Customised theme or bespoke Shopify website?

Are you ready to give your Shopify store the look it deserves? Let’s explore the design possibilities!

You have three options to choose from:

• Pick up a ‘ready-made’ theme from the Shopify theme store or ThemeForest. This is a great option if you’re looking to get up and running with minimal fuss.
• Customise a theme to make it unique and personal to your brand – you can give it the edge that will help you stand out from the crowd.
• Go for something totally bespoke! Create a fully customised theme that is one-of-a-kind, designed to match your vision perfectly.

Whichever option you choose, you can be sure that your Shopify store will look fantastic. And don’t forget – making the right decision for your brand means staying within budget and meeting those all-important deadlines!

Customised Shopify Theme

In many ways this can be seen as the middle ground option between a standard theme template and a bespoke store. Customising a standard Shopify theme gives you the ability to personalise your website without going down the fully bespoke route.

Advantages of a Customised Theme

• Faster set-up than fully bespoke – you can expect it to take between 0.5-1 month to get it integrated and live.
• Your store will become more personalised, giving you greater flexibility to incorporate your brand’s identity.
• It won’t blow the budget – customising a standard theme can be cost-effective compared to going fully bespoke, depending on your needs.

Limitations of a Customised Theme

• Limited theme choice: When customising a standard theme, you’re limited to the themes available in the Shopify store – which is fewer than 100 options.
• Coding restrictions – You won’t have full control of your code if you go down this route, so there may be issues when trying to make something that reflects your brand.

Customised Theme – Ideal for Expanding Brands

As your enterprise develops, a tailored Shopify theme provides you with more opportunities for personalisation and improved performance, saving you money.

Fully bespoke Shopify website

Opting for a bespoke build gives you the chance to create an interface customised to the needs of your customers and objectives of your business. Everything from the layout to the look and functions of your website is representative of your business’ brand, making it unusual and eye-catching. A bespoke build eliminates the majority of challenges that may arise with a pre-constructed theme and some of the restrictions with a customised one, as the site is developed from the very beginning.

Advantages of a bespoke Shopify store

• Custom-builds are flexible and can grow with your brand or business. Having a custom-designed Shopify site allows you to make changes whenever you need.
• SEO (search engine optimisation) is better for custom builds – the reality of ecommerce is that you want to be more visible in search than your competitors. One of the best ways to do this is to ensure your SEO performs better than theirs, and a custom-built website will allow you to do this over a theme.
• Your Shopify site will be custom and not like anyone else’s – we’re sure you’ve seen a beautiful website that has had a lasting impact on the way you perceive or rate other websites. Those are almost certainly custom-built ones. If you want to stand out from the crowd, and create something truly unique, bespoke is the option for you.
• As well as looking unique, a bespoke build will allow you to include custom functionality in your store.
• Your store performance will be better than a theme build: the code base is more lightweight than an off-the-shelf theme and there is more control over the site overall from a code point of view.
• There is a vast tech partner network in the Shopify ecosystem. With a bespoke store, integrations are easier to implement and manage.

Limitations of a bespoke Shopify store

• It’s the most expensive option. However, this is because of the sheer amount of effort and expertise that goes into making a perfectly crafted Shopify store. You’re paying more, but the value you are getting far exceeds the initial cost.
• It can take longer for your store to launch compared to using a theme template or customising a theme.
• You will need to factor in ongoing design and development updates for your store.

Take your business to new heights with a unique and powerful bespoke Shopify store!

For businesses seeking a distinct and potent online presence, bespoke Shopify stores are the best choice. They provide the customisation options necessary to represent a brand in a truly unique way and enable easy integration with third-party services. As companies advance, the next step is often to upgrade to Shopify Plus, the enterprise-level version of the platform.

Bespoke vs Shopify Theme: what will you choose?

The choice between a Shopify theme and bespoke design is one that requires careful consideration. Shopify themes offer an affordable and efficient way to get your business up and running quickly, but they lack the personalisation available with a customised design. On the other hand, fully bespoke designs provide the ultimate in customisation and uniqueness, giving you a website that truly reflects your brand and offers potential for long-term growth. Ultimately, it depends on your budget, time frame and goals for the website to decide which option is best for you.

Shopify is the perfect choice for businesses of all sizes looking to make an impression online. It is easy to get started, with a wide selection of themes to choose from and a suite of powerful tools that make customizing your store simple. With Shopify, you can create an attractive, feature-rich website without the need for coding knowledge. Plus, you get access to powerful features like built-in SEO and drag-and-drop functionality for your products.

Our team of Shopify designers and developers are here to help you create the perfect online store, whether you’re looking for a standard theme, customised design, or something completely bespoke. We’ll work with you to bring your vision to life and get you up and running with Shopify. Get in touch today to get started!