So you want a profitable online store with an immersive user experience?
Some may think you’d need to be savvy in a couple of fields or have a team of experts to take care of everything.
Well, they’d be right if it weren’t for Shopify themes!
Shopify themes allow you to apply styled design to your e-commerce and help your business be more interesting.
So, which one should you choose?
Brace yourself, as we’ve picked the 10 best Shopify themes to help you improve your store’s design and user experience. Right now, you are the customer!
Why trust us to help you pick a Shopify theme?
In short, Shopify stores are our specialty and chosen platform. In addition to running numerous Shopify stores, we’ve worked with hundreds of Shopify store owners to maximize and optimize their businesses.
With our team of e-commerce experts, we have carefully curated a list of the best Shopify themes to help you make an informed decision. We have tested and reviewed all these themes based on their design, functionality, and performance, to ensure that it is the right fit for your business.
And while we recognize that there’s no universal “best” Shopify theme, some themes are certainly better than others, and these are our favorites.
What to consider when choosing a Shopify theme
Choosing the right Shopify theme is crucial for the success of your online store. It’s the visual and functional foundation of your website, influencing everything from brand perception to conversion rates. Here are some key factors to consider when making your decision:
- Brand and style:
Your theme should visually represent your brand, from colors and fonts to overall aesthetic. Choose a theme that aligns with your brand voice and target audience. For example, a minimalist theme might suit a sleek, modern brand, while a playful theme might work better for a fun and quirky brand.
- Functionality and features:
Make a list of features you need, such as product filtering, wishlist functionality, blog integration, or social media buttons. Prioritize features that are essential for your store’s operations and customer experience.
- Mobile responsiveness:
Over 50% of online shopping happens on mobile devices. Choose a theme that is fully responsive and adapts to different screen sizes for optimal viewing on any device.
- Speed and performance:
A slow website can lead to higher bounce rates and lost sales. Choose a theme that is coded efficiently and loads quickly to provide a smooth user experience.
- Budget:
From free options to premium themes costing hundreds of dollars, set a budget and find a theme that fits your financial constraints. Consider the value proposition of each theme and choose one that offers the features and functionalities you need within your budget.
- Customization options:
Choose a theme that allows for some level of customization, so you can tweak the design and layout to match your brand and preferences. This could include changing colors, fonts, images, and layouts.
- Support and updates:
Opt for themes from reputable developers who offer ongoing support and updates. This ensures your theme remains compatible with the latest Shopify versions and receives bug fixes and security updates. A lot of this information will be available on the theme’s Shopify store page.
Industry-specific Shopify Themes to choose from for your online store
The Shopify theme store is full of great options for your online store, no matter what your business niche might be. Whether you’re looking for a free Shopify theme or a more premium option, there’s something for everyone.
To help you make the best choice for your business, we’ve compiled a list of the 10 best Shopify themes, all tailored to different niches. From fashion and beauty to food and home goods, we’ve got you covered.
Tip: If you are in the food industry, we highly recommend using specific food service interview questions to hire the right fit for you.
Shopify Themes for clothing brands
Dawn
Why we like it
A free Shopify theme that properly organizes details of clothes (materials, shipping & returns, dimensions, care instructions).
Plus, you don’t need an app for cross-selling: the theme has a cross-selling block.
Perfect for building storytelling with apparel products since it’s designed to showcase images do support visual brand storytelling. Ready for clothing, health and beauty, jewelry, and accessories.
Downsides
As is the case with most free Shopify themes, the Dawn theme offers limited customization in some areas. Changes to the fonts, background and many components will require some advanced changes to the theme.
Price
Free
Symmetry
Why we like it
With customizable drag-and-drop features, top-notch code, and active support, Symmetry is the perfect choice for any store seeking to boost conversions and create a professional online presence.
Symmetry offers an unparalleled variety of parts and features that can be easily customized using drag-and-drop techniques. This makes it easy for you to create a professional and well-designed store, no matter your level of technical expertise.
But it’s not just about the customization options. Symmetry is also known for its exceptionally well-designed, high-caliber code and extremely active support from the makers, Clean Canvas. These elements work together to help ensure your online success.
Downsides
Symmetry is what we would call a multipurpose flexible Shopify theme with a ton of customization options. The main downside here is that all that freedom comes with a hefty price tag attached.
Price
$320
Focal
Why we like it
Developed by Maestrooo, this bold grid-style theme is perfect for showcasing lifestyle and other product images in a visually stunning and organized way.
With its custom header and footer layout, responsive design, and support for multiple currencies, Focal is a top choice for any Shopify store looking to make a splash. Plus, its drag-and-drop customization options make it easy for you to tailor the theme to your brand’s unique mission and style.
But Focal isn’t just about good looks. It’s also been carefully designed to boost sales, provide a seamless user experience, and increase conversion rates. So if you want the best of both worlds – a visually striking theme that helps you sell more – Focal is the way to go.
Downsides
At $320, this theme is quite an investment. That’s not to say it won’t pay for itself, but it’s definitely a consideration.
