Planning your store design

Good planning leads to better results. Here's how to design your store customizations before you start editing.

Start With Goals

Before making any changes, define what you want to achieve:

• •Increase conversions: Focus on CTAs, trust signals, checkout flow
• •Improve brand perception: Focus on colors, typography, imagery
• •Enhance usability: Focus on navigation, search, mobile experience
• •Stand out from competitors: Focus on unique sections, memorable design

Gather Inspiration

Look at other stores and websites for ideas:

• •Browse competitor stores and note what works well
• •Check design sites like Dribbble, Behance, or Awwwards
• •Save screenshots of elements you like
• •Note specific features: "I like how this store handles product images"

Define Your Brand Elements

Document your brand guidelines before editing:

Colors

• •Primary color: Main brand color
• •Secondary color: Accent color
• •Background colors: Light and dark options
• •Text colors: Primary and secondary text
• •CTA button color: Call-to-action elements

Typography

• •Heading font
• •Body text font
• •Font sizes for different elements
• •Font weights

Tone and Style

• •Minimal and clean vs. bold and colorful
• •Professional vs. playful
• •Luxury vs. accessible
• •Modern vs. classic

Audit Your Current Store

Before changing anything, review what you have:

1. 1.Visit every page type (home, product, collection, cart)
2. 2.Check on mobile and desktop
3. 3.Note what's working and what isn't
4. 4.Identify the biggest pain points
5. 5.Prioritize changes by impact

Create a Change List

Write down all the changes you want to make:

Prioritize by Impact

Not all changes are equal. Focus on:

High Priority (Do First)

• •Above-the-fold elements (what visitors see first)
• •Call-to-action buttons
• •Mobile experience
• •Checkout flow
• •Trust signals

Medium Priority

• •Product page layout
• •Collection page design
• •Navigation improvements
• •Footer organization

Lower Priority

• •Decorative elements
• •Animations
• •Minor spacing adjustments
• •"Nice to have" features

Plan for Mobile First

Most Shopify traffic is mobile. Consider:

• •How will changes look on a phone?
• •Are buttons large enough to tap?
• •Is text readable without zooming?
• •Does the layout work in portrait mode?

Consider User Flow

Think about how customers move through your store:

1. 1.Land: Homepage or product page from ad
2. 2.Browse: Navigate collections, search products
3. 3.Evaluate: Read product details, reviews
4. 4.Decide: Add to cart
5. 5.Purchase: Complete checkout

Make sure your design supports each step, not just looks good.

Document Your Plan

Keep your plan somewhere accessible:

• •Simple note on your phone
• •Google Doc or Notion page
• •Physical notebook

Having a reference makes it easier to stay focused and track progress.