It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently. - Warren Buffett.
Shopify takes this principle to heart. Shopify stands for high standard and easy, user-friendly platform and interactions. That’s why they accept only an exclusive, restricted group of people that can list their themes on the Official Theme Store. Or, better said, only this small group is able to satisfy all requirements that Shopify demands.
This is the first big difference between the Shopify Theme Store themes and those from 3rd party marketplaces, such as Envato/ ThemeForest. In the absence of rigorous requirements to be met, individual developers looking for ways to make money can develop and sell bad, poorly designed themes to merchants.
There is a total of 22 big requirements that a company must meet to list their theme to the Shopify Store. We like to classify these requirements into 3 Quality, User-Friendly, Exclusivity, Unicity, Features and Support groups.
Quality, UX, Exclusivity & Unicity features:
Shopify maintains a high bar for themes in its Theme Store because it wants to ensure that all themes look professional but also provide an exceptional user experience. And that’s a big deal! If you’re a merchant, you’re looking for ways to make more money, grow revenue and scale up. The last thing you want is to learn the tech-savvy language and tackle major code issues. You have agencies like us or individuals you can find on freelance platforms that will help you save time and solve code issues. With official themes though, even a newbie entrepreneur will be able to navigate and set up their theme because it’s created in an easy and explanatory way - going for a paid theme means cutting possible development costs.
You should know that Shopify requires all theme developers to offer responsive design, fast load times, and adhere to web accessibility standards, ensuring that all customers, regardless of their abilities, can navigate the store seamlessly. The push for exclusivity and uniqueness means that themes should offer a distinctive look and feel, helping stores stand out in a crowded market.
Note that there are only 172 themes available at the moment of this blog on the Shopify Theme Store - which in reality translates to around 80 themes because each one has around 3 different Shopify templates. This is an indicator of exclusivity and quality through high standards.
Customization and Functionality features:
Customization and Functionality are very important. Buying a good theme is your first step to success. Shopify insists that official themes must offer a high degree of customization, enabling merchants to tailor their stores to their brand’s unique aesthetic and functional needs without extensive technical knowledge. Official themes must support a wide range of customizations, from homepage layouts to product discovery features, all manageable through Shopify’s intuitive interface.
With so many good features available, a major step moving forward is setting up your theme correctly for conversions and better sales. That’s why you should consider investing in sales-oriented strategies when creating the store. And we are here if you need some help.
Third-party themes have their own advantage here though. Themes listed outside Shopify's own ecosystem tend to offer a broader array of features to attract users. They like to offer complexity and diversity. However, the reliability of these “100+ features and sections” can vary, and often require a more tech-savvy approach to setup and customization. In other words, not having so many criteria to meet means more space for experimenting, and third-party themes can offer you a beautiful variety of sections as long as you can set them up properly for the long game.
Support feature:
Next on the list is the Support feature. With so many tutorials and online resources out there, you might say the support feature doesn’t weigh that much. But it does! Each theme has its special requirements and different code and you’ll have a hard time finding the right answer for your issue. The troubleshooting alone takes a lot of time and that’s something a lot of our clients understood already and decided to work with us under a maintenance contract.
Look at the Support feature as the Long-Term Maintenance. Everyone needs it! Shopify publishes new updates every month and they are constantly working on the platform. I truly believe the commitment to long-term maintenance is what truly sets Shopify's official themes apart. Developers are obligated to fix critical bugs immediately and respond to merchant inquiries within 48 working hours, guaranteeing that your online store remains functional, secure, and up-to-date. This is something you get by default. If you decide to use a ThemeForest template, then the ongoing support might be very bad or non-existent, leaving you alone and unsecured against potential issues. There are theme developers that offer extra maintenance, but you need to pay extra for it.
Also, it gives me more safety to know that Shopify itself checked the companies behind the themes. I know they will be in the space for a while, ready to help.
Costs:
This is the biggest win when selecting a third-party theme. The price will vary a lot on ThemeForest & other similar platforms, but usually, it’s not higher than $100. A theme listed on the Shopify Theme Store will cost you somewhere between $300 and $400. This pricing strategy is aimed at making these themes more attractive in the face of the premium pricing of official Shopify themes. However, it's crucial to consider that the initial savings on a theme might be offset by potential expenses related to customization, troubleshooting, and maintenance down the line. Investing in an official Shopify theme is an investment in your store's future, providing a solid and reliable foundation that supports your business's growth and evolution.
Final thoughts:
- Themes listed on the Shopify Theme Store respect Shopify's high standards and clear requirements. They offer a lot of customization and functionality, but the most important feature is customer support. It is mandatory to respond to the merchant’s needs. They are more expensive but worth it in the long term.
- Third-party themes that are usually listed on ThemeForest are cheaper and not that stable. They usually offer a higher grade of customization but require tech-savvy language. Not the best in terms of UX and has no guarantee of ongoing support.
In my eyes, a premium theme from the Shopify Theme Store is the clear winner and the cheaper price or the multitude of features are not impressing me enough to opt for a third-party theme. The theme should stay with you for the next years.
If you’re not up to investing around $400 into one, then choose a free, official Shopify theme. If it’s not enough and doesn’t satisfy your customization needs, or if you’re more tech-savvy, go for a ThemeForest one. I have nothing against ThemeForest themes - but you need to look up solid themes that offer you peace of mind through Customer Support and easy UX. That’s why I recommend people buy only the most popular themes if they decide to use third-party themes.
You can book a Discovery Call with us and solve this together. If you’re not sure which theme is the perfect pick for your business idea, we are here to help. Get in touch with us!
