12 Design Tips to make a Professional Shopify store

According to research, 2023, half of the shoppers think that a company's overall brand is impacted by the design of its website. That is the reason why Shopify store design is one of the most essential components to make your company successful. This blog will tell you the importance of it and then provide useful tips for improving and enhancing your website design.

The importance of a well-designed Shopify store

When we talk about design, it contains everything, including your logos, the images you use to market your products, where you use them, how you show them, and elements used in the store, such as graphics, buttons, banners, pop-up windows, and more.

Making a good first impression on potential customers can be facilitated with a professionally designed website. It might also help you generate more leads and boost conversions. But more significantly, it promotes a great user experience and makes it simple for visitors to access and navigate your website.

Create the first impression

When people visit your website, they form their initial impression of your business. They'll make an instant judgment of your company. You want to have a good impact on your audience in the first few seconds.

If your website is dated or unattractive, your visitors will acquire a negative opinion of your business immediately. They won't stay on your page because they won't find it to be appealing. You will miss out on leads since they will leave your page in favour of a rival's.

Because it affects how your audience views your brand, web design is crucial. The first impression you provide them will determine whether they stay on your page to learn more about your company or whether they click on a competitor's page instead. You can keep leads on your page longer with the aid of effective web design.

Benefit your search engine optimization (SEO) strategy 

You can publish material on your website using a variety of web design techniques, which in turn affects how search engine spiders scan and index your website.

You simply cannot afford to make a mistake here. If the fundamentals of your on-page SEO are not sound, you will face an uphill battle for exposure right away.

Other than how content is published on your website, some web design components might have an impact on SEO on their own. If you are unfamiliar with how web design functions, it can be challenging to understand but to put it simply, your code must be SEO-friendly.

Read more: Shopify SEO for Beginners: Knowledge & Guide

Increase your audience's faith in your business

People don't trust websites with poor design. They won't trust your site if it has a poor design or if the information appears to be obsolete. Because your website doesn't have an updated web design, they might think it's seedy or nefarious.

Consider someone who wants to order in large quantities from a manufacturer. They're investing a lot of money, so if your manufacturing website design doesn't inspire confidence, they'll look for another company to complete their purchase.

A professional website, on the other hand, communicates credibility to your viewers. They will have faith in your company and feel at ease investigating it further.

Building trust with your readers will help keep them on your website. There are more opportunities for your company to gather leads when visitors stay on your website longer.

Promote consistency

Building your brand is important when trying to attract new leads for your company. For your audience to choose you when they're ready to convert, you want them to become familiar with your brand. Online web designs are crucial since they provide uniformity throughout your page.

People will leave your website for one that appears more professional if it is inconsistent. You can retain leads on your page longer and familiarize them with your company by maintaining consistency. When you rebuild your site for this crucial component, you'll eventually generate more leads and conversions.

12 design tips to create a perfect Shopify store

Follow these design tips to select suitable recommendations to apply for your online stores.

1.Plan your ideal website 

Before starting to build up your website, you have to plan the thing you want to put on your website based on your users, the core products, and the industry development.

Who are your target customers?

Your online stores are made to attract your customers and provide useful product information for them to get to know more about the business. From that, it boosts customers’ purchasing decisions and leads to sales. Therefore, this is the first step and also the most important one which decides whether your website is successful or not. 

What is your core product?

Your core product is the most crucial thing for your business; it solves your customer’s pain points. Hence, the target audience will look for your product’s benefits and engage with your business if the goods give them the right value.

How is industry development?

Industry development shows you about your competitors and development trends. This matter indicates that you have to consider competitors’ strengths and weaknesses to improve and enhance your company’s strategy; make your website distinctive and outstanding. 

Besides, you also should appraise the development trend of the industry to keep up with the new things and change your web design to suit the user’s tendency.

Tips:

- Understand your target audience

Drawing customer persona and understanding consumer expectations, behaviours, requirements, and motives is the main goal of customer research. Then, insights are applied to make sure that every product design choice benefits the consumer.

