If you're on a limited budget, the Shopify Dawn theme with Shopify Online Store 2.0 can help you get started quickly. With the help of the new theme editing interface, even non-technical business owners can create a professional storefront quickly and easily.
Additionally, you have all the flexibility needed to design a distinctive appearance and feel thanks to the theme and app management extensions.
The Shopify Dawn theme is an excellent place to start even though it might not provide all the capabilities some retailers would require.
The Dawn theme is free, making it easy to sample how your store will operate. Just install this theme using preview mode to see how your site will change. Without a doubt, the Shopify Dawn theme provides both customers and merchants with a brand-new experience.
Shopify has advanced its assistance to retailers when building their online stores. This ensures you have an eCommerce store that provides exceptional user experiences (UX) for your customers.
In our Shopify Dawn Theme review, we'll look at what this theme can offer you.
Overview Of The Dawn Theme
Before we dive in and discover what happens inside Dawn's store, let's first learn about its history.
The Shopify Dawn theme was developed by the Shopify team and it’s the first theme that’s currently used as a reference theme. Thus it could eventually be used in place of the Debut theme to become the default theme used for all new stores.
The Shopify Dawn theme is aimed at enhancing store performance, presenting ease and flexibility for sellers and customers. To minimize the use of JavaScript and increase loading speed, the theme was developed using HTML and CSS with little JavaScript.
And certainly, the Dawn theme's loading speed has undergone numerous tests during the development process, with the result being that it's 35% faster compared to the Debut theme.
Another benefit is that it functions smoothly on all browsers, including Internet Explorer 11, a non-evergreen browser that is no longer widely used. The industries best suited for this theme include home and garden, health and beauty, and clothing and accessories.
It's encouraging to see what the Dawn theme Shopify can achieve for retailers given that it's set to be the default theme in OS 2.0 and may eventually be utilized by over half of Shopify retailers, just like the Debut theme is now.
Shopify Dawn Theme Highlighted Features
| Theme Highlights | Details |
|---|---|
| Theme pricing | Free |
| Theme speed | 35% faster compared to the Debut theme |
| SEO optimized | Optimized for search results for increased traffic |
| Best for | Health and beauty, clothing and accessories, and home and garden industries |
What's New With Shopify's Dawn Theme?
The Shopify Dawn theme, which was created by the Shopify team, has taken Debut's place as the standard theme across all newly launched Shopify stores.
This new reference theme from Shopify is adaptable and easy to use, and its development team has given serious thought to how to enhance performance for both customers and merchants.
The Developers of the Dawn theme have minimized the usage of JavaScript, increased loading times, and reduced complexity by incorporating HTML and CSS.
Because of this, Dawn is 35% faster when compared to the Debut theme (which is crucial for SEO). It functions properly in all browsers, even dated versions like IE 11.
Is Dawn Theme Free On Shopify?
The Shopify Dawn theme is a widely-used Shopify theme that gives online retailers a lot of functionality and flexibility.
Although it's a free theme on Shopify, it's among the most well-liked, among many Shopify store owners. The ongoing addition of new features and enhancements to the Dawn theme is one of its amazing features.
Pay Attention To The Mobile Version
Since Shopify themes are frequently mobile-friendly and it's aimed at shoppers who use mobile devices to make purchases, the Dawn theme offers users a responsive mobile layout.
While setting up your Dawn theme home page image banner, you can modify its size to fit mobile devices as well.
To assess how well your website performs on mobile devices, use tools like Mobile-Friendly Test or Mobile Ready; Vary for mobile SEO; and Google Page Speed Insights for loading times on both mobile and desktop.
The Dawn Theme For Shopify: Pros And Cons
Pros:
- Uses open-source coding;
- User-friendly and convenient;
- Higher and improved UX for the customers;
- Greater customizing flexibility for stores;
- Seamless and simple extensions and integrations.
Cons:
- Requires a Shopify developer for substantial layout modifications;
- JSON is a new coding language that requires familiarity;
- Lacks specialized assistance for certain bugs.
Features Of The Shopify Dawn Theme
High Speed and Performance
The Dawn theme uses various strategies to help boost site performance. All redundant or unneeded scripts and codes are eliminated from the theme templates in the new version of the Shopify Dawn theme.
Comparatively speaking, the Dawn theme is 35% faster when compared to the Debut theme. If you've decided to use the Dawn theme for your store, you can trust its speed and effectiveness.
Compatibility
All browsers, including Internet Explorer 11, are compatible with the new Shopify Dawn theme.
Cart Page
Products added by shoppers to their shopping cart display on the cart page.
