When it comes to selecting an appropriate theme for a Shopify store, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. In fact, researching and comparing options takes a significant amount of time and effort before deciding on the best solution for your store’s needs and budget.
It is especially difficult to choose a theme that is both cost-effective and has features that help your business increase sales.
If you are experiencing the same issue, this blog is destined to find you because the Shopify Spotlight theme is a free theme designed to help you start selling quickly.
In this blog, we will walk you through the theme overview, designs, key features, and Shopify Spotlight theme examples from real stores that use the theme for inspiration.
Contents
1. Spotlight Shopify theme overview
Shopify created the Spotlight Shopify theme, which was first released on December 6th, 2022, according to the theme’s Support and Documentation section.
The theme quickly became popular among Shopify store owners across the platform. Unfortunately, it did not receive as many positive reviews as expected, owing to some user misunderstandings and malfunctions of the theme itself.
To be more specific, the theme has received a total of 28 reviews, with only 43% of them being positive. On the bright side, when compared to other Shopify free themes on the platform, this number, while slightly higher, indicates higher-quality features that you can rely on.
Created by | Shopify |
Best for | 👉Stores with limited budgets 👉Stores that want a simple, easy-to-setup theme 👉Stores looking for flexible customization features 👉Stores that want to have a modern, simple, timeless design and layout |
Price | Free |
Unique features | ✨ A clean and minimalist design ✨ Minimal steps to set up, quick process, and easy to launch ✨ Flexible customization options ✨ Helpful product discovery features like enhanced search, mega menu, product filtering, etc. ✨ Supportive marketing and conversion tools |
Rating | 43% positive (28 reviews) |
Demo store |
2. Spotlight Shopify theme review: Features & Functionality
2.1. Design & Layout options
At first glance, the Shopify Spotlight theme has a simple, minimalist aesthetic that we are sure will never go out of style no matter how long you use it.
The theme color palette consists of black and white as the primary colors, with white as the background color and black as the color of the content of the site.
Spotlight has a clean, minimalist design with almost no decoration elements on its site. The majority of the page is used to display product images, which will put your product under the Shopify Spotlight theme and attract viewers to click to learn more about your goods.
However, the store only offers one available, so some store owners may find it hard to create a unique, distinctive look for their business. If you’re worrying about the same thing, don’t worry because the theme also offers advanced customization options.
In addition to that, thanks to the simplicity of theme design, it is easy to use and customizable for any store owner, even if they are not familiar with customizing Shopify themes.
Also, the theme does not require much coding knowledge to set up and launch since it was made for quick-selling purposes.
2.2. Key Features
2.2.1. Transparent product description
As we all know, product description is crucial in giving essential information about the product to our customers in terms of ingredients, materials, durability, making process, origin, highlighted design, and a usage tutorial.
Speaking of that, the Shopify Spotlight theme has done a great job since all the needed information is organized in the product description section, making it easy for customers to look up and know how to use and preserve their products.
2.2.2. Engaging visual story-telling
The Spotlight design is simple and minimal, leaving you ample space to tell a story about your brand and products through appealing visuals.
2.2.3. Enhanced search
Enhanced search is an important merchandise feature that can improve your customers’ shopping experience. The feature will suggest appropriate products based on the characters you type in, saving you time and leveraging your search journey.
2.2.4. Cart pop-up
When an item is added to your cart, a popup of your cart will show up so that you can check what products are in your cart and the total amount of money for those products.
This feature is convenient since you will not have to leave your current page to go to the cart page just to check out what’s on it, and it will also encourage customers to quickly make their purchases.
2.2.5. Currency converter
A currency converter is a comprehensive feature that is needed for any store that aims to serve customers around the world. And if that is your dream, the Shopify spotlight theme is definitely the best theme for you.
However, at the current moment, the theme only converts between Canadian and United States currencies, so it would be great if you’re also targeting to sell at these locations. Besides, if there is any update on the currency or language, we will let you know as soon as possible.
2.2.6. Colored call-to-action button
Although the Shopify Spotlight theme customization is simple with only two main colors of black and white, there is still another vibrant color on the product page that you can find.
That is the call-to-action button that says, “Buy it now.” The button is colored in light yellow, making it stand out from the standard, basic color and design of the whole page.
As a result, the button was successful in catching the attention of the store visitors, therefore getting them to make a purchase more quickly.
2.2.7. Mobile optimization
In this digital age, shopping is no longer limited to physical stores or websites in front of small, thick screens on their computers. People nowadays shop wherever and whenever they want, regardless of whether they are using a TV, a smartphone, an iPad, or another device.
This is where the Spotlight theme’s mobile optimization comes in handy. This feature will ultimately optimize the theme, for example, in terms of image quality, to speed up your store’s loading time and provide your customers with the fastest, most convenient shopping experience possible.
2.2.8. Social media integration
Similar to what we mentioned above, social media allows your store to reach a large number of your target customers, stay connected, grow your relationships, and sell products to them more easily.
Using Spotlight, you can easily integrate your social media right into your store, the most popular current social, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and X. When visitors click on these icons, they are immediately directed to your social media page.
2.2.9. Image galleries
The image gallery enables store owners to display different images of their products from various angles or in different colors. The theme is important because it helps to better showcase your store’s products and encourages users to learn more about them.