To find out what users think and feel about a product or service, do interviews with them. Consider testing next, customers' statements and actions are frequently at odds with one another. Ask users to describe their behaviours, thoughts, and feelings as they go about using the site by watching them as they carry out specific tasks. You might want to record them on camera for further study.

Limited budget for extensive user testing? Sending out emails with surveys and questionnaires, conducting guerrilla product testing, and listening to incoming calls are all still effective ways to swiftly and cost-freely get data.

Last but not least, take advantage of qualified research about groups of people who are the same as your target customers to understand more about them. 

- Showcase your product’s value

In the planning step, you need to sketch the product’s functions and its competitive advantages. Furthermore, prepare the product’s media to visualize them to your users when they land in your online stores.

- Access industry development 

In this task, you ought to update new trends regularly via social media and industry magazines. Especially, looking for eCommerce design tendencies and general design trends through the internet and market research. 

Another essential point is competitors’ analysis, finding out the merits and demerits of their web design to learn good parts and avoid negative sections. From that, apply the best for your website.

Overall, your website plan will cover customer insight, product value, industry research and the key things you want to display in your Shopify store. Feeling your customer’s pain points, knowing the things which your target consumers are looking for from your business to give them the right product’s value. Also, combining industry trends helps you design an attractive website that can stimulate users effectively.

2.Choose the suitable theme

A Shopify theme is a design template that dictates how shoppers will see your online business. Shopify has a large selection of themes available. To design and organize your web pages and product categories, themes offer a variety of styles and layout options.

Some themes are free to use, however the majority range in price from $140 to $180. One of the most challenging things is choosing the appropriate theme, which serves as the fundamental building block of the design.

Especially if it's your first time using Shopify or theme stores in general, this crucial choice can also be one of the most difficult. You should focus on the specific goals you have for your theme to help you limit your selections. 

You can use some free themes or default themes of Shopify to start. However, the customization ability is restricted. Hence, The4 themes are the best solution for your Shopify store because of their flexible customization and professional interface. The4 publishes a range of stunning themes in various fields, some of the most popular Shopify themes are Kalles, Unsen, Gecko, etc. 

Tips:

Based on your website plan at the beginning, select the themes which meet the website’s criteria, such as target audience, products’ functions and your budget.  

- Customer experience

What type of experience are you attempting to give your clients? – The mood, which ultimately forms the user experience will be influenced by the layout, image sizes, text positioning, etc.

- Product features

What features would you like to see in your store? – Do you like regular or big image displays? Endless scrolling? Make sure you are aware of the characteristics you desire before choosing a theme.

- Rivals' actions

What actions are your rivals taking? Keep an eye on what your rivals are doing to learn what works and what you might do differently and better.

- Product displaying

How do you want your products to be shown? This is a crucial question for e-commerce because the user experience is greatly influenced by how your products are presented. Think about the products you have. For instance, large photos aren't necessary for tech products because they mostly rely on specs, but they are for fashion items.

- Company's budget

What is the price range for the website design? Before deciding on an expensive theme, you should figure out your whole budget because additional plugins and apps might also raise your expenses. Utilizing a free theme first and then enhancing it with a commercial app may prove more cost-effective.

3.Optimize website loading speed

What will you do if you come to a page that takes lots of time to load the page? You will leave the site immediately. It affects customer experience, the customers will feel dissatisfied with your stores. 

Google considers a variety of elements when determining how to rank pages on search results. Both your ranking and the user experience may suffer as a consequence of this. Website speed is one of the most crucial aspects of web design. Follow the this post to speed up your website.

Tips:

- Reduce file size and optimize it

If your page contains an excessive number of high-quality photographs, it will take a long time to load. TinyPNG is a great tool to help you compress the media’s size without affecting its quality. You just need to upload the file and then wait for compressing process fast and easy.

- Remove unnecessary Shopify apps

Shopify apps support you in building a complete online store from page builder to tracking orders, etc. However, a lot of apps cause your website's loading speed to slow down. Hence, you have to review all of the apps and remove the unnecessary ones. 

