How To Create Shopify Theme Development From Scratch

Crafting a bespoke Shopify theme development from scratch has the potential to captivate your customers, as the visual design of your website is the initial aspect that visitors will observe. If the idea of embarking on theme development is under your contemplation, continue reading this article for further insights.

Shopify theme development from scratch: Advantages & Disadvantages

When constructing a Shopify theme development from scratch, it’s essential to take into account both its advantages and disadvantages, which are elaborated upon below:

Advantages

• Staying up to date: As the proprietor of your unique Shopify theme, you hold the reins when determining the necessary enhancements for your theme. These improvements will harmonize with updates related to the Shopify platform, ensuring a seamless and glitch-free transition to the latest versions.
• Creative control: You’ll gain complete creative authority over every element on your website, from the arrangement and color scheme to tailor-made icons and fonts.
• Designed to meet the demands of your target audience: Initiating Shopify theme development from scratch empowers you to craft a layout that effectively transforms your users into customers.
• Ability to customize functionality: Personalize your theme by incorporating essential features for your business without installing third-party applications.
• Clean code: By incorporating only the essential code required to operate your website, you sidestep code bloating and guarantee a swift website loading speed.

Disadvantages

• Cost: Opting for a fully customized website will incur higher prices than the straightforward purchase and installation of a pre-made theme from a Theme Store. Enlisting a Shopify development company to devise and execute your bespoke theme is essential unless you possess coding skills. The expenses will fluctuate based on your specifications and the expertise of the selected Shopify development firm.
• Time: Creating custom Shopify theme development from scratch demands more time compared to the ease of installing a pre-made theme. Depending on your design blueprint, the estimated timeframe for crafting a custom Shopify theme will span from a few weeks to several months.

Overall, constructing a Shopify theme development from scratch demands significant time and money.

Most essential pages in Shopify theme development from scratch

Although the content and products within your store will likely be distinct, you’ll still benefit from having standardized pages presented with visually appealing and user-friendly themes. The following is a compilation of crucial pages:

• Homepage: A distinct value proposition, effortless navigation, and unmistakable calls to action.
• Product page: Simplified product headlines, user testimonials, and uncomplicated add-to-cart functionality.
• Collection page: Group products by brand, consumer interest, promotions, and other criteria, simplifying their discovery and reducing obstacles.
• Landing page: Strategically positioned, attractive images and elements that showcase stock levels and countdowns for sales, creating a sense of urgency.
• Contact Us page: Business details, including address, email, hotline, tax code, business registration certificate, and similar information establish credibility, authentication, and transparency.
• Blog page: Valuable posts, industry insights, company updates, and product news of significance.

Next, we’ll outline constructing a Shopify theme development from scratch.

Step-by-step on how to make a Shopify theme development from scratch

Developing a custom Shopify theme development from scratch can be intricate. Still, it’s attainable with the appropriate steps and resources. Below is a step-by-step manual on crafting a custom Shopify theme from scratch:

Step 1: Understand the architecture of a Shopify theme development from scratch

Constructing a Shopify theme development from scratch necessitates a fundamental comprehension of Shopify’s theme architecture. This framework influences the presentation of elements on your website or Shopify store and defines the site’s overall appearance and ambiance. It can be deconstructed into four main domains:

• Layout: The foundation of a theme can be reused consistently throughout the website to showcase fundamental elements such as headers and footers.
• Templates: These components dictate the content exhibited on the webpage. Each page is linked to a specific template type, which we will explore below. Generating various iterations of the same template type to tailor each page according to your preferences is possible.
• Sections: Reusable content modules exhibited on the webpage. For example, you can craft an “Image with Text” segment that presents an image and accompanying text side by side, with choices to personalize its arrangement, colors, and more.
• Blocks: Various content modules that can be incorporated, removed, and rearranged within a section. A block might encompass an image, a video, or text. Each section can accommodate up to a maximum of 16 blocks.

Meticulously incorporating all these elements is pivotal in fabricating functional custom Shopify themes. The notable advantage lies in personalizing every piece within your theme’s positioning, content, and appearance. This presents an opportunity to establish a distinct brand aesthetic and enhance conversions by tailoring the theme to the requirements of your target audience.

Step 2: Make Liquid when creating a Shopify theme development from scratch

Shopify developed Liquid, an open-source template language built on Ruby. This language serves as the bedrock of Shopify theme architecture, propelling all Shopify themes.

A Liquid file amalgamates conventional HTML code and constructs with a user-friendly syntax. It is distinguishable due to its unique.liquid file extension.

When engaged in custom Shopify theme development from scratch creation, Liquid becomes evident through its utilization of two delimiters:

• Double curly brackets {{ }}, denoting output.
• Curly braces with percentages {% %}, signifying logic.

Step 3: Use JSON templates to create Shopify theme from scratch

The July 2021 update introduced a novel template structure known as JSON templates, streamlining the process of crafting Shopify theme development from scratch.

JSON templates are data files that house a roster of components to be showcased and their respective configurations. Merchants can append, rearrange, and modify elements directly from the “Customize theme” page for themes that adopt JSON templates.

When engrossed in creating Shopify themes starting from scratch, your JSON templates must adhere to specific nomenclature ascribed by Shopify.

Each template type corresponds to a particular content specialization within your Shopify store: product pages, collection pages, shopping carts, blog articles, and more. For instance, a product template could be designated as product.json or product.alternate.json.

