Original Source: https://webdesignerdepot.com/this-website-curates-the-best-social-proof-on-the-internet/
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Original Source: https://www.sitepoint.com/wordpress-scalability-with-smart-site-structure/?utm_source=rss
Learn how to build scalable WordPress sites with proper site structure planning. Discover key strategies for handling growth, traffic spikes, and long-term performance.
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on SitePoint.
Original Source: https://www.creativebloq.com/3d/video-game-design/youre-not-supposed-to-notice-it-inside-the-hidden-art-of-animation-and-vfx-in-guild-wars-2
Artists Geoffrey Milligan and Konstantin Skripalsh explain how VFX and animation work in harmony.
Original Source: https://ecommerce-platforms.com/articles/shopify-vs-launch-cart
Shopify and Launch Cart are two ecommerce website builders making noise in the market — but which one comes out on top in our 2025 round of hands-on research and testing?
We’ve spent over 300 hours analyzing, comparing, and testing the best ecommerce platforms to give you a clear recommendation for your online store.
Based on that testing, Shopify is the stronger choice if you’re serious about selling online and scaling your business with SEO.
Shopify vs Launch Cart: Quick Verdict
Shopify – Best growth tools and SEO for scaling your business
Launch Cart – Best for beginners and budget-friendly ecommerce launches
In this review, I’ll break down why Shopify outperforms Launch Cart across key areas like pricing, sales features, SEO, ease of use, and more — with a focus on real-world usage.
Shopify is best for:Launch Cart is best for:Scaling businesses that need SEO and growth toolsNew sellers looking for a free or low-cost way to startBrands focused on multichannel salesSmaller stores and digital product funnelsCustomisation through apps and integrationsSellers who prefer a simple, guided experience
Quick Comparison: Shopify vs Launch Cart
Get a quick and clear overview of Shopify and Launch Cart in the table below:
FeatureShopifyLaunch CartOverall Rating4.83.7Starting Price$39/month (or $1/month for first 3 months)Free Forever PlanProsUnlimited products
AI-powered tools (Magic & Sidekick)
100+ payment options
Huge app store
Multichannel sellingFree to start
Funnels and upsells built-in
No credit card needed
Easy onboardingConsLimited URL control
App costs add up
Most templates are paidLimited SEO options
No blog functionality
Few integrationsFree Plan or Trial3-day free trialFree Forever PlanNumber of Templates200+~30Try ShopifyTry Launch Cart
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Best for Pricing: Launch Cart Wins Early, Shopify Wins Later
When it comes to pricing, the difference between Shopify and Launch Cart is clear — one is built for long-term growth, and the other gives you a head start for free.
But as always, there’s more to pricing than just the numbers on a plan.
Let’s break it down.
Shopify Pricing Breakdown
Shopify has three main pricing tiers. Here’s a quick look at what each one gets you:
Plan NamePrice/MonthFeaturesBasic$39Standard features, 2 staff accountsShopify$105More reports, 5 staff accountsAdvanced$399Lower fees, 15 staff accounts
You can get started with Shopify’s three-day free trial, and right now they’re offering 3 months for $1/month, which is perfect for testing the waters.
But after the intro deal ends, expect the monthly bill to go up quickly — especially when you factor in:
Paid apps (many features require third-party tools)
Premium themes ($180–$400 one-time)
Transaction fees (unless using Shopify Payments)
If you’re planning to scale and need advanced ecommerce tools, Shopify’s pricing makes sense — but it’s not light on the wallet.
Launch Cart Pricing Breakdown
Launch Cart takes a different approach: you can launch and run a store completely free.
Here’s what their pricing tiers look like:
Plan NamePrice/MonthFeaturesFree Forever$0Basic ecommerce, basic SEO, 1 domainPro$27More design control, analyticsPremium$97Funnels, upsells, branding, advanced tools
A few things worth noting:
No credit card required to sign up
The free plan isn’t a trial — you can stay on it
Great for testing product ideas or building MVPs
You’ll need to upgrade for serious customisation, analytics, or scaling
This makes Launch Cart a smart pick for lean businesses, solopreneurs, or creators who want to avoid upfront costs.