2.2.10. Interactive elements
Interactive elements on a Shopify store allow viewers to interact with your store’s elements and become excited to navigate your store while also learning more about your collections and products.
If you are looking for a great feature for your store, the Shopify Spotlight theme has everything you need to get started.
2.3. Performance & Speed
In general, the spotlight Shopify theme is a fast and efficient theme with comprehensive features and many customization options, all available for free, making it suitable for any store to try out and use, particularly those with limited budgets.
To be more specific, the theme passed Shopify’s speed test, indicating that it meets all of Shopify’s performance standards. As a result, you can be confident that your customers will have a quick and satisfying shopping experience using the theme.
As for the store design, the simple, basic design is lightweight because it only focuses on essential features and minimizes all decorative elements. So your store’s loading time will be shorter, saving time and resources for store visitors.
Because the theme is optimized for mobile user experience, it will load quickly and responsively on any device your customers use, ensuring their satisfaction with your store’s loading speed and performance.
Shopify created the Shopify Spotlight theme, and you will receive updates to the theme on a regular basis as you use it. Most of the time, it is to improve the theme’s performance or to resolve any issues that have arisen while using it.
However, the actual performance in reality may vary based on a lot of factors like image quality, app integration, how you set up your store, etc. Therefore, it is crucial to carefully research the theme’s pros and cons and its real-life experience before using it for your store.
2.4. Pricing
When you download or launch your store with the Shopify Spotlight theme, you will not be charged anything extra. Furthermore, thanks to its extensive customization options, you can create a one-of-a-kind appearance for your store without worrying about its uniqueness.
Therefore, the theme is an ideal choice for start-ups or small stores that are looking for a free download, efficient theme to start selling quickly.
2.5. User review & rating
Overall, the Shopify Spotlight theme reviews have received 28 reviews from its users, with 43% of them being positive. When compared to other free themes on the platform, this figure is significantly higher. Scroll over to see what users are saying about the theme.
On the plus side, the theme is highly regarded for its clean and minimalist design, which creates a modern, timeless aesthetic and ensures that their store will never go out of style, regardless of how much time has passed.
Furthermore, the theme is simple to use for everyone because it does not require extensive coding knowledge. It is also optimized for a more seamless mobile experience. Last but not least, it all comes for free.
However, users may encounter problems while using this theme. For example, some users report that the customization feature has limited options, making it difficult to create a unique look for their store.
Alternatively, some had technical difficulties adding products to templates when setting up their store. Furthermore, some people feel bad because they are unable to incorporate more social media into their stores due to limitations.
However, given that the theme is completely free, we believe it is still a good option for anyone to try out at least once. Its design and features are neither extensive nor impressive when compared to other paid themes. But, at the very least, they are extremely useful, allowing you to quickly run your store and begin selling as soon as possible.
2.6. Pros & cons
Pros
Cons
3. Shopify brands using Spotlight theme
3.1. Umai Clothing
To help you better understand how Shopify store using Spotlight theme to run their stores, we have compiled a list of these brands below, so you can learn more about the theme through real-life examples.
To begin, Umai Clothing is an online brand that focuses on anime-inspired clothing and jewelry designs. Although the color palette remains simple with black and white, the store’s overall appearance differs from the Shopify Spotlight theme demo store due to customization options.
As we scrolled down, we were impressed by the high resolution images of the products. Since there is no additional decoration element on the page, the Shopify Spotlight theme has been completely focused on the product.
Also, the review section at the bottom of the homepage increases our trust and persuades us to make a purchase at this store.
3.2. Treasure Trove
Similarly, Treasure Trove sells Australian gifts, souvenirs, and balloons. Overall, the store’s design is simple and minimalist, allowing us to focus more on the product lines.
Thanks to the customization options, the store’s primary color has been changed to yellow, giving it a more fun festive vibe overall. Although it may appear basic, you can find all of the necessary information about the store’s address, social media presence, and pricing right on the store.
3.3. Fellow Stranger
Fellow Stranger is next, offering designed casual clothes in a dreamy theme style of the galaxy and everything related. When we first entered the theme, we were struck by its intriguing color palette.
Scrolling further, we can see that the majority of the theme’s space is used to display products, and the entire theme has been categorized. Furthermore, the review section at the bottom of the homepage provides more interesting insights and reviews from valuable buyers.
4. Our verdict
Overall, we believe that the Spotlight Shopify theme is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a simple, basic design theme to support them in launching their online business and start selling as soon as possible.
It is also a good idea for stores that want to have a distinct, one-of-a-kind appearance because they can customize their store using the theme customization options. As a result, the theme is appropriate for use by stores in various niches.
Finally, the theme is quick to load, performs well, and is free. So, any store can use it to test it out without worrying about the cost. The theme is especially well-suited for startups, small businesses, and businesses looking for a dependable option while keeping costs low.
To wrap up
We hope that today’s documentation has provided you with all of the information you need about the Shopify Spotlight theme. If you find this information useful in learning about the Shopify theme, please share it with others. Also, if you are interested in learning about e-commerce, follow us at eComstart.io to stay up to date on our latest e-commerce blogs and other related content.
