Having a tidy, aesthetically-pleasing, well functioning store with excellent information creates a fantastic user experience and improves conversion rates and sales. Keeping your store tidy can also improve your store speed score, ensuring quicker load times.
So, where do you start?
The key to keeping your store tidy is regular maintenance. Try to get in the habit of having a monthly check over your store.
If you feel that your store could do with a bit of a refresh then get in touch, we'd love to help revamp your store.
]]>Read the full Winter 2024 Shopify Editions update here.
As always, do get in touch if there is anything that you need any help, guidance or support with; we'd be delighted to help.
]]>PixPix image editor is a simple to use editor with lots of image editing options enabling you to easily resize, crop or modify your product images.
PixPix Image Editor is a much less daunting (and less expensive) option to Photoshop and has pretty much all the tools that you would need in order to edit product images for your Shopify store.
PixPix have a simple and intuitive interface, you can browser your products listing or directly search for a specific product using keyword search. The simple interface allows you to find the product and images you want to edit.
Watch this quick video below to find out more.
Get in touch if you need any guidance or support with apps for your Shopify store.
]]>You might want to automate inventory tasks like reordering, hiding products and restocking, or automatiucally tag customers or orders or even manage fraud concerns. You can even connect your apps together to complete even more jobs. It works with tags, metafields, fulfillment, B2B, Slack, Google Sheets, and more.
Shopify Flow allows you to create custom automations for unique workflows for your store. This means that Flow monitors your store for events, and lets you create an automated sequence of actions that are taken in response.
To create these automations, you build a workflow using components called triggers, conditions, and actions.
Workflow component | Description | Example |
---|---|---|
Trigger | A trigger is an event that starts a workflow, and can be something that happens in your store or in an app. | A new order is created in your store. |
Condition | A condition determines whether an action is taken, based on the conditions that you set. | A condition is set to check whether the total amount paid for the order is over £200. |
Action | An action is a change that's made to your store or in an app if the condition is met. | If the total amount paid for the order is over £200, then a tag is added to the account of the customer who placed the order. |
The best place to start is to look at the Shopify Flow template library which provides over 150 templates that help demonstrate how to use Flow. This includes Flows for these areas of your business:
Just install the app from the Shopify app store, browse the template library before installing an existing template. You can then make specific amends, add additions and tailor this exactly to meet your needs before making this 'active' (and testing it works as required). You can even start from scratch and build your own.
Watch the video below to learn more and get in touch if you need help in setting up or tailoring a Flow to meet your requirements.
]]>Click on the title above to take you to the app. Please be aware that you will need to be on a 2.0 Shopify theme in order to have the Search & Discovery app.
With the Shopify Search & Discovery app you can help customers find the right products by reducing friction and offering an optimised experience:
There are 5 default filter options:
However, you can display up to 25 filters for your store using:
This enables you to customise your store filters to specifically meet how your target customers wish to search and shop.
You can assign particular search terms to your products to help them display better when a customer searches for a specific term. For example you can make synonym groups such as 'Knitwear' to encompass the terms jumper, cardigan, pullover, sweater and vest.
Get it touch if you would like help setting up the Shopify Search & Discovery app for your store.
]]>
The Japanese philosophy of Ikigai dates back to the Heian period between 794 -1185. Added to the fact that Japan ranks in the top 3 for life expectancy in the world certainly gives kudos to the concept.
While there are criticisms, it’s also undeniable that many individuals worldwide have found solace, direction, and purpose through the Ikigai model.
Ikigai struck a chord with us as the fundamental concept is based on everything being connected and synergistic. We often feel conflicted in our lives with seemingly opposing wants and needs – for example wholesome family values versus the need for money!
Rather than view the different areas of our lives as separate, feelings of peace and happiness lie at the intersections and connect everything together as the diagram above depicts.
Apart from living a longer and happier life, the Westernised version of Ikigai says you’ve found your dream career when your career includes these four qualities:
When you know your ikigai and understand its meaning it can help you:
…embracing the joy of little things, being in the here and now, reflecting on past happy memories, and having a frame of mind that one can build a happy and active life.” (Ikigai Tribe, 2019)
These rules are taken from the book from the book - Ikigai: The Japanese secret to a long and happy life by Garcia & Miralles, 2016 – certainly worth a read if you’re interested to find out more about Ikigai.
]]>Shopify Plus is Shopify's enterprise level plan, aimed at large, global businesses (think Gymshark, Kylie Cosmetics, Huel, Heinz etc), with multi-million turnovers. For micro/small and even medium size businesses, Shopify's standard plans are available and a more than likely to meet all requirements.
To put it into context, monthly Shopify plans range from £25 - £344 per month whereas Shopify Plus plans start at £1600 (approx) per month. Once £650,000 (approx) per month in sales are reached, Shopify Plus switches over to a revenue-based model, which maxes out at £33,000 (approx) monthly.
Essentially, Shopify Plus has everything in the core Shopify plans, plus the following:
When you're looking at which plan to choose, then Plus may be a suitable option if:
All of the above benefits and requirements are only really suitable for a small selection of businesses. Any of the advanced features on Shopify can be achieved in different ways, so not being on Plus doesn't mean you can't achieve everything you want to do on your store. With a vast array of excellent apps on Shopify, all at affordable costs, you can achieve most, if not all of the features that used to be exclusive to Plus.
So, with the ability to achieve the desired functionality now open to pretty much all Shopify plans, then the main decision is likely to come down to cost. Make a cost comparison with a Plus contract vs a standard Shopify plan, include all additional app costs each month, plus any developer set up costs or customisations and compare transaction fees based on your average monthly turnover, and then ask yourself - do you really need Shopify Plus?
]]>Technically a custom website will be one which is built from the ground up whereas a customised website is using an existing Shopify theme template and tweaking and customising this to suit. We'll go into this in a bit more detail later, but for now we want to reiterate why Shopify is the best ecommerce choice in our opinion...
Shopify is the most integrated commerce platform 'out of the box', made up of a rich ecosystem with various building blocks that you can use to customise to your individual business needs.
With various apps, developer tools and APIs, the Shopify ecosytem allows extensibility, flexibility and expression - as such, the abilty to customise and tailor to your own unique needs.
The beauty of Shopify is that it is completely scalable so that as your business develops and grows, Shopify is there to support you.
With that in mind, what is the best route for building your new website and what are the pros and cons of each?
A custom website is one that is designed and built specifically for you, usually from the ground up or on an existing framework that an agency will already have. Usually the agency or web developer will create flat visuals, using tools like Figma or Adobe XD, that meet your exact requirements for every single area of the site, every page, every area, every journey. Once this is completely signed off they will then build your designs onto the platform exactly.