Below are some notes for your consideration:

• A template can exist in a JSON or a Liquid format. It’s impossible to generate a file named product.json if a product exists.liquid file in place.
• A singular theme can accommodate a maximum of 1,000 JSON templates, each capable of rendering up to 20 sections.

Step 4: Explore the proper tools to build Shopify theme from scratch

Shopify offers developers a selection of native tools that come at no cost. With the advent of the Online Store 2.0 update, features like Shopify CLI, the default Dawn theme, and Theme Check have been available significantly.

• Shopify GitHub integration: An additional indispensable tool streamlining the process of crafting a Shopify theme development from scratch is the Shopify GitHub integration. By implementing this integration, your Shopify store becomes linked to your GitHub repository, enabling you to modify theme code and oversee any alterations. This tool is also of paramount significance in the event of errors, as it maintains a record of changes.
• Shopify Command-Line Interface (CLI): Shopify CLI is highly recommended for individuals engaged in custom theme development. This user-friendly tool streamlines the process and automates numerous routine development tasks. To utilize it, you must have either Ruby, Git, or Ruby+Devkit downloaded on your computer.
• Dawn theme: Dawn is a prominent free theme within the Shopify ecosystem. Users can customize its layout, incorporate cross-sell sections, and enhance product pages. Those aiming to develop a custom theme can utilize Dawn as a foundational template or even explore its architecture to grasp the structure of a thriving Shopify theme. For further insights, refer to our comprehensive guide on Shopify Dawn.
• Theme check: To assist in identifying and rectifying errors while crafting custom Shopify themes, you can employ Theme Check. This linter, developed by Shopify, is explicitly designed to scrutinize your theme’s Liquid and JSON files. In straightforward terms, a linter is a tool that aids in error elimination by scrutinizing the source code and flagging issues.

Step 5: Launch your custom Shopify theme

Publishing your freshly crafted custom theme is a simple procedure. If your custom theme is linked to Shopify CLI, you can push your theme live by executing the Shopify theme push command. Alternatively, you can set your custom theme to go live directly from your Shopify admin panel. The steps are:

• Navigate to “Online Store“
• Select “Themes“
• Within the “Theme library” section, locate your custom theme
• Click on “Actions” > “Publish“

On the screen, a window will appear, displaying a preview of the theme you intend to publish. If you are content with the preview, click “Publish.” Subsequently, your new theme will be showcased within the “Current theme” section. Any other Shopify themes you possess will remain accessible within your theme library.

 How to upload Shopify Theme?

Key factors can influence the cost of custom Shopify theme development from scratch

The cost of creating a custom Shopify theme development from scratch can vary significantly depending on several factors. If you plan to develop a custom theme independently, the price will be tied to the time and effort you invest in the project. However, if you need more development expertise, engaging professionals for the task is often advisable.

Before delving into the cost ranges associated with development companies for custom Shopify theme creation, it’s essential to comprehend the developmental stages your custom theme will undergo. These stages take more than quick endeavors; they require the collaboration of specialists in various fields. The estimated cost range hinges on the time needed for each step and an average hourly rate.

Primarily, the cost is influenced by the specialization of the development company you choose for your custom Shopify theme project. Fortunately, you have various options to consider:

• E-commerce development company
• Web development company
• Big-name e-commerce development company

Below is the estimated price range for a custom Shopify theme development from scratch that you can reference:

Shopify theme creation steps	Boutique e-commerce development company ($50-$100/h	Big-name e-commerce development company ($100-$200/hr)	Web development company ($25-$100/hr)
Wireframing (hrs)	~ 20	~ 20	~ 40
UI design (hrs)	50 – 100	50 – 100	50 – 100
Development (hrs)	80 – 240	80 – 240	100 – 360
Testing (hrs)	40 – 60	40 – 60	40 – 80
Total (hrs)	190 – 420	190 – 420	230 – 570
Total ($)	9,500 – 42,000	42,000 – 84,000	5,750 – 57,000

In conclusion, our Shopify theme development tutorial has given valuable insights into building a Shopify theme development from scratch. Successfully navigating this process requires a comprehensive grasp of Shopify’s theme architecture and proficiency in platform-specific coding.

Yet, the pursuit of custom Shopify themes allows businesses to tailor their store’s design in alignment with their brand identity and business principles. This approach unlocks the potential for enhanced functionality, scalability, and conversion rates.

While engaging a Shopify development company is not obligatory for crafting your custom Shopify theme, the advantages of bringing your unique design vision to fruition far outweigh the associated costs. If you embark on this journey, the benefits will undoubtedly outweigh the investment. Should you wish to initiate your custom Shopify theme development endeavor, please contact us anytime!

Shopify theme development from scratch with expert help

A customized Shopify theme development from scratch offers enhanced customer experiences, a strengthened brand identity, and a distinct edge over competitors. However, the process is far from simple; it demands time and often presents considerable challenges. This is precisely where the expertise of Shopify professionals at BSS Commerce Shopify becomes invaluable.

Beyond visual appeal, a successful theme must also deliver stability and foster conversions. This makes investing in Shopify development services a prudent choice.

If you are inclined to create a tailored theme for your online storefront, enlist the services of a skilled Shopify theme developer. Moreover, a technological partnership with BSS Commerce could be your answer if you have a unique business concept waiting to be brought to life. Don’t hesitate to get in touch to establish a partnership with our dedicated team!