When a store feels dated or stops converting, the first question is usually "do we redesign, or start from scratch?" The answer saves time and money, and it affects your search rankings.
What a redesign does
A redesign changes how the store looks and is laid out: theme sections, page layouts, typography, colours, product page structure. Your products, collections, URLs and order history stay where they are, which means your search rankings are less exposed to risk.
What a rebuild does
A rebuild starts from a new store or a new theme foundation. It is the right choice when the structure itself is the problem, for example a store on a platform you want to leave, or a theme that has been patched with so much custom code that every change breaks something.
Choose a redesign if...
- Your products, collections and URLs are sound; the problem is the look and layout.
- Your theme is current and well supported.
- You want to improve conversion on key pages without changing your catalog.
- You earn organic traffic that you do not want to put at risk.
Choose a rebuild if...
- You are moving platforms (see our migration checklist).
- The theme is abandoned, heavily patched or very slow, and cannot be fixed cleanly.
- Your product structure or navigation needs rethinking from the ground up.
- Your business has changed so much that the old store no longer matches it.
Questions to ask yourself
- What exactly is not working โ looks, speed, conversion or structure?
- Which pages bring traffic and sales today? Those need protecting.
- How much of the current theme code is custom?
- What is the deadline, and what happens if it slips?
Whichever you choose
Get the scope in writing before work starts: what will change, what will not, and what it costs. See our redesign and theme customization service or our new store design and setup service, or tell us about your store and we will recommend the right route.
Related services
- Shopify Store Redesign & Theme Customization โ a new look and layout without rebuilding the store
- New Shopify Store Design & Setup โ a new store designed, set up and ready to sell
- Shopify Landing Page & Sales Funnel Design โ focused landing pages for ads and launches
- Custom Shopify Section & Feature Development โ custom sections you can edit in the theme editor
