There are over a 100 Shopify themes for clients to pick from. This may sound like good news, but statistics have proven that the more options a person has, the more likely they are to make the wrong decision.
Choosing the best Shopify theme isn’t an easy job, especially because there isn’t a clear criterion for picking one. Every business owner has to go through the process of defining criteria or set of rules that will guide his selection.
When in doubt, choose shopify speed optimisation.
The impact that speed has on conversion and sales cannot be overemphasized. In the world of eCommerce, Time is Money. Many people immediately think of aesthetics when choosing a Shopify theme. As a result, placing speed as your priority hands you a great advantage over your competitors.
Now, I know it sounds like I’m saying you can’t have both beauty and speed, but that really isn’t the case (as you would find when you look through the Shopify website themes available). Placing speed first will help you streamline your choices to only the fastest options available.
What is a Shopify Theme?
Shopify themes also called Shopify website templates are predesigned templates that show what format your online store will take when you finally apply them. They come in different designs and layouts, and are usually used to structure and organize web pages. Because of a vat amount off options, Shopify users make use of its themes to set themselves apart from the crowd; a good step if you intend to make a difference in the world of eCommerce.
Why Do I Need A Fast Theme?
When it comes to site loading speed and overall Shopify speed, many factors contribute to your final speed output. Your Shopify theme plays a huge role in determining how quickly your page reacts to information.
The direct implication of this fact is that your theme selection affects your Google rankings, your conversion rates and your bounce rates.
What Determines A Shopify Theme’s Speed?
Even if you have decided to consider speed first when picking shopify themes, it isn’t so straightforward. One thing you should know is that a properly written code weighs less than a hastily done job.
The less files, requests and CSS codes a theme has, the faster it becomes. This is because your shopify site will have less to load each time a potential buyer attempts to open your online store.
How To Select The Best Shopify Theme For Your Store
Speed or not, the best Shopify theme for your store is one that is the one that guarantees the best user experience. While speed plays a huge part in this, it is not the only factor that determines how well a client interacts with your page.
- State your priorities clearly- you want a fast store with great aesthetics, but that isn’t definite enough. To kick off your selection process, define what speed expectations you have of your theme. Also, instead of vaguely searching for beautiful themes, be a little picky. Do you want a huge hero banner or a well detailed Navigation bar?
- Gauge your pocket- Shopify website templates come in a range of prices. There are free themes, themes that cost almost nothing, and themes that go for 180 dollars. Based on your revenue and expenses, define a price range that you are comfortable with. It would make no sense to spend your future profits trying to pay up a debt. If you tend to be frugal, remember that although the free themes are up to standard, they clearly aren’t the best options for a serious business owner.
- Choose your aesthetics- this is undoubtedly the most looked forward to item on this list. The first thing a potential customer sees when they load your page are the images you’ve placed there. Yes, even before they start to appreciate your copy, they are already looking at the images. Your Shopify template sets the aura for your business page, so this is where you determine how you want to get off with your customers. Are you looking for something cool and sophisticated? Or something bright and homey? Matching your theme with your business style is of utmost importance. I mean, imagine using a cool, sophisticated theme on a website that sells beach wear?
- Developer’s support- this is where you do the background work. You have to make sure that the theme isn’t a fluke, and that the developer gives it his support.
This crucial bit of information will be your Calvary should the theme run into any unexpected errors.
Top 5 Fastest Shopify Templates
Wonder what a cross between great speed, aesthetics and functionality would look like? Here’s what:
- Sunrise- this super responsive app is great for both mobile phones and desktops. Known for its speed and flexibility, Sunrise accommodates features such as multiple product pages, slideshows, category pages and even multi-currencies. This theme is great for sectioning your website.
- Avon- this hot, fast selling theme is gaining increasing popularity for its aesthetics and functionally. But that is not all. It also ranks amongst the fastest Shopify themes. It comes with numerous templates, so it is suitable for websites that sell all kinds of things, from women's wears to Christmas decor.
- Kalles- popular for its versatility, Kalles provides an unlimited amount of options and edits. It is fluid, and it is also fast. It's high speed allows it to support videos, GIFs and 3D imagery. It helps you build an interesting and attractive website on a foundation of high speed.
- Express- this Shopify theme helps you organise your business in a really simple way. It is optimiser for one page websites and websites with a small inventory or photography. If you're only selling one product, let's say a book you wrote, Express is your best and fastest option.
- OutStock- modern and unique, this Shopify theme offers a cool and versatile design for your site. It is also responsive and supports most features.
Even while selecting a theme, it is obvious that speed plays a huge part in achieving success. A speed optimisation service such as EcomExperts will help you not only select a highly functional theme, but ensure that it keeps running for a long period. This is because we specialise in Shopify Speed Optimisation and Shopify Speed Maintenance. We help you achieve sustainable growth, faster.