In eCommerce, the primary factor influencing overall sales is responsiveness. Even if you have a good store design, you will lose some potential customers if it isn’t responsive.
However, a blend of fast loading speed, catchy design, and easy navigation is required to succeed. Shopify has free themes you can use to create optimized eCommerce stores.
This post will give you a walk through of the best free Shopify themes. Let’s get started.
What is a Shopify Theme?
Shopify theme is like a template design for eCommerce stores. Creating an eCommerce store is exciting yet complex, especially if you start without prior experience.
A theme comes with everything you need to have in an eCommerce store. Plus, it comes with customization features to let you adjust anything you want as you like.
You can add images, templates for product pages, an easy gallery view of the entire inventory, terms of service, policy pages, and everything else that’s considered important.
Shopify has a huge list of amazing themes. They are categorized based on different filters like responsiveness, best for fashion niche, best for electronics store, and more. Depending on what suits you best, you can select one to work on.
Why It Is Important to Find the Right Shopify Theme
All themes are alike because they are created to help you build a store. But not all have the same features.
Using the right Shopify theme, you can
All of these lead to better ROI and sales.
Here is what you need to consider to find the best free Shopify theme.
Budget
Budget is a primary determining factor. You need to decide how much you are ready to invest in the store theme.
Starting an eCommerce store requires investment. So, stretching your budget for the theme won’t seem so feasible.
However, as it is an upfront investment, you should choose the best option. But you can also get started with a free theme and opt for a premium subscription later.
Requirements
Before starting your hunt, create a list of features you need. If all of the necessary features are available in the free plan, it is good.
If not, then you might want to pick one of the two options:
Whatever you decide has its pros and cons.
Developer support
Only some people are tech-savvy. But we all can do everything we need with support from developers.
So, selecting a theme with quick developer support and an extensive knowledge base is better. This way, you can test any idea you think will help you grow.
If you mess anything up by any chance, you will have the developer’s support to get it fixed.
But how would you know if they offer great support or not?
Customer reviews are a perfect way to identify that.
Head to the customer reviews section and pay close attention to what they say. If a higher proportion of customers mention a good experience, take note.
I usually go the extra mile and see if the theme has a community group on a social platform. There I can see how they interact with customers. It also gives a better view of the product quality.
Responsiveness
Your store needs to be responsive to execute purchases before your potential customer thinks about it — especially for mobile devices.
The Internet is the biggest crowd we have ever known. Smartphones are known to account for approximately 73 percent of retail site traffic. And as per Statista, this traffic is known to generate 63 percent of online shopping orders.
The selected theme should be responsive on all devices. Even a slight decrease in the website speed will cost you a significant number of sales.
Sometimes, a theme comes with great features. They bring exciting blocks and widgets, but it costs the loading speed most of the time.
So, it is perceived that simple themes are supposed to be fast loading. But a few intuitively designed themes come with lightning-fast loading speed.
Level of customization
In a theme, not everything is the same as you require. For this, it is important that the theme should come with a customization option.
Mostly a niche-based theme that has everything you need. With customization, you can make it more personalized with your store.
But sometimes, you will be able to find a perfect theme that suits your needs, requirements, and demands at the same time. If you find a perfect blend of everything you need, get onboard right away.
User experience
Aesthetics are not everything. They are just a part of the broad horizon.
User experience is about the entire customer journey, where many factors count. Personalized stores with effective branding and a good proportion of text and images help you build trust.
Then the rest depends on the store interface and its interactiveness. Easy navigation and well-placed call-to-action (CTA) with important links in the footer are some important factors to consider.
Here are some of my best picks in free Shopify themes.
Top 5 Free Shopify Themes
Debut
If you are looking for the popular Shopify theme used by a majority of eCommerce store owners, Debut is the one.
It is known as one of the best picks for many stores on Shopify because
This is why, when a new Shopify store owner begins his hunt for a suitable theme, they stop right after getting started.
Though this theme is simple and comes with a limited number of features, it is a perfect go-to option if you are just getting started and want a clean online store.
Dawn
For people who want to keep their eCommerce store product-centric, the Dawn theme is a great pic to get started with.
Dawn theme comes with a minimalist design with advanced customization options. You can customize anything with the drag-and-drop option without needing to code.
Shopify store owners use the Dawn theme to represent better images, products, videos, quotes, and more. The product-focused design helps you present your products without any distractions.
Installation and setup are quick and seamless. Moreover, you can increase the chances of conversions with blogs, cross-selling, FAQ pages, product reviews, and other advanced options for product discovery.
SuitUp
SuitUp is a multipurpose online store theme that is liked because of its
The theme is designed to be universal and suitable for any niche store. It works perfectly fine with a responsive speed on any device.
Other exciting features of SuitUp are Ajax filters, advanced search, and product search filters by color, price, brand, size, and other parameters.
There are a total of 15 variants of this theme. Each variant has a specifically designed homepage layout. You can select a suitable theme for your store depending on your niche.
Furthermore, you can reach a new level of success with SEO optimization.
Simple
The Simple theme is known for its consistently good reviews. It has a minimalist style and easy setup that lets you get started in minutes.
Setting up your eCommerce store with Simple is handy and quick. You can set the product display, create necessary pages, and give a final look to your imagination.
The Simple theme will display products to your customers without distractions. It helps in better conversions by fading options other than the call to action (CTA).
Debutify
The Debutify theme is my last pick under the best free Shopify themes. However, it is knowns for
And many other features it brings to the table.
Debutify is completely user-friendly. It doesn’t require even a small fragment of code. You can design your store with the drag-and-drop option and see the final outlook in real-time.
The currency converter feature allows you to sell products in different currencies across different regions. It lets you expand your horizon and increase profit margins. You can use it to offer a multi-currency checkout option with Shopify Payments.
Debutify is a simple theme with advanced features. It suits stores in any niche and helps them serve a global customer base.
The Bottom Line
Starting an eCommerce store is exciting. You get to design everything from scratch.
Your store's design and layout are primary factors determining the overall success. If you want an intuitively designed Shopify store, the Debut theme with its fast loading speed would be the best to get started.
The other Shopify themes in the list above are also suited for growth without compromising on any other quality factor.
Whichever theme you choose, the key is to create a great store that maximizes the chances of delivering an exceptional customer experience.
For better insights into how your customer feels during their buying journey, use Rush. It gives you access to detailed data to see how things are going.
Try Rush for Free and experience how it can enhance your Shopify store's performance and customer satisfaction firsthand.