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A high-converting Shopify theme is a must if you are a new ecommerce store owner who wants to start an online shop with the right foot. And if you already run an ecommerce store, a high-converting theme can also give you a nice boost to your profits with fewer headaches.
Instead of having to install, configure, and pay for countless apps, you can get everything you need to convert new visitors in one place.
All you need is to find the right theme, migrate it, set it up, and you’ll be good to go. To help you with this first step, we have analyzed 1000+ Shopify themes from the top marketplaces and theme development companies.
From this analysis, we found the best 32 ones that will surely boost your store's conversions.
Let’s get started.
Disclaimer: This article is written by an independent ecommerce expert and reviewer. The themes recommended in this article are not affiliated with us, except for Aurora, our own theme. Please conduct your own research before making any purchase decisions.
The difference between a regular theme and one that’s built for conversions comes down to the following features:
In-built marketing tools: The store should have built-in tools like popups, trust badges, customer reviews and testimonials, and more. The goal is to add the functionalities required to generate conversions with the least number of apps possible.
Urgency triggers: You also want to use tools like countdown timers and stock counters to increase the buyer’s FOMO (fear of missing out).
Recommendation engine: A high-converting theme should offer an algorithm that recommends products based on customer preferences and behaviors. This is ideal for cross-selling on the product and checkout pages.
Speed: Fast loading times are a must, since 70% of online consumers consider them critical to their willingness to buy. For our purposes, that’s an A grade by GTmetrix and a 90+ score on PageSpeed Insights (for desktop).
Flexibility: You’d want a theme that allows you to add different blocks (a new feature in Shopify themes) and sections so you can run A/B tests and improve your conversions.
Presets: Instead of building a store from scratch, presets allow you to plug and play proven templates so you can focus on selling and not designing. The theme should offer at least three presets with different color schemes that adapt to different niches.
Lastly, a high-converting theme should be mobile responsive and, if possible, affordable. The former is a given these days, so it's no longer a point for concern, while the latter depends on your budget and needs.
Now that we've set up our parameters, let's see what the highest-converting Shopify themes to buy are.
Aurora is a new Shopify theme by the Getsitecontrol team, available in the official Shopify store. The theme's key features are centered around visual storytelling and conversion optimization. Here are some examples of what it offers:
Designed for high-volume stores, Aurora can easily be adapted for single-product businesses. Currently, the theme has two styles that work well for the following ecommerce niches:
Aurora's demo store has received excellent performance reviews, with an A grade from GTmetrix.
Aurora offers an unlimited free trial and 24/7 live chat support, run by human agents. You can read its detailed review on our blog.
Booster Theme is the most popular premium Shopify theme for generating conversions. Used by more than 46,000 stores, the theme comes with dozens of features ideal for merchants with any level of experience, such as:
The company states these features can save $281 per month on app fees. What’s more, Booster Theme comes with 20 preset demo stores for different niches, including:
Its speed performance is unparalleled, with its demo stores receiving an A grade by GTmetrix and a 94 performance score by Google’s PageSpeed Insights.
Booster Themes offers a 14-day money-back guarantee. It also offers 24/7 support, and its TrustPilot reviews indicate its service is up to par with its premium price.
Other themes in the Premium category that deserve attention are:
Despite all of the capabilities most premium Shopify themes on this list offer, you may have a limited budget to start. In that case, Shella is the theme you want to pick.
As one of the most popular themes on Theme Forest, Shella is a multipurpose Shopify theme with dozens of conversion-generating features, including:
Shella also comes with over 100 pre-designed pages, including:
The demo store got an A grade on GTmetrix and a 97 score on PageSpeed Insights.
With an average 4.97 customer rating from more than 200, Shella is a no-brainer for any budget-conscious Shopify store that wants to boost its conversions.
Other themes in this price category that deserve attention are:
Few things degrade an ecommerce brand more than having a generic-looking store. The problem is that getting a unique and original design no one else has in your industry is expensive. With the help of a highly customizable theme like Wokiee, this is no longer the case.
With an average 4.99 customer rating from over 21,000 customers, Wokiee is one of the most popular multipurpose themes on ThemeForest. The theme comes with an extensive number of options for customization, such as:
On top of these options, Wokiee offers many in-built conversion features, including:
Although the company stated that their theme has an A grade by GTmetrix and a 97 PageSpeed Insights performance score, our tests generated a C grade and a 72 score on PageSpeed Insights.
Still, given its relatively low price and incredible versatility, Wokiee is a wonderful theme for most ecommerce store owners who want more conversions.
Other great, customizable Shopify themes that are worth your attention are:
When it comes to design, sometimes less is more. Monochromatic colors, white space, and simple typography can work as well as more complex design patterns. Moreover, a minimalist theme emphasizes the products above everything else, which can lead to more conversions.
