How to design a Shopify store in 10 simple steps

Starting an online store can be exciting, but designing that Shopify store to stand out and convert visitors into customers? That's the trickier part. Many new store owners need help with themes, layouts, and colors, figuring out where to start or how to make it all work. If you're in that boat, don't worry. This article guides you through the essentials of Shopify Store Design, helping you learn how to design a Shopify Store like a pro with practical tips and insights.

One tool that can make this easier is Instant's Shopify product page builder, designed to help you create eye-catching pages without the hassle.

How to design a Shopify store in 10 simple steps

1. Get started: Create your Shopify account

Kick things off by setting up a Shopify account. It’s quick and simple. Head to Shopify.com, click "Start a free trial," and follow the prompts. Answer a few questions about your business, and you’ll be ready to roll. 

2. Lay the groundwork: Set up your Shopify store

Navigate your Shopify dashboard to establish the basics. Use the left-hand menu to set your store’s name, time zone, and currency. With these essentials locked in, it's time to focus on design.

3. Foundation of style: Choose your theme

Your theme sets the stage for your store’s style. Explore Shopify’s free and premium themes that align with your brand. Elegant, minimalistic themes are perfect for a refined look. Find them under "Online Store" and then "Theme Store."

4. Personal touch: Edit the look and feel

Customize your chosen theme using Shopify’s intuitive editor. Adjust:

• Fonts

• Colors

• Images

• Layouts

Aim for simplicity and elegance. A consistent color palette and high-quality photos will keep it classy. Consider integrating with Instant for more customization options without coding.

5. Showcase your offerings: Add your products and services

Populate your store with products or services. Shopify makes this process seamless. Highlight your offerings with clear, high-quality images and concise descriptions.

6. Keep it tidy: Organize your products

Create collections or categories to organize products. This structure enhances navigation and adds sophistication. Make it easy for customers to find what they want.

7. Professional communication: Set up your Shopify store email

Use a professional email that matches your store’s domain. Customize customer email notifications to match your brand’s tone. Set this up in your Shopify settings.

8. Smooth transactions: Set up your payment options

Ensure a secure, streamlined checkout process. Shopify Payments is easy to set up, but you can also integrate other providers. A smooth payment process keeps everything running smoothly.

9. Final touches: Check for additional relevant settings

Review legal pages and set up any marketing tools or customer service strategies. These elements will help your store operate efficiently post-launch.

10. Go live: Launch your store

You’re ready to launch! Use Shopify’s marketing tools to spread the word. Whether it’s ads on Google or Facebook or email newsletters, manage everything from your dashboard.

Additional tips: 

Visually captivating design

The first thing that catches a visitor's eye is the visual design, which should be beautiful and reflect your brand's identity. A clear and consistent branding strategy is key here. Think of a well-defined color palette, typography that matches your brand's voice, and imagery that resonates with your target audience. 

High-quality visuals, like stunning product photos and lifestyle images, aren't just decorative; they help forge an emotional connection with potential customers. And don't underestimate the power of whitespace! A clean, uncluttered layout looks professional and makes it easier for users to navigate through your site.

Intuitive navigation and user experience

A beautiful design is just the beginning; your website must also be easy to navigate. Clear menus, well-organized categories, and a functional search bar ensure visitors can quickly find what they’re looking for without getting frustrated.

 In today's mobile-first world, a responsive design that works seamlessly across all devices is non-negotiable. Pair this with fast loading speeds thanks to optimized images and code, and you will have a site that keeps users engaged rather than bouncing away.

Compelling content and calls to action

Once you've captured their attention with design and navigation, it's time to convince them to take action. Persuasive product descriptions are essential. They should list features and highlight the benefits in a way that speaks directly to your audience’s needs and desires. 

Don’t forget about clear calls to action. Whether it's a button to add items to a cart, sign up for a newsletter, or contact customer support, these prompts should be easy to find and enticing enough to click.

Responsiveness

In today’s mobile-first world, responsiveness is essential when designing a Shopify website. Your website should be optimized for all devices, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones. This means using a responsive design that automatically adjusts to the screen size and orientation of the device. 

Your website should also load quickly because users won’t wait for slow-loading sites and will abandon them if they take too long. Slow-loading sites cost businesses $2.6 billion in revenue loss each year. You can use a tool like Google PageSpeed Insights to help you see your site’s current load time.

Visual hierarchy

Visual hierarchy refers to how visual elements on your Shopify website are arranged to create a sense of importance and order. Use visual hierarchy to highlight your most important products and information while de-emphasizing less important elements. This can be achieved through color, size, and placement of design elements. Consider using clear and concise headings, subheadings, and bullet points to break up text and make it easier to read and understand. 

Using visual hierarchy effectively, you can create a clear and intuitive website that guides users to the necessary information. By blending these elements of captivating visuals, intuitive navigation, and compelling content, you create a Shopify website that doesn't just look good but also delivers a smooth, enjoyable shopping experience that keeps customers coming back.

