The 5 Most Common Mistakes People Make When Choosing a Shopify Theme

Launching a Shopify store is exciting, but choosing the wrong theme can lead to headaches, slow performance, and poor conversion. Let’s take a look at five of the most common mistakes merchants make when picking a theme (and how to avoid them).

1. Falling for Looks Without Checking Function

A sleek homepage is great, but what about product filtering? Mobile responsiveness? Cart experience? A visually stunning theme that lacks usability will cost you conversions. Ensure your theme isn’t just visually appealing — it should also function effectively.

2. Ignoring Mobile Experience

According to Shopify, over 79% of online traffic comes from mobile devices. If your theme doesn’t shine on mobile, with intuitive menus, thumb-friendly buttons, and fast loading speeds, you're leaving money on the table.

3. Overlooking Built-In Features

Many new merchants install a theme and immediately add third-party apps for upsells, reviews, or mega menus, features that some premium themes already include. Save money (and site speed) by choosing a theme with the features you need built in.

4. Forgetting About Support

Themes are software. Sometimes things go wrong. Choose a theme from a developer with strong documentation and responsive support. The ability to get help fast can make all the difference.

5. Not Thinking Ahead

What works for 10 products might not scale to 100. Themes with flexible sections, collection filtering, and upsell options are a must if you plan to grow. Think long-term, switching themes later is doable, but it comes with downtime and development costs.

Before committing to your Shopify Theme 

Make sure you test your shortlisted themes using Shopify’s preview tool, review documentation, and consider what your business will look like in 6–12 months. Your theme should serve you today and tomorrow.