Pros:
Cons:
Using a theme based approach is based on starting with an existing theme that's pre-built, a template if you will (we only recommend themes available on the Shopify theme store that have undergone vigorous testing). Then,designing around this, setting it up to meet the recommended design and applying customisations to achieve the desired look and functionality.
Pros:
Cons:
*Any code based customisations that have been made to your current theme will require manually reapplying to the new version of the theme. This excludes css changes made in the theme editor as these will be copied over in updates.
By using an accredited Shopify Expert or Partner, they will have the necessary skills and knowledge to help you get the most from the Shopify ecosystem. Their experience and expertise can:
More experienced partners and experts will be able to guide you on the best solutions for you and your business.
So the next time you get sold a 'custom' website, make sure you check if this is based on a theme with customisations or if you're really getting a custom build. And if you still want to go custom, ask yourself 'do I really need to?'.
]]>Product bundles are when you group products together and sell them at a discounted price.
Identify products that complement each other and work well seasonally. Keep your bundles updated and fresh to encourage repeat visits.
Monitor your sales and test to see which combinations work the best.
Pure bundles - contains items sold exclusively in that bundle that can't be purchased seperately
Mixed bundles - combining products sold seperately at a reduced price
Price bundles - classic discount deals such as buy-one-get-one-free (BOGOF) or by offering a bundle discount on the total price or by adding a perceived value (like a “free” item), the customer feels they got a good deal—even though they’ve likely spent more than they planned to.
Related product bundles - think shampoo and conditioner, bra and pants, cheese and crackers.
Subscription boxes - food, drink, beauty - offering versatile plans and exciting content make these a great option for gift giving or for those who love to try new things.
As a general rule, ensure that your bundle pricing offers good value for money - the price should be at least 10% off (ideally more) the cost of purchasing the items in the bundle individually.
Shopify offers different methods to merchandise bundles of products - set up options include:
Use the native discount code feature to offer a discount when someone buys mutliple specific products together or via a 'Buy X Get Y' type discount and promote this through onsite messaging and images.
Create a new, single product and sell this as a predefined 'bundle' but including all the specific products within it as one single unit. You can then set the discounted sales price and show a compare at price which would be the 'was' price based on the cost of buying the items individually. This example from Evme Cosmetics combines two cosmetic items in one for a cost saving.
Create product upsells with Shopify's own native product filter and search app and a new, 2.0 theme. Just add the right product upsells on a per item basis in the app and then use your theme's native product block to link and display these complimentary products.
See how this hand-crafted shoes manufacturer upsells their stylish tote bag with all pairs of shoes:
You can also use the same app to tailor related products exactly as you want too!
Recommend app: Search & Discovery
Use a 'Bundle Builder' type app to offer a 'Choose X for a fixed price' like this great example from Homeware & Paper Goods company, HAM, and encourage people to spend more with a great user experience.
Suggested app: Bundle Builder
Allow customers to buy a selection of individual products in one go with a bundle app to aid picking and packing and inventory management. Each individual product in the bundle gets pulled through into the order individually to keep everything in sync and easier to fulfil.
See this great example from online grocery supplier, 44 Foods, which allows customers to create their own bundles or choose from discounted, pre-made options:
Suggested app: Bundler - Product Bundles
Shopify is currently giving early access to their own app called 'Shopify Bundles' - see here for more details.
Shopify's own solution will allow you to create fixed bundles and multipacks right from the Shopify admin, and your customers can choose from variants associated with the products in your bundle. Shopify Bundles also includes inventory that is updated in real-time so that you don't need to worry about overselling.
Expect this to be rolled out to all stores very soon.
Bundles are a great way to increase sales and average order value. Try some out yourself and see how they can help.
Don't hestitate to get in touch if you need any help in setting these up.
Click on the titles to find out more about the apps.
This app allows you to upsell and relate products, offer a detailed collection filter plus improve search - all for free and natively!
A great app that offers a decent free plan for loyalty, referrals, and VIP rewards programs that help increase sales and repeat purchases, save on acquisition costs, and boost brand loyalty.
Another great loyalty and referral app.
Collect and display product reviews and ratings. Decent free plan available too.
Generate recurring revenues by setting up suscriptions. Another app that offers a lot for free.
Recommend a friend with this thorough and effective app.
Maximise the power of customer data with CRM and email/SMS marketing via Klaviyo's free app.
This app enables you to automatically add free gifts or products to cart.
Show a dynamic list of stockists or stores with this app.
Do get in touch if you'd like to chat through functionalty for your store. The saying "there's an app for that" is true, so let us help guide you on the best course of action for your store.
*We do recommend considering the effect multiple apps could have on your store. We recommend creating a backup or duplicate of your theme before installing any app and speaking directly to an app developer when uninstalling to ensure all code is removed properly.
]]>"The combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual's distinctive character."
Personalities are not one dimensional but multi-faceted. No-one likes to be pigeon-holed as being one particular thing or, heaven forbid 'predictable'. We like to see ourselves as individuals but at the same time share commonalities with others in order to feel connected.
It can be hard to develop and build a strong brand personality. Our brand needs to be distinct, identifiable, relatable and relevant.
As a starting point define:
Understanding how you are positioned in the mind of your target audience and what you want to ellicit from them will help guide you in terms of building your brand narrative.
Brand narrative is made up of 5 key components
Ideally you are wanting your brand's story to share your target audience's values and solve their problems. A connection takes place and they feel that your brand connects with their emotional and functional needs, so much so that they are compelled to take action - your brand visibility increases, you get more conversions and sales and your profits rise.
The beauty of stories is that they enable you to connect the often disjointed elements of your brand personality together.
It can help to think in terms of emotions when establishing who your target audience is. It is more valuable to think in terms of intent and affinity behaviour rather than purely demographics.
Emotions are critical for guiding needs. Steming from Maslow's 'Heirarchy of needs' there are 9 basic emotions:
The brand archetypes as depicted below are dervied from Swiss psychologist Carl Jung "We all have the same instinctive and unconscious understanding of behavioural patterns."
We instinctively understand Archetypes and their associated traits and behaviour patterns. They are a great tool to enable you to differentiate your brand, give depth to your brand personality and truly connect with your audience.
Often when people think of brand they soley think of a brand's visual identity but a brand is quite literally everything! From what you say, what you do, how you present yourself to how you make others think and feel.
There must be a consistency of thought, purpose and action across all facets of your brand so consider:
If you need some help with your brand then drop us a line - we'd be delighted to help.
]]>Our aim is to help you future-proof your business, balancing the drive for achieving short-term goals with long-term sustainability and integrity.
We want our clients to enjoy interacting with Blue Horizons. Life can be pretty hectic, busy and often stressful so we want to ensure working with us is a positive experience.
Creating your marketing collatoral should be enjoyable - seeing your vision come to life and helping you to achieve your dreams and goals in a timely and affordable manner.