What are some themes you can use for your store?

Instant’s Shopify landing page templates: Your go-to for customization

Instant is changing the game for Shopify store design by offering a user-friendly product page builder that lets you create fully customizable and advanced pages without needing any coding knowledge. With its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, you can quickly design and publish high-converting:

• Landing pages

• Blog posts

• Product pages

• Sections

This means you'll have complete control over your store's design, which is essential for any eCommerce team or agency. You can experience seamless integration with Figma and other eCommerce tools, making it a versatile choice for enhancing online store performance and increasing conversions.

Dawn: Modern minimalism at its best

Dawn is all about speed and simplicity. This theme offers a clean, modern design that works for small to medium-sized businesses in fashion, beauty, and home decor. It’s efficient and user-friendly, ensuring a seamless shopping experience across devices. Customizable sections let you tailor the look to fit your brand’s needs.

Taste: A feast for the eyes

Taste is perfect for visually appealing food, fashion, and art products. A large hero area helps tell your brand’s story right off the bat. The grid-style layout keeps everything organized, and you can customize fonts and colors to match your brand. This theme is intuitive and effective for engaging customers and making your store look amazing.

Boundless: For the love of photography

If your brand photos are worth a thousand words, Boundless is your theme. Its minimalist design emphasizes photography with big, bold spaces for your images. Optimized for large visuals, it’s a great fit for clothing, fashion, and apparel stores that want to highlight their products through striking imagery.

Refresh: Clarity meets aesthetics

Refresh offers a visually stunning experience for businesses that prioritize a modern look. Its responsive design works across all devices, and dynamic sections like featured products and blogs offer extensive customization. This theme is ideal for health and beauty stores with small to medium catalogs looking to make a clear, modern impression.

Spotlight: Capture attention with visual storytelling

Spotlight is built for brands that want to make an impression. Large, high-quality images and a dynamic homepage slider make it easy to engage customers. Advanced product filtering and customizable content sections allow for personalized branding. This theme shines for fashion, art, and home decor brands focused on aesthetics.

Origin: Tell your story

Origin is all about immersive storytelling. Its responsive design ensures a seamless experience across devices. The narrative-driven layout lets you engage customers with compelling stories on product and home pages. Ideal for artisanal, heritage, or mission-driven brands, this theme is perfect for connecting with audiences through rich narratives.

Minimal: A classic choice

Minimal is a timeless option for stores that want a clean look without sacrificing functionality. This theme is perfect for creators who want their products to be the focal point. It features responsive design, product image zoom, filtering, and customizable content sections. It’s great for artists, photographers, and fashion brands that want to showcase products elegantly.

Brooklyn: A stylish grid for modern stores

Brooklyn’s grid-based layout is ideal for apparel stores. It excels at visual storytelling with large product images and a clean interface. Key features include a dynamic product grid, a slide-out cart, and social media integration. This makes it simple for customers to share products, enhancing your store’s reach. Brooklyn is best for clothing brands and fashion retailers seeking a contemporary look.

Narrative: Built for storytelling

The narrative is made for brands with a story to tell. It provides elegantly designed sections to make your narrative shine. Features like a vertical slideshow, built-in image galleries, and a fixed navigation bar keep customers engaged. This theme is ideal for boutique brands and creators with a compelling story to share.

Build high-converting product pages with Instant

Looking to elevate your store even further? Instant is a user-friendly Shopify product page builder that allows eCommerce teams to create advanced pages without coding. With its drag-and-drop interface, you can rapidly design high-converting landing pages while keeping full control over your store's design. 

Try Instant today!

Does your Shopify store design impact your online success?

A snap judgment that's all it takes. In just 55 milliseconds, visitors form an opinion about your Shopify store. It's like a blink, and then they've already decided if they want to stick around. An overwhelming 94% of that first impression is rooted in design. If your site is haphazard or cluttered, it signals that you might not be the best choice to fulfill their needs. 

Design complements product and content quality

While your store's design is a big deal, it's not the whole story. It works in tandem with what you're selling and how you're presenting it. Offer high-quality products and showcase them with compelling images and engaging copy. No amount of sleek design can mask a subpar product or shoddy content. It's like putting lipstick on a pig. 

Branding: Consistency and recognition are key

Your design should be as recognizable as a friend's face in a crowd. Think about Amazon. Its logo and color scheme are consistent across every platform, making it Instantly recognizable. This consistency builds trust and makes customers more likely to return for repeat purchases. 

User experience: Keep it simple and intuitive

When it comes to user experience, simplicity reigns supreme. If visitors have to hunt for what they're looking for, you've already lost them. Make navigation intuitive, keep interfaces clean, and streamline processes as much as possible. A well-organized and visually appealing store makes it easy for customers to find what they want and hit that "Buy" button. 

