Powering over 1,700,000 businesses worldwide, Shopify is one of the most popular e-commerce platforms today, and for a good reason. Since its inception, Shopify has consistently rolled out new features to make the platform user-friendly. The launch of Online Store 2.0 in June 2021 was a milestone of an update that made headlines.
But, that’s not what we are going to talk about in this post. We are going to discuss the Shopify Dawn theme, a modern and flexible free Shopify theme that was rolled out around the same time OS 2.0 went live. Plenty of research went into building this versatile theme that lets Shopify users make the most out of their online store with ease.
So, let’s explore what Shopify Dawn theme is, why you should choose it, and how to get the most out of it.
A. What is Shopify Dawn?
Needless to say, Shopify Dawn is Shopify’s leading theme. It is also the first free Shopify theme released with an Online Store 2.0 update. This free theme is making waves for the following reasons.
- An adaptable layout
- Site-wide cross-selling sections
- Media-optimized product pages
- Ultra-light-weight
- Mobile-first theme
- Minimal JavaScript
What more could an online store owner ask for? But the most exciting part is that Shopify Dawn comes loaded with all the features Online Store 2.0 boasts. This includes JSON templates, which support app blocks and sections on all pages.
So, you can set up your eCommerce store quickly and most likely without having to type any code. Moreover, if your store development began after June 29, 2021, you will be using Dawn as the default theme.
B. 5 Reasons to Choose Shopify Dawn
Well, every developer will have their own reasons for choosing Shopify Dawn over Shopify Debut theme or other Shopify themes. However, there are a few unique reasons that will surely attract them all. They include:
1. Adaptable Layout
Mobile web traffic is growing exponentially. In the first quarter of 2021, mobile devices (excluding tablets) generated 54.8% global website traffic, reaching an all-time high. With more than half the web traffic coming from mobile devices, having a mobile-friendly store is a must.
That’s why the Shopify Dawn theme comes with an adaptive layout. It was designed with a mobile-friendly purpose. By default, your online store will be responsive, helping you tap into the growing mobile web traffic. From your image banner size to SEO, you can configure your eCommerce store for almost every aspect of responsive web design.
2. Easy To Customize
As mentioned earlier, the Shopify Dawn theme is a part of the Online 2.0 store update. So, it comes with all the customization flexibilities this major update has to offer. For example, Shopify has included several new features and tools for developers in this new update. And since c is the default theme, you can easily leverage them.
For example, you can build dynamic theme sections. Moreover, you can install and uninstall them using App Blocks. As a developer or store owner, you needn’t worry about liquid and manual code insertion anymore.
3. Easy To Use
In this Shopify theme, the sections are available for not only the homepage but any other page of your online store. So, you can add new content to any of your website pages with ease. This is one of the best features of the Shopify Dawn theme because, with content customization, you can strengthen your onsite SEO and get more traffic to your online store.
Shopify Dawn takes content optimization a step further with the improved Metafields. This feature allows you to create Metafields directly without using API or code. Just imagine how easy this makes to add content like image banners, videos, and custom text boxes to any web page, not just the homepage.
4. Improved Performance
When we talk about performance, we are comparing the Shopify Dawn theme with Shopify Debut theme. First of all, Dawn is the fastest Shopify theme yet. It is nearly 35% faster than Debut. We all know how fast loading speed can enhance website performance.
Loading speed is super important because the faster your online store loads, the lower your bounce rate will be. That, in turn, will also boost your sales. Nearly 70% of consumers admit that page speed impacts their willingness to buy from an online retailer.
In other words, it’s better to be a little faster than your competition. With the Shopify Dawn theme, you can build a fast-loading online store. It comes with many advanced features to help optimize the loading speed.
For example, wherever possible, it makes use of CSS and native browser features instead of JavaScript. This helps reduce the bundle size and speeds up your online store. Ergo, if you are looking for a faster-loading Shopify website, Shopify Dawn is your best choice.
5. Open-Source Theme
The final benefit of the Dawn theme is that it is an open-source and free Shopify theme. It comes with semantic HTML and CSS markup, allowing your online store to perform excellently on all browsers.
Plus, open-source means developers can experiment and come up with unique solutions for unique problems. If you are looking for next-level web design and theme development, Dawn is a great platform.
C. Getting The Most Out Of Shopify Dawn
Don’t get me wrong. Shopify 2.0 Dawn theme is great. And if you were a merchant working on just one online store, you could handle it perfectly well. But if you are a digital agency working on dozens of web design and theme development projects, you would want to get the most out of Shopify Dawn and Online 2.0.
That’s where an experienced white label Shopify development agency like E2M comes in. With a white label partner, you can keep building exciting new online stores tailored perfectly to your clients’ requirements. Our experts work on a wide range of Shopify themes, including Shopify Dawn Theme. And most importantly, the dedicated resources are available at a fixed monthly cost.
In Conclusion
Shopify Dawn is so far the fastest loading and the best performing free theme by Shopify. It’s loaded with features that make it very user-friendly. If you’re looking for help with Shopify Store Development, you can hire a team of dedicated Shopify Developers at E2M. Learn more about hiring a dedicated Shopify developer at E2M.
Rest assured, if you need any help with your Shopify projects, we are here to help. E2M has delivered more than 1000 Shopify projects so far. When you hire us, you are in for a professional and high-quality service. Call us for details.
