Choosing your Shopify theme is arguably the most important step to setting up your store. Much like you can’t build a house without a foundation, a Shopify store can’t be built without a theme. But with so many options, including choosing a prebuilt or custom theme, this simple task can turn into a very difficult one.

Here’s Fyresite’s ultimate guide to choosing the right theme for your Shopify store.

Psst: need help building your dream Shopify store? Reach out to Fyresite, a Shopify Premier Partner, to get started today.

What’s the Difference Between a Custom, Semi-Custom, and Ready-Made Shopify Theme?

When you look into choosing your Shopify theme, you’ll see these terms thrown around. But what do they actually mean?

A custom theme is designed by a web designer and built out by a developer with their own code. This is done to customize the theme to your exact business needs.The designer and developer work together to make sure that the look and function of your site is exactly what you want. No one-size-fits-all solutions here.

A semi-custom theme uses the bones of a ready-made Shopify theme as a base, and then custom features are added by a designer and developer. It’s a sweet half-way spot between the complete freedom of a custom theme and the restrictions of a ready-made theme.

A ready-made Shopify theme is a pre-made theme made by developers and approved by Shopify for use in building stores. While choosing a ready-made theme means you’ll lose the customizability of a custom or semi-custom theme, you’ll still be able to choose a theme that works for your brand and business needs.

Choosing Between Custom, Semi-Custom, and Ready-Made Themes

If you’re trying to decide if you should get a custom, semi-custom, or ready-made theme for your Shopify store, here’s a few questions to help you decide.

  • Is this a 1:1 migration or a completely new store?
    • 1:1 migrations often choose a custom theme to keep the look of their brand as similar as possible to the store of the platform they are migrating off of
    • Completely new stores often choose a semi-custom theme or ready-made theme, since they can pick one that suits their brand and business.
  • How much budget can you allocate towards the theme?
    • The more custom work done to a theme, the more expensive it is. If you’re on a tight budget, it’s better to look for a ready-made theme that fits your needs.
  • Is there a time crunch?
    • Sometimes, it’s a rush to get a store up or migrate before a certain date. If you’re more concerned about having a store than what your store looks like, choose a ready-made theme. Stores can always be redesigned in the future.

Considerations for Choosing a Theme

Not all themes are created equally. Here are some important considerations when choosing a theme.

  • Choosing the correct theme version
    • Shopify 1.0 themes are slow and inefficient
    • Shopify 2.0 themes are better optimized for performance
  • Prioritize your must-have features
    • Not every theme has the same features. Before you start searching for themes, make a list of features that you need to have and features you would like to have
    • Knowing which features are non-negotiable for your store will help you sort through themes (or determine if you need a custom theme)
  • Check out other using the theme
    • In the Shopify theme store, there is an option to let you see active Shopify stores using that theme
      • Seeing a theme in action can help give a better understanding of how the features look and work
  • Test themes
    • In the Shopify theme store, there’s a try theme option that allows you to view the theme without committing to it

Connect With a Shopify Premier Partner

Migrating to or creating a Shopify store can be a big task. Work with a Shopify Premier Partner like Fyresite to lighten the load. Schedule your free consultation with our eCommerce team today.