal passion and expertise into a business.
Finding a Niche Market is a powerful strategy. A niche market is a segment of a larger market that may not have its needs fully met or has been overlooked. Focusing on a niche market helps reduce intense competition and allows for more targeted branding and marketing. Additionally, using existing knowledge, skills, or crafting abilities as a starting point is an excellent approach. This not only helps build credibility and authenticity for your brand but may also become a unique selling proposition.
For idea generation, you might consider various business models such as Home Business, Side Hustle, or full-fledged online business, and study popular product categories that may change over time, such as clothing or skincare products. However, the most important thing is to assess whether that concept has profit potential and can sustain itself in the long run. You must consider both market demand and operational feasibility.
Looking ahead to 2025, important trends to consider in developing your business concept include:
- Sustainability:
Modern consumers are increasingly concerned about environmental and social impacts. Developing a business concept aligned with this trend, such as choosing environmentally friendly material sources or conducting business ethically, can create a competitive advantage. - Personalization:
Consider concepts that allow customers to customize products according to their needs or respond to individual needs in depth.
In the context of Shopify, studying examples of successful stores in similar market segments can provide insights and inspiration. You should understand how various Shopify features, such as add-on applications for product customization, can support your chosen business concept.
Combining personal passion or skills with a niche market driven by important 2025 trends, such as sustainability or delivering personalized experiences, is a strong starting point for differentiation on the Shopify platform. This combination makes your business more credible than just following trends or pursuing personal preferences without checking market needs, and will help create value that truly stands out and appeals to your target audience.
Step 2: Do Market Research
After having a business concept, a crucial step that should not be overlooked is market research to verify that the concept actually has a market. Running a business based solely on assumptions can lead to costly mistakes.
Start by clearly defining your Target Audience – who are your ideal customers? Creating Buyer Personas, or models of ideal customers, is a highly useful tool. This involves creating detailed profiles of target customers, including demographic information, needs, preferences, purchasing behavior, and online media usage.
There are various methods for collecting data for market research, such as Surveys, Focus Groups, Interviews, as well as analyzing conversations on social media, which is an excellent source of information for understanding consumer opinions and needs. Additionally, you should conduct a comprehensive Market Analysis to gain industry insights, estimate the Total Addressable Market (TAM), and projected Market Penetration. Tools like Google Trends can help track interest trends in products or services.
Competitor Analysis is also necessary. Identify both direct and indirect competitors, analyze their strengths, weaknesses, pricing strategies, and marketing approaches to improve and define your own Unique Selling Proposition (USP) – what makes you different and stand out from competitors.
Considering 2025 trends:
- Social Media as a Research Tool: Don’t view social media merely as a marketing channel, but use it as an in-depth market research tool. About 82% of consumers use social media to search for and study product information. Following conversations and understanding unmet needs on these platforms is therefore extremely important.
- AI for Insights: Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to help analyze vast amounts of customer data, opinions, and market trends to more accurately refine personas and identify new business opportunities.
In the Shopify context, you can explore applications in the Shopify App Store that assist with market research. Additionally, analyzing design, product presentation, and customer reviews of competing stores on Shopify provides valuable information. And once your store is operational, you should fully utilize the Analytics system available in Shopify.
In 2025, effective market research will need to combine Social Listening and possibly AI analysis with traditional methods to capture the rapidly changing movements and behaviors of consumers, especially among younger generations who are the main users of Social Commerce. Relying on traditional research methods alone may cause you to miss real-time insights and trends emerging on social platforms, where your target audience is spending more time and making purchase decisions.
Step 3: Source Your Products
Once your business concept has been validated for market demand, the next step is deciding how to source the products you will sell. This decision will directly impact costs, quality control, and business logistics.
Main product sourcing models include:
- Make Your Own: Suitable for handcrafted items, uniquely designed products, or products requiring close quality control. You’ll need workspace and may need to check additional legal requirements, such as FDA approval for cosmetics or food.