You also can use apps which can serve multiple purposes to optimize your website design. EComposer provides a mass of stunning Shopify pages with great solutions for converting with great extensions.

4. Display Value proposition

When designing your website, keep in mind that you must demonstrate your company's value proposition if you want to draw in more clients.

The phrase or image at the top of your website that customers first view is your company's value proposition. This means that it will have the biggest impact on whether or not your clients become interested and scroll down.

Tips:

Make sure to incorporate all pertinent facts in the value proposition's content in the clearest, most concise manner you can. To highlight the brand of your Shopify business, you can include a short but compelling title. Then you can briefly discuss the benefits and standout qualities of your items, such as their safety, dependability, expert endorsement, etc.

The layout of your company's value proposition is closely related to its content. The tone and attitude of your website can reveal a lot about your company.

(image source: novowatch.com)

"We make watches from materials saturated in history", claims Novo Watch.

You can tell the difference between a Novo Watch watch and one made by one of its rivals right away. The most compelling value propositions are distinctive and different.

The value proposition dominates the first page of the website when you enter, but it is also repeated on the product pages.

5.Add Conversion elements 

One of the most important goals of building a professional online store is to increase the conversion rate and boost customers’ buying decisions. It is necessary to add this factor to the website design.

Tips:

You can adjust every little detail on your website, including:

• - Placement of widgets, advertisements, CTAs, etc.
• - Specific button colours
• - Choices for navigation
• - The social media button layout
• - Photos that are most effective at converting

6.Use the Page builder app 

Page builder app is a Shopify app which provides solutions for creating website pages for merchants. However, Shopify themes also give you default pages; so why should we use the Shopify page builder app while using the theme? Let’s answer this question through the below analysis. 

- Themes give you a complete website with standard pages such as a product page, collection page, homepage, contact us page and other sections like header or footer. However, it has limited customization and other functions. It allows you to change very simple things like colour, fonts or add sections. 

- Shopify page builders delivers special features and elements to customize your pages. Furthermore, you can apply these apps' stunning templates to your live themes. Hence, Shopify page builders have high customization. 

The greatest point is Page builder is to allows you to create a single page for special purposes. For instance, on Black Friday or Christmas, you would like to make a page for Christmas sales only. You can create it with EComposer Landing Page Builder templates or elements.

The top-rated page builder app on Shopify App Store is EComposer with over 4000+ reviews (5.0/5) and is being used by 10,000+ Shopify stores. Using EComposer Page Builder, you can design pages with tons of professional templates, various extensions - elements and a powerful drag-drop editor that helps create a perfect page. Moreover, EComposer has live chat 24/7 to support your issues immediately when you need it. 

7.Make it highly usable

How simple it is for your customers to access information about the products, make choices, and place orders? How easy it is for customers to utilize your store or fulfil their intended objectives, such as looking at product descriptions, and prices, or completing a purchase, is one way to gauge its usability. Customers shouldn't have to search everywhere to find what they require.

Tips: 

Here are a few quick tips to increase usability:

• - Each page should contain pertinent, succinct, and precise information.
• - Cut back on page clutter
• - Keep your offers brief and straightforward: Offering too many options to customers causes analysis paralysis. Because they are difficult to decide, they simply click away. 

8.Keep brand identity consistent

Brand identity is how a company is represented externally, including key features, such as its name. Part of forming your brand's identity includes ensuring you design a professional logo, along with considering your visual style and communication. In other words, it's just a way of expressing your brand's great attributes to the globe through talking to the online market. You may stand out from the crowd of competitors and set yourself apart with a stunning brand identity.

Explore: 17 Best AI Logo Generators: Free Options Included!

It is entirely up to you to create a brand identity that attracts more customers to your business. If you want your Shopify store to stand out, you must have a distinctive brand identity. Because a brand identity conveys who you are to the outside world, defines who you are, and leads to better long-term consumer relationships.

