Do you want to give your business an online presence without spending too much money or wasting time? Then you need to join the Shopify wave to make it happen. The e-commerce platform is the quickest and easiest way to get a functioning online store. Even if you’ve never designed a website before, Shopify makes it effortless. They feature a C.M.S. program that’s very intuitive and user-friendly. You’ll never have to input a single line of code, yet you’ll have complete control over your storefront.
If you’ve been wondering how to design a Shopify website, then this article is for you. We’ll go over the easiest way to get started creating a Shopify store. Along the way, we’ll provide you with candid tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your experience. Read on to find out how to design a Shopify website that’s appealing and responsive.
Tip #1: Take Advantage of the 14-Day Free Trial
It’s effortless to set up an account with Shopify. All you need to do is click on one of the many 14-day free trial links on the website. It’s important to note that this is an actual free 14-day trial, as you won’t have to enter any payment information.
You’re free to begin designing your store as soon as you enter your account information. That includes a name for your store, which is an important step. Here are a few questions you should ask yourself when coming up with a name for your store:
- What is my business all about at its core?
- What’s appealing to customers about my products?
- What’s a fun and catchy way to encompass what it is I do?
If you want to try Shopify get access to your free trial here. Once you decide on a name, you’ll gain access to the admin dashboard. That is the control center for designing your website. It’s here where you’ll make all the critical decisions for your online store. That brings us to our next step.
Tip #2: Get a Shopify Theme
Themes are premade Shopify pages that have differing features. Selecting a theme is a critical decision for your online store, so you should take it seriously. Don’t settle for the first theme that you run across. Instead, consider the needs of your customers and your online business.
Everything from your color scheme to font choice will affect your business. Here are some of the most popular options for users seeking a Shopify theme to use.
PageFly
Let’s say that you don’t want to use a premade theme. Instead, you’d rather create a custom page of your own. If this sounds like you, then you’re going to love PageFly. It’s a custom landing page builder for Shopify stores. It’s very intuitive, and it’s a potent webpage builder.
Of course, there are lots of ways that you can enhance the appearance of your store with PageFly. While you can design a page entirely from scratch, you can also use reference designs as a starting point. PageFly contains the most significant element library out of any builder. You’ll have thousands of tools to use when designing the look and feel of your Shopify page.
You should go with this program if you have experience designing web pages. You’ll be able to let your creativity run wild with all of PageFly’s features and capabilities. It’s a free app, so you won’t have to spend any money to get started creating your store.
PageFly can also improve your page’s performance. It has a built-in Lazy Load feature that drastically cuts down on slow downtimes. The developers optimized the code for PageFly to ensure that it runs seamlessly. Your Shopify store will run as fast as lightning with the help of this program. To try out the #1 website builder for Shopify visit the Pagefly website at this link.
Hiring a Shopify Expert
Another option for creating a theme for your store is to hire an expert. There are many developers out there that specialize in creating unique Shopify storefronts. For a fee, you can work with them to create an original theme for you.
That is an attractive option, as it gives you total control over your theme. Instead of you behind the helm, you’ll have a Shopify expert with a proven track record.
When searching for a Shopify expert, it’s essential to look for reviews and a portfolio. That way, you can get a feel for what others think and see examples of their work for yourself. Remember your niche when searching for a Shopify expert, too. The ideal developer will design themes for similar businesses. Sites like Fiverr allow you to browse the work of thousands of freelance Shopify designers on the fly. It’s an excellent resource for finding freelancers to help you build your online store. To find a Shopify expert visit Fiverr’s marketplace at this link.
Buy a Theme from ThemeForest
If you’d rather choose a preset theme and then customize it as you see fit, ThemeForest reigns supreme. It’s a theme marketplace for C.M.S. programs like Shopify, WordPress, and more. Developers upload Shopify store themes here, and there are thousands for sale. ThemeForest makes it very easy to find and select a theme to use for your Shopify store.
If you’re anxious to get started selling products online, selecting a ThemeForest theme is the quickest way to get started. You can find a suitable theme within minutes. If you don’t feel like customizing many things, you can leave it as is and start selling.
You can also fully customize any theme you purchase through Shopify. That way, you can give your online store some unique identifying factors. After all, you don’t want your store to appear identical to another one.
ThemeForest is a bustling marketplace with thousands of active users. Due to its popularity, it’s the top place to find beautiful Shopify themes. Try to find a theme that fits the niche of your business. A sleek visual appearance is also a plus. Finally, it would be best to make sure that the theme you settle on is practical and functional. Before going live with your store, maybe try running a few dummy sales to make sure everything goes through. To find a great-looking theme visit Themeforest’s marketplace at this link.
