Choosing a Shopify theme to boost your sales

This article supplements the guide Create your Shopify store.

You have decided to create your store using an existing Shopify theme. Even if this choice is not irreversible, it is important to think carefully beforehand to avoid being functionally limited in the weeks and months following its launch. Stellar performs redesigns and Shopify migrations. Contact us for support and peace of mind.

What is a theme?

A theme refers to the look and feel of your Shopify e-commerce store, meaning how it displays information about your products, ranges, and various content, as well as certain navigation features.

The theme also manages information related to colors, typography, image presentation, information hierarchy, etc.

How to choose a theme?

It is tempting to choose a theme based on the aesthetic appeal of a demo store. We often tend to be drawn to themes that feature products from our industry, have a color palette similar to our brand, or have very beautiful images.

In reality, even if themes are often categorized by industry on the Shopify theme store, it is more advisable to think in terms of features.

It is indeed easier to modify colors and typography than the page structure and information hierarchy, or to add specific templates.

What features do you need?

• Mega menu / drop down?
• Instagram feed integration?
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)?
• Quick add to cart?
• Predictive search?
• Page editor?
• Template for a large inventory?
• …

Check that the features you want are present in the theme description, or analyze the proposed demo version.

Your Shopify theme = your online merchandising

Think about the organization of a physical store: how the aisles, display tools, shelves are arranged... the goal is to present your offer to the customer as quickly as possible, and to create an optimal journey in the store to encourage purchases.

It's the same for your online store. Your homepage and category pages should clearly present your product offer, while the product page should reassure your customer.

Your Shopify theme should give you enough control over your store so you can create the customer journey most suited to your brand. Disregard the beautiful photos offered by theme sellers and try to project your content into the proposed themes.

Finally, if your brand relies on storytelling, make sure the theme offers page templates that are pleasant to read and give you control over the layout.

Are you outsourcing the creation of your store?

If you are using an agency or a freelancer, or if you are considering it, do not neglect this reflection. It should lead you to clearly define your needs. Formalized in a statement of work, all the functionalities and the look & feel will become a checklist for your contact person. Based on this, they can choose the most relevant Shopify theme and thus the one that will require the least development expenditure.

To learn more, here is our article explaining How to choose a Shopify theme?