- Manufacturing Partner: Work with a manufacturing factory, which could start with a low-risk Print-on-Demand (POD) model, suitable for custom-designed products, or develop into Private Label (putting your own brand on a manufacturer’s product) as the business grows.
- Wholesale: Buy products in bulk from manufacturers or distributors through wholesale markets. This method requires inventory management.
- Dropshipping: The manufacturer or supplier ships products directly to customers. This model has low startup costs and doesn’t require your own inventory, but offers less control over shipping processes and quality. You might consider using software to help manage dropshipping.
Regardless of which model you choose, selecting reliable suppliers is crucial. You must check product quality, understand ordering and payment terms, and shipping capabilities.
Considering 2025 trends:
- Sustainability:
Prioritize finding suppliers who use environmentally friendly materials and have socially responsible production processes. Supply Chain Transparency is increasingly valued by consumers. If possible, conducting a Supply Chain Audit is also a good approach. - Supply Chain Resilience:
Consider having multiple suppliers or using a Distributed Inventory model to reduce risks and ensure business continuity.
In the Shopify context, you can explore the Shopify App Store for applications that help with product sourcing, such as apps aggregating Dropshipping suppliers (find current alternatives to Oberlo, which has discontinued service), Print-on-Demand services, or various wholesale marketplaces. Shopify also offers Shopify Fulfillment Network (check availability in Thailand).
The product sourcing model you choose will directly affect your ability to respond to important 2025 trends, such as sustainability and personalization. Therefore, the decision to select suppliers is not just about logistics but a strategic decision that must align with your business concept, brand values, and consumer expectations. For example, Dropshipping may be harder to control in terms of sustainability practices than producing yourself or working closely with pre-screened manufacturers, while Print-on-Demand responds well to personalization needs but also requires checking the provider’s ethical and sustainability practices.
Step 4: Create Your Business Plan
A business plan serves as a compass for structuring, operating, and growing your business. It’s an important document that helps clarify the direction of your business and is essential if you want to raise capital or establish partnerships.
Key components of a business plan include:
- Executive Summary: A brief overview of the entire plan
- Company Description: Explains your business concept, legal structure, Mission Statement which outlines the goals and core values of your business
- Market Analysis: Summarizes your market research findings (target audience, competitors, market size)
- Products/Services: Describes details of products or services you will offer, including how they will be sourced
- Marketing & Sales Strategy: Explains how you will reach customers and sell products (online channels, offline, or an Omnichannel blend, Social Commerce strategy), including pricing strategy
- Management Team: Information and experience of key personnel
- Financial Plan: Estimated startup costs, funding sources, Financial Projections such as expected revenue, expenses, and profits, including Break-Even Analysis
Tips for writing a business plan: Understand your audience (e.g., investors or for internal guidance), set clear goals, invest time in research, write concisely, and maintain a consistent tone throughout the plan.
Considering 2025 trends:
- Omnichannel Strategy: Clearly specify how online channels (Shopify store, social media) and offline channels (if any) will work together
- Social Commerce: Include specific plans for leveraging social platforms for direct sales
- AI and Data: May mention plans to use AI tools to help forecast sales, create personalized experiences, or improve operational efficiency
In the Shopify context, the business plan should consider various expenses related to the platform, such as monthly service fees based on your chosen plan, transaction fees (especially fees for external providers in Thailand), add-on application costs, theme costs, or additional website development costs. Explain how you will use various Shopify features to achieve your business goals.
For Shopify stores in Thailand, the 2025 business plan must clearly specify details and financial impacts of not havingShopify Payments available. This means listing fees for the chosen external payment provider, alongside additional transaction fees that Shopify charges. Additionally, the plan should reflect strategies for leveraging trends like Social Commerce and AI, which affect both revenue potential and operational costs. Accurate financial planning considering these factors is therefore extremely important and differs from regions where Shopify Payments is available.
