The business world is evolving rapidly, driven by swift advancements in technology, and the internet has opened up many opportunities to do business online. However, it’s not as simple as it seems to sell products and services in the digital space.
As more individuals, both sellers and buyers, transition to the online realm, the eCommerce landscape is becoming increasingly competitive. Nevertheless, there are numerous methods for you to adjust and construct a profitable online business.
Statistica reports that over a quarter of the global population purchased items online in 2021, and worldwide eCommerce sales are projected to reach 12.7% this year. Shopify emerges as the most lucrative e-commerce platform to consider.
But to ensure your Shopify store’s success, you must establish a robust online presence, and that’s where Shopify custom design plays a vital role.
What Are Shopify Themes?
Before beginning our discussion on Shopify custom design, it’s important to first understand what Shopify themes are. A Shopify theme is a pre-designed package that includes both functional elements and visual aesthetics for designing an online store on the Shopify platform.
These themes are typically made up of various colors and shapes that provide graphical control over different design elements, allowing store owners to customize the appearance of their online stores. The main purpose of Shopify themes is to help store owners create a unique and visually appealing online presence.
Shopify theme customization, on the other hand, involves modifying settings, widgets, and color schemes to match a store’s brand and style preferences. This can be done by store owners with admin privileges, and changes can be previewed in real time.
Custom designs are a great way to enhance brand recognition and differentiate oneself from the competition in the crowded online marketplace. Although creating a custom Shopify design from scratch may be a challenging task, skilled Shopify experts can be hired remotely for assistance.
It’s important to note that the Shopify theme marketplace offers a wide selection of pre-built themes, both free and premium, which can be used to quickly and easily launch a new online store with visually stunning templates.
While opting for a pre-designed approach can save you time and money, it also comes with several disadvantages, including
- Restricted functionality and scalability
- A standard design layout
- Limited customization options.
Get the complete story on How to make Shopify Store Step by Step Guide.
How To Customize Your Shopify Stores From Shopify Theme
To start customizing your Shopify store, you’ll need to carefully plan its layout beyond just color schemes and logo placement. Creating a custom Shopify theme is a time-consuming and potentially costly process, especially for those without technical expertise. You may need assistance from skilled Shopify experts to help create and implement a custom theme.
When it comes to customizing your Shopify store from a theme, it’s important to review the available design options and find inspiration for your store. However, keep in mind that your theme should be unique to stand out and attract customers. Luckily, there are many suitable Shopify themes available, but you should be cautious when selecting one.
If you’re new to Shopify, consider using Shopify Guruz Shopify theme customization service to customize the theme that you like. Otherwise, browse through the collection of free and paid themes in the Shopify theme store and choose one that closely matches your brand and business. You’ll need to log in to your Shopify account to customize your chosen theme.
Step 1: Choose And Upload A Suitable Pre-built Theme Template
To access the Theme Store on Shopify, first, log in to your account and navigate to “Online Store,” and then select “Themes.” Next, click on either “Visit Theme Store” or “Explore free themes,” located at the bottom right of the page.
Once you click on either of these options, you will be redirected to an external site. Keep in mind that the Shopify themes homepage may display different theme categories depending on the type of products you sell.
In the Theme Store, you can filter the available options by clicking on the “All themes” button at the top center. Choosing a premium pre-made theme template can speed up the customization process.
After selecting a theme that matches your preferences, click on it to open it in a new window. Then, click on the green “Try theme” button to add it to your store’s theme library. You can also use the “View demo store” button to preview how the theme will look.
It’s worth noting that Shopify offers unlimited free trials for both free and paid themes. However, you will need to pay for the theme if you decide to publish it live on your store.
02. Step 2: Customizing The Theme
If you want to customize your Shopify store using Shopify themes, there are two main aspects you should focus on within your Shopify dashboard under the Themes section:
- Editing the theme template
- Altering the theme settings
To get started, simply click on the “Customize” button and get ready to make the desired changes.
Part 1: Editing Theme Template
This method provides Shopify merchants the greater control over their store’s layout by utilizing this technique. By clicking the “Customize” button and accessing the “Theme Editor,” merchants can begin to make alterations to various page types. A drop-down list containing several Shopify page templates can be found in the mid-top section of the panel, which will be the focus of customization. The left-hand column of the editing window provides a categorized column for sectional editing of the selected page template.
