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Shopify templates, set up and customized for your store

Shopify templates, which Shopify calls themes, decide how your whole store looks. We help you pick a free or premium theme from the Shopify Theme Store, set it up with your brand, products and pages, and customize it so theme updates still install. You get a fixed quote first.

Shopify Partner · Family-owned in New Jersey since 2005 · Updated October 2026

Why it matters

What Shopify templates are and what we set up

Shopify keeps two words apart that most people use for the same thing. A theme is the whole design of your online store, from the header and fonts to every page. A template is one part of that theme, and it sets the layout for a single page type, such as product pages or collection pages. When store owners look for Shopify templates, they almost always mean themes. Those come from the Shopify Theme Store, which has free themes made by Shopify and paid themes made by outside designers.

A Theme Store theme gives you a tested layout, yet out of the box it still carries the designer’s demo photos, colors and sample text. Our setup work replaces all of it with your own. We adjust the colors and fonts, design banner and icon graphics for your brand, install the theme in your store, and build your home, collection, product and content pages in the theme editor. When one kind of product needs its own layout, we add an extra template for it, so a bundle can have a different product page from a single item.

Frannie Kline founded OC Designs Online in 2005, and our family-owned team in New Jersey has designed Shopify stores for parts sellers, pet supply shops, boutiques and audio retailers. When a premade theme can’t do what your store needs, the same team designs custom Shopify themes, and we tell you in the consultation which route fits.

Tell us about your store

What you get

  • Help choosing the theme

    We compare free and premium Theme Store themes against your catalog, and you try the shortlist in your own store before you buy.

  • Your colors and graphics

    Logo placement, colors, fonts, buttons, banners and icons designed by our team to match your brand.

  • Home page and key pages

    Home page sections, collection and product pages, About, Contact, FAQ and policy pages built in the theme editor.

  • Extra templates where you need them

    Alternate product, collection or page layouts, for example one for bundles and another for single parts.

  • Menus, collections and products

    Navigation, collections and filters set up. Product imports from a spreadsheet or another store are quoted up front.

  • Changes that survive updates

    Most work done in theme settings and the theme editor, with any code edits written down for the next theme update.

  • Installed and tested

    Checked on phones, tablets and desktops, with your apps and checkout, before the theme goes live.

  • Help after launch

    We show your team the theme editor and fix text, links and small layout issues free for 14 days after launch. You can call us Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 ET.

Theme Store

Free or premium Shopify theme?

Both kinds come from the Shopify Theme Store and install the same way. They differ in who makes them, what they cost and who supports them. Figures as of October 2026.

Free Shopify themePremium (paid) theme
Made by Shopify Outside theme designers, reviewed by Shopify before listing
Price Free with your Shopify plan (the Starter plan can only use Spotlight) One price set by the designer, between $100 and $500, paid through Shopify
How many to choose from 24 free themes hundreds of free and paid themes
Trying it first Add it to your theme library and edit it freely Preview up to 19 paid themes in your store; theme editor changes are kept if you buy
License Free to use in your store Licensed to the one store it was bought for; purchases are final sale
Updates New versions from Shopify New versions from the designer, for licensed copies only
Support Shopify Support, including up to 60 minutes of free design time on Basic and higher plans The theme designer, who must reply within two business days but doesn’t do customizations

Source: Shopify Help: adding, previewing and buying themes · Shopify Dev: Theme Store listing prices · Shopify Help: theme support · Shopify Theme Store

Choosing a theme

How to choose a Shopify template for what you sell

Almost every theme looks good in its demo. Whether one works for your store depends on your catalog, so these are the things we check for each kind of store before you buy.

What you sellWhat the theme has to handleWhat we check in the demo
Auto and powersports parts Long product titles, part numbers and fitment notes Search that finds part numbers, room for spec tables, and space for a year, make and model finder
Clothing and boutiques Sizes, colors and many photos per product Color swatches, size charts on product pages and quick view on collection pages
Pet and specialty supplies Repeat buyers and many similar products Collection filters, product recommendations and room for app blocks such as subscriptions
Electronics and audio Specs, comparisons and manuals Tabs or collapsible rows for specs, and product pages that stay readable on a phone
A few hero products Telling the full story of each product Long product pages built from sections, with video, reviews and questions
Large catalogs Hundreds of collections and thousands of products Mega menus, filtering and collection pages that stay quick with many products

Free consultation

Book a free consultation for your Shopify theme

Tell us what you sell and which themes you like, or ask us for a shortlist. We reply within one business day and send a fixed quote after we talk.