Price
$320
Shopify Themes for Food Brands
Crave
Why we like it
The Crave theme is great for three things: visuals, visuals, and visuals. It’s all about bold and impactful imagery and products that sell largely on curb appeal. As its name implies, it’s one of the best Shopify themes to sell impulse purchases.
If you’re looking to open an ecommerce website for any kind of edible products, Crave is a no-brainer. It’s easy to customize, works great out of the box, and has all the important conversion elements pre-made for your store.
Downsides
It’s a free Shopify theme, and a good one at that, but don’t expect the kind of freedom you’ll get from a premium theme like Symmetry. It’s also not ideal if you’re not relying on visual storytelling for your store.
Price
Free
Fresh
Why we like it
Fresh is a clean and customizable Shopify theme that is perfect for food and beverage retailers. It is simple to use, and its large font support gives customers a great shopping experience. With the Fresh theme, you can create a professional-looking online store pretty easily.
It has three excellent styles to choose from, and it is suitable for online stores with large traffic and for selling age-restricted goods like tobacco, lottery tickets, or alcohol. If you want to create a unique and creative online store, the Fresh Shopify theme is a great option.
Downsides
At $350, Shopify themes don’t get much more expensive than this. Yes, it’s easily one of the best Shopify themes we’ve seen and used, but it’s a big investment.
Price
$350
Foodie
Why we like it
With its emphasis on catering to restaurants and bars, Fresh has all the features you need to showcase your products and create a seamless shopping experience for your food-related ecommerce website.
One of the standout features of Fresh is the age checker popup, which is perfect for those selling restricted products like tobacco or alcohol. And with its collage-style layout and menu collections, you can showcase your products in a visually appealing and organized way.
But Fresh doesn’t stop there. It also offers product filtering, a slide-out cart, and a location showcase to help you highlight your physical storefronts. And with its built-in customization options, you can easily tailor Fresh to fit your brand’s unique identity.
Downsides
Honestly, none to speak of. It’s priced fairly for what you’re getting, it hits all the right visual notes, and has enough pre-built components and features for most stores to use without any additional customization.
Price
$250
Shopify Themes Health and beauty
Sense
Why we like it
This is a theme from the good folks on Shopify’s design theme and it absolutely hits the mark for any skincare brand that wants to make a big visual impact.
A fresh color palette with soft color gradients and curved design elements. This Shopify theme will make a quick setup and will be perfect for good visual storytelling. You can also count on a section with an ingredients list, how to use it, return policy, shipping, etc.
You’ve also got a lot of excellent marketing components like blog templates, FAQ pages, and recommended product widgets all pre-made. Basically, this is a Shopify theme you can fire up and start cruising with in a few hours.
Downsides
We’ve had some reports of this theme not playing well with certain apps and plugins, so it’s probably a good idea to not clutter up your store with any unless they’re absolutely necessary.
Price
Free
Venue
Why we like it
If we had to sum up this theme in three words it would be these: it just works. It’s one of the best Shopify themes overall we’ve ever used and the makers are very responsive and supportive. It’s also simple and to the point.
This is the theme you get when you just want to get to selling without getting too bogged down in the small details of store design.
It also supports the sale of age-restricted products. Perfect for various niches such as food & drink, health & beauty, clothing, jewelry & accessories, electronics, home & decor, arts & crafts, and business equipment & supplies.
Downsides
We’ve never seen this happen, but some Shopify store owners report a slow user experience after switching to this theme.
Price
$320
Shopify Themes for Home and Decor Business
Craft
Why We Like It
Created by Shopify, this free theme is perfect for merchants looking to showcase their craftsmanship and artisanal values. Shopify’s landing page copy calls this theme “subtle yet refined” and, to be honest, that pretty much nails it.
With generous spacing, elegant typography, and advanced customization options, Craft allows you to create a stunning online store that truly reflects your brand’s unique narrative.
Whether you’re selling artisanal products or want to share your brand’s story with the world, Craft is the perfect theme for you.
Downsides
A bit of a niche look. It’s perfect for some stores but a lot of the time, it’s not super clear what the theme is trying to convey. And, trust us, a clear brand message is one of the main things you’re looking for in a theme.
Price
Free
Highlight (architecture)
Why We Like It
This bad boy comes with three different styles (modern, single, and art) to choose from, so you can pick the one that best reflects your brand’s unique personality. Plus, with its responsive layout, parallax effects, and vertical slider, your products will be the center of attention and your visitors won’t be able to look away.
But it’s not just about the flashy design, oh no! Highlight also has some serious functionality going on. It’s optimized for large images, so you can show off those high-res product pics without worrying about load times. And with the product recommendations feature, you can give your featured items some extra love and make sure they’re getting seen.
In short, this is a fast, stylish, and feature-packed Shopify theme made by folks with serious design chops. It’s also not among the most popular Shopify themes so you’ll have a chance to stand out with this one.
Downsides
It’s a minimalist theme, so if that’s not your brand identity, you’re going to find this theme a bit limiting.
Price
$250
All-Rounders
Mojave
Why We Like It
This Shopify theme is perfect for stores with small to medium size catalogs, but it’s also great for one-product stores. It’s the Swiss Army Knife of Shopify themes; unassuming at first glance but boy does it deliver big on features and customizations.