Blue Horizons has been in business for over 20 years so we have gained a wealth of experience and knowledge during this time. Everyday is a school day and we are still learning, evolving and adapting in order to help serve our clients in the best way possible.
Although we have a set process of how we work in order to efficiently and effectively deliver, we also adjust and adapt to how you like to work; ensuring that we work together to get the best possible result.
Listening is the most important part of communication so we take the time to listen to your specific needs and circumstances.
Despite having collectively over 100+ years worth of marketing experience and having built in excess of 500 websites we are still actively learning each and every day. We genuinely enjoy problem solving and discovering work arounds with new ways to do things.
Once we have analysed a client's unique situation and needs and evaluated the various solutions, we will put forward our recommendation. Our recommendations are formed from our knowledge, experience and expertise.
Integrity is a core value at Blue Horizons so we will challenge you if we believe a particular route is/isn't recommended - due dilegence if you like. That being said, we are of course here to service our clients and we work with you, supporting you and your team throughout the process so that you feel in control at all times.
We dislike knowledge gatekeepers and the 'cloak and dagger' approach to service provision. We understand that clients come to us because they require professional help and guidance. At the same time we see a big part of our role is to empower our clients to help themselves - to inform, educate and share knoweldge.
When asking someone to be fully 'proactive', we're wanting them to take full ownership and responsibilty for a situation, acting in anticipation of future problems, needs or changes, often without our input.
When engaged on a project for a client we utilise our knowledge and experience and proactively provide guidance and support to ensure the best possible outcome to suit the unique circumstances of each of our clients.
However, as a small team we don't have the resources to be truly proactive for each and everyone of our clients, everyday - it just isn't viable. We can offer guidance and support, but taking responsbility for overall business strategy is outside of our remit.
Micro businesses are able to be responsive - there is no giant chain of command and complex structure, so you are able to easily flex and change course if need be. When issues crop up and need immediate attention we do our best to react quickly and help our clients as soon as possible.
Responsiveness implies thoughtful action that considers long and short term outcome in the context of the situation in hand.
Here at Blue Horizons we believe we are responsive rather than merely reactive. Our experience allows us to offer a valid perspective - having worked with over 500 different clients from all sectors and industries, we are able to creatively problem-solve tasks and come up with unique solutions to suit your requirements.
]]>
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) has been around since the mid-1990s, when early search engines like Yahoo and AltaVista first appeared. In the beginning, it was possible to ‘trick’ these search engines into ranking website pages by stuffing them with keywords, but as search has evolved and the search engines, such as Google, have become more sophisticated, SEO has developed into a complex and nuanced practice.
SEO is still very much about keywords, but it is driven by searcher intent and the need to deliver relevance, quality information and a great user experience. It is no longer a stand alone practice but one that must be integrated into marketing strategies and website builds from the onset in order to be successful. It is only through understanding what your target audience wants, what they might be searching for and why that you can create content that will answer their questions, satisfy their informational needs and engage them.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) refers to the practice of optimising content and websites to improve their visibility and ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs). SEO involves a range of practices, including keyword research, on-page optimisation, technical SEO and link building.
The goal of SEO is to increase organic traffic to a website, which can lead to more leads, conversions, and revenue. By optimising for search engines, your business can be more easily found in search for the products or services you provide, thereby improving your online presence and helping you to reach a wider audience of potential customers.
In a nutshell, SEO is a necessity. Any organisation that has a website needs SEO in order to make the best of that website. Think of your website as a small shop in a rural area, hidden down a country lane that no one ever goes down. Despite stocking a fabulous range of products and having an awesome team of people running your store, if nobody knows it exists, you simply won’t get the footfall you need to generate sales. It’s the same for your website. Without proper signposting and optimisation to help you compete with the organisations who have been doing it for years, your website won’t be found when people are looking for the products or services you offer.
If you are looking to grow your online presence you might be considering organic or paid search marketing. To know what will work best for your business right now, it’s a good idea to understand the difference. Let’s look below at the two types of search results your business could appear in:
The latest statistics suggest that 80% of website visits are trackable and of that 80%, 53% of visits come from organic search and 27% from paid search. This means that the majority of website traffic is from organic search, confirming the fact that SEO is a necessity. It also shows us that it is possible to influence paid search results by paying for the keywords that are most relevant to your business.
The core difference between organic and paid search is the time that it takes for your website to become more visible. Organic search is a long term commitment to improving the visibility and reach of your website. It is something that should be done on a continual basis and which should grow and change as your business, audience and goals change. Paid search, on the other hand, can help to increase your visibility from day one. This can be a very useful tactic when launching a new business or website, expanding to new target markets, fighting back against new competitors or giving your brand the edge at important times of year.
Google has a 93% search engine market share in the UK, which means if you are looking to advertise your products or services, Google Ads currently provides the best route to increased visibility.
Google has a suite of advertising networks that can enable your business to be more easily found in paid search for the products you sell or the keywords that best describe your products and services. It can also help increase the reach of your brand through visual and video ads.
Some of the Google advertising services you might like to consider include:
● Search Ads: These are text ads that appear on search engine results pages when a user searches for a specific keyword or phrase related to the business.
● Shopping Ads: These are product ads that appear on search engine results pages when a user searches for a specific product or category of products.
● Performance Max Ads: These are a new type of automated campaign that allows advertisers to access all ad inventory from a single campaign. This includes all of Google's advertising channels, such as Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, and Discovery campaigns.
● Video Ads: These are ads that appear on YouTube and other video platforms.
● Display Ads: These are image led ads that appear on websites and apps that are part of Google's Display Network.
● App Ads: These are ads that promote mobile apps and appear on other apps or websites.
Google Ads, when done correctly, can be a powerful tool to help you reach your target audience and drive sales and conversions. If you’re not sure whether paid ads will be worthwhile for your business, consider the following benefits:
Whilst it is possible for your business to run its own organic and paid marketing campaigns, there are definitely advantages to calling in the experts to work alongside your in-house teams. As a full digital marketing agency, with experts in areas including Shopify website development and management, SEO, paid advertising, email marketing and social media, we are well placed to connect the dots and deliver integrated marketing campaigns that work towards your business goals.
Some of the key advantages we can promise you when working with us on SEO and Search Engine Advertising campaigns are:
SEO and Content Marketing - to include keyword research, content strategies, content creation (onsite and offsite), backlink building, onsite reviews and local listings. All of our content is created based on the keywords we have researched for you, with the goals of helping your website to be found around these keywords and improving users’ onsite experience. All content is all sent to you for approval prior to publication.
Search Engine Advertising Set Up - to include Google Ads and Microsoft Ads set up. If you already have campaigns set up, we can review these initially and provide a report with recommendations on how you can improve these campaigns and, where necessary, add in new ones to help you improve visibility, reach, website visits and sales.