By customizing the different sections of your chosen theme, you can have full control over the appearance and style of every page on your Shopify store. However, it is important to note that your edits must be within the boundaries of the selected theme. Typically, a Shopify store page template contains multiple sections, with some being fixed and others movable.
Fixed sections, such as headers and footers, cannot be moved, while movable sections, like image blocks and collections, can be adjusted as needed. Each section comes with its own customization settings, allowing you to personalize your online store to your preferences.
To customize your page templates, follow these steps:
- Customizing Your Header
The top section of any website page is commonly referred to as the header. It is a consistent feature that appears on every web page of your Shopify site, and any modifications made to it will be visible on all store pages.
Since the header is the first thing that customers see when they arrive at your store’s website, effectively personalizing it can greatly benefit your content marketing strategy. This can entice potential customers to delve deeper into your store.
When customizing your header, carefully consider the elements that you wish to modify. Some options include your logo image, navigation menu, separator line, and sticky header components.
Access the theme editor and select “Header” from the sectional panel menu on the left-hand side of the page to customize it as you, please. After making changes, click the “Save” button located at the top right corner of the page to apply them.
- Customizing Individual Movable Sections
With the exception of the Header and Footer, the sections between them in Shopify templates can be easily moved around. Any changes or updates made to these sections will only affect the specific template that you are currently working on.
Shopify templates typically include the following movable sections:
- Image banner – a marketing element designed to showcase your brand and provide customers with direction.
- Featured collection – a special section that allows store owners to display a specific group of products to attract customers and entice them to make a purchase.
- Image with text – a two-column section on your Shopify web design that allows you to add both text and visuals.
Customizing these sections is a breeze. Simply click on the section that you want to modify, and you will be able to access its specific customization options.
- Add A Section
When creating custom themes in Shopify, it’s important to exercise caution when adding new sections. While you have the freedom to add as many sections as you’d like, doing so could potentially slow down your website and compromise its overall quality.
That being said, adding new sections is made easy with Shopify templates, which typically feature an “Add section” button as part of their movable section list. To add a new section, simply click the “Add section” button and browse through the available options to find a suitable theme section that fits your needs.
At the time of writing this, the following options are available:
- Blog post
- Collage
- Collection list
- Contact form
- Contact Liquid
- Email Signup
- Featured Collection
- Image banner
- Image with text
- Multicolumn
- Page
- Rich Text
Once you’ve found the section you want, click on it to add it to the bottom of the section list. From there, you can easily move it around to the desired location. Keep in mind that careful section management is key to maintaining the speed and quality of your website.
- Move A Section
One of the advantages of having movable sections is that they provide flexibility to tailor your customization needs accurately.
To reposition any of the sections, simply navigate back to the list of sectional categories, and hover your cursor over the section until a six-dotted icon appears and your cursor changes to a panning icon. Then, click and drag the section to a suitable location. If you decide to make further changes later, you can repeat this process to rearrange your custom template.
- Remove A Section
Change is a constant phenomenon, and it can often be beneficial. Growth, for instance, is often spurred by change. In the world of business, the environment is constantly evolving, and companies must sometimes restructure to stay afloat. As your eCommerce business expands, your needs and goals may change, making it necessary to adjust your website themes at some point.
While adding new sections to your website can be important, it is also crucial to remove outdated units. To do this, simply select the section title (such as the image banner in our example), scroll down to the customization options, and click “Remove section” at the bottom. Before you save the changes, always preview the updated version to ensure it aligns with your desired outcome if it does not, use the “Undo” button (located at the top right, next to the green save button) to revert to your previous changes.
- Customizing Your Footer
The Footer section of your Shopify site is located at the bottom of every web page and typically includes privacy policy links, a copyright statement, a sitemap, email signup forms, and social media handles. This section contains information that enhances overall site usability.
It is important to note that the Footer is a fixed section and cannot be moved around. Any custom changes you make to it will show up on every other web page.
Customization options for the Footer depend on the theme you choose, but the process is the same across all themes. Common customization options include selecting a color scheme, setting up email signups, including social media platforms, configuring payment settings, and choosing language preferences.