Step 5: Choose Your Business Name and Domain
Your business name is a crucial component of your brand identity. It should be memorable, relevant to your business, and not already in use.
A good naming strategy is to choose a name that’s short, concise, easy to remember, spell, and pronounce. Avoid names that are too specific, to allow room for your business to expand in the future. Importantly, the name should reflect the values or distinctive characteristics of your brand.
A critical step is conducting an Availability Check to ensure the chosen name (including similar names) isn’t already registered for business, used as a domain name, or as social media account names.
Once you have a business name, choose a matching Domain Name, preferably with an appropriate domain extension (TLD) such as .com which is universally popular, .co.th for businesses in Thailand, or .shop which is directly related to e-commerce.
After deciding on a name and domain, you should promptly Register the Domain and Create Social Media Profiles to prevent others from taking them first.
In the Shopify context, this platform offers domain registration services, which simplifies the process. You can check domain availability directly through the Shopify admin page. Choose a name that communicates well and reaches your target audience in Thailand.
Ensuring your brand name is consistent across all channels, from your Shopify store domain name, social media account names (especially important platforms for Social Commerce like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook), to the name used for official business registration under Thai law, is essential for building credibility and creating a smooth Omnichannel experience in 2025. Inconsistency in names across different channels will undermine customer trust and hinder what should be a seamless customer journey. Therefore, securing and using the same name on all platforms is a crucial foundation for credibility and effective branding in today’s e-commerce era.
Step 6: Select a Business Structure
Choosing your business’s legal structure is a strategic decision that will affect legal liability, tax obligations, and operational format. Selecting the appropriate structure depends on several factors, such as business model, funding sources, number of co-founders, and industry.
For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Thailand, common business structures include:
- Sole Proprietorship: The simplest form, where the owner is solely responsible for all liabilities. May require commercial registration under new regulations, depending on activity type and revenue.
- Partnership: There are both general partnerships and limited partnerships, which must be registered.
- Limited Company: The most popular format for formal businesses, as shareholders have liability limited only to the value of their shares. Must be registered with the Department of Business Development (DBD). Often viewed as having higher credibility and easier access to financial services.
- Considerations for Foreign Businesses:
American companies may receive benefits under the Treaty of Amity and may need to obtain a Foreign Business License, depending on the type of business (but e-commerce is often classified as a service business). However, new regulations introduced in June 2024 exempt registered foreign company branches from needing to obtain additional e-commerce business licenses.
Since choosing a business structure has complex legal and tax implications, it’s recommended to consult legal or business advisors in Thailand to select the most suitable format for your business situation.
If you have co-founders, there should be clear agreements regarding roles, responsibilities, and ownership shares.
In the Shopify context, information about your legally registered business structure is necessary for setting up payment channels with external providers and verification with Shopify.
Recent Thai regulatory changes (June 2024) have made the e-commerce licensing process easier for already-registered legal entities such as limited companies, but conversely, may have increased registration requirements for individuals or certain types of partnerships. This makes choosing the right business structure from the start even more important for proper regulatory compliance. For example, choosing to register as a limited company will reduce steps related to e-commerce licensing (no additional license needed beyond DBD registration), but you’ll still need to go through the DBD registration process from the start. Meanwhile, conducting business as an individual may require commercial registration, depending on the nature and size of the business under the new rules.
Step 7: Funding and Managing Finances
This step involves assessing all startup costs, securing necessary funding, and establishing good financial management systems from the beginning of your business.
Funding Sources: Consider various options such as:
- Personal Funds: The most common funding source for small businesses
- Loans: From commercial banks, or there may be SME loan support programs from government or specialized financial institutions (check information from Thai banks and government agencies)
Investors: May be an option for businesses with high growth potential, but generally not the first funding source for small startups.