Search Engine Advertising Management - for all of our campaigns we offer a monthly management service. This includes monitoring the campaigns and making tweaks as necessary to maintain and improve performance. This might include: refining keywords to ensure you only pay for clicks that are relevant, tweaking bidding strategies to get the best from your budget, updating ads to keep them fresh, adding in new campaigns as necessary, ensuring product data feeds correctly from your website and advising on ad, feed, campaign and product disapprovals as necessary. We can also implement special offers and reviews into paid advertising campaigns to help encourage people to click through on your ads.
Social Media Marketing - to include the creation of posts for your social media channels including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Linkedin, reporting on how these channels are contributing to your website’s traffic and sales and the creation of ads on social media channels to help you reach targeted audiences.
Email Marketing - to include helping you to integrate your Shopify website with Klaviyo - a powerful email marketing tool that integrates seamlessly with your website to give you full transparency on how email campaigns are contributing to traffic and sales. We can help you to set up flows to ensure that new sign ups get welcome emails and offers and that those who abandon their cart are given reminders to complete their purchase and discounts on doing so where applicable. We can also create regular, seasonal or special promotion newsletters to your entire database or segments thereof, to remind past and existing customers of what you can do for them or to introduce new products, services or special offers.
It’s never too early or too late to start search engine marketing and advertising. Whether you’ve had a website for years and never really invested in promoting it or you are just looking for a change in direction or fresh approach to your current marketing strategy, we’ve got the experience and resources to support you. Get in touch to find out more about our full suite of digital marketing services or to request a review or quotation.
]]>According to the Centre of Retail Research, UK retailers spend £60 billion a year sorting out returns. The main reasons why people return goods are:
So, what can you do to ensure you reduce the amount of returns for your ecommerce store?
Because purchasers are not able to physically touch, feel or see a product, it is so important to provide as much detail and description as possible. Together with quality, consistent product images and/or videos, this helps provide the purchaser with the information that they need.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) are a great way to provide purchasers with more information that doesn't clutter up the product description. Think of FAQs as a way to remove all potential barriers as to why a customer may decide not to buy from you.
Unlike Live chat or email, FAQs can be accessed immediately. Tap in to your existing customer data - what questions do customers frequently ask?
The primary drawback of online shopping is not being able to try items on or physically see the product dimensions.
For clothing items, mention what size the model in the photos is wearing and what their measurements are.
Providing size guides and fitting tools helps reduce returns and improves conversions.
User generated content and social proof is the new word-of mouth - people trust other people, even total strangers.
Reading a positive review provides an essential role in the purchase decision making process for online shoppers. It is also worth mentioning that positive reviews help with your SEO.
We recommend the app Judge.me to help you request, display and manage your reviews and the app Smile.io to create your own loyalty and reward programs.
Just because you're not seeing customers face to face, don't neglect the importance of excellent customer service. Although the interactions are taking place online, humans thrive on connection and contact and focusing on exceeding your customer's expectations will pay dividends. The online market place is very crowded so ensuring positive interactions will make you stand out from the crowd.
Get the fundamentals spot on. Have processes and systems in place to negate the need for returns.
Quality control will pick up mole hills before they turn into mountains!
Packaging should protect your products and ensure that they don't arrive damaged in any way. Packaging should also provide the 'wow' factor as part of the users' experience.
Is your packaging as eco-friendly as it can be? Is your packaging on brand? Does your packaging provide an experience?
Although this may feel counter-intuitive, having a liberal return policy removes a major barrier for purchasers and thus encourages them to purchase more. If customers feel that your return policy is simple and easy they will feel more confident to purchase items that they're perhaps not 100% sure about.
A return equates to a customer's needs not being met. An exchange on the other hand means that the customer wants to continue a relationship with you.
Consider incentivising exchanges over returns and make the process as easy for the customer as possible.
It is much better for cashflow too to provide exchanges over refunds.
Keep the positive momentum going post purchase with a well thought out email flow. As well as the standard order/delivery updates, consider providing tips, case studies, cross-sells and so on.
If you've been running your Shopify store for a while or if you're still waiting to launch, we thought it would be useful to run through the various options available with Shopify Plans and the different features/benefits of each plan.
Firstly, let's run through the features available on all main plans:
It is also worth being aware that International Commerce is now available for all Shopify plans, this includes the following features:
Define geographic market areas to ensure you are providing a localized buying experience for customers in different regions.
Assign custom web addresses for each market that are optimized for search results and automatically redirect customers to the right domain based on their market.
Translate your store into multiple languages to provide a familiar shopping experience for customers in different markets.
Automatically convert prices into your customer’s local currency to drive conversion in each market (requires Shopify Payments).
Set local payment methods to appear for customers who check out in specific markets (requires Shopify Payments).
Take greater control of your international pricing strategy by setting specific prices for products or product variants in each market.
Estimate and collect duties and import taxes at checkout to give customers total cost clarity and reduce your risk of returns and parcel refusals.
Here are the key differences between the plans. Are you on the right plan for your needs or for your level of sales or could you save on transaction fees by upgrading?
Basic
|
Shopify
|
Advanced | |
Cost | £25 per month £19 per month if paid yearly (25% off) |
£65 per month £49 per month if paid yearly (25% off) |
£344 per month £259 per month if paid yearly (25% off) |
Credit Card Rates |
2% + 25p online Third party fee if not using Shopify Payments |
1.7% + 25p online Third party fee if not using Shopify Payments |
1.5% + 25p online Third party fee if not using Shopify Payments |
Features |
Basic reports Up to 4 inventory locations 2 staff accounts |
Professional reports Up to 5 inventory locations 5 staff accounts In addition: Ecommerce automations (automate tasks & create workflows) |
Custom report builder Up to 8 inventory locations 15 staff accounts In addition: Ecommerce automations (automate tasks & create workflows) Third party calculated shipping rates |
NB. Carrier calculated shipping can only be added on the Shopify or Advanced Plans. Its included on an annual 'Shopify' plan or any Advanced Plan or can be added to a monthly 'Shopify' plan at $20 a month.
Please note that you can move up or down from a plan at any point. Find out more about Shopify Plans here.
ShopifyPlus is an all-in-one complete solution for high volume, enterprise-level businesses. To give context, monthly plan costs start from $2000 per month.
Here are some reasons as to why you may need to be on ShopifyPlus:
Do get in touch if you would like to discuss how you can make the most out of Shopify for your business.
]]>A theme is a 'template' that controls the organization, features, and style of your online store. Different themes have different styles and layouts to suit specific requirements and aesthetics. Within the theme editor you are able to customise the settings to suit.