Those are the top options that we recommend for finding a Shopify theme. It’s a massive step in the process, so we recommend spending as much time as you need to get it right. Whether that’s spent designing a page yourself or working with a designer is up to you.
Tip #3: Declutter Your Storefront
Too much information on your site will lead to cognitive overload. You’ve probably had an experience like this before.
You go to an e-commerce site to buy a pair of jeans. That’s when you’re greeted by a gigantic wall of unbroken text explaining their manufacturing process. You scroll down only to see more text crammed into every nook and cranny of the page.
If you haven’t guessed by now, that’s a total turn-off for customers. There’s definitely such a thing as overdoing it when it comes to information on your website.
Like most things in life, we recommend Keeping It Simple Stupid, or K.I.S.S. for short. Remember, less is more when it comes to web copy. Your customers don’t need eight paragraphs describing your great denim. Instead, one line of enticing copy paired with a clear image of your jeans will do a lot more.
Also, don’t try to focus on too many products at once, especially on your homepage. That’s another significant cause of cognitive overload. Instead, it’s best to focus on a handful of products.
Do a little research to find out your top-selling products. Fun fact, most businesses see 80% of their overall profit from just a few products. For those bestsellers, highlight them on your homepage, and only them. After all, the chances are that your customers are there for those products anyway. Streamlining the design of your homepage to cater to your best-selling products can increase your revenue.
To give some of your other products some love, sneak in a ‘Customers also bought’ featurette on the next page. That way, you can shine some light on the different products that you sell.
Tip #4: Optimize Your Page for Speed
Loading times are killers for e-commerce sites, be they on Shopify or elsewhere. Every second that ticks by while your page loads take away precious sales. That’s not a joke either; every second will reduce your conversions by 7%. In today’s digital age, we’ve become spoiled when it comes to waiting for things to load. If it’s not instantaneous, we’ll click away and find another page. That’s why it’s absolutely vital to optimize the performance of your online store. Here’s how you can do it:
- Compress your images. The downside of high-resolution images is that they’re large files. As a result, they can take a while to load, killing your conversion rates. So how do you get the best of both worlds? By using a compression app online. These tools will help you retain impeccable image quality while significantly reducing the file size. You’ll enjoy faster loading times as a result.
- Get Rid of Unnecessary Fluff. Does your storefront contain a ton of widgets and plugins? Then it’s a good idea to get rid of them if your page is loading slow. We know that it’s super cool that you have a weather app built into your site, but is it necessary? Does it add anything to your business? Ask yourself this question about every app, widget, and plugin that you have installed.
- Forego Carousels. Image carousels can be beautiful, but they come at a cost. If you can’t pinpoint the source of your slowdown, then the carousels are probably to blame. It may be a tough sacrifice, but your page will run far better without any carousels. If you’re adamant about keeping them, then you can try one of the other two options to save them while improving your page’s speed.
Tip #5: Be Yourself When You Sell
When learning how to design a Shopify website, too few shop owners take advantage of their unique personalities online. How many customers frequent your brick-and-mortar business because of your charm and wit? The goal is to replicate that online. You have a unique personality, and you can use it to your advantage when selling through Shopify. Here are a few tips on how you can inject your personality into your Shopify store:
- Unique Photos. The photos on your site are going to be the main visual focal points for users. That gives you an excellent opportunity to put your personality on full display. Feel free to use humor, atmosphere, and visual appeal when choosing photos. More importantly, find photos that scream ‘you.’ If you take photos yourself, why not include your photos on the site? It’ll help bring a personal touch to your storefront.
- The Copy. That is where your uniqueness can truly shine. It’s important to be personable when writing the copy for your products. You have complete control over your tone here, so have fun. Customers will be more likely to read if your copy speaks from the heart. You can go for a fun feel with lots of emojis and exclamation points or choose a more refined approach. The choice is yours.
- Custom Logos and Buttons. Through Shopify’s settings, you’re able to add further personalization. You can upload original logos to use on your storefront as an example. Shopify also allows you to upload custom fonts, buttons, and color schemes. If you’re well-known for your colors, then you need to reflect that online. A consistent image between your online store and the physical store will encourage brand loyalty.
How to Design a Shopify Website ( quick video )
Start Building Today!
There are our top tips for designing an intuitive, attractive Shopify store. We hope that you’ve learned how to design a Shopify website that reflects your brand’s values. Remember to pick a suitable theme, optimize your page, and use your personality. If you follow these essential tips, you’re sure to find success with building your online store. Shopify is a gigantic platform with tons of customers, developers, and merchants. If you want to bring your business online, don’t wait to start designing your Shopify store.
For more great content to help you develop your Shopify strategies, check out the rest of the merchant posts on the site. If you want to see a list of our top recommended Shopify apps visit this link here.