Cost Estimation: You must carefully calculate all potential expenses, including:
- Product sourcing or product development costs
- Shopify monthly service fees based on your chosen plan
- Transaction fees (both from external payment providers and from Shopify)
- Add-on application costs
- Theme costs (if choosing a paid theme)
- Domain registration fees
- Marketing budget
- Business registration fees
- Hardware equipment costs (if selling in-store with POS)
- Employee salaries (if any)
- Other operational expenses
- You should also have a reserve budget for unexpected expenses
Financial Management:
- Business Bank Account: Essential for separating personal money from business funds, and required for receiving payments from payment providers
- Break-Even Analysis: Calculate the sales level where revenue equals all expenses, to understand how much you need to sell to start making a profit
- Financial Statements: Understand basic financial statements including Balance Sheet, Income Statement, and Cash Flow Statement to track your business’s financial health
Tax Preparation: Prepare for Thai tax obligations, such as Value Added Tax (VAT) if annual revenue exceeds 1.8 million baht, and corporate income tax (for limited companies)
In the Shopify context, you should use the various reports available in the Shopify system to track sales and expenses, and consider the payout schedule of your chosen external payment provider.
For Shopify stores in Thailand, forecasting transaction fee costs is particularly complex, as it combines fees from external payment providers (which vary by provider) with the additional percentage fee that Shopify charges. This makes financial planning require more caution than in regions using the Shopify Payments system, which has a more straightforward fee structure. Accurately calculating both fee components is necessary for setting sales prices and estimating profits.
Step 8: Register Your Business
Officially registering your business according to Thai laws and regulations is a necessary step. Not only is it about legal compliance, but it also helps build credibility for your business and is an important condition for accessing various services, such as opening a business bank account and connecting with payment service providers.
Important Registrations in Thailand:
- Business Registration with the Department of Business Development (DBD):
If you choose a legal entity structure such as a limited company or partnership, you must register with the DBD. This requires various documents such as registration application forms, founder/director identification documents, address details, and company objectives. - Electronic Commerce License/Notification:
According to regulations updated in June 2024:- Exempt Groups: Businesses already registered with the DBD (such as limited companies, partnerships, foreign company branches) do not need to obtain an additional electronic commerce business license. DBD registration is considered sufficient.
- Groups That May Need Registration: Individuals, joint ventures, cooperatives, or certain types of businesses not registered as legal entities with the DBD may need to register according to the Commercial Registration Act, depending on activity type and income criteria as specified by law (previously, most e-commerce businesses had to apply for a license within 30 days of starting operations). Entrepreneurs in this group should check the latest requirements.
- Conditions (if registration is required): Generally, you must have a functioning website with clear product/service details and a working payment system on the day of registration application.
- Tax Identification Number (TIN):
You must obtain a tax identification number from the Revenue Department, which is necessary for filing various tax returns. - Value Added Tax (VAT) Registration:
Mandatory if the business has revenue from sales of goods or services exceeding 1.8 million baht per year. You must file a VAT registration application with the Revenue Department and should include your tax ID in your Shopify billing information.
Other Potential Requirements:
- Specific Licenses for Certain Products: Such as permits from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for selling food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, or medical devices, or import/distribution licenses for plants, animals, or other controlled goods such as electrical appliances or used vehicles. These must be checked and obtained beforeyou start selling.
- Intellectual Property: Consider registering Trademarks to protect your brand name and logo.
In the Shopify context, make sure your store’s website has all information required by law (such as privacy policy), and correctly registered business information is necessary for applying to use external payment service providers.
Registering an e-commerce business in Thailand in 2025 requires understanding requirements that may vary depending on your chosen business structure and recently updated regulations, alongside essential basic registrations such as DBD and TIN. Compliance with these laws is not just a legal obligation but also an important condition for accessing services necessary for business operations, such as online payment systems. Therefore, entrepreneurs should study and strictly follow the latest regulations to ensure smooth and proper business operations.
Step 9: Develop Your Brand
Branding is not just about designing a logo, but about creating a story, identity, and perception that customers have of your business, which is extremely important in attracting and retaining customers in the long term.