All available themes on the Shopify Theme Store are optimized for performance and usability, and come mobile-ready. Be wary of themes that are aren't available through the Shopify theme store unless you have experience with a particular trusted theme developer.
Before you make any major changes, we would recommend that you create a duplicate of the theme (just in case). Simply go Online Store > Themes [theme you want to duplicate] > Actions > Duplicate This will create a copy of your current live theme - it is good practice to give this an indentifiable name. For instance, you may be wanting to make some seasonal changes to the theme, so it makes sense to add to the name 'Christmas 2022' for instance.
Duplicating your theme just ensures that you create a back-up and can make changes and adjustments without it affecting the live site. As per the example above, you may want to get some seasonal changes to the theme ready in the background before making this live.
You are able to store up to 20 themes in your theme library, but can delete older ones as needed to free up space.
In order to make changes to your theme, you will need to click on customize next to the theme that you are wanting to edit. This will take you into the theme editor.
The theme editor displays a tree view of all the content for the template that you're currently viewing in the sidebar. Expand a section node using the expand icon ▸
to view its blocks, or collapse it using the collapse icon ▾
to hide the blocks. You can click on any section or block to view its settings.
The preview inspector is a new feature of the theme editor - it is that little blue box with an arrow in. It allows you to navigate to sections and blocks directly from the preview window and find the corresponding settings faster and more intuitively. With the preview inspector, you can reorder, hide, or delete sections and blocks right from your preview window. Conversely if you don't like this feature, simply click on the blue box to deactivate.
Depending on your screen size, the theme editor will either present you with a single or double sidebar mode. If you have a larger screen, you will be presented with two sidebars - the left-hand sidebar contains the navigation panel, and the right-hand sidebar contains the setting panel.
Different themes will have different options in terms of sections and blocks.
A section is a set content area - for example - Slideshow, Rich Text, Featured Collection and so forth.
A block is an off-spring of a section - for example - if you had a Slideshow section, adding in a block to that section would add in another slide.
Rather than completely removing a section or block that you may want to reintroduce at some point, you can simple hide it by selecting the eye symbol next to the relevant block or section.
This is the area where you set the foundational elements such as colours, fonts, links to your social media profiles etc.
If you have a theme purchased from the Shopify Theme Store, head there, find your theme and there will be 'Support and Documentation'. This is a requirement for all themes featured on the Shopify Theme Store and another reason why we recommend purchasing your theme from the Shopify Theme Store.
If you have been working on a duplicated version, such as that Christmas version that you are now ready to launch, simply go Online Store >Themes > [specific theme you want to make live] > Actions > Publish next to the specific theme version that you are wanting to make live. Once done, this will supersede this version of the theme as your current theme.
Head over to your theme on the Shopify Theme Store and you will find release notes on each theme update and what they include to help you decide.
You will have noticed various changes to the Shopify interface over the last 12 months or so since Online Store 2.0 was released. All changes and upgrades are aimed at improving the experience for both shoppers and merchants alike.
The main benefits of Online Store 2.0 are:
Firstly, how is your store performing for you at the moment? Does your current store work for where you are at now and where you want to go? It may be that your existing theme (perhaps together with the addition of apps) has the capabilities to do what you need. However, perhaps now is the right time to change theme.
We are always happy to offer guidance so simply drop us an email or give us a call.
We recommend only using themes via the Shopify Theme Store which are optimised for performance and usability, and come mobile-ready. You are also able to 'try before you buy' with the ability to add a new theme as a trial to your store allowing you to play around with the sections and settings before committing to purchasing the theme.
Ask yourself the following questions to help with your decision-making process:
If you feel like your store needs a spruce up, we'd love to help so please get in touch by either giving us a call on 01242 236600 or dropping us an email.
We can also offer training sessions. Click here to find out more.
Remember too that Shopify's help section is a great tool to point you in the right direction.
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Metafields enable you to customise the functionality and appearance of your Shopify store by letting you save specialised information that isn't usually captured in the Shopify admin, such as:
Typically the product page (and other parts of the Shopify admin) were restricted to entering content into fields that already existed, unlike other platforms, you couldn't add additional attributes to product pages or associated products to blog posts without using an app (and a developer). That's all changed with native metafields which give the merchant lots of additional tools at their disposal to further customise their store and the shopping experience for customers.
You can add Metafields to your products, collections, blogs, customers, orders, and other parts of your store, either directly from your Shopify admin (or by using an app from the Shopify App Store).
Examples of metafields on a product page
For the purpose of this article, we're focusing on the native metafields in Shopify as everything is built in and ready to utilise within various 2.0 themes (or with some clever coding).
Head to Settings > Metafields to get started.
Think of a definition as a rule. Metafield definitions act as templates that specify what part of your store a metafield applies to and what values the metafield can have.
Adding metafield definitions ensures that the same validation rules apply to every value that you enter for a specific metafield.
You have a choice of either:
You add metafield definitions on the Metafields page of your Shopify admin. You can add additional types of metafields in the following ways:
Did you know - you can have up to 100 metafield definitions per area of the site, plus you can pin up to 20 to easily show within a product page or blog posts too (the rest are still available, they just need an extra click to reveal)!
But what are these metafields for and how can you use them?
We see the main advantage of metafields on product pages. Previously any key features a product had all had to be included within the main description and could only be highlighted with basic bold or italic type styling. Now you can create metafields to store additional product information and then display this anywhere on a product page (or even on a collection). Think displaying product materials or features, benefits, weights, sizes, specific delivery information, sell by dates - you name it, you can add this into a metafield.
Metafields use on a collection filter and pricing reference
You can also store paragraphs of text in metafields and then display these on the product pages in accordions or tabs simply by connecting them in a compatible theme. Gone are the days of using apps to create accordions or templates to display content in different areas on different products, metafields let you do that all dynamically so the information will change depending on the product page you're on.
What else can you do with them?
Show related colour swatches or accordions
Advanced use with coloured backgrounds and custom icons
And they're not restricted to products either. Collect additional information on your customers by adding metafields to customer records and pull this information in with custom account registration forms. Display products that customers can buy from within a blog post or highlight different parts of a post outside the main cipy area. Or why not add details to orders to pass onto your customer service team? Theideas are endless.
Setting up new Metafields involves the following tasks:
Once you've set up the metafields you want, you'll then be able to activate it with a 2.0 compatible theme and theme editor. Each theme is different, so refer to your theme documentation, but it should be as simple as adding a block or section, looking for the dynamic content icon and connecting up to your new metafield.
So have fun in adding additional information to your store and really customise the shopping or admin experience. And if think you'd like to make the most of metafields in your store but you're don't know where to start, then get in touch and let one of the team guide you.
]]>Emotional intelligence is made up of many different components that can be combined together to solve a wide range of problems both in business and in life. In essence, we need to power up our strengths and improve on our weaknesses.
