How to Sell Shopify Themes – Starter Tips for eCommerce Developers

1. Technical Requirements for Shopify Developers
2. Design Trends to Sell Shopify Themes Effectively
3. Essential Functionality of Modern Online Stores
4. Join TemplateMonster Marketplace as an Author
5. What is Required to Sell Shopify Themes
6. Sell Shopify Themes at TemplateMonster. Author-Driven Pricing System
7. How to Promote Shopify Themes
8. Conclusion
9. How to Sell Shopify Themes FAQ

The popularity of eCommerce is snowballing all over the world. It is impossible to imagine modern life without online stores and mobile applications that help you quickly make purchases. Innovations in mobile communications, social networks, and search engines have led to the development and growth of eCommerce businesses. This article will be useful for those who think over the opportunity to build and sell Shopify themes.

Staying on top of industry trends and building a robust online store is a must for eCommerce business. Shopify is still one of the most popular solutions and one of the industry leaders for this goal. In today's highly competitive world, website design is crucial, and that is when developers of Shopify themes come in. Let’s go further and belabor the topic on how to sell Shopify themes to get the maximum profit. 

Start Selling

Technical Requirements for Shopify Developers

To build and customize Shopify themes, a developer should master the following technologies:

• Liquid 503 (open-source template language);
• Ruby/PHP/Python;
• Basics of SCSS/CSS/HTML5;
• JavaScript;
• jQuery;
• Understanding of website security factors. 

Overall, Shopify developers should have a clear understanding of how Shopify works, and other functionalities such as payment gateways, navigation, inventory systems, etc.

Make sure you have an internet connection and Shopify partner account. Also, you will need to create a development store for theme testing. Activate the new online store design experience developer preview 503 on a development store, and you are ready to start.

Design Trends to Sell Shopify Themes Effectively

The modern user of Internet resources is very demanding, so developers have to make much effort to create a genuinely competitive Shopify theme. The trendy design of an online store is primarily the first impression of potential customers. It should be clear, attractive, and even well-thought-out from the psychological point of view.

Here are a few web design trends to keep in mind:

• Flat design with 3D elements, such as shadows and adding a certain depth to the drawing of individual components;
• High-quality photography and creating visually appealing content;
• Clean white backgrounds to create contrast;
• Minimalism;
• Large background photos;
• Convenient typography;
• Animation;
• Saturated and bright colors.

To understand consumers’ needs, you can always use Google Trends, UberSuggest services, and surf various marketplaces searching for the bestselling Shopify themes. Check out the top 80 Shopify themes in 2020 to grab some inspiration.

Essential Functionality of Modern Online Stores

The more optimal the set of functions of an online store is, the more comfortable customers feel.

The following aspects are essential when crafting a compelling Shopify theme:

• Reliable data protection is a priority for any resource that may include customers' data 
• Fast-loading speed. The website should load quickly and be optimized. 
• Mobile-first. Search engines now prefer resources that are optimized for mobile devices.
• SEO-functionality. Proper optimization is required to get the website to the top positions of search engines. 
• Multi-language. Several versions of the site in different languages are a plus for many users. For example, this is useful if the web store owner works in multiple markets.
• Multi-currency support. If one sells products in several countries, you will need to set up a multi-currency module: the ability to choose the appropriate currency for payment.
• UX. It is very important to think over the user's behavior on the resource. The user must quickly find the product in need and promptly complete an order.

Join TemplateMonster Marketplace as an Author

Become an Author

Experienced web developers know how difficult it is to sell digital products in many marketplaces:

• poor income;
• inconvenient payments;
• very limited website functionality;
• the need to earn ratings for years;
• lack of the potential audience.

TemplateMonster marketplace is a reliable online community that unites web design experts of various levels and work fronts. The platform allows you to smooth out all these problems and receive a powerful tool to attract your clients. If you are engaged in Shopify web development and are still looking for a convenient way to sell your Shopify themes, you have just found the one. TemplateMonster helps you quickly offer your product to the target audience, providing a transparent and straightforward interaction process for both parties.

Being a part of the TemplateMonster community means to let the world know about your creative Shopify themes, learn quality standards in this area, and increase your income. 

To join the TemplateMonster marketplace and sell Shopify themes, you need to go through a few easy steps.

1. Create your User Account at templatemonster.com.
2. Navigate to the ‘Become an author’ tab after you logged into your account.
3. Fill in your personal information as an author and upload your project archive along with the product details.
4. Submit for review.
5. The TemplateMonster team will check the product, and you will hear about the results shortly.

Usually, it takes up to 12 hours to review digital products. Reviewing more complex digital works may take 1-3 days. In case an author has any questions, he can contact the Review Team reps via the ticket system.

What is Required to Sell Shopify Themes

Except for the theme source files themselves, your products should meet the following requirements:

• Create a unique design that reflects the theme’s topic and functionality. Your product should stand out from competitors - pay attention to quality photos, attractive layouts, attractive positioning of blocks, and design elements.
• Marketing aspect. Please note, you cannot submit outdated products. Make sure the marketing niche is not oversaturated with the designs you offer. You can adjust your theme to niche-specific designs in case of this issue. 
• The product description does matter. Make sure it is readable and mistake-free. Add at least 256 characters of accurate information that describes the features and functionality of your Shopify theme.
• Preview images of Shopify themes. Prepare eye-catching images demonstrating your product in the most attractive way. They should be bright, quality, and visually appealing. Check out a few tips on how to prepare a brilliant visual content.
• It is prohibited to include any links leading to third parties, social media profiles, or other marketplaces. Your product should not be misleading and have any design content that will not look like in a live demo after installation.
• 5-6 words are enough for a product title. It should be brandable and descriptive to sell Shopify themes successfully.
• Live Demo should showcase the same product the user will have after installation. Avoid online chats, third-party links, and contact details.
• Include well-written documentation in English. It should be a clear guide on how to install, edit, and use your Shopify theme.
• Add relevant product details (keywords, meta description, meta title, product subject) to make your item searchable throughout the marketplace.