Brand Foundation: Start by clearly defining who your business is, what you sell, what your mission and core values are. What makes your business unique and distinctive?
Brand Identity Elements:
- Brand Name and Logo:
- Visual Style Guide: Define color schemes, fonts, photography or graphic styles to be used, to ensure consistency across all communication channels
- Brand Voice: Define the characteristics and style of communication, such as formal, friendly, expert, or fun
- Brand Story: Create a narrative that connects with the target audience on an emotional level
E-Commerce Considerations:
- High-Quality Photos and Videos: Essential for online selling. Invest in professional product photography, possibly including demonstration videos or 360-degree images to help customers see products as clearly as possible.
- Website Design: Your Shopify website should reflect your brand identity through theme selection and customization
- Packaging: View packaging as another opportunity for branding. Choosing environmentally friendly packaging also aligns with the sustainability trend.
Incorporating 2025 Trends:
- Ethical Branding:
Communicate sustainability efforts and ethical sourcing with transparency. You might use certification symbols or tools like Shopify’s Planet app (if available) to demonstrate commitment. - Community Building: Encourage community development around your brand, possibly through social media or loyalty programs
- AI for Creativity: You might use AI tools to help brainstorm initial ideas or create basic work, but human adjustment is necessary to align with your brand’s identity and quality
In the Shopify context, choose a theme appropriate to your brand and products, and customize it to align with your Visual Style Guide. You might use add-on applications to create loyalty programs or display customer reviews (Social Proof). The important thing is to maintain brand consistency at every touchpoint, both on your Shopify store, social media channels, and other marketing media.
In 2025, building a credible brand on Shopify, especially in markets that value authenticity like Thailand, not only requires consistent imagery but also transparent communication of brand values, such as commitment to sustainability, and leveraging Social Proof like customer reviews or User-Generated Content (UGC) across all channels, including the Shopify store itself. Trust is a crucial factor, especially in the flourishing era of Social Commerce. Consumers increasingly value sustainability and ethical practices and demand transparency from brands. Therefore, a successful branding strategy must sincerely combine these elements to build credibility and engagement with consumers.
Step 10: Launch Your Shopify Website
This step involves creating and launching your online store using the Shopify platform, which will be the main center for selling products online.
Setting Up Your Shopify Store:
- Choose a Plan: Select a Shopify service plan (such as Basic, Shopify/Grow, Advanced, Plus) that suits your needs and budget, considering the transaction fee rates for external providers that differ across plans
- Select & Customize Theme: Choose a template that reflects your brand and suits your product type. There are many free and paid themes available. You can use drag-and-drop tools for easy customization.
- Add Products: Upload product information, high-quality images and videos, detailed product descriptions, and prices. Organize products into Collections.
- Create Key Pages: Such as Homepage, About Us, Contact Us, Shipping Policy, Refund Policy, and Privacy Policy, which is especially necessary for compliance with Thailand’s PDPA law
- Set Up Navigation: Design menus so customers can easily find products and information
Important Practice: Setting Up Payment Channels (Specifically for Thailand):
- Acknowledge the Limitation: Understand and clearly inform that Shopify Payments is not available in Thailand
- Explain the Necessity: Because of this, entrepreneurs in Thailand must use Third-Party Payment Providers only
- Recommend Thai Options: Present a list and briefly explain major payment providers that can connect with Shopify in Thailand:
-
- 2C2P: A major provider in Southeast Asia, supporting various payment methods
- Opn Payments (formerly Omise): Popular for businesses of various sizes, supporting cards and PromptPay
- Pay Solutions: Another provider in Thailand, supporting cards and PromptPay
- PayPal: A global option, but check the latest status and limitations for use in Thailand, including potentially higher fees
- TrueMoney: A popular electronic wallet and QR Code provider in Thailand
- (There may be additional providers; research the latest information)
- Integration: Explain that these providers can connect with Shopify, but in some cases, customers may be redirected to the provider’s website to complete payment, which might affect user experience. Study additional information about providers that claim to offer direct payment on Shopify pages (Non-Redirect) if available.