Side-by-Side Pricing Comparison
FeatureShopifyLaunch CartStarting Cost$39/monthFree ForeverFree Trial3 daysUnlimited free use (limited features)Upsell/Funnels IncludedNo (requires apps)Yes (Premium plan)App CostsMany paid appsFewer apps, lower external costTemplatesMost are paidAll current themes are free
The Verdict
Launch Cart wins for affordability, low-risk testing, and small stores. You can start building your store today without spending a cent.
Shopify wins once your business is ready to grow. You’ll get deeper features, better apps, and more long-term flexibility — but it comes at a price.
If cost is your biggest concern early on, Launch Cart is the safer bet. But if you’re aiming to build a full-blown ecommerce brand with advanced features and SEO tools, Shopify is worth the investment.
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Best for SEO: Shopify Is Built to Rank
Strong SEO tools are essential if you want your store to grow through organic search — and this is where Shopify takes the lead.
Shopify comes with a solid foundation of built-in SEO features, plus a huge ecosystem of apps that extend your control even further. Launch Cart, on the other hand, sticks to the basics — which works fine for a simple product page or funnel, but won’t cut it if SEO is your main traffic strategy.
Shopify SEO Features
Here’s what you get out of the box (and through apps):
Customisable meta titles and descriptions for every page
Built-in 301 redirect manager
Auto-generated XML sitemap and robots.txt
Canonical tags to help avoid duplicate content issues
SEO-focused apps like Plug In SEO, SEO Manager, and Yoast for Shopify
Clean, fast-loading themes with mobile optimisation
Structured data support (can be added via apps or code)
One limitation? Shopify’s URL structure includes some fixed elements — for example, /collections/ and /products/ paths can’t be removed or customised.
Still, for most users, this doesn’t stop pages from ranking — and the rest of Shopify’s SEO toolkit more than makes up for it.
Launch Cart SEO Features
Launch Cart offers a lighter set of SEO tools focused on simplicity:
Edit meta titles and descriptions
Clean, human-readable URLs
Mobile-first, fast-loading designs
Basic optimisation checklist
No SEO apps or extensions (yet)
No built-in blogging feature as of 2025
While it covers the basics well, Launch Cart’s current SEO tools feel limiting — especially if you’re used to content marketing, structured data, or rich snippets.
The biggest drawback? There’s no blogging engine, which means you can’t scale SEO through long-form content — a major growth channel for many ecommerce brands.
Shopify vs Launch Cart: SEO Feature Comparison
FeatureShopifyLaunch CartMeta tagsYesYes301 redirectsBuilt-in managerManual onlyXML sitemapAuto-generatedAuto-generatedCanonical tagsYesNoSEO apps100+ availableNoneBlog supportYesNoURL structure controlPartially fixedClean but basicStructured dataSupported with appsNot supported
The Verdict
Shopify is the clear winner if SEO is part of your marketing strategy. With advanced features, structured data support, and blog functionality, it’s built to help your store rank.
Launch Cart is fine for quick setups or ad-driven stores, but its SEO ceiling is low — especially with no blog or SEO-focused integrations.
If you want long-term traffic from search, Shopify gives you the tools to get there. Launch Cart keeps things simple, but that simplicity comes with limits.
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Easiest to Use: Launch Cart Wins for Beginners
If you’re new to ecommerce, ease of use can make or break your first store setup. I tested both Shopify and Launch Cart from scratch to see which one delivers a smoother experience — and for beginners, Launch Cart clearly comes out on top.
My Experience with Shopify
Shopify’s interface is clean, modern, and powerful — but it assumes you already know your way around ecommerce. The onboarding is quick, but after the initial questions, you’re largely on your own.
Here’s what stood out:
Smooth signup flow, with prompts to define your business type
The dashboard is organised, but can feel busy for first-time users
Plenty of customisation, but you’ll need time to get it right
Some features — like shipping rules or SEO settings — are buried under menus
You’ll need to install apps for things like email, funnels, and reviews
If you’re experienced, you’ll be fine. But if this is your first online store, the learning curve might slow you down.
My Experience with Launch Cart
Launch Cart was clearly built for non-technical users. From the moment I signed up, it walked me through each step with short guides and pre-filled templates.
