Shopify themes and web stories - visual marketing done right

In our previous articles, we've extensively covered how web stories can be effective in visual marketing. Whether you are designing a website or looking for a way to make your emails stand out, web stories can be a powerful tool. But, what we haven't properly covered is the potential connection web stories have with Shopify themes. So, let's explore the visual design aspects of your Shopify store, and how you can use web stories to spruce it up.

Picking the right Shopify theme

The process of designing a Shopify store is fairly straightforward. The team at Shopify has worked hard to provide you with all the necessary tools and tutorials to set up an online store in no time. But, setting up a basic store, and designing one that your customers will find engaging are completely different things. For your Shopify store to actually yield revenue, it needs to be crafted carefully and methodically.

Consider your brand

Newcomers to eCommerce might feel that "brand" and "logo" are synonyms. While you can sometimes use the two interchangeably, it is best to consider the logo as a part of your brand. Besides it, you also have the tone of the brand and the core message behind it. All good brands have a crystal clear idea of what their brand is about, and in what way they are trying to portray themselves. As such, they are able to weave their brand into every aspect of their online presence and ensure that its message resonates loud and clear.

‍

‍

Why is this important? Well, if you wish to opt for a good Shopify theme, you need to understand what your brand is about. It is not enough to simply say "We are an online store that provides quality products at reasonable prices!" While all of that may be true, it is in no way memorable or marketable. Instead, focus on what your goal is, and what your customers gain from doing business with you. For instance, Nike isn't selling sports goods but improving the athletic performance of its customers. Coca-Cola isn't selling fizzy drinks but providing cool refreshments to thirsty youngsters. These ideas are much more marketable, which is why their brands are so pervasive in their marketing.

Browse through Shopify Theme Store

With a basic idea of what your brand is about you can start browsing through the Shopify Theme Store. Another option is to hire someone to create a theme for you. But, this can often be costly. The themes that you get from Shopify Theme Store are bulletproof when it comes to performance, design, and optimization. Therefore, you won't have to work with a developer and hope that they will update your theme as need be. And seeing how many these Shopify offers, we'd be surprised if you don't find the one you like.

Consider your niche

What's important to remember when browsing through the Shopify Theme Store is the audience niche. Namely, not all themes are suited for all audiences. And depending on who your want to design your store for, you will need to opt for different themes. Knowing what your audience likes to see, and especially the context in which they like to see it is important for Shopify themes and web stories alike. Unfortunately, there is no clear-cut way to learn what your audience will like. You need to experiment with different visual elements and see which ones garner the most attention.

‍

‍

What we would recommend is to see what themes your competitors are using. Two stores for sports goods are always going to have more in common than a sports goods store and an art store. Different color pallets, different layouts, a different way of presenting info... All these are design choices that give a distinct feel. And people that visit those stores have grown to expect a certain style. So, first, opt for what is tried and true, and then find ways to incorporate your brand and experiment.

Design options

Shopify Themes can vary in design options. Some give you a ton of flexibility, as well as extra tools to use to make your store look great. Others, usually the cheaper ones, tend to be more limited. If you wish to add web stories, we would advise you to only look for Shopify Themes that allow easy widget customization. Through StorifyMe you can easily create web stories in the widget form. Therefore, it is quite straightforward to incorporate them into your Shopify store.

Apart from web stories, you should also take careful stock of the features that a specific Shopify theme will provide. Ideally, you will make a list of features and outline which ones are more important than others. Having all features in one theme can be expensive. But, if you focus on the main ones, you can ensure that your theme is helping your run a good store, while not costing an arm and a leg.

Mobile Optimization

While it is not paramount that your Shopify store is optimized for mobile devices, we would strongly urge you to consider doing so. Over half of online buyers shop exclusively through mobile devices. Therefore, if you don't optimize for mobile, you are effectively cutting your customer base in half. Most Shopify themes are suitable for mobile devices, but you'd be smart to double-check. Some are tailor-made for horizontal, large screens and their format simply won't work for mobile.

‍

‍

Another reason to opt for mobile optimization is that it goes hand in hand with web stories. Web stories, as a rule, go quite well with mobile devices. Just like short videos, short animations, and interactive content. The more you can use such content in your Shopify store, the more likely you are to engage your customers and present important info in a fun way.

Shopify themes and web stories

The main idea behind connecting Shopify themes and web stories is to make full use of the web story potential. There are many ways in which you can use web stories to improve your Shopify store. But, the best way to ensure that they will actually work is if you design your Shopify store with web stories in mind. So, from the moment you start picking your Shopify theme you need to consider how web stories will fit within your store, and what role they'll play.

Weaving web stories into your Shopify theme

The main idea is to seamlessly weave web stories into your theme. To do this, you first need to consider the color palette that you'll use, and the position of web stories within your store. Ideally, your will make your web stories stand out, but not make them the highlight of your store. After all, you want people to find inspiration through your web stories, but still, actually, purchase products.

‍

What we would advise is to consider which colors will be dominant within your web stories and opt for a Shopify theme that will compliment them. This goes back to branding, as your brand also needs to be a part of your web stories. Once you opt for a specific palette, try to use it in all web story content. Be it images, videos, or animations... When it comes to positioning, try to first consider what information you are trying to convey through your web store. If it is about the page they are currently on, put it first. If it is unrelated content, put it at the end. And if you are trying to highlight certain information, put it in the middle. These are the basic guidelines to explore, as the layout of your Shopify store will dictate where web stories can naturally fit.

Creating web stories for your Shopify store

Fortunately, creating web stories has never been easier. All you have to do is head to the StorifyMe website and follow our simple guide. There are tons of visual elements we provide so that you can experiment with your brand and see which web stories properly convey it. And seeing that you can use StorifyMe for free, there is no reason not to try it out. But, while you can have a ton of fun creating various web stories on our platform, we would advise you to keep your Shopify store in mind. Try to consider what purpose web stories will serve. That way you can look to learn for specific examples and optimize your web stories to look professional. Keep in mind that web stories are a tool. And that tool is only going to be as useful as you make it.

Final thoughts

While there is plenty more to say about Shopify themes and web stories, we would advise you to start creating them first. By exploring Shopify themes, and creating web stories you will gradually get an idea of what your store ought to look like. Once you have that, you can look to research specific aspects like branding and visual design in order to make the most out of your store. We would also advise you to research visual storytelling, as it is a key factor in what makes web stories so effective in Shopify format. Finally, if you have any questions, doubts, or a simple need for advice, know that StorifyMe is always here to help.

‍