Free or Premium Shopify theme. What to choose?

6d ago (edited) in General

Since I get this question a lot I think it's wise to share a few important points that can help you make a better decision when choosing a theme for your next Shopify project.

Also, since we are here at Skool, we like to keep things simple and on point. Here are my thoughts about this.

You should choose a Free Shopify Theme if:

You are just starting and you need to test your idea first.
You don't know yet if your products/service will find product/market fit.
You don't have any experience with Shopify and e-commerce in general.
You don't prefer to spend money (at least not yet), then the default Shopify theme (Dawn) is a good start, but you may try our free theme which might feel easier and has more customization options

You should choose a Premium Shopify Theme if:

Your e-commerce store is already generating sales.

You have found product/market fit and need to level up your Shopify store.
You want to get the most from your store by increasing CVR and AOV (conversion rates & average order value) by utilizing advanced strategies like quantity breaks, cart upsells, shipping thresholds, etc.
User experience is important for you and you need to convey your brand professionalism.

Also, as a final level, I think it makes sense to lay down some points on where to hire a developer to build a custom Shopify store specific to your unique needs. You should choose these options if:

Your store is generating $10k+ per month (or you are 100% sure that it will)
You have an established and well-defined brand.
Your brand message, colors, typography, style, etc is on top of your priority and you must ensure that every part of your store is in line with it.
You are working with a professional design agency and they will create a professional Figma-designed store, which after the Shopify developer will have to custom-code everything for you.

Hopefully, the points above have helped you to have a basic understanding of what path to go with your Shopify theme, but of course, they are just guidelines. At the end of the day what matters is your vision and the will to push forward in the e-commerce games.

Have any thoughts to share? Comment below

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