Shopify is a fantastic eCommerce platform that makes online business owners' lives easy. People who want to join the eCommerce arena can use Shopify to build an online store without any fuss.
Which brings us to an interesting question: 'Why do millions of people love Shopify?'
That's because Shopify is:
- Affordable
- Easy To Use
- Safe & Secure
And one of the most important reasons is that it offers a lot of flexibility through its themes.
There are thousands of free and paid Shopify themes available in the market. It helps businesses create a fantastic customer experience. And it also adds unique features to the website—for example, animations, live chat, quick view, and many more.
The theme you select for your Shopify store plays a massive role in conversions. Themes are like skin for your online store. If it looks attractive, it'll attract visitors. Whereas, if it doesn't, people will not bother staying on your website for long.
That's why this important decision of theme selection should be well-planned.
Don't worry! I'm here to help you decide.
In today's blog post, I will share a few tips and tricks to select the perfect theme for your store.
It will help you pick the one suitable for your niche, products, and your brand.
So, what are we waiting for? Let's dive in.
5 Things To Look For When Choosing The Perfect Shopify Theme For Your Store!
1. Your Budget
Free themes are the best choice if you're starting out. But it doesn't mean that free themes suck.
In fact, free themes provide you with basic features and customization options. An example would be a product page, checkout page, navigation, etc.
- Which is enough to start an online store.
But if you're now growing and scaling your store. You need to transition to paid themes. Why?
Because it won't provide you with all the tools you need.
Features like upsells, cross-sells, newsletter pop-up options, product swatches, and more.
You don't have to drain your entire budget to buy a theme. Remember, premium themes are unnecessary for your store. They add more features to your website. Go with the free one if your budget doesn't allow you to invest in a premium theme. You can always change it later.
Debutify caters to all business budgets, and its different pricing plans ensure that they're never heavy on the pocket.
All you have to do is choose the plan that fits your budget. [Learn More]
The next on the list is…
2. The Features And Functionality You Want For Your Store
Think of selecting a theme as shopping for a mobile phone. Do you go to the shop and pick any phone that you like? Or do you plan before heading out?
For me, I make a list of all the features that I want in my new phone. I also decide upon the color, screen size, camera quality, etc.
So, before you dig deeper into the themes, consider what features you will need.
- Do you want a live chat feature?
- Do you want an upselling cart feature?
- Is newsletter pop-up a priority?
Enlist all the features that you need. It'll help you find the theme that has all your desired features.
Now, there are broad chances that you may not find all your features in one theme. What you can do is install the theme that offers most of the features you want. And for the remaining features, you can install a Shopify app.
Once you like the theme, use its demo store. Play around a little to check all the options.
Or you can do one more thing…
If a theme offers a FREE trial, avail of it. Run the theme on your store and see if it works well or not. Availing the free trial will allow you to upload your pictures and content, giving you a better understanding of whether the theme works well with your content.
Let me give you an example here.
Suppose a theme gives an energetic and adventurous look. You love it and install it in your store. Now, you sell pharmaceutical products. Do you think the imagery of medicines will go well with a theme that reflects adventure? I don't think so…
Thus, the free trial will help save you precious bucks if you don't like the theme.
Another thing that you should look for when choosing your store's theme is…
3. Support From Developers
Most people overlook this while searching for the perfect theme. They drool over the theme's design and forget about checking the developer's ratings.
But, I recommend that you do!
Because, if there are any problems or bugs in the theme, who do you think will fix them? And imagine if the developer never answers you or denies helping you?
So, to prevent such a scary situation from arising, it's better to research the developers. Read reviews about them: do they offer their valuable help, or are the theme buyers on their own? Here's our blog post on How to Find A Shopify Developer.
If you are buying the theme from the Shopify theme store, just relax. The expert development team will always help you, no matter what.
But, if you're buying a theme from a third party, don't forget to read customer reviews.
Now there is a possibility that you come across fake or paid reviews. Don't fall for that.
Log on to Yotpo, Reviews.io, and TrustPilot to read what other theme buyers have to say.
With Debutify, you never have to worry about the developers' support. Our excellent team makes sure that you are well assisted. We are available around the clock to help you. Just ping us when you need us, and we'll be there for you.
Apart from the developer's support, you also have to consider…
4. Your Niche and Catalog Size
No matter what your niche is, you can easily set up your online store with Shopify. Your eCommerce store can be an immense success if you select the right theme for it.
Shopify offers many themes based on the industry.
Check the box to which your business belongs. No need to manually check all the themes on the store.
Now, it is crucial to select the theme that fits well with your niche. If it doesn't, your store will look weird and won't attract buyers.
Let me explain it with an example.
What do parents expect from a business that sells toddler bicycles? Care, happiness, comfort, and above all, protection for the babies.
Now, let's say the store owner uses a theme that doesn't reflect the buyer's expectations.
The above theme isn't suitable for selling products for toddlers. It's dark and doesn't reflect care or comfort. Instead, it shows adventure and free-spiritedness.
The next thing to consider after your niche is your catalog size. The theme you select must be the perfect fit for your product line.
For example, a business selling apparel, perfumery, or jewelry has an extensive catalog. It needs a theme that can display all the products and offers search and filter options. The theme should also provide the option to create subcategory pages.
Whereas a business that sells limited items doesn't need a theme that handles an extensive catalog. It will be a waste as the business won't use it. For such a type of business, a theme with a small catalog is good.
Again, Shopify gives you the option to filter themes according to catalog size.
5. User Experience
User experience is the most important thing in a theme. Your website is a digital shop for the customers. If it doesn't look attractive and aesthetic, you'll lose a lot of conversions.
Hence, check for the following features before installing the theme:
Navigation
Choose a Shopify theme that has a simple and easy-to-use navigation. Don't make the mistake of selecting the ones that offer complicated menus.
If people can't figure out how to navigate your site, they won't explore the products. Instead, they'll hit the back button of their browsers.
Mobile Responsive
Mobile phones are changing the online shopping game. People no longer rely on their laptops or desktop computers to place an online order.
Mobile phones generate more than 50% of online traffic. Thus, there's no chance you can miss out on catering to your mobile visitors.
Hence, select a theme that is mobile responsive. Before installing the theme, check how it appears on mobile devices. You can easily do it in demo stores.
Light-Weight
Online shoppers are impatient. They don't like waiting for a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load.
So, you've got to be super fast to entertain your visitors. Your theme plays a significant role in your site speed. So, if the theme is fast, your website will take less loading time.
Many Shopify themes offer fancy elements like loaders, slideshows, etc. All these extra elements bloat the website and increase loading time.
I would highly recommend you not install a theme that has these unnecessary heavy elements. It would risk your site speed getting slower, and I am confident you wouldn't want that.
Debutify is one of the top Shopify themes of 2021. It is lightning-fast and doesn't waste your visitors' precious time.
And this is it. So...
Are You Ready To Choose The Perfect Theme?
Selecting a theme is one of the most crucial business decisions. Your chosen theme can make or break your eCommerce journey.
Your theme should arm you with intelligent features that help boost conversions.
So, what are you waiting for? Consider the five things shared above to find your perfect theme.
Or…
You can trust Debutify and save your time from theme hunting. Debutify is super fast, responsive, and offers over 50+ add-ons.
With Debutify, running your store will be easy and breezy. You can focus on growing your brand without worrying about your theme problems. That's why over 334,704+ brands trust Debutify for their online stores.
It's time you do the same!
Build Your Dream Store Effortlessly With Debutify Today!
14-Day Trial. 1-Click Installation. No Credit Card Required.
Llouela Asim