  • Fixed price before any work starts
  • You buy the theme in your own store, so the license stays yours
  • Your current store keeps selling while we work
  • No monthly design fees

Prefer to talk? (609) 675-0912, Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 ET.

Free consultation. We reply within one business day.

Template or custom

Customize a premade theme or go custom?

A premade theme that is set up well carries most stores for years. These are the signs we look for, and what each route can do about them.

What you noticeA premade theme we set up and customizeA custom Shopify theme
You’re opening your first Shopify store Usually the right start, with your brand applied Rarely worth it until you know what sells
The store still looks like the theme demo Your colors, fonts, graphics and photos replace the demo look A design drawn only for your brand
Product pages can’t show what buyers ask about Extra sections and alternate templates, where the theme allows them Product layouts built around your specs, sizes or fitment
You need a feature no theme offers An app block, or one small custom section Built into the theme, such as a parts finder or Make an Offer
Apps have piled up and pages load slowly Remove apps you no longer use, then test speed again Features coded into the theme, with speed tested before launch
Theme updates keep breaking your changes Move the changes into theme settings and our own sections No outside updates to merge, because we maintain the code

Theme updates

Customizing a Shopify theme without losing updates

Theme designers keep improving their themes, and Shopify delivers each new version as a draft copy in your theme library. How a change was made decides whether it carries over to that copy. This is how it works as of October 2026.

How the change is madeExamplesWhen the theme updates
Theme editor settings Colors, fonts, logo, menus, section order, text and images Copied to the updated theme automatically
Templates and sections added in the theme editor A second product layout for bundles, a landing page Copied with the other theme editor changes
App blocks and app embeds Reviews, subscriptions, wishlists Kept, because they are placed through the theme editor
Edits to the theme’s own code Changed Liquid, CSS or JavaScript files Kept only when they don’t conflict with the update; otherwise they are copied over by hand
Themes uploaded as a file A theme bought outside the Shopify Theme Store No updates, because Shopify only updates themes installed from the Theme Store

Source: Shopify Help: updating themes · Shopify Help: theme versions and architecture

Cost

What decides the cost of a Shopify theme setup

Theme setup with your colors, graphics and installation starts at $999. Every store gets a fixed quote after a free consultation, and these are the things that move it up from there.

What we look atWhy it changes the work
The theme you choose Some themes come close to your brand with color and font changes. Others need more sections rebuilt before the demo look is gone. A premium theme is bought from Shopify, separately from our work.
Graphics Banners, icons and collection images designed for your brand take design time. A new logo is a separate project.
Number of pages The home page, collection pages and product pages are the core. Landing pages, a blog, wholesale or FAQ pages each add time.
Products and collections A few collections are quick to set up. Importing hundreds of products with variants and images is quoted as its own stage.
Extra templates and sections Each alternate template or custom section is designed, built and tested on phones and desktops.
Apps Reviews, subscriptions or shipping apps are installed, placed in the theme and tested with checkout.
Moving from another platform Coming from eBay, Magento, WooCommerce or Volusion adds a data move and 301 redirects for your old addresses.

How we work

How we set up a Shopify theme while your store keeps selling

Your live theme stays published until you approve the new one, because every step happens on a draft theme in your theme library.

  1. Try the shortlist

    You preview the paid themes on our shortlist in your own store, with your own products, before you buy one.

  2. Buy in your store and back it up

    You buy the theme in the store that will use it, because the license belongs to that store. We duplicate the theme before we change anything.

  3. Set up on a draft copy

    We apply your brand, graphics, pages, menus and collections on the unpublished theme, mostly in the theme editor so future updates carry the work over.

  4. Preview and approve

    You get a preview link and check the store on your phone and computer. We test checkout, apps and forms before launch.

  5. Publish and keep a record

    We publish the new theme, keep the old one in your library as a fallback, and give you a list of any code edits so the next update goes smoothly.

Source: Shopify Help: duplicating themes · Shopify Help: adding, previewing and buying themes

Already on Shopify

Is your current theme dated, or fighting your updates?

Send your store address. We look at your current theme before we talk, so the consultation starts with your store.

  • We tell you whether to update, customize or replace your theme

Prefer to talk? (609) 675-0912, Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 ET.