- Fees: Emphasize that entrepreneurs will face double fees: (1) fees to the chosen payment provider, and (2) Third-Party Transaction Fees that Shopify charges additionally
Shipping Setup: Set zones and shipping rates for customers in Thailand and internationally (if applicable). Consider environmentally friendly shipping options.
Checkout Optimization: Design the payment process to be as smooth as possible. Reduce unnecessary steps. Consider enabling accelerated checkout options such as Google Pay, Apple Pay if supported by your chosen provider (Shop Pay may not be fully functional when using a Third-Party Gateway)
Testing: Thoroughly test the entire system, including placing test orders through the actual payment channels you’ve set up. Consider a Soft Launch (opening to a small group for testing first)
Incorporating 2025 Trends:
- Mobile Optimization: Ensure that your theme and entire website display correctly and are easy to use on mobile devices
- AR/VR: If relevant to your product type, consider using Augmented Reality (AR) technology, such as “virtual try-on” features, possibly requiring add-on applications from the Shopify App Store
- AI Chatbots: Install AI-driven chatbots to help answer questions and provide basic customer service
Table 10.1: Key Third-Party Payment Providers for Shopify in Thailand (2025)
|
Provider Name |
Key Features |
Connection Type |
Fee Structure (Approximate) |
Suitable Business Size |
|
2C2P |
Supports various (Cards, PromptPay, Wallet, BNPL) |
May Redirect |
% + Fixed Fee (Varies) |
Large Organizations/SMEs |
|
Opn Payments (Omise) |
Supports Cards, PromptPay, Internet Banking |
May Redirect |
% + Fixed Fee (with 7% VAT) |
All Sizes |
|
Pay Solutions |
Supports Cards, PromptPay, Installments |
May Redirect |
% + Fixed Fee (with 7% VAT) |
SMEs |
|
PayPal |
Supports PayPal accounts, Credit Cards |
Redirect |
% + Fixed Fee (May be higher) |
All Sizes (Check Thai limitations) |
|
TrueMoney |
Supports TrueMoney Wallet, PromptPay |
May Redirect |
(Check with provider) |
All Sizes |
|
(Note: You should check the latest information and fees directly with each provider) |
Having this table helps entrepreneurs see an overview and compare payment channel options necessary in Thailand due to the absence of Shopify Payments, allowing them to better decide on a provider suitable for their payment method needs, customer experience (impact of Redirect), and cost.
Table 10.2: Shopify Transaction Fees (When Not Using Shopify Payments)
|
Shopify Service Plan |
Transaction Fee Rate (Third-Party Transaction Fee) |
|
Basic |
2.0% |
|
Shopify (or Grow) |
1.0% |
|
Advanced |
0.6% |
This table is extremely important for entrepreneurs in Thailand because it shows the additional costs that Shopify charges when using external payment providers. These rates differ significantly across service plans. Knowing this information helps entrepreneurs calculate total costs (gateway fees + Shopify fees) and incorporate this into their service plan decisions and pricing.
The necessity of using external payment providers in Thailand creates a clear difference compared to regions where Shopify Payments is available, both in terms of higher operational costs (due to double fees) and potential impact on customer experience during the payment process (if there’s a redirect outside the website). This makes payment provider selection and transparent cost management especially important factors that Thai entrepreneurs must pay special attention to.
Step 11: Market Your Business
The main goal of marketing is to attract visitors to your Shopify store and convert them into customers, which requires the strategic marketing plan laid out in your business plan.
