Choosing Between a Bespoke Theme & Shopify Theme 

One of the most exciting things to consider when setting up your new ecommerce store is your shop’s theme. An important question to ask yourself before making a choice is should you choose one of Shopify’s pre-designed themes or go for a bespoke design?

In this article, we’ll talk about whether you should go for an off-the-shelf Shopify theme or go for something more personalized for your brand, like a bespoke custom design.

First of all, what is a theme? 

A theme is a template for your online store, it sets the layout or framework for your website, ideally reflecting your brand, products, and services in a way that fits the purpose of your online shop. In other terms, your website’s theme sets the look and feel of your online store.

If you visit Shopify’s theme store, you’ll discover that there are many elegantly designed Shopify themes with a different range of prices available to suit any budget, many of which are free. It is simply a matter of selecting which pre-designed theme will suit your brand best.

One of the biggest benefits of selecting a theme from Shopify’s theme store is its ease of use. Once you have chosen a template for your shop, you can install it and work on building your store by editing the theme.

When it comes to bespoke designs, however, there is more freedom when it comes to the overall look and feel of your website. A bespoke theme is fully customized, from aesthetic to function, to suit your brand and its business objectives. 

This means your online store will be 100% unique, built from scratch to suit the vision of your online website, helping you stand apart from the rest.

‍

How to Make the Choice

Here is how to decide on whether to go for a Shopify theme or a bespoke theme design. When selecting the right theme for your online store, it's best to look at your business size and model. 

Simply put, if you are a small start-up with a limited budget, you can make the best of Shopify by selecting one of their free or premium themes. This is the best way to get your products and services on the market quickly with a more economical strategy.

Bespoke designs on the other hand may be an ideal choice for established businesses and funded start-ups looking to invest in a website that fully realizes and matches the vision and objectives of a brand. Bespoke designed themes are a completely unique experience; it means creating a store that is optimized in the best way possible for your brand.

Keep in mind that choosing a Shopify theme is great for those who would like a professional and sophisticated site that is cost-effective and quick to set up. While the pros of a Bespoke theme include cohesive brand identity, code control, and having a distinctively unique website build for your needs, with the help of Shopify experts with long-standing experience.

One other thing to consider is project timelines. Setting up a store with the use of a Shopify theme takes up to 3 to 5 weeks, while a custom design may take longer, 7 to 10 weeks or so.

‍

Back to You

Ultimately, both custom-built bespoke websites and sites build with a pre-purchased Shopify theme can result in beautiful sites that are professional and sophisticated, when done right by an expert who can execute your brand’s vision.

Thinking of building an ecommerce website with the best possible theme for your brand?

Get in Touch

At Ecommerce Pro, we help entrepreneurs and business owners build better and more successful ecommerce businesses. Have a question or a project in mind? Get in touch with us today!