Here at Blue Horizons, we place a strong emphasis on emotional intelligence as part of our ethos and culture with an overriding growth mindset.
The ability to be thankful and show appreciation. An attitude of gratitude makes us happier, improves our moods and makes us feel more connected to others. In a working environment it also enhances the sense of belonging and respect which in turn leads to higher job performance, less sick days and lower staff turnover.
A clear knowledge of your self; your personality, values, strengths, weaknesses, behaviours and thought processes. Without understanding yourself internally, you can't really understand how you present yourself externally and therefore how you interact with others. Being able to flex your own behaviour appropriate to the situation ensures far more success in life.
You are responsibile for every situation in which you find yourself. You may not be responsible for the circumstances themselves but you are always responsible for how you react to the circumstances. All of your decisions belong to you.
A hopefulness and confidence about the future. Being optimistic is not about being naive, it's just asking you to assume an attitude of hope and confidence about the future.
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of other people, while humility is the comfort you take in your understanding of yourself.
Together empathy and humility make it possible to truly put yourself in someone else's shoes without feeling in any way superior or inferior to them.
Believing in yourself. Conviction keeps you on track and prevents you from being over-influenced by other's opinions.
Conviction is one of the ingredients that will protect you from doubt and help you to keep going.
Tenacity is the gritiness that inspires you to push on even when the going gets tough.
Patience is the ingredient that enables you to maintain your tenacity.
Kindness is all about being friendly, generous and considerate. You never know what's going on in someone else's life and vice-versa. Always be kind and don't take other people's unkindness to heart.
The desire to do or achieve something. Strategise, set goals and work to achieve things.
"Why am I trying to grow this business?" - By answering the bigger picture questions you'll refocus your mind on the goals and targets you're trying to achieve.
The strong desire to know or learn something. Genuine curiousity helps drive your ambition and makes you wonder how far you can go.
And finally, in case you're wondering, the #1/2 that Gary's book refers to, is identifying whichever ingredient you're weakest in and working harder at it.
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Display Ads - great for building brand awareness and growing brand reach, good for new products/brands/services and increasing brand recognition.
89% of the traffic generated by Google Ads is not replaced by organic clicks when ads are paused - Google AI Blog
Video Ads - great for brands who want to tell their story, be in front of the camera, get more brand reach and awareness and who can’t explain the benefits of their products/services in a single image or text ad.
Local Ads - for local tradespeople, shops, restaurants etc who are looking to drive footfall and increase awareness about their brand.
As we come to the end of the year it’s the ideal time to reflect back on the year that’s passed and focus our attentions to the year ahead. 2021 (and 2020 for that matter) have been challenging to say the least, so perhaps now is the ideal time to take stock and pro-actively plan for the coming year.
Feeding forward is so much more productive than feeding back. Use this simple grid to help you learn from the past and focus on a positive future. We can't change what has happened but we can learn from it. Focus on solutions and not problems.
FEED FORWARD
INSPIRES |
WORKS |
|
|
BIGGER & BETTER |
MISSING |
|
|
We can’t change the past but we can change the future. Sportsmen and woman are trained on the concept of feedforward. Rather than visualising a failed past they are taught to focus on the visualisation of success; scoring a goal, being first over the line, serving an ace.
Feedforward enables us to dispel the negativity associated with the self-fulfilling prophecy. Rather than focus on feedback that reinforces negative behaviour, feedforward enables us to focus on the possibility of change.
Using this simple grid will help you focus more clearly and positively on what you'd like to achieve for the coming year.
When you envision your end goal, your brain's neural pathways light up as if you were actually doing that thing. When we visualise, we help our brain prepare itself for the work that needs to be done, making it easier to set action-based priorities.
Becoming realistic buys us freedom. Often, we set ourselves unrealistic goals from the pressure and expectation that not only we place on ourselves, but feel that others have of us. Living within our capabilities and means is a much kinder, less stressful existence.
Routines help us to feel in control and less overwhelmed as they limit the number of choices we need to make every day. This creates the mental space that we need to concentrate on more important things.
"I am not what happened to me. I am what I choose to become." Jung
]]>Hardy Games is a small business specialising in the gaming world and predominately selling through online marketplaces. Although this route proved very successful, they decided that the time was right for them to branch out on their own and to sell direct to consumers which would enable them to sell the same quality products but at a fraction of the price.
The service provided by Hardy Games and their USP of fast delivery times are enough to encourage repeat custom, but Hardy Games were keen to have a reward element within their customer journey to furthermore reward their customers and encourage them to purchase directly.
First step was a new brand image and logo. Hardy Games wanted their logo to be instantly recognisable and they wanted to ensure that they had a cohesive look across all marketing efforts. It was important that the new logo reflected the brand and its gaming nature.
At BH we love to get creative and help our clients bring a vision to life. It all starts with an idea; this gets created and presented to the client and then we work together to develop the concept.
For Hardy Games it was important that gaming was evident at first glance with the logo. We also wanted to ensure that we were helping create a profile for their name so wanted to try and keep their name/initial present.
A few options were presented to the client.
These were discussed and refined and the final logo was selected. The new logo brings together the name of the company whilst also bringing in elements from the digital and gaming world with a digital pixel and a D-pad control image.
The answer to a better online presence was a new Shopify website which we created for them. They can now easily update their website syncing from their inventory management platform, Linnworks, whilst knowing that they have a checkout process which is fast and secure and easy for customers to navigate. The reward element was no problem with a Shopify website as there is “an app for that”. By installing the Bold app every customer who purchases on the site can create an account and gain points for every purchase which can be redeemed against future purchases. This helps the customer to form a long term relationship with Hardy Games.
With a new brand image and new website we have been able to work with Hardy Games on additional marketing collateral. We have designed and created core stationery for them, branded clothing & pens and a promotional flyer which was used in existing market place orders offering customers 10% off their first direct order.
Hardy Games recognised that they needed a new image and a new website to help take them to the next level. Here at Blue Horizons, we have created this for them and have provided them with the assets to help springboard them into their next chapter.
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It can be tempting to jump straight into the aesthetic elements and how you envisage your new website to look. However, as with any design project, clarifying the strategic intent and functional requirements should come first.
Here we run through the key elements for consideration when creating a website brief:
It helps, in your own words to state what your business does, who your target audience are and what the goals for the business are. Where does the website fit into your business strategy? What does your brand stand for?
Make sure to communicate to your website developer/agency from the outset your current set up – this could include:
Who from your business will manage the project? Who has authority to make decisions? Are there any specific deadlines to work towards? What are your budget requirements?
Provide a pro’s and con’s of your current website - do you currently have any analytics to support this?
Following on from the evaluation of your existing site you’ll then be able to prioritise the non-negotiables versus nice-to-have requirements.