Free consultation. We reply within one business day.

Choosing help

How to choose who sets up your Shopify template

Shopify suggests hiring a partner when a paid theme needs changes, and its Partner Directory lists thousands of them for theme customization. Ask any of them these questions before you hand over access.

Question to askA good answerOur answer
How will you get into my store? A collaborator or staff account you approve, never your owner password An access request you approve, with only the permissions we need
Who buys the theme license? You, in your own store You do, after we help you choose
Will theme updates still work afterwards? Most changes kept in the theme editor, code edits listed Yes, and you get the list of any code edits
Who does the work? A team you can name, not resold work Our in-house team in New Jersey
Is the price fixed? A written quote before work starts A fixed quote after a free consultation
What happens after launch? Help from the people who did the setup Phone support Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 ET

Source: Shopify Partner Directory: theme customization · Shopify Help: collaborator accounts

Watch

Watch how we design Shopify stores

A short video from our team about the stores we design and how we work.

More on our YouTube channel

Client words

Sellers say it better than we can

Good questions

Questions about Shopify templates

Something else on your mind? Call (609) 675-0912 and a real person answers.

How our projects work
Are you a Shopify Partner?

Yes. OC Designs Online is a Shopify Partner and is listed in Shopify’s Partner Directory. Our own in-house team in New Jersey sets up and customizes every theme.

Does Shopify have templates?

Yes. Shopify calls a complete store design a theme, and the Shopify Theme Store has free themes made by Shopify and paid themes from outside designers. Inside every theme are templates, which set the layout for one type of page, such as product pages, collection pages or the home page.

What is the difference between a Shopify theme and a template?

A theme controls the look of your whole store: colors, fonts, header, footer and every page. A template is one part of a theme that sets the layout for a page type. You can add extra templates to a theme, for example a second product layout for bundles, and assign it to the products that need it.

Should I use a free or a premium Shopify theme?

A free theme from Shopify is a good start for a new store or a small catalog. A premium theme is worth buying when it already has features you would otherwise pay to have built, such as stronger filtering, mega menus or richer product page layouts. We compare both against your catalog in the consultation.

How much does Shopify theme setup cost?

The price depends on how many pages and graphics you need, how many products we set up or import, and whether you need extra templates, sections or apps You get a fixed quote after a free consultation, there are no monthly design fees, and a premium theme is bought from Shopify separately.

Do I buy the theme, or do you?

You do, in the Shopify store that will use it. Shopify licenses a paid theme to the store it was bought for, so buying it in your own store keeps the license, support and updates with you. You can try paid themes in your store before you buy, and we help you choose.

Will customizing my theme stop it from updating?

Not when the changes are made in the theme editor. Shopify copies theme editor changes into each updated version. Code edits carry over only when they don’t conflict with the update, so we keep them to a minimum and give you a list of any we make.

Can you customize the Shopify theme I already have?

Yes. We can work on the theme your store uses now, whether you set it up yourself or another developer did. We look at it first, back it up, and make the changes on a draft copy, so your live store isn’t affected until you approve them.

Can you set up Dawn or one of the Horizon themes?

Yes. Dawn and the Horizon themes are free themes made by Shopify. Horizon themes use theme blocks, which let you build more of each page in the theme editor. We set them up and customize them the same way as any other Theme Store theme.

How do you get access to my Shopify store?

We send an access request, which you approve in your store settings with the permissions you choose. You never need to share your owner password, and you can remove our access at any time.

Can I edit the store myself after setup?

Yes. Text, images, banners, menus, colors and the order of sections are yours to change in the theme editor, and products stay in your Shopify admin as always. We show your team how it works at launch. New layouts or features that need code are changes we can make for you.

When is a custom Shopify theme better than a template?

When your products need layouts or features no theme offers, such as a year, make and model parts finder, or when you want a design no other store has. We design custom Shopify themes too, so we can tell you in the consultation which route suits your store and budget.

Do I own the work?

You own the graphics, the content and any custom sections we build for you. A premium theme stays under its designer’s license for your store, which is how every Theme Store theme works.

Start a project

Let’s make yours the store buyers remember.

  • Fixed quote before any work starts
  • In-house team in New Jersey, no outsourcing
  • Support long after launch

Prefer to talk? (609) 675-0912 · frannie@ocdesignsonline.com

Fixed quote before any work starts. We reply within one business day.