Shopify powers more than 500 million eCommerce websites in over 170 countries. The number of retailers on the platform has grown an average of 75% a year since 2012, and these retailers have generated about $55 billion in sales. The reason for this is that Shopify is one of the easiest eCommerce platforms to use.

The great thing about Shopify is that it takes care of hosting, domains, back-end, and part of front-end functionalities, which allows you to invest more time and money in your store’s design. eCommerce sales are expected to reach $4.9 trillion by 2021, and if you want to get a piece of the pie, you simply can’t afford to have substandard UX.

In this post, we’re discussing the top 5 design tips for your Shopify store.

1.   Choose the Right Theme

The first thing you need to do is choose the perfect theme for your site. Your theme will affect the UX but also the overall atmosphere of your store. Shopify offers a great number of themes, some of them free, whereas others cost from $140 to $180.

But how do you make sure you choose the one that is right for your store? Here’s what to keep in mind when choosing your theme:

• What kind of experience do you want to create for your customers? The page layout, text placement, image size, etc. will contribute to the overall look and feel, which shapes the UX.
• What features do you want your e-store to have? Are you looking for a large or normal image display? Maybe you want infinite scrolling or a wide IG feed? Different themes come with different features, so it’s important to know which features are non-negotiable for you and which ones can be sacrificed.
• How do you want your products to be displayed? This is one of the most important considerations for online stores and will largely depend on the type of products you sell. For instance, fashion products rely on large, high-quality images, whereas tech items require more specs and hence, smaller images.
• What is your competition doing? Check your competition to see what works for them that you can imitate but also what you can do better.
• What is your budget? Before opting for an expensive theme, keep in mind that any additional apps and plugins might cost extra money, so plan your budget wisely. It may be smart to go for a free theme and then improve it with paid plugins and apps.

2.   Reflect Your Personality

Won’t choosing a pre-designed theme make my website look like all the others? This is a valid concern but, fortunately, it can be avoided. Here are a few ideas to help you create an online store that stands out:

• In the world of eCommerce, images are everything. They are more important than the theme itself! The way you stylize your product and promotional photos can display your individuality. For instance, images with a white background look better for more traditional and professional websites, while product images in context (for example, taken on the street) can add an extra flavor that might suit your website better.
• Besides images, the words you use can also showcase your individuality. For instance, if you are a hip young brand, you should use a casual lingo and lots of emojis, whereas if you aim to portray sophistication, you should stick with more formal language. Keep the tone consistent throughout the entire website, including your homepage, About page, product pages, etc.
• Shopify settings. As mentioned earlier, most Shopify themes allow you to customize the settings for extra personalization. You can use these settings to create your own logo, customize your typography and color scheme, choose the number of items to display per line, present your social media buttons, etc.

3.   Keep It Simple

You might be tempted to showcase everything you have, but try to take a step back. Overloading a website with too many options is one of the most common problems in eCommerce design. Think like your customers. For instance, how many of them would be interested in seeing the entire history of your brand on your homepage?

When designing your online store, try to keep things as simple as possible, and avoid clutter at all costs. Users want a website experience that runs smoothly and too much information can burden their brains. Concentrate on only a few products, such as promo products or bestsellers.

4.   Improve Your Loading Speed

Regardless of whether you’re using Shopify or not, slow loading times can be detrimental to your business. In fact, every additional second can reduce page views by more than 10% and conversion rates by 7%. Google also appreciates fast-loading sites and ranks them higher in search results, which means that improving the loading speed can have a positive impact on both SEO and user experience.

Even though there are many factors influencing your page loading times, there are several tactics that can help your speed up your site:

• Compress your images. HQ product images are very important but they have one big downside – they take longer to load. Luckily, you don’t have to sacrifice quality for the sake of faster loading times. All you need to do is compress your images using one of the many free online tools.
• Avoid third-party themes. In some cases, third-party themes can come with additions that slow the site’s loading times. If you use a theme that isn’t made by Shopify, get in touch with the developer to check how to boost loading times.
• Remove unnecessary accessories such as apps, widgets, and other plugins. Using too many of these accessories can have a negative effect on loading times.

5.   Consider Hiring a Pro

If you feel like website design is not your domain of expertise, you can always hire a professional Shopify development agency to do the job for you.

Hiring a company that specializes in Shopify means working with professionals that are already familiar with the different themes, features, and plugins. A Shopify design expert will put all their expertise to create a customized e-store using the best website, apps, and graphics. Experts bring a level of maturity to any company, so you can rise to the level of success you’ve always dreamed of.

Final Thoughts

Cool, attractive site design has always played an important role in successful marketing strategy and online sales. Whether you are about to create a brand new online store or you have been thinking about redesigning your current eCommerce website, these 5 tips will help you present your visitors with the best website design.