To customize the Footer, simply navigate to “Footer” on the sections panel, make the desired changes, and click “Save” to implement them. That’s all.
Part 2: Altering Theme Settings
The purpose of business websites is to generate and maintain interest, which can only be achieved through a visually appealing and stylish theme. Therefore, the theme you select will largely determine the design of your Shopify website and, potentially, the success of your online store.
As you may know, having a distinctive theme can often foster growth. So, how can you create an eye-catching Shopify theme?
Rather than using the template-by-template theme customization approach, you can easily accomplish this by manipulating the visual elements and graphical settings of your theme. This entails modifying specific theme settings that control its basic appearance, feel, and functionality and then aligning them with your brand.
The best part is that you do not need any CSS or Liquid experience to make this happen. So, don’t worry, as we will not be editing any theme code.
To begin, click on “Theme Settings” (located at the bottom left corner of your Theme Editor) to access the various customization options available for your theme. These include color, typography, styles, social media, favicon, and checkout. We will delve into how to customize each of these shortly.
- Change Theme Color
In web design, color holds significant importance as it has the power to evoke psychological responses. The color scheme of a website can greatly impact branding and enhance the perception and appeal of a business. However, it’s crucial to understand that each color has a distinct emotional effect on individuals. Therefore, it’s vital to choose the appropriate colors for your custom design.
If you want to customize the color of your Shopify theme, navigate to the “Color” option and modify the color settings for solid button labels, accents, backgrounds, foregrounds, outline buttons, and text links.
Once you have made the necessary changes, save your settings or proceed to Typography.
- Change Theme Typography
The various font properties available on Shopify not only improve website readability but also contribute to enhancing graphical balance, creating a specific tone for the products sold, and refining the visual hierarchy of the website.
In essence, theme typography plays a crucial role in elevating the user experience of customers who visit your online store. To customize these settings, navigate to the “Typography” option, and click “Change” to modify the fonts for headings and body content on your store pages. However, it’s essential to exercise caution as certain changes may impact your store’s speed.
- Change Theme Styles
In Shopify web design, “Styles” refer to the theme settings that dictate the visual and decorative elements of your store pages. These settings primarily control the color schemes, button outlines, accents, and text styles. Accessing the various customization options is as simple as clicking on the “Styles” button.
- Change Social Media Sharing Options
In today’s world, social media has proven to be a highly affordable means of sharing content and boosting business visibility. As such, it has become an integral part of website design, and web developers must include it in their strategies. By doing so, companies can leverage social media to engage with their existing and potential customers, thus fostering trust and increasing interaction. With Shopify, integrating and customizing social sharing options is a breeze- simply click on “Social Media.”
Change Your Favicon Image
A favicon is an icon image that is linked to your Shopify website. It is a small image that is typically shown on your browser’s address bar or tab once your website is loaded. Many businesses choose to use their logo images as favicons as it aids in making their website more identifiable to online visitors, particularly when they have multiple tabs open. To modify your favicon, all you need to do is select the “Favicon” option and click “Select Image.” Shopify will then will automatically scale it down to 32 by 32 pixels.
Bonus Tip: Simply click on “Change” below the static image and hit “Remove Image” to remove it.
06. Customize Checkout
When a customer decides to make a purchase on an e-commerce website, they are directed to the checkout page, where they enter their billing and shipping information. This page presents an opportunity for businesses to collect important details from customers that are necessary for processing and shipping their orders.
Customizing the checkout page can significantly enhance the customer’s buying experience and improve the chances of completing a sale while reducing cart abandonment rates. By making the checkout process easy to access and efficient, businesses can increase store conversion rates.
Create your Shopify Store with Shopify Guruz
If you landed here, you are probably about to launch a new store on Shopify, or you have a store already running and you are looking to fix some design/integration problems or add some features to your online store.
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Conclusion
Pre-designed Shopify themes are a great method to get your online store operating. However, standing out in a sea of eCommerce options can be a challenge, especially when you have competitors also using this same design. To distinguish your brand and boost growth, you’ll need to modify your Shopify website style. You can also utilize our Shopify theme customization services. These are great, particularly for those who don’t want to learn coding languages but want an economical alternative.
