Why you should use a 2.0 theme for your Shopify website and a look at the 3 brand new free 2.0 Shopify themes.
*Links in this blog post marked with an asterisk are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I may earn a commission. That being said, I only share about companies that I love and have helped me to grow my own business.Ok, so you’ve figured out that Shopify* is the best option to sell your product online (sorry Squarespace, I love you for my service based clients, but Shopify is the industry standard for ecommerce businesses). Now, how do you start to choose a theme for your online store?
First things first, let me explain what a theme is. A Shopify theme is basically a template for the design of your website. There are lots of themes to choose from, ranging from free to premium and varying styles and functionality. When choosing a theme, it’s important to think about your goals for your website and make sure that the theme includes the features that you need.
To get the most out of what Shopify has to offer, I always recommend using the a newer Shopify 2.0 theme. These are newer themes that have so much more flexibility than the older themes, for example:
The ability to style and add extra sections to all pages is a game-changer for creating a beautifully branded website with ease. A big problem with the older themes is that you could only style the homepage in the editor, meaning that your other pages were well… boring (unless you hired a developer to code everything for you).
Dynamic metafields! Don’t be put off by the name, these are actually just extra bits of information that you can add to a product. For example, to add drop downs with care and use instructions for each individual product automatically without having to code a thing. You even use this handy little feature to create stunning product page layouts that only contain information or images relating to the particular product.
Three new Shopify 2.0 themes
Until recently last week there was only one free 2.0 theme called Dawn, but Shopify have just released 3 new free Shopify 2.0 themes, which are perfect if you’re a new business owner or on a budget. Luckily, I’ve tested the new themes for you!
My main finding was that, despite appearances, Craft, Crave and Sense all have the same customisation options. This means that you could start with any 3 of these themes as a base and end up with the same result once you’ve customised it for your brand.
They’re all improved versions of the first free Shopify 2.0 theme (called Dawn) and these are some examples of the improvements that you’ll love:
So many new styling options such as borders, border thickness, rounded corner options, drop shadows and even gradients without code. This is why Craft, Crave and Sense all look so different, despite having the same options in the Shopify theme editor.
Extra padding options between sections (meaning that you’re website can look much cleaner and spacious, without extra code)
The new drop down (accordion) sections anywhere - which, let’s face it, is useful for any website to answer those important FAQs and is perfect for your Shipping & Returns page
Overall, I was really impressed with the flexibility of these themes. They won’t be a perfect fit for every business but they’re a great solution if you don’t have the budget for a premium theme.
Hi I’m Danielle
I help entrepreneurs & creatives to bring their brand online through beautiful, strategic web design. Click below to learn more about how I can help you to launch your dream website.