Here’s what worked well:
Super quick setup, with no credit card needed
Guided walkthroughs for every major section (products, settings, payments)
Fewer features, which actually makes things easier to manage
Dashboard is clean and simple, with fewer distractions
No need for apps to launch or sell your first product
While it doesn’t have the depth Shopify offers, Launch Cart’s simplicity means you can go from idea to live store in under 30 minutes — no tutorials needed.
Shopify vs Launch Cart: Ease of Use Comparison
FeatureShopifyLaunch CartOnboarding ProcessFast but minimal guidanceStep-by-step walkthroughsDashboard ExperiencePowerful but complexClean and beginner-friendlySetup TimeModerate (depends on features needed)Very fast (store ready in minutes)Learning CurveMedium to highLowApp DependencyHigh (many features require apps)Low (most core tools built-in)Best ForExperienced users or growing businessesBeginners, side hustlers, quick MVPs
The Verdict
Launch Cart wins for ease of use. It’s designed for beginners, has less clutter, and gives you just enough to launch without getting overwhelmed.
Shopify offers more control, but that comes with complexity. You’ll need to invest more time to get the most out of it.
If you’re validating a product idea or just want to start selling quickly, Launch Cart is the faster, friendlier option.
But as you grow? You’ll probably find yourself switching to something with more flexibility — like Shopify.
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Best for Selling Online: Shopify Packs More Punch
Whether you’re selling one product or managing a warehouse of inventory, the right sales features can make a big difference in how smooth and scalable your store is.
Both Shopify and Launch Cart give you the basics you need to start selling — but Shopify offers a much deeper toolkit that’s built to grow with your business.
What You Get with Shopify
Shopify is designed to handle a wide range of ecommerce needs, from simple stores to full-scale operations. The feature set is broad — and most of what you can’t find natively, you can add with apps.
Here’s what stood out during testing:
Product variants with SKUs, colours, sizes, and custom options
Built-in inventory management tools with alerts and syncing
Abandoned cart recovery with automated follow-up emails
Multi-channel selling on Amazon, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and more
AI-powered product descriptions using Shopify Magic
Advanced analytics and custom reporting dashboards
Support for subscriptions, digital downloads, and even in-person POS
If your goal is to sell across multiple platforms and manage everything from one place, Shopify gives you the flexibility to do it — especially with its massive app marketplace.
What You Get with Launch Cart
Launch Cart focuses more on simplicity and conversion, with fewer tools — but several useful ones are built right into the platform.
Here’s what you’ll find:
Basic product setup for physical or digital goods
Built-in funnels and upsells, including order bumps
Custom discount codes, flash sales, and countdown timers
Email automation for orders and tracking updates
Basic cart abandonment emails
Simple one-page checkout flow designed for conversions
It’s more focused on single-product stores, info products, and straightforward sales — not large catalogues or complex backends.
What’s missing?
No real-time analytics or sales dashboards
No native multi-channel selling (e.g. Amazon, social platforms)
No subscription billing, advanced tax, or shipping rule support
Shopify vs Launch Cart: Sales Feature Comparison
FeatureShopifyLaunch CartProduct variants & SKUsYesLimitedInventory managementYesBasicAbandoned cart recoveryYesYes (basic version)Funnels and upsellsVia appsBuilt-inMulti-channel integrationsAmazon, TikTok, Insta, FacebookNoneAI tools for salesShopify Magic (product descriptions)No AI featuresAnalytics and reportsAdvanced dashboards and filtersBasic order metrics onlySubscription/digital salesSupported (via apps)Digital sales onlyOne-page checkoutNo (traditional multi-step)Yes
The Verdict
Shopify is built for serious selling. Whether you’re scaling SKUs, expanding to new platforms, or analysing data to optimise conversions — Shopify gives you the tools to make it happen.
Launch Cart is solid for simple setups, especially if you’re running a single-product store or info-based business. Funnels and upsells are built in, but if you need deeper tools or wider reach, you’ll quickly find the limits.
If you’re planning to scale or sell across channels, Shopify is worth the investment.
For fast and lean launches, Launch Cart keeps things simple and effective.