Since your brand identity is the primary thing people think of when learning about your company, it should be distinctive and easy to recognize. Customers who have a strong brand are simple to remember when they need anything. As a result, after your brand has made an impression on clients, they could prefer to utilize your items, which can result in sustainable growth. They are more likely to be loyal clients if your brand is strong and your products are of high quality.

Tips:

The quality of your brand and who you are must be reflected in your brand messaging's identity. To reflect the consistency of your brand identity, your brand messaging should be cohesive and connected to your logo.

To incorporate all relevant information about your Shopify store and its products, your Shopify store must have a "home-based" website. For consumers to comprehend your brand's vision, you should also tell your brand's story.

Another important point is the consistency in website colours and visuals. The store theme colours must be presented throughout the website pages. The design style of visual also unifies one another.

(image source: chobani.com)

Although yoghurt may not be the most exciting product, the design team has a serious design crush on Chobani's logo. Their packaging features a distinctive green colour, which is a reflection of their natural, non-GMO components and serves as a backdrop for the fruit to stand out. 

9.Use catchy visuals

Utilizing the site's graphics is another excellent suggestion you should keep in mind when you construct your Shopify website. You should give your customers as much information as you can about your products because you are doing your business remotely. And incorporating visuals in your Shopify store is one method to achieve this.

Tips:

To highlight your products and appeal to your customers, attempt to use the highest quality images possible. You can also be used to allow clients to view your products from various perspectives and surroundings. The size of the photos is something else to consider, though, since we just noted that it might have an impact on how quickly your website loads.

Make sure that your website's graphics complement the Shopify store's style. The layout, colour scheme, font typeface, and other elements of the website's general design shouldn't be dramatically different from your graphics.

(image source: drinkolipop.com)

The concept behind OLIPOP is to introduce a new soda that has a modest sugar content but is abundant in dietary fibre to help your gut microbiota.

Their website has a clean, vibrant, and inviting atmosphere. The copy does a good job of explaining the soda's purpose. Additionally, the product page is artistic and changes colour when you choose another flavour.

10.Design Mobile-friendly version

According to Statista, The vast majority of orders placed on digital commerce websites worldwide are placed via mobile devices. Around 73% of retail site visits and 63% of online purchase orders were coming from smartphones as of the third quarter of 2023.

Mobile is the primary device utilized for internet purchasing. Google's preferred website is already set up for mobile users in recognition of the shift in people's use of mobile. 

Hence, your ranking on Google would dramatically rise if your page is mobile-friendly. This is understandable given that mobile devices account for more than half of Google's organic searches. Additionally, allowing clients to use any device they choose to shop on will increase your conversion rate. 

The focus on making the Shopify website mobile friendly also improves client satisfaction with their time spent on your store. A customer would return or give the store a high rating if they had a positive mobile shopping experience. As it immediately influenced the store's success, rating or review.

Tips:

- Use the search bar instead

Space is precious, particularly on mobile devices when the screen is only a tenth of what it is on a desktop. The mobile webpage has too much space taken up by this.

- Customize the banner's dimensions

Without a doubt, many clients use various mobile devices to access websites. Displaying banner pictures for various screen widths has therefore become essential.

The banner size can significantly affect a page's performance, and making the appropriate decision can increase the effectiveness of your advertising.

- Mobile form optimization

Forms need to be typed into, to keep it easy. Visitors who fill out a long form must type a lot. There are two methods you can use: fewer form fields are used or Divide your form into several steps.

11.Build trust using social proofs

Statistics on online reviews show that 95% of customers read them before making a purchase. Converting cold traffic might be challenging. You need to gain potential consumers' trust before you can expect them to become clients when they first encounter your establishment.

However, social proof can make that process easier. It's one of the most powerful tools an e-commerce company has for establishing trust, and as you expand, it might get even better.

Whether you are aware of social proof or not, it has affected decisions throughout your life, both significant and insignificant. Social proof grabs our attention because we are innately curious about what is occurring, why it is happening, and what the right conduct or response should be by appealing to the "wisdom of the crowd."

