Category: Web Design

Ecommerce Branding and Design: Lessons from 20,000+ Stores

ecommerce branding and design

When it comes to ecommerce branding, most new store owners think it’s about picking a nice logo and choosing two or three brand colors.

After analyzing over 20,000 online stores for our ecommerce design gallery over the last 10 years, I can tell you confidently:
Real branding goes way deeper.

The best stores — the ones that are still around today, still growing, still trusted — have branding woven into every single part of their business.

And more often than not, they’re built on Shopify, with a few standouts using WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Wix, and Squarespace.

Dawn Shopify Theme Review: The Top Free Shopify Theme?

The Dawn Shopify theme is arguably the most popular free theme ever created by Shopify – and certainly one of the most well-known themes I’ve ever used.

That might seem difficult to believe, given it’s somewhat unimpressive rating on Shopify’s theme store.

However, I’ve used this theme several times myself, when creating stores for other Shopify merchants, and I can say it has a lot of unique benefits.

As Shopify’s first “source available reference theme” for Online Store 2.0, Dawn is flexible, reliable, and fast.

So, is it the right theme for your online store?

Loft Shopify Theme Review: Perfect for Promotion-Focused Brands

Over more than a decade as a Shopify developer, I’ve tested hundreds of different Shopify themes, from the simple, free options, to the more advanced premium themes.

The Loft theme – which I’m reviewing today, is one of the best options I’ve tried for promotion-focused brands.

It doesn’t just look fantastic, it comes packed with handy features that make it easy to attract the attention of buyers, and increase conversions.

Here, I’ll give you a behind-the-scenes look at the pros and cons of this premium theme, to help you decide if it’s right for you.

Kittl vs Placeit: Which Design Tool is Best for Your Business?

kittl vs placeit

Ultimately, the answer to that question all depends on what you’re looking for.

If you want an easy-to-use and affordable toolkit for creating everything from logos to versatile product mockups, videos, and social media images, Placeit is a great pick.

If you’re looking for advanced AI-powered design tools, on the other hand, intuitive collaboration tools, and an ever-evolving roster of features, Kittl is the better choice.

Still uncertain?

This head-to-head comparison based on my hands-on experience testing the features and capabilities of both tools should help you make the right choice.

My Placeit Review for 2025: I Look at Features, Pricing, and More

placeit review

Let’s face it, designing great visual assets for your brand, from logos, to product mockups, videos, and social media assets isn’t easy.

In fact, this time-consuming and expensive process can cause major headaches for a lot of emerging brands.

That’s where platforms like Placeit come in.

Placeit, by Envato, is a cloud-based design platform that basically gives you all the tools you need to create crucial visual assets, without any designer skills.

Shapes Shopify Theme Review: Bold, Bright and Modern

shapes shopify theme review

Is the Shapes Theme Right for your Shopify Store?

Do you want to create a Shopify store that’s modern, eye-catching, and perfect for accelerating conversions?

The Shapes Shopify theme could be the perfect option for you. This high-impact geometric theme is ideal for merchants who want to connect with a younger audience, and position themselves as a true trendsetter in the ecommerce market.

The premium theme comes packed with features, from age restriction options for companies selling alcoholic beverages, to diverse product options, and enhanced search.

While it’s not as versatile as some of the other premium themes I’ve reviewed, Shapes definitely stands out from an aesthetics perspective – and it has a 100% positive review rating.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Shapes Shopify theme, from the perspective of an experienced web developer.

Atlantic Shopify Theme Review: Sleek and Scalable

As a long-term website developer myself, I know how difficult it can be for ecommerce companies to choose the right site theme.

That’s particularly true for Shopify merchants, who have hundreds of options to explore both on, and off the Shopify theme marketplace.

The Atlantic theme for Shopify is definitely one of the more popular options I’ve seen, earning a 97% positive rating on the Theme store – but is it the best option for you?

Pipeline Shopify Theme Review: The Ultimate Clean Design

Throughout a decade-long career as a full-stack and Shopify app developer, I’ve seen plenty of web design and development trends come and go. However, modern, minimalistic, and clean templates have been extremely popular for some time now.

The Pipeline Shopify theme might not give you all the dynamic components or bells and whistles offered by some premium Shopify themes, but it’s ideal for giving your customers a sleek and streamlined experience on your store.

Ecommerce Homepage Best Practices (With Examples)

ecommerce homepage best practices

In the ever changing world of ecommerce your homepage is your digital shopfront. A good homepage is crucial for grabbing the attention of your potential customers and guiding them through their buying journey. We want to give you actionable tips to optimise your ecommerce homepage for maximum engagement and conversion.

We’ll look at things like intuitive navigation, beautiful visuals and clear calls to action. By focusing on user experience we can create a homepage that not only attracts visitors but gets them to look deeper into your products.

Elementor vs WPBakery: Which is the Better Page Builder?

I still remember the days when building a website meant either hiring an ultra-expensive developer, or learning how to code everything yourself. Now anyone can design an incredible website with no coding knowledge what-so-ever with a handy page builder.

Elementor and WPBakery are two of the most popular options around if you’re using the popular WordPress CMS for your website. They both take the hassle out of site design, with pre-built templates, widgets and blocks you can drag and drop into place.

How to Design a BigCommerce Store: A Step by Step Guide

design bigcommerce store

Starting your BigCommerce store and need help with design? This guide on how to design a BigCommerce store will walk you through setting up, customizing your theme and organizing products for a smooth customer experience. Follow these steps to create a store that looks good and works well.

Quick Facts

  • Have a clear plan with goals, timeline and budget before you design your BigCommerce store for better resource management.
  • Choose and customize your theme to match your brand, focus on user engagement and flexibility to create a unique shopping experience.
  • Implement navigation and product listings with detailed information, reviews and payment process to increase customer satisfaction and sales.

Prestige Shopify Theme Review: The Ultimate Guide

prestige shopify theme review

Over more than ten years working as a Shopify app developer, as well as a full-stack developer, I’ve encountered quite a few Shopify themes.

I’ve worked with the top free Online Store 2.0 themes, as well as premium themes sold on both the Shopify theme store, and third-party marketplaces.

The Prestige Shopify theme is by far one of the most expensive options offered on the Shopify theme store, but in my opinion, it does offer decent value for money.