Why We Use Archetype Themes And You Probably Should Too

In the past, we've made a bit of a noise about the themes and apps we've used on Shopify. This is another one of those articles. Call it an e-commerce "tools of the trade" post if you will.

Disclaimer: This is not an adverticle. We legitimately endorse and recommend Archetype themes. If you're looking for them you won't find any referral tracking on the links here.

So, the TL;DR is that we freaking love Archetype Themes and we'd be doing the Shopify e-commerce community a disservice by not coming out and just saying it.

At the time of writing, ShopCreatify is almost 10 years old and in that time we've seen many themes come and go from the top 10 list. One name that has consistently been near the top is Archetype.

Below is a small sampling of their themes, namely Impulse and Expanse. Each one comes with what we call flavors. Shopify calls them theme styles but where's the fun in that?

For instance, the top row of screenshots are the flavors of Impulse - Modern, Clean and Bold. The bottom row shows Expanse's three flavors of Modern, Classic and Contemporary.

So, why Archetype Themes Specifically?

The most compelling reasons I could think of:

1. They look excellent. This is subjective sure, but it's my opinion shared by many.
2. They're great to work with and are well built for both the theme editor jockey and the developer.
3. They're highly regarded by other industry folk.
4. The founders of Archetype are ex-Shopify so know the platform better than most. They were even the people behind all of Shopify's free themes up to 2016.
5. They're consistently positively reviewed by merchants. Hard evidence is provided by their aggregate rating of 93.83% positive across all of their themes. Gem came in lowest at 88% which let the side down a bit - we don't talk about Gem.

Delving more into some more technical reasons to use Archetype Themes... they are known for their clean, conversion-focused layouts that prioritize user experience and drive sales, making them ideal for merchants looking to boost their store’s performance.

They offer a high degree of customization options without needing advanced coding knowledge, allowing merchants to tailor the appearance of their store to match their branding.

They're fully responsive and optimized for mobile, ensuring a smooth user experience on all devices, which is essential for modern e-commerce.

Designed for fast loading, they improve SEO and reduce bounce rates.

Many Archetype Themes come with built-in features like advanced product filtering, quick view, and promotional banners, which can enhance the functionality of a store without needing additional apps.

Archetype Themes are regularly updated to remain compatible with Shopify’s new features and ensure security and performance improvements.

They're particularly effective for large catalogs or high-volume stores, offering robust features that scale well with growth.

Archetype offers strong customer support and documentation, helping merchants resolve issues and make the most of their theme.

Archetype Themes are built to integrate smoothly with many popular Shopify apps, reducing compatibility issues and offering enhanced functionality.They feature sleek and modern designs that help give a store a professional look, which can build trust with customers and improve brand perception.

Archetype Themes cater well to merchants seeking professional, conversion-optimized themes with great flexibility and support.

Cover photo by Silvio Kundt.