Tips:

There are various types of social proof and you can choose the suitable ones and show them to your visitors to build trust. 

- The wisdom of the crowd

A typical form of social proof is quantifiable evidence of a brand's popularity, which can reassure potential customers about purchasing from you or at the very least increase their interest in your products.

For instance, as a consumer, you may evaluate a new company based on the followers they have on a particular social media account. A 200,000-follower Instagram account would undoubtedly appear more established than a 1,000-follower one.

The following examples of social proof also fall into this category:

• - The number of social media posts' likes, comments, views, and shares
• - Number of people that watch live videos on Facebook or Instagram
• - To encourage your readers to sign up for your email list, mention how many subscribers you have.

- User reviews

Your most powerful sales technique will be peer-driven praise since customers believe what other people say online. These reviews will undoubtedly affect consumers' purchasing choices, and they may make the difference between a high bounce rate and a high conversion rate.

You can gather and show reviews and ratings on your website, through an app, or in public discussion platforms like Facebook, or even Google. You will gain from both product reviews and general company reviews, and customers will believe what other customers have to say.

- Endorsement by famous people

Creating celebrity social proof can be challenging. Paid partnerships can nevertheless be beneficial, especially if they are sincere, even though they are not necessarily seen as being as real as peer-driven proof.

Public sharing of content from influencers and celebrities still counts as an endorsement. As long as the articles don't read like a sales pitch, micro-influencers, such as industry bloggers and complementary firms in your area, may have an influence that overlaps with your target audience.

- Recommendation from friends

People who observe that their friends think favourably of your goods are referred to as having social proof. Observing a buddy follow you on social media, as an example, or seeing someone using your product, as shown in user-generated content.

UGC refers to internet reviews that pleased clients leave about your business. Customers frequently do this by posting on their personal accounts about their interactions with your business or product. They might reference your hashtag or tag you.

Since it differs from sponsored material, people are more likely to believe it to be genuine. If you can locate it, obtain permission, and share it, do it on your channels.

- Certification

When a reputable someone in your industry gives you their seal of approval, it is certification proof. Consider obtaining a verified badge on Instagram and TikTok.

When an industry authority endorses your goods or services or publicly links their name to your business, you have expert social proof. For instance, having someone as a guest on your Instagram Live or a TikTok shoutout from a professional.

When shopping online, people are on the watch for bogus reviews. Customers may become turned off and their purchases may suffer if they believe reviews are false.

(image source: kettleandfire.com)

By tagging your reviews with verified buyer labels, you may increase customer confidence. The badge "Verified Buyer" denotes that the product has received reviews and recommendations from buyers.

Check out the product pages to see how Kettle & Fire has incorporated these. Each review has a tiny green checkmark and label added by the brand to increase customer confidence before making a purchase.

12.Do not overdo it

According to 84.6% of surveyed web designers, the most frequent mistake committed by small businesses is congested site design (GoodFirms, 2021).

When you start, you might think that your website needs to have everything to be fully functioning. However, doing so will just overburden and overwhelm your clients' intellect.

Tips:

- Keep it short

Do not succumb to the temptation to highlight every characteristic you can think of because, most of the time, less is more. Keep it short, sweet, and to the point. When building your website, you should only preserve the most essential elements and eliminate any that are seldom ever utilized. Make cautious not to overwhelm your customers with information.

- Includes the best images and videos only

It's a good idea to focus on your graphics and only includes the best images or videos rather than including everything. Additionally, you should use no more than two to four fonts to keep your typeface simple.

- Consider whitespace

Whitespace is a further point to be considered. All of the places on a webpage that are purposefully left blank are referred to as whitespace. It is typically utilized to provide a smoother flow for your customers to browse through your store and balance out your website's aspects.

Final thought

There is no perfect template for Shopify store design because the best practices differ depending on the customer group. Understand your target customers, and follow new trends to create your best Shopify store design. 

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