Once the requirements are verified, it is time to go ahead and sell Shopify themes in the TemplateMonster marketplace. 

Below you can see a product page of one of the uploaded Shopify themes for sale Apparelix - Clean Multipurpose Shopify Theme

Scroll down the product page to check out the visual content and description of the feature-set.

Sell Shopify Themes at TemplateMonster. Author-Driven Pricing System

As any author of the marketplace, you will get to the stage when it is time to set a price for your product.

The TemplateMonster marketplace allows us to sell Shopify themes exclusively and non-exclusively. The author himself decides whether he will sell Shopify themes exclusively at TemplateMonster.com 503 only or use any other platforms also. 

If you sell Shopify themes exclusively, you get 50% – 70% commission rates. The marketplace offers 40% and up on selling products non-exclusively.

The average price of the TemplateMonster Shopify theme is  $39 – $99. The recommended cost is $45 – $78 per item.

Now authors can decide on their templates’ cost and sell Shopify themes starting from $39 and up to $999. Remember about the competition. Note that you can focus on the sales volume and win.

Take into account the following factors before setting the price for Shopify themes:

• Evaluate the market and competitors to see if you will sell Shopify themes at the same price or set a lower/higher cost.
• Analyze the feature set of your product. Is your Shopify theme niche-specific? Does it include a unique design or out-of-the-box features?
• Your final expenses, efforts, and time spent on crafting the product.
• Expected revenue. Based on the sales statistics, you can calculate your income.

Ok, you have designed your product, set its price, and uploaded it for sale. It is not the right time to breathe out. You need to go further and promote!

How to Promote Shopify Themes

Being a TemplateMonster author means not just to submit a product, but also to promote it through various tools and channels. 

TemplateMonster marketplace will promote your product through its own channels:

• organizing topical sales;
• planning marketing campaigns;
• promoting author’s products via various marketing channels;
• showcasing top items on a homepage, product category sliders;
• preparing promo videos about the best products.

A significant success of your product sales depends on your efforts and marketing work. Here are a few essential points to focus on when you sell Shopify themes:

• Add more relevant description to the product page. The product description affects the purchase decision. This is the endpoint of the sales funnel. It is not enough to write a couple of paragraphs describing the product. The product description should not only describe the item but should sell it. Also, properly created meta tags increase product pages' relevance and its chances to be at the top of search engine results.
• Social media promotion. Social networks have millions of active users. This type of marketing is not only about some particular network. You can choose any social media platform, depending on where the majority of your target audience is located. You can share fascinating images and videos of your Shopify themes, inform about new items, and hold small giveaways.
• Create your blog. Building a noteworthy blog in any industry or niche not only helps drive traffic but also increases credibility. If you can become an authority in the Shopify area, you will attract the attention of consumers, media, and partners. This, in turn, will lead to the strengthening of your brand authority and business growth.
• Share product reviews. Your own website or any other blog or forum is a great way to sell Shopify themes better. Describe the essential features of your Shopify themes and the business niches they can be used in. With the right approach, it can become an effective traffic channel.
• Do not neglect YouTube videos. Create a useful video showing all the benefits of your product. After all, more and more people are looking for products directly on YouTube.
• Take the most of an affiliate program. Send traffic via referral links. In addition to the author's commission, you will also receive an affiliate commission, and you can pay off up to 90% of the product cost. 
• Technical support and customer care. A high-quality product and great customer support are already sufficient conditions to win loyalty. Loyal customers buy more and often. Loyal customers attract new clients. 

Such complex teamwork of an author and marketplace will boost your sales and increase your profit. 

Vendy - Multipurpose Shopify Theme for Fashion

Clean and light Shopify theme for fashion store, on the basis of which you can not only sell but also create a blog of your company. With Vendy, share products, post customer reviews, and more. All this is available in a couple of mouse clicks without coding. And, due to included page templates, you will benefit from smashing alternatives on how to customize:

• homepages;
• lookbook pages;
• product and collection pages.

Plus, the Vendy Multipurpose Shopify Theme for Fashion also allows you to generate different types of content, show your items from varied sides. As for powerful SEO, it’s targeted to invite more visitors to your shop. And, the mobile-friendly design will make their shopping experience really comfortable.

So, rely on Vendy to earn the trust of buyers and its clean design will help you with this!

Conclusion

We have covered a lot of important issues in this article, and, hopefully, it gave you an idea of how to sell Shopify themes effectively. The whole process is not easy, but the mind-boggling popularity of the Shopify trend keeps growing. An average paycheck is rather high, while the requirements to sell Shopify themes are comprehensible enough.

Follow the recommendations provided and master your skills to get your Shopify themes to receive good traffic and sales. Now you know how to sell Shopify themes to earn good money. With over 6 million potential clients of the TemplateMonster marketplace, your brand will become more recognizable and successful. Good luck on the road to achieving your goals.

How to Sell Shopify Themes FAQ

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Free Shopify Themes: Collection of the Best Items Released in 2020

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Free Shopify Themes: Collection of the Best Items Released in 2020