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Best for Apps & Integrations: Shopify’s Ecosystem Is a Beast
A powerful app store can turn a basic ecommerce site into a highly optimised selling machine. Whether you need advanced SEO tools, email automation, shipping calculators, or CRM integrations — the app marketplace fills in the gaps your platform doesn’t cover natively.
In this area, Shopify is in a league of its own.
Shopify App Store
Shopify’s app ecosystem is one of the biggest reasons it remains the go-to platform for ecommerce brands of all sizes. With over 8,000 apps, it covers nearly every function and marketing channel you could want.
Here’s what you’ll find:
SEO tools, image optimisers, and structured data generators
Subscription billing apps, like Recharge and Bold
Email marketing platforms like Klaviyo and Omnisend
Review apps, loyalty programs, and UGC tools
CRM integrations with HubSpot, Mailchimp, and more
Ad and analytics integrations (Meta, Google, TikTok)
POS add-ons, currency converters, multi-language tools — and more
Not every app is free — in fact, many of the more powerful ones come with monthly fees. But the flexibility is unmatched. If you need a feature, chances are there’s an app for it.
Launch Cart Marketplace
Launch Cart is still building out its app ecosystem, and it’s noticeably leaner right now. You’ll find dozens of apps, but not the depth or variety you get with Shopify.
Here’s what’s currently available:
Email integrations for tools like Mailchimp
Popup and lead capture apps
Basic payment processors and shipping plugins
A few tools for reviews and testimonials
That’s about it for now.
What’s missing:
No public API yet, so third-party developers can’t build apps easily
No advanced SEO or analytics tools
No integrations for subscriptions, CRMs, or ad platforms
The team is working on expanding the marketplace, but if integrations and automation are a core part of your ecommerce strategy, Launch Cart just isn’t there yet.
Shopify vs Launch Cart: App Marketplace Comparison
FeatureShopifyLaunch CartTotal Apps Available8,000+DozensPublic API AccessYes (huge third-party developer base)NoEmail Marketing AppsYes (Klaviyo, Omnisend, Mailchimp)Limited (Mailchimp)SEO AppsYes (Yoast, Plug In SEO, etc.)NoneCRM IntegrationsYesNoneSubscription SupportYes (via apps like Recharge)Not availableAd/Analytics IntegrationsMeta, Google, TikTok, GA4Not availableApp PricingFree and paid appsMostly free, but limited functionality
The Verdict
Shopify wins — by a mile. Its app store is unmatched in both scale and quality. If your store relies on integrations, automations, or third-party tools, Shopify gives you more freedom to grow.
Launch Cart’s marketplace is still evolving, but at this stage, it lacks the infrastructure to support more advanced ecommerce needs.
If customisation and third-party tools are a priority for your business, Shopify is the only real option here.
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Best for Support: Both Solid, Shopify Slightly Ahead
When something breaks, or you hit a roadblock during setup, good support can save hours (and a lot of stress). Both Shopify and Launch Cart offer solid support — but they go about it in different ways.
Shopify brings scale, with more resources, channels, and training materials.
Launch Cart brings a personal touch, with faster responses from a smaller, hands-on team.
Shopify Support
Shopify is built for businesses of all sizes, and its support reflects that. You’ll find a well-oiled machine behind the scenes with 24/7 assistance and a massive self-help ecosystem.
Here’s what you get:
24/7 live chat support
Detailed help docs, video tutorials, and guides
A huge library of Shopify Learn and Shopify Compass courses
Community forum with discussions from real store owners
Priority support available on Shopify Plus plans
Help via social media channels, including X/Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook
Support responses are usually fast, though sometimes you’ll hit a chatbot before getting routed to a human.
Launch Cart Support
Launch Cart offers fewer support channels, but in testing, I found their team to be fast, friendly, and incredibly responsive — even on the free plan.
Here’s what’s available:
24/7 support via chat and ticketing system
In-app onboarding checklists and video walkthroughs
A growing Facebook group where users help each other
One-on-one support that feels personal, not automated
Faster-than-expected replies, especially for a small team
There’s no phone support or live courses (yet), but for early-stage users, Launch Cart feels more approachable — especially if you want direct answers without digging through docs.