Trust and credibility: The design connection

A disorganized, amateurish design can scare off potential customers faster than a bad review. A well-designed site conveys professionalism and reliability, making users more comfortable handing over their credit card information. The design should resonate with customers emotionally, creating a connection that fosters trust. 

Product showcase: Highlight key features

High-quality images and interactive features can make all the difference in showcasing your products. Think of an online clothing store that lets you zoom in on intricate patterns or fabric textures. This level of detail gives customers a better sense of what they're buying, giving them the confidence to purchase. 

Mobile responsiveness: A must-have for modern stores

With more people shopping on their phones than ever before, a mobile-friendly design is crucial. Your store should look as good on a small screen as on a desktop. Text, images, and navigation menus must be resized and rearranged to fit different devices without sacrificing usability. 

SEO: Design plays a role here, too

A well-designed store isn't just good for customers; it's also good for search engines. A clean, organized layout makes it easier for search engines to crawl and index your site, which can improve your rankings. Mobile responsiveness and fast loading times also contribute to better SEO performance. 

adaptability and innovation: stay fresh and competitive

eCommerce constantly evolves, and your design needs to keep pace with changing trends and customer expectations. Regular updates and improvements can help you stay competitive and keep your store looking fresh. This also allows you to incorporate user feedback and make iterative changes that align with your business goals.

Giving your store design a boost with page builders

A Shopify page builder is your go-to tool for designing and customizing a Shopify store without needing any coding skills. These builders offer a visual, user-friendly interface where you can create or modify pages by dragging and dropping elements like:

• text blocks

• Images

• Buttons

• Videos

Onto your page. Instead of manually writing HTML or CSS, the builder lets you arrange and style your page components in real-time.

You’ll see a full visual preview with most page builders while designing. This means you see your website exactly as your visitors will see it, making it easy to tweak and adjust.

Page builders are influential because they let you quickly create custom pages that would otherwise require a developer. They often include a library of pre-designed templates and elements that you can simply drag and drop onto your page. This allows you to create professional-looking pages without any technical expertise.

Unleash creativity with drag-and-drop builders

The advantage of drag-and-drop builders is their intuitive interface. You can manipulate page elements and layouts visually, simplifying the design process for those without technical expertise. These builders offer extensive customization capabilities. Users can adjust colors, fonts, and layouts to align with their brand identity. This flexibility creates a unique shopping experience tailored to the target audience.

Enhance your store with a landing page builder

A landing page builder is the way to go if you're looking for the perfect balance between customization and ease. Instant is one popular tool for Shopify users.

With Instant, you don’t need to mess around with code or hire a developer. It offers drag-and-drop functionality to build a high-converting landing page in minutes. Plus, Instant comes with various mobile-responsive templates designed with conversions in mind. Here’s why Instant is excellent:

Ease of use

You can simply drag and drop elements like images, buttons, and text blocks, making the process intuitive.

Conversion features

It’s loaded with features like heatmaps and A/B testing, so you can optimize your landing pages and see what’s working best in real-time.

No upfront investment

Instant offers a free plan to start with. With a landing page builder like Instant, you get the customization you want without needing advanced coding skills. You can launch campaigns faster and optimize them on the go, giving you a major advantage when running promotions or seasonal sales.

The investment needed to build a Shopify store

Have you ever wondered how much you’ll spend if you decide to take the DIY route with your Shopify store? You can expect to spend anywhere from $50 to $1,000. This option can be surprisingly affordable, especially if you’re willing to put in some elbow grease.

With a ready-made theme, you can get started quickly. And if you use a Shopify page builder like Instant, you can create high-quality templates without touching a line of code.

Investing in professional store development

Deciding to hire Shopify developers? Professional development is the way to go to take your store to the next level. But keep in mind that this option will cost you. 

You’re considering spending anywhere from $300 to $4,500 for a professional store build. This option provides peace of mind, knowing your store is built by professionals who know what they’re doing.

Custom Shopify store development: The sky’s the limit

Custom development is the way to go if you want a truly unique Shopify store. But be prepared to pay for it. Custom theme development can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $15,000. 

You can expect to pay between $500 and $20,000 if you need custom app functionality. While this option is the most expensive, it also provides your store with the most flexibility and customization options.

Optimize your Shopify store for conversions without breaking the bank with Instant's Shopify product page builder

Instant is changing the game for Shopify store design by offering a user-friendly product page builder that lets you create fully customizable and advanced pages without needing any coding knowledge. With its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, you can quickly design and publish high-converting:

• Landing pages

• Blog posts

• Product pages

• Sections

This means you'll have complete control over your store's design, which is essential for any eCommerce team or agency. You can experience seamless integration with Figma and other eCommerce tools, making it a versatile choice for enhancing online store performance and increasing conversions.