Articulate what it is that you want visitors to your site to think, feel and do. Be specific – are you wanting customers to buy there and then online? Do you want them to create an account?
Be sure to supply any brand guidelines or specific elements of, for example, packaging designs - elements that helps demonstrate the aesthetic of your brand.
It is also useful to provide examples of websites that you admire (from any sector), stating the specifics of what it is that you like and why.
The more specific and clear you can be at the outset, the more this can help ensure an enjoyable development process with open communication. You’ll end up with a website that meets your needs, exceeds your expectations, and, above all, functions and performs well to meet both your and your customer’s needs.
If you would like to discuss a website development project with us then please give us a call on 01242 236600 or drop us an email – info@bluehorizonsmarketing.co.uk
]]>At long last Shopify's updated Online Store 2.0 is finally here - perhaps the most highly anticipated update ever! Here at Blue Horizons we are genuinely excited about this and have been utilising the new theme builder on new client stores for a few weeks now. But what does it mean for you and your store? Here's a brief overview of what the update entails.
You may have noticed your theme editor change over the last couple of months with a new interface and editor options. This is all part of Shopify's recent upgrade to Online Store 2.0. Launched at the recent Unite Conference, Shopify have rolled out a bunch of new options and features for app and theme developers to use, culminating with a brand new theme editor and some great new features. The aim is to help create amazing experiences for merchants and shoppers.
Customising your inside pages or product pages used to involve duplicating templates or hard coding sections - not anymore.
You can now customize the content on most of your online store's pages using all the sections you find on the homepage! Add, rearrange, or remove sections and blocks to create unique page layouts.
Stuck with just being able to add content to the existing product page fields without an app?
With native product metafields you can add additional fields to a product page to allow you to showcase extra attributes, like materials, weights, award badges and logos and update these dynamically on the front end, meaning you can display product specific information in different places on a product page with ease.
Customising a product page now no longer needs touching the code.
Re-order and hide elements in the theme editor, add accordions, modals and custom badges and graphics with ease and apply different layouts and sections to different products with just a few clicks!
Allow customers to filter collections in your store by availability, price, product type, vendor, plus variant options, like size and colour. All without an app and without custom tags.
This means quicker load times and reduced running cost!
Install or change apps without touching any code.
Add app functionality anywhere in your theme using app blocks. Plus removing apps is just as quick.*
*This feature is only available with a few apps so far...
2.0 has been built for speed.
Shopify's free Dawn theme loads 35% quicker then their Debut theme, and with the improved speed available for developers to utilise, we're expecting quicker stores to start appearing in the market soon.
Upgrading or changing your theme isn't critical. Your store will still function just as well as it did before and will still look great and be easy to manage. So if now is not the right time to invest in a revamp, refresh or an upgrade to get the new features, or you've recently just done this or just launched your new site, then don't worry, you don't need to do anything.
But, if you were thinking of having a redesign, adding new features or apps or making lots of custom changes, then now might be the perfect time to upgrade to 2.0!
Please do get in touch for any advice or any questions you have or if you'd like a quote for moving to 2.0 - every client is different, so let us tailor a quote to you.
IP addresses – this is like home addresses for websites, as well as devices connected to the internet. They enable the fast and efficient transfer of data between browsers and devices. An IP address will look something like this - 192.158.1.38.
URL - stands for Uniform Resource Locator. This would be the website address of a single page such as https://www.bluehorizonsmarketing.co.uk/pages/our-work
Domain name – Domain names were designed to make website addresses easier to identify – so rather than 192.158.1.38 you can type an easy to remember domain name in the browser address bar such as google.co.uk
Sub domain – a subdomain is a child domain under the main domain name, for example example.com, might use the subdomain shop.example.com. Once you register a domain, you have the permission to create subdomains for it by yourself.
Domain Registrar – this is the company who you purchased your domain from. When you enter a domain name in your web browser, it first sends a request to a b=global network of servers that form the Domain Name System (DNS). These servers then look up the name servers associated with the domain and forward the request to those name servers.
These name servers are computers managed by your hosting company. Your hosting company will forward your request to the computer where your website is stored (this is called a web server). The web server now fetches the web page and pieces of information associated with it and then sends this data back to the browser.
Browser - also known as an internet browser or simply a browser, is a software application that lets people access the World Wide Web – for example Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge are all browsers.
Search Engines - allow users to search the internet for content using keywords. Examples include Google, Bing, Yahoo! When a user enters a query into a search engine, a search engine results page (SERP) is returned, ranking the found pages in order of their relevance. How this ranking is done differs across search engines.
Search engines often change their algorithms (the programs that rank the results) to improve user experience. They aim to understand how users search and give them the best answer to their query. This means giving priority to the highest quality and most relevant pages.
There are three key steps to how most search engines work:
• Crawling - search engines use programs, called spiders, bots or crawlers, to scour the internet. They may do this every few days, so it is possible for content to be out-of-date until they crawl your website again.
• Indexing - the search engine will try to understand and categorise the content on a web page through 'keywords'. Following SEO best practice will help the search engine understand your content so you can rank for the right search queries.
• Ranking - search results are ranked based on a number of factors. These may include keyword density, speed and links. The search engine's aim is to provide the user with the most relevant result.
Operating System - is the most important software that runs on a computer. It manages the computer's memory and processes, as well as its software and hardware. Microsoft Windows and macOS are examples of operating systems.
Handle – online, this refers to the name of used for your account, for example for Instagram our handle would be @bluehorizonsmarketing
Render – To convert any coded content to the required format for display or printing. Although the term is typically used to refer to images, it may refer to any data. For example, an HTML page, which contains text and graphics, is said to be "rendered" when it is displayed.
Pixel - (pix = picture, el = element). A pixel is represented by a dot or square on a computer monitor display screen. Pixels are the basic building blocks of a digital image or display and are created using geometric coordinates. The physical size of a pixel varies, depending on the resolution of the display.
DPI (dots per inch) and PPI (pixels per inch) – used to measure the resolution of an image
HTML - HyperText Markup Language - is the standard markup language for documents designed to be displayed in a web browser. It can be assisted by technologies such as Cascading Style Sheets and scripting languages such as JavaScript
CSS - Cascading Style Sheets is a style sheet language used for describing the presentation of a document written in a markup language such as HTML.
JavaScript, PHP, Liquid – types of programming language
Front end and Back end - The term front-end refers to the user interface, while back-end means the server, application and database that work behind the scenes to deliver information to the user.
The past year has been testing to say the least. The global pandemic has completely changed our world and in order to not only survive but strive, we’ve realised that we must adapt and pivot.
Although Covid-19 forced many to move their businesses online and work from home, it has actually bought about a more humanistic perspective to how businesses can operate. Work-life balance, mental wellbeing and integrity have come to the forefront and there has been a noticeable shift to conscious consumption – supporting small, local businesses whose values align with our own.