Basic Marketing Strategy Overview:
- Content Marketing: Create valuable content, such as blog articles or videos, to attract and educate your target audience
- Email Marketing: Build an email list and send news, promotions, or personalized content
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Improve your website to rank in organic search results on Google
- Paid Advertising: Use advertising platforms such as Google Ads or Facebook/Instagram ads to quickly reach your target audience
- Social Media Marketing: Create a presence and engage with customers on social platforms
Incorporating 2025 Trends and Strategies:Incorporating 2025 Trends and Strategies:
- Social Commerce Selling:
-
- Direct Sales on Social: Use selling features on platforms like TikTok Shop, Instagram Shopping, Facebook Shops, and connect them with your Shopify store
- Influencer Marketing: Collaborate with influencers relevant to your target audience. Use tools like Shopify Collabs (if available). Emphasize credibility and authenticity. Consider using Micro-influencers and carefully manage commission costs.
- User-Generated Content (UGC): Encourage customers to share their product experiences to build credibility
- Community Building: Create interaction and make customers feel part of your brand
- Live Shopping: Organize interactive live product selling events to create excitement and stimulate real-time purchases
- Choose Appropriate Platforms: Focus on platforms that your target audience regularly uses, such as YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, or Pinterest
- AI-Driven Marketing:
-
- Hyper-Personalization: Use AI to present products, recommendations, promotions, or content tailored to individual customers. You might use Shopify’s AI tools like Sidekick (if available)
- AI Content Creation: Use AI to help draft ad copy, product descriptions, or emails, but human review and editing are necessary to align with Brand Voice and ensure accuracy
- Predictive Analytics: Use AI to analyze customer data to predict behaviors and trends
- Omnichannel Marketing: Create consistency in messaging and branding across all channels, including website, social, email, and in-store (if applicable). Use Shopify POS to connect online and offline experiences.
- Voice Search Optimization: Adapt content to support voice searches by using natural language and answering questions users might ask. Expect half of all searches to be voice-based by 2025.
- Sustainability-Focused Marketing: Clearly and transparently communicate environmentally friendly practices. Avoid greenwashing (exaggerated claims).
- Loyalty Programs: Create membership or point collection programs to increase repeat purchases and Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)
In the Shopify context, you can use Shopify Email for email campaigns, explore marketing applications in the Shopify App Store (such as SEO apps, social media connections, Loyalty programs, review apps), use Shopify Analytics together with Google Analytics to measure and track marketing performance, and use Shopify Markets features (if available) to help sell internationally.
Marketing success in 2025 will depend on learning and expertly applying Social Commerce, especially creating credible content (through UGC and Influencers) and connecting direct sales systems, along with using AI to create deeply personalized experiences across all channels. These strategies are no longer optional add-ons but are core to modern marketing that must go beyond traditional strategies focused on one-way communication.
Additionally, the increasing use of AI in marketing makes issues of data privacy and transparency extremely important for maintaining customer trust, especially considering Thailand’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA). Ethical use of AI, clear communication about data usage, and PDPA compliance are not just legal requirements but crucial factors in building and maintaining good relationships with customers, which is the foundation of effective personalized marketing.
Conclusion
Starting a business with Shopify in Thailand in 2025 is a path full of opportunities but requires strategic planning and implementation. This 11-step guide has provided a comprehensive framework, from developing a business concept, market research, product sourcing, creating a business plan, choosing a name and structure, managing finances, registration, branding, launching a Shopify website, to marketing.
The important thing is to recognize and adapt to key trends that will determine the direction of e-commerce in 2025, whether it’s using AI to create personalized experiences, the growth of Social Commerce, expectations for seamless Omnichannel experiences, or increasing concern for sustainability. Shopify is a powerful platform that can help entrepreneurs address these challenges, but true success depends on strategically employing these tools and features.
For the specific context of Thailand, entrepreneurs must strictly comply with various regulations and face challenges in selecting and managing external payment providers, as Shopify Payments is not yet available, affecting both costs and customer experience.
The world of e-commerce is constantly changing. Continuous learning, rapid adaptation, and applying insights from this guide will be key to creating a successful and sustainable Shopify business in the Thai market for 2025 and beyond.