Shopify vs Launch Cart: Support Comparison
FeatureShopifyLaunch Cart24/7 Live ChatYesYesEmail/Ticket SupportYesYesPhone SupportOnly for Shopify PlusNoKnowledge BaseLarge, detailed, constantly updatedSmaller, but clear and beginner-friendlyVideo Tutorials & CoursesYes (Shopify Learn, Compass)Yes (intro walkthroughs and onboarding)Community ForumYes (very active)Facebook group onlySupport QualityScalable and consistentSmaller team, more personal
The Verdict
Shopify takes the edge if you value documentation, formal training, and scalable support. There’s help available at every level — even enterprise.
Launch Cart shines with personal support. You’ll often get a real person faster, and responses feel more tailored to your specific problem.
It’s a tie, depending on what kind of help you prefer:
If you like structured resources, formal courses, and round-the-clock coverage, Shopify has the edge.
If you want quick answers and a more human, personal feel, Launch Cart is refreshing — especially for beginners.
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Final Verdict: Which Platform Should You Choose?
After testing both platforms hands-on, here’s the bottom line:
Shopify is the better choice for most businesses.
It’s more scalable, SEO-friendly, and customisable — with a powerful app store and deep sales features that grow with you.
But Launch Cart holds its own if you’re starting small, launching a side hustle, or testing a product idea. Its free plan, simple setup, and built-in sales tools make it a solid option for beginners who don’t want to overcomplicate things early on.
Still, if you’re thinking long-term — or you want to build traffic through SEO and content — Shopify gives you more control, flexibility, and room to grow.
Shopify vs Launch Cart: Summary Table
CategoryWinnerWhy It WinsPricingLaunch CartFree plan makes it easy to start without upfront costsEase of UseLaunch CartSimple layout and guided setup ideal for first-time usersSEO FeaturesShopifyAdvanced SEO tools, blog support, and structured data via appsSales FeaturesShopifyMore depth, multichannel selling, analytics, and product optionsApp MarketplaceShopifyThousands of integrations for nearly every needTemplatesShopifyMore designs, better quality, industry-specific optionsSupportTieShopify offers scale and training; Launch Cart offers speed and personal touch
Go with Shopify if:
You want to grow your brand long-term with SEO, email marketing, and custom integrations
You’re planning to scale your product range or sell across multiple platforms
You need a flexible ecosystem to support advanced features and automations
Go with Launch Cart if:
You’re launching your first store and want something free and simple
Your product range is small and focused (e.g. a funnel, info product, or digital item)
You want to test ideas quickly without learning a complex system
While Launch Cart is great for quick launches and low-cost stores, Shopify is the more complete ecommerce platform — especially for businesses that want to rank in Google, expand to new channels, or grow with a proven toolkit.
The post Shopify vs Launch Cart: My Verdict for 2025 appeared first on Ecommerce-Platforms.com.
Original Source: https://ecommerce-platforms.com/articles/shopify-horizon-themes
I’ve been working in ecommerce for over a decade—helping brands choose the right platforms, launch faster, and grow smarter. I’ve seen Shopify evolve from a simple store builder into one of the most powerful ecommerce tools on the market.
And with the launch of Shopify Horizon in 2025, we’re looking at the biggest leap forward in how stores are designed and managed since Shopify started.
If you’re launching a new store or planning a redesign, Horizon changes the game. It gives you more control, faster performance, and a cleaner design system that’s built for how people shop today.
In this guide, I’ll break down what Horizon is, how it improves on past Shopify themes, and which free Horizon themes are actually worth using.
Let’s get into it.
What Is Shopify Horizon?
Shopify Horizon is the new standard for theme development—and it’s not just a minor upgrade. If you’ve used Shopify in the past few years, especially with Online Store 2.0, you’ll notice the shift right away.
Horizon doesn’t just add features—it rethinks how themes are built, edited, and scaled.
In Horizon, every part of your storefront is modular. That means you’re not dealing with fixed layouts or locked-down templates anymore. Instead, you can stack content blocks in any order, reuse sections across pages, and build your entire store visually in the editor.
This isn’t only good for devs like me—it’s a massive win for store owners, marketers, and designers. You get the flexibility of a custom theme without paying for a custom build.