It can be so easy when running a business to be in a constant state of reaction; dealing with what’s right in front of you and feeling as though you’re battling through day by day in survival mode. This can lead to burnout and exhaustion; when we feel that our business is in control of us and not the other way around.
In order to progress and achieve our goals we need to have purpose and we need to have a plan.
Answering these ‘what’ questions offers you the ‘why’ – that sense of purpose that provides the context for everything else that you do.
By definition success is the accomplishment of an aim or purpose. It isn’t about comparing ourselves to others and it isn’t just about money. Success is what you want it to be so use a more holistic approach to planning your business - basing your strategy in line with your core values will help you build a more sustainable business.
Click here to see our previous post - planning for your business in 5 easy steps
Often in times of crisis, genius strikes. When resources are limited or circumstances outside of our control take hold it can actually force us to innovate and come up with new ideas, concepts and ways of doing things differently.
It can be very easy to feel completely overwhelmed and always start plans for pushing our business forward ‘tomorrow’ or when x happens or y stops. But the old adage ‘The best time to start was yesterday - the next best time is NOW’ - is so true!
If you struggle with procrastination, you’ll find our blog useful.
The global pandemic has taught us that we need to be flexible. We need to pivot and we need to adapt. We can still work towards our bigger picture goals just perhaps not in the same way as before.
Key competencies to help us build back stronger include:
Ironically, our lack of social contact during this past year has created a deep desire for human connection. Not just in terms of physically seeing people but also creating connections that have integrity, intent and purpose.
A positive to come about is the support for local, small businesses whose values align with our own.
Your brand is the translation of your purpose and values, setting you apart from the competition, instilling trust and helping you build lasting relationships with your customers. Be honest and authentic in communicating what your brand is all about and customers will not only come but will keep coming back.
]]>Point of sale software is what brick-and-mortar retailers use to conduct sales in person. It's sometimes a cash register, computer, or even a tablet where cashiers input products, tally the cost, and conduct the financial transaction. Most POS (or ePOS) software will also communicate with inventory levels to keep everything in balance.
There are two main types of POS software:
On-premise POS software requires you to be on location to use it. Terminals are the most common on-premise POS.
Cloud-based POS software offers more flexibility, as you can use any connected, compatible device to access the dashboard.
As well as administering sales transactions, Shopify Point of Sale also completes other functions allowing you to future proof your business:
Omnichannel or omni-channel is a multichannel approach to sales that seeks to provide customers with a seamless shopping experience, whether they're shopping online from a desktop or mobile device, by telephone, or in a brick-and-mortar store. It also includes the ability to sell on other channels, including social media (Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram), eBay and Amazon and even using 'buy now' buttons on any external blog or website.
Shopify has been created to enable retailers to get up and running easily and quickly whilst allowing future development and growth. Shopify is the only all-in-one commerce solution available with omni-channel capabilities. With simplified store maintenance, tools to manage your business, help with marketing and fantastic support, Shopify is the one and only platform you need for your retail business:
If you're considering adding point of sale to your existing Shopify plan, or moving from your existing system, please let us know and we can help you with the next steps. Give us a call in 01242 236600 or drop us an email.
]]>To date, we have developed over 300+ Shopify stores so we wanted to share our advice on what you need to consider when choosing a theme for your Shopify store.
Regardless of whether you opt for a free or paid-for theme, unless you have previous knowledge and experience with a particular theme developer, choose a theme within the Shopify theme store. All themes listed in the theme store have either been developed by Shopify themselves (the free ones) or they've passed Shopify's strict vetting criteria in order to be listed. Plus you know you're guaranteed to get good support should any issues arise, as this is a key part of the approval process the theme developers have to go through in the first place.
In terms of free or premium, it depends on what your objectives are. If you’re just starting out or perhaps want to test things out, then a free theme could be the best choice. But if you need more features and design options, then a premium theme is perhaps the best place to start. At the other end of the scale, is having a fully-customised theme worth the cost?
Do think about the longer-term strategy of your business and remember that you’re not stuck with a theme. In fact, maybe your website needs a refresh, in which case starting with a new theme may be in order and could be a more affordable way to achieve a new look rather than trying to redesign on your existing one.
You can view all themes available on the Shopify theme store here.
You can get seduced by the stunning images used to showcase a theme in the many available previews, but be careful that you select a theme suited to your business’ products/services. What brand assets do you have, or will be acquiring? Will these assets work well with your theme choice?
Don’t pick a theme just because the examples show the same products that you sell – you could be missing out on other themes which suit your requirements better.
Is you inventory small or large? Do you have lots of product variants? Does your chosen theme suit your requirements and does it have the ability to scale your store as you grow your range?
What are your must-haves in terms of functionality? What features are important to you and your audience? Conversely, what don’t you want/need?
Although most themes have similar section blocks to design with (as this is part of Shopify's criteria), many themes have different ways of managing features, such as product filtering, quick view, additional product page content, plus internal 'story' page layouts. In addition, some are built to allow you to use basic inline HTML so you can make more changes to the design than the visual options allow. A great way to affordably create something more unique.
Also take into consideration other factors such as what the theme’s support and documentation is like.
‘When shopping, unfamiliarity breeds contempt’ – most themes follow a similar layout convention because this is what people expect to see, this is how they want an ecommerce website to look and function. Ensure that you test any deviations away from the conventional layout – good design engineering is a result of blending both the aesthetic and the functional.
Another reason to ony use themes from the Shopify theme store, is that you can 'try before you buy'. Add a new theme as a trial to your site so you can play around with the layouts and options before commiting to buying it. You'll get a much better feel of how it will look and work with your own brand and content in it that way, especially when all themes start 'blank' when compared to the highly styled preview versions you'll see.
Do get in touch in you’d like some advice on which theme to choose or would prefer our professional designer to create a new look for you. Drop us an email or give us a call on 01242 236600.
]]>Firstly, let’s look at the characteristics of mentally strong people, they:
A key theme with mental strength is discipline.
Perhaps set yourself a goal to practice and create the habit of discipline:
The greatest levels of happiness are achieved by people who take steps to steer their life in the direction they want, while at the same time accepting the things that they cannot control.
You can become your own mental strength coach
Quick reminder of averages:
From your Shopify Admin area head over to > Analytics. Within the > Dashboard are standard reports such as AOV (average order value), but you can even build your own reports to track the data specific to your needs* (please note that some report options might be dependent on your monthly plan).
*If the type of report you need isn't available, then there are various apps available to help extend reporting functionality.
All apps listed below are hyperlinked so click on them to find out more.
If you would like any help with your Shopify Store give us a call on 01242 236600 or drop us an email.
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