You can change the cart page in the Shopify Dawn theme so that featured collections can be added as product recommendations or upsells appear below the Subtotal section. That way you don't have to spend on apps.
Are you seeking additional cross-selling or upselling opportunities to increase your store's revenue? If that's the case, you can use apps for your store.
Product Pages
The default product page on Shopify is extremely great because it includes practically everything you would want on your product page. Using the Create template option, you can design your layout if needed.
There are two more sections in addition to the home page, as shown in the image above: (1) Product Information and (2) Product Recommendation.
Flexibility
Without utilizing any additional coding, you can quickly and easily design customized pages by using drag-and-drop segments and blocks.
The Shopify Dawn theme has dedicated sections and blocks for images, products, videos, quotes, and many other things.
Shopify Dawn Theme Editor
You can access the theme editor by selecting the Customize button. Here, you can see a significant alteration to the Dawn theme's template editor.
Three sections make up the Dawn theme template editor: the left panel, the preview section in the center, and the right panel.
Left Panel
The left panel displays the structure or layout that corresponds to the arrangement of the sections on your store page.
Here, you can quickly find every section on the page and add new sections or blocks (within sections) as necessary.
It is now displaying the Homepage's design by default. The drop-down menu placed above the preview area allows you to adjust the template.
Hierarchal Structure
In the past, each section included a block of information with smaller portions inside that users could alter. The new feature, however, has everything well-organized and arranged to make editing much easier.
It provides a better UX because it gives you a clear route to follow.
Available Sections on All Pages
Since Online Store 2.0 made sections global, Shopify merchants may now add content sections to any page. Merchants may now easily customize their blog page, product page, collection page, and any other page.
Metafields
The Shopify Dawn theme makes it simple for retailers to simply add Metafields directly without utilizing API or code by using meta fields.
The best part of this new version is Metafields because they let you make dynamic segments on product pages and this can apply to collection pages later in the future.
Sections that alter automatically between products are called dynamic sections. When you give your products a dynamic section, you're making a separate area for every product page that highlights the distinctive qualities of that particular item.
After Shopify 2.0's update, you can use Metafields to accomplish this.
Social Media
Here, you can pick the social media sharing buttons that will be displayed for your website's items, blog articles, and other content.
You must link your store and social media accounts to accomplish that.
Predictive Search
When it comes to enhancing your clients' online shopping experiences, this feature is your best bet.
This crucial feature is included in the Shopify Dawn theme for improved sales. By showcasing popular items in accordance with your shoppers' current needs, you can create customized offers.
Lookbook page
You can put together several content blocks to form a collage layout using Dawn's collage section. This section can be used to showcase similar products as a Lookbook, as an image gallery located on your homepage, and even as a video segment on the about page.
The Shopify Dawn theme lookbook displays images of a person or product in numerous surroundings and attire. Lookbooks can help you show potential customers how your products can be used or worn.
Lookbooks can help you show potential customers how to wear or use your products. By using Dawn theme’s Lookbook Page template, you can build a lookbook for your online store.
Template Creation
You can now quickly design a template for the exact pages you wish to add using the new functionality of Online Store 2.0, and you can then assign particular products and collections to it.
Announcement Bar
The goal of the announcement bar is to welcome site visitors with a sweet deal that encourages them to buy something.
You can add numerous Announcement bars to your website using the latest theme upgrades of Online Store 2.0.
Blogs Page
Here, you may display all of your blog entries for the store's readers. Depending on how many blogs you have, the blog page will instantly arrange the blog articles.
The system will send to this page when they access any blog article. From the right panel, you may change how the blog post parts look.
Dawn Theme Support
The Shopify Dawn theme support is available via a help center and a list of frequently asked questions, as opposed to paid themes, which often feature specialized support. However, it can be difficult to find specific solutions to your problems.
If you’re faced with an issue when using the page editor, getting the help you need might take a while. This is because you will be directed to a support center that only answers frequently asked queries, making it challenging to find a precise solution to your unique issue.
Final Thoughts
Due to its simplicity, clarity, and usability, the Shopify Dawn theme is a superb e-commerce theme. It is ideal for entrepreneurs and small-business owners who want to build a professional e-commerce website without investing a lot of money or time.
The Shopify Dawn theme improves performance for Shopify users, guarantees more freedom, and aids in making wiser design selections.
The theme gives developers and retailers better control, so they can reinvent designs without having to deal with complicated inconveniences.
The theme has every essential feature you require to get going, such as support for several languages, a responsive design, and social media integration.
Additionally, adding your brand's colors, logo, and content is simple. All things considered, Dawn is a fantastic option for anyone searching for a quick, economical method to create a stunning Shopify store.