From our analysis, the best minimalistic theme is Motion. Developed by Archetype, one of the leading sellers of themes in the Shopify theme marketplace, this theme comes with dozens of conversion-generating features such as:
Motion comes with two black-and-white styles called “Minimal” and “Classic,” and a dark blue and light gray style called “Elegant.”
Although the demo theme received a B grade on GTmetrix and a 97 performance score on PageSpeed Insights, the company states that Motion meets Shopify’s performance standards, which “ensure a faster shopping experience for buyers.”
As with all of the other themes on the Shopify Themes marketplace, Motion offers an unlimited free trial, so you only pay when you are ready to launch your store.
Other minimalistic Shopify themes you may like are:
Clothing brands prioritize visual storytelling and minimalistic aesthetics in their online stores. Impulse is the best theme we found for retailers in this industry that combines a fashionable style with conversion features.
Developed by Archetype, Impulse is a flexible theme with 95% positive reviews from over 700 customers on Shopify Themes. Among its many features, Impulse offers:
The theme also comes with two black-and-white styles called “Modern” and “Clean,” and a black-and-gold style called “Bold.”
Impulse is a highly optimized theme, as its demo store received an A grade on GTmetrix and a 94 performance score on PageSpeed Insights.
If you want to explore other Shopify themes for clothing brands, here are three themes we also liked a lot:
Jewelry brands are all about luxury and status. Brands in this industry usually combine white with gold, silver, or bronze, just like their products. One theme ideal for this purpose is Corano.
With almost 700 sales and a 4.97 score from 30+ customer reviews, Corano is one of the top jewelry themes in ThemeForest. Like all of the themes on this list, it comes with the following conversion-generating features:
The theme also offers eight homepage variations and four header variations that adapt to your needs.
Corano’s demo store had the worst performance from all of the themes in this list, with a D grade from GTmetrix and a 50 score on PageSpeed Insights. Still, its low price and its features make it a great option for jewelry brands who want a turnkey solution.
Looking for growth ideas? Read our beginner’s guide to email marketing for jewelry brands.
If you’re looking for more options, here are three alternative themes you might like:
Health and beauty brands usually use various colors, from dark blues to natural greens to monochromatic combinations. Of all the niches, this one is the most versatile when it comes to branding.
One theme ideal for brands in this niche that stood out in our research was Prestige. With a 92% positive score from over 500 reviews, Prestige is a high-converting theme with a strong focus on visual storytelling and editorial content. Some of its best features are:
The theme comes with a minimalistic skin called “Couture,” a monochromatic one called “Allure,” and a multi-colored one called “Vogue.”
Prestige is optimized for speed, receiving an A grade on GTmetrix and a 95 score on PageSpeed Insights.
Three other Shopify themes that got out attention are:
Home and decor brands usually sell large inventories. The ideal theme for such companies should come with versatile category pages and filters so visitors can find the exact product for their needs.
With 94% positive reviews from over 120 customers, Expanse is the perfect Shopify theme for brands in this niche. As you can expect, it’s full of high-converting features, such as:
Expanse also offers in-built custom-ordered grouped collection filters. Its developer, Archetype, states that this theme is ideal for dropshippers and high-volume stores (i.e., those that sell a lot).
Expanse received an A grade on GTmetrix and an 89 score on PageSpeed Insights.
There are three more Shopify themes in this category you might like:
Now that you’ve learned about the Shopify themes that are known to convert well, you must decide. You don’t want to rush it, but you don’t want to spend weeks weighing different themes, either, right?
To help you make up your mind, here’s what you need to do:
In the end, you should have no more than three options. Instead of spending time comparing each feature, install them on your store and start testing. You could even create a separate Shopify account to test multiple ones simultaneously.
Add some of your products to your store and add your product copy. Even if it takes some time, make sure your store looks real and not a rushed demo.
When you are done, look at your theme and ask yourself, “which one looks the most professional?”
Ask your friends if you are in doubt.
By the end of this process, you should have a better idea of which theme best fits your needs, budget, and brand.
In the end, all you’ll have to do is buy the theme, complete the setup, and launch your store. If you use all these themes' features, you’ll generate sales in no time.
Ivan Kreimer is a freelance content writer for hire who creates educational content for SaaS businesses like Leadfeeder and Campaign Monitor. In his pastime, he likes to help people become freelance writers. Besides writing for smart people who read sites like Getsitecontrol, Ivan has also written in sites like Entrepreneur, MarketingProfs, TheNextWeb, and many other influential websites.
You're reading Getsitecontrol blog where marketing experts share proven tactics to grow your online business. This article is a part of Ecommerce marketing section.
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