Are you a Shopify store-owner who’s tired of his store looking like everyone else’s? Or are you readying up to launch a new store, but feel overwhelmed by the choice of themes? And deep down you’re feeling that you’re going to miss something crucial for the success of your store.
What if we tell you that a custom-built theme aligning with your brand is the solution you’re looking for? And what if you can get this solution without breaking the bank?
While the platform offers a variety of pre-made templates, Shopify experts argue that only custom-built themes can really reflect your brand’s identity. In this article we shall explore how and why custom Shopify themes almost always outperform their pre-made counterparts. And how can you get one with reasonable investment?
Why do new Shopify store-owners prefer pre-made templates?
It has been seen that new Shopify store-owners often tilt towards installing pre-made templates. Reasons are quite obvious: affordability, ease of use, quick setup and sufficient functionality for startups. But savvy Shopify practitioners usually prefer to invest in custom Shopify themes. They argue that investing in custom Shopify themes can lead to brand loyalty and higher conversion rates. We shall go into that in a little while.
What are Custom Shopify Themes?
Custom Shopify themes are design layouts which are completely tailored to your business needs. They are built from the ground up with your specific niche and goals in mind. You usually get the branded custom Shopify theme, suited to your needs, by hiring a Shopify expert or agency.
But unlike the pre-made counterparts, custom themes offer unlimited possibilities for design, scalability and functionality of your online store.
Shopify professionals usually favor custom built themes. And they know how important it is for the theme to be consistent with your brand’s vision and personality.
What are Custom Shopify Theme Benefits?
- Enhanced Branding
Custom Shopify themes allow businesses to fully inject their branding into every part of their website. Pre-made templates can try this but seldom achieve.
Needless to say branding is an important element for a business’s success.
A recent report by LucidPress who studied over 400 organizations claimed that a business can expect at least a 24% rise in revenue with consistent branding.
Real-world Examples: Brands like GymShark and Kylie Cosmetics use custom Shopify themes to craft unique experiences aligned with their brand identities.
- Improved User Experience (UX)
User experience plays a critical role in conversion rate. A Blue Corona study found out that only a 1-second delay in a page response can cause a 7% cut in conversion rate.
User experience is the sum of different factors like display, navigation and speed.
Google’s research shows that 53% of mobile users abandon a site if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load.
Custom Shopify themes are fully optimized for speed, performance and navigation, enhancing the UX of the Shopify store.
Pre-made templates may contain bloated code or unnecessary features which slow down your store.
- SEO Optimization
As in other websites, Search Engine Optimization is crucial to increase your Shopify store’s visibility.
Custom Shopify themes promote the cause of SEO by focusing on:-
- Clean code
- Optimized meta tags
- Mobile responsiveness
- Scalability and Flexibility
Global ecommerce market is fast growing. According to a Statista projection it is expected to reach nearly US $6.5 trillion by 2029.
So your Shopify store should be able to grow with your business growth.
Custom stores are built with flexibility and scalability in mind. They can offer unlimited scalability.
On the other hand, pre-made templates have a scalability limit. Which can compromise your business growth in future.
Custom and Premade Templates Comparison
- Limitations of Pre-made Templates
It’s not that pre-made templates are not customizable. They are. But the scope of their customizability is restricted.
A survey report by GoodFirms said that 38.5% users accused ‘lack of customizability’ as the biggest shortcoming of pre-made templates.
Custom Shopify themes on the other hand are the kings of customizability.
Another big lack of pre-made templates is their slow loading. This is attributed to bloated code and some unnecessary features.
Custom themes do not harbor any unnecessary functionalities.
- Cost-Benefit Analysis
Biggest advantage of pre-made templates is that they are either free or have nominal cost. Custom ones may cost between US$500 to $2000 or more, depending upon level of customization. But the thing is, this investment is returned soon in increased conversions and decreased operational cost.
A Forrester study showed that businesses that went for custom development saw an average ROI between 200% to 300% within the first year.
- Role of Custom website development
Role of custom website development is not just improving the aesthetics. They are preferable for all the practical reasons as well.
For example, custom website development takes care of SEO. It ensures faster loading times, fluent navigation and workflows automation.
Custom themes support easy API integration of third-party tools to automate CRM, inventory control and marketing.
Successful Brands using Custom Shopify themes
- MVMT Watches, a popular watch brand, transitioned from a pre-made Shopify theme to custom Shopify theme.
Their investment paid big dividends with a 20% boost in conversion rate and a significant raise in average order value. Their custom store oozes sophistication with beautiful images and streamlined checkout.
- GymShark, a prominent UK based company dealing in stylish fitness apparel, started from a garage and has now achieved a $1.3 billion valuation. Custom built Shopify store is an important element of their successful ecommerce journey. They shifted to the Custom Shopify store after a disastrous experience with their previous platform.
Conclusion
Custom Shopify themes offer a better alternative to pre-made templates. Custom option brings in enhanced branding, better navigation, more customizability, high scalability and improved user experience.
Although custom options have a bigger price tag, long-term benefits compensate for it. Stores see a boost in conversion rate due to increased customer satisfaction.
You can engage a Shopify expert or agency to fully explore and implement the best custom solution for Shopify store development.