With two stunning design options and tons of customization options, Mojave is sure to make your store stand out. Plus, it’s great for implementing in-store pickups to boost conversions.
The home page and collection pages have grid-based product listings with enchanting layouts, and the product pages feature a powerful layout designed to boost sales. It even supports FAQ pages, slide-out carts, stock counters, and more. All in all, Mojave is a top-notch Shopify theme that’s sure to impress.
Downsides
None. Seriously. And if you do run into an issue, the support team is best-in-class.
Price
$350 but you can play around with a free trial indefinitely and only pay if you publish.
Empire
Why We Like It
This is the Shopify theme we recommend for stores with large product catalogs most of the time. It’s a theme that tries to emulate the shopping experience of Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and similar retailers.
It’s really about simple and easy management and a super solid foundation. And if you remain unconvinced, SkyMall uses this theme on their Shopify store. Yes, that SkyMall.
Downsides
Support’s a little slow to respond at times.
Price
$340
Avenue
Why We Like It
It has advanced filtering and allows you to skip the apps and add multi-dropdown dynamic filters right on your homepage. With this theme, you can save and use the same setup for collection page filters on mobile devices.
Also, it’s possible to remove apps to speed up your site and reduce your monthly budget. Avenue comes with Compare, Swatches, Filters, Video, Pop Ups, and more.
Downsides
It’s not suitable for beginners
Price
How to choose a Shopify theme?
Here are the most important factors we advise taking into consideration when choosing the theme for your store.
Product category
The types of products you’re selling are important to consider when selecting a Shopify theme because they will help guide the design and layout of the shop andtheme to best suit your offering. For example, a theme designed for fashion and clothing stores may not be the best choice for a store selling outdoor equipment.
Features of the theme
The key features of the theme will determine the functionality and capabilities of the store. This includes features such as product filters, newsletter sign-up forms, and social media integration.
Catalog size
The catalog size will determine how well the theme can handle a large number of products. A theme designed for small catalogs may not be suitable for a store with a large number of products and vice versa. This makes a much bigger impact than you think so always err on the side of picking a bigger theme rather than a smaller one.
Your budget
Your budget ultimately dictates which themes are within reach and which you won’t even consider but work some flexibility into your budget, especially if it’s your first time. Some themes may be more expensive than others, but may also offer more advanced features and customization options.
Free Shopify themes or Premium Shopify themes?
Free Shopify themes are a less expensive way to guarantee that your online store will have the best design and user experience. They’re usually more basic and serve smaller businesses or merchants that are initiating and are still trying to feel the better path to follow.
Now, if you’re thinking of bolder designs and more diverse and responsive options, Premium Shopify themes are paid ones usually chosen by e-commerce owners with a larger stock of products and/or more specific needs.
Shopify theme: template or custom?
A template is easier to put your e-commerce up without worrying about specificities or touching code.
Now, if you want to make your online store more personalized and accurate to your brand, you may want to customize it.
If you choose a Shopify Theme template
By choosing to start with a template, you only have to edit the content, upload CSV files of products, customize sections if you want, and you’re good to go.
The template can be a little limiting, but it’s a perfect choice if you are starting or don’t have a well-established randing yet.
If you choose a custom Shopify Theme
On the other hand, a custom Shopify theme allows you to include branding elements, more features, and functionalities.
As you customize your online store, it can support more products, categories, etc. With all these changes, will you need a developer? Not necessarily.
Shopify Themes run on Liquid
Shopify uses Liquid as its templating language and it’s a language that the company developed for this very purpose. If you want to go deep into customization for your store, you’ll need to either become familiar with it or find a developer who is.
That said, the best Shopify themes have most of the customization you’ll ever need to be built right in.
Shopify Online Store 2.0: create and customize your online store
If you’re building or refreshing your e-commerce, you should get ahold of the innovations in Shopify.
Launched in 2021, Online Store 2.0 gives you, the merchant, the freedom to build new page templates, search, and storefronts, and add apps to specific parts of your online business. Full control over your user’s experience on your website.
By using Shopify Online Store 2.0, you also get new features and capabilities, focusing on best-practice development. Themes are supposed to be 35% faster than the current default themes in Shopify.
And the main improvement is being able to add, remove, and re-arrange sections throughout the entire site, whilst on original Shopify templates and themes that were only possible on the home page.
But not only that, it also brings full page editing ability, meta fields natively within Shopify, improved editor UI and developer tools.
Get to know more about Shopify Online Store 2.0
Decorate Your Shopify Store Now
So, now that you’ve learned what to take into consideration when choosing your online store, and know that choosing is part of a bigger picture, you should keep your eye on the other factors of your marketing and sales strategy.
Store promotion, product advertising, and marketing management, for instance. You should get ahold of various fronts in the business.
And if you feel like you need to improve your marketing and sales strategies to raise your online store profit, do it like brands from different niches have done… From apparel to food and packaged goods…
Contact us, a specialized Shopify partner marketing team.
Give your online store (and your sales) a different approach and…give us a call!
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