Whether you’re a whole new Shopify merchant or you’ve been utilizing a free theme for a few years, you’ve probably found yourself wondering, “MUST I update to a premium theme? What exactly are the benefits? Could it be worthy of my 180 cash?”
Free designs are a great starting point for new entrepreneurs, but as your website grows as well as your sales increase, so do your needs. Upgrading to reduced Shopify theme is the next natural step.
Sure, you might hire a builder to develop you a custom site, but are you really prepared to spend that kind of money? High grade themes, whether you get from the Shopify theme store or straight from a theme developer, give you the benefits of high quality ecommerce design and never have to fork over a great deal of hard-earned dough.
Since you explore online, you might also be tempted to buy from a third-party software industry like ThemeForest. Be warned! These topics are less reliable, offer spotty customer support, and aren’t vetted by Shopify. You might save some money for a while, but they can cost you money and time down the line.
So why upgrade to a paid Shopify theme? Maybe your catalog is growing and you need a better quality option for showcasing products. Perhaps you want more built-in features rather than adding more apps. Maybe you want a much better mobile experience. Or possibly you just want immediate support from your theme’s developer, and you understand reduced theme is the only way to obtain it.
If you’re having difficulty deciding whether a paid theme is right for your store, we wrote this post to outline some great things about prime themes and help you select it’s a chance to upgrade.
More design options
First impressions are important. Did you know 75% of consumers admit to judging a company’s credibility based on their web design? One of the most frequent reasons for changing to reduced theme is design.
Shopify’s free themes may be sound and functional, but you don’t have to look difficult to find something without their look and feel. Premium styles offer more variant, more options for customization, and a richer customer experience.
Take a look at how Beehive Handmade uses Grid to showcase their beautiful product photography on the homepage. In the same way, look how Snooz uses Start to high light product details and inform a tale as you scroll listed below.
It’s important to envision your store five years down the road. Do you plan showing off a straight larger catalog of products? Are there design features you’ll need one or two years from now? If you can pick a prime theme that works for your store now and in the foreseeable future, you’ll have a clearer path to success.
Increased mobile experience
Perhaps you have noticed a higher ratio of mobile browsers but a minimal change rate? It’s time to think about your store’s mobile experience. In 2017, through the top ecommerce sales period (Dark Friday and Cyber Monday), mobile accounted for 64% of most Shopify orders.
If you’re reading this on desktop, move to your cellphone to see these next few instances. Simpler Times Co. uses our mobile-first theme Convenient for a responsive and smooth mobile experience. Similarly, Epically Beautiful uses Reach to put forth a straightforward yet graceful mobile experience.
Mobile-first and mobile-friendly are two different looks. It’s not necessary to select a mobile-first theme, but it is vital to be mobile-friendly. Every theme in the best shopify themes for dropshipping is mobile-friendly and will give you a better chance at converting on-the-go buyers.
More built-in features
Browse the Shopify theme store and compare the difference in features between free and paid themes. Whether it’s a “quick buy” button, homepage slideshow, included Instagram give food to, or embedded video tutorial, prime theme features very good outweigh those of free themes.
Feature packages often determine which theme is most effective for your store. For just two types of extremely feature-rich themes, check out Empire by Pixel Union and Turbo by From the Sandbox. Even though you don’t think you need many of these features right now, you might be better off choosing one of the options which means you can start using them down the road.
And sure, you may well be able to then add functionality with apps, but as your list of programs grows, so do your monthly payments. Crunch some numbers and see whether a one-time theme repayment is less expensive long-term than a couple of app subscriptions.
Smoother checkout experience
Quick pay (noun) – An attribute found in premium Shopify themes which allows shoppers to quickly add products with their cart without leaving the page.
One of the primary struggles Shopify sellers face is abandoned carts and missed conversions. Allowing purchasers to search your store without forcing them into places they don’t want to go (ie. checkout) is vital to make sales.
“Quick pay” is a superb way to lessen checkout friction and increase conversions. It’s available in many styles, including Empire, Atlantic, Grid, Editions, and Retina.
Immediate theme support
Being a Shopify merchant, you understand customer support is important. In the event that you aren’t inclined or in a position to answer questions and help customers understand your product, they’re more likely to leave without making a purchase.
We feel the same way. If you can’t speak right to the people who built your theme, how will you put it to use to its full potential? Whether you have questions about installation, troubleshooting, or anything else, it’s important to be able to trim on customer support.
If you decide to select a Pixel Union theme, you can be confident you’re in good hands. We have a dedicated theme support team that are certain to get you on the way when you desire a side. And yeah, we might have a bit of an bias here, but once you work with our amazing support team you’ll know why!