Custom Shopify eCommerce Development: Why Bespoke Is Better

In the modern commercial world, your website's performance is more important than ever before, as it needs to work for you 24/7. Shopify represents one of the most popular and useful website-building platforms on the market, but it does take an expert hand to get the best out of it.
Naturally, this raises the question - do you go for a standard theme or opt for professional custom Shopify eCommerce development services? To get an answer, we first need to look at Shopify themes.
What Exactly is a Shopify Theme?
Shopify themes are essentially templates that set the layout and style of your online and can look pretty nifty right out of the box. The problem is, there are only a limited number of templates and at the time of writing, there are over 4 million eCommerce stores built with Shopify.
While choosing a standard template may satisfy your initial style requirements, what you have to take into consideration is how it differentiates you from your competitors. As such, an off-the-shelf template is going to be very generic without the assistance of a Shopify eCommerce development company.
The Limitations of Standard Shopify Themes
Getting started with Shopify is easy, and of that, there is little doubt. You can get your website up and running fast! For a nominal fee (or sometimes free), you can get off the mark with no coding required. Sounds great, right? Well, it doesn't look THAT great when you consider the following.
- Limited Choice - There are just 73 standard theme options. Divide 4 million customers by 73, and you see why you need Shopify eCommerce development expertise to make you stand out.
- Limited Features - Not only will a standard theme look very much like many other websites, but you can also end up being restricted in terms of functionality.
- Very Limited Code Control - You may also end up enduring slow page loading for your eCommerce website, as standard pages feature generic coding.
- Brand Clashes - when integrating your templated theme with Shopify apps, it could result in clashes with your company branding for a slightly confusing customer experience.
It’s pretty evident that standard themes are fast to get going for a reason - there’s not much to them. The alternative is superior in pretty much every way imaginable.
Bespoke Shopify Themes Are Just…Better
Spoiler alert: a Bespoke Shopify theme is going to eat into your marketing budget, but boy, is it worth it?! This is a world away from general themes, as an expert in Shopify eCommerce development will be able to create a design that reflects your company and its values, coding it from the ground up.
Taking this route comes with SO many benefits that include:
- Uniqueness - Your website is one-of-a-kind, as it will have been created specifically for you and will stand out accordingly.
- Features & Functionality - You'll never be restricted in terms of functionality, as you can include every feature you want.
- Total Coding Control - Say goodbye to bloated code created generically. Your Shopify store will be 100% optimized to your brand requirements.
- Freedom to Scale - Stability for your website is assured, allowing it to grow easily as you do.
- Cohesive Identity - Brand standards matter & with a bespoke theme, you can tailor everything to match your company colors & values.
Of course, Rome wasn’t built in a day, so you can wait a few months for your bespoke Shopify store to be created, but it's worth it when you do. Compared to the fast start you get with generic templates, it might be considered to be a slow process, but not when you see the purpose-built store at the end.
To Bespoke or Not to Bespoke - That is the Question!
Ultimately, the decision to either settle for a standard Shopify template or engage in Shopify eCommerce development services is yours to make.
On the one hand, you have standard themes that get you started fast, for little cost, but are very restrictive and generic-looking. On the other, you have a personalized, unique site that truly sets you apart in a crowded marketplace. It's a little like comparing oranges and lemons, wouldn't you say?
At Eventige, we have many years of experience in Shopify eCommerce development, and we have the expertise you need to create an attractive, feature-laden store that sets you apart.
So, get in touch with us today and we’ll set about creating an online storefront you can be proud of and that will serve your business well for years to come.
Thanks for reading to the end. We’ll see you again next time.