What really stands out, though, is how Horizon was built with AI, performance, and modern design principles baked in from the beginning. It’s not a retrofit—it’s purpose-built for how ecommerce stores work in 2025.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what makes Horizon different:
A true block-based structure that applies to every page
Full AI compatibility for layout creation and content editing
Faster load times with improved code efficiency
Cleaner, modern design right out of the box
Better organisation in the Shopify editor for faster workflows
If you’re building a store now, Horizon isn’t a choice—it’s the starting line.
Key Features of Horizon Themes
Over the years, I’ve worked with every type of Shopify theme—free, paid, custom, hybrid. What makes Horizon stand out isn’t just one feature—it’s the fact that everything works together more cleanly.
The system feels cohesive, faster, and way more practical.
Let’s break down the features that matter most when you’re actually building or scaling a store.
Modular Layout System
The modular system is the core of Horizon. It replaces rigid templates with dynamic, stackable blocks. You’re not just editing a homepage anymore—you can fully customise any page in your store, including products, collections, blogs, and landing pages.
Here’s why that matters:
Faster testing: You can swap out layouts in minutes.
More flexibility: Build content-driven pages without using third-party page builders.
Cleaner structure: Sections are reusable, editable, and mobile-friendly.
This makes Horizon ideal for teams running multiple promos or testing new offers. You don’t need to wait on devs. You don’t need a staging environment. Just log in, move blocks, publish. Done.
AI Integration That Works (Finally)
Shopify Magic was introduced before Horizon, but it never really clicked with older themes. You could generate content or tweak some design blocks—but the results were inconsistent.
With Horizon, the AI tools are actually usable. I’ve tested them on multiple client stores, and they work way better because Horizon themes are built with structured layouts and semantic logic.
For example:
You can say “Add a 3-column testimonial block after the product gallery” and Shopify builds it instantly.
The AI respects the existing style of your theme—fonts, spacing, button styles—so you don’t end up with something that looks out of place.
Generated layouts don’t break the mobile design or distort the block alignment.
This lets non-technical users create full landing pages without waiting days for a dev or designer to piece something together.
Improved Section Organisation
Theme-wide section support technically existed in 2.0, but it was messy. You had a giant list of blocks with no real structure, and finding the right section often meant scrolling forever or using custom naming hacks.
Horizon cleans all of that up.
What’s better now:
Sections are grouped by type: “Media,” “Product,” “Content,” “Promotions,” etc.
The editor UI is faster, cleaner, and easier to navigate.
Reusing sections across pages is seamless, with styles intact.
Here’s how that plays out in real workflows:
You save time when building new pages
Designers can create layout kits to standardise branding
Marketers can duplicate seasonal offers without extra dev work
It might sound like a small change, but when you’re managing multiple pages or campaigns, this kind of structure makes a huge difference.
Cleaner Design Language
This is the first time Shopify has released a theme framework where the design actually feels premium out of the box. You don’t need to tweak fonts, spacing, or padding to make things look right—Horizon themes already use a modern, polished design system.
Here’s what’s changed visually:
Improved font scaling for readability across devices
More use of white space and breathing room
Smarter layout spacing that adapts to mobile
Smooth animations, hover states, and transitions
Most older themes—even the popular ones—felt boxy or outdated. With Horizon, even the default themes look like something you’d pay an agency to build.
This makes it a much better foundation for brands that want to stand out without investing in a full custom UI.
Performance Gains
Speed has always mattered, but with Core Web Vitals now affecting rankings and user behavior, it’s even more critical. Horizon was built with performance in mind.
The structure is lighter, scripts are optimised, and the themes pass almost every speed test right out of the gate.
What I’ve seen in client audits:
Time to Interactive drops below 2.5 seconds consistently
LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) is sub-2.2s, even with images
Mobile PageSpeed scores jump 15–25 points just from switching themes
If your current theme is bloated or still running pre-2022 code, Horizon can give you an instant speed boost without touching your hosting or infrastructure.
Best Free Shopify Horizon Themes (2025)
One of the best parts of Horizon is that you don’t need to pay for a premium theme to get high-end features. Shopify has released a full set of Horizon-compatible themes—free, polished, and ready to go.
These aren’t stripped-down templates either. I’ve used them on client stores and they perform as well (or better) than some paid options.
I’ve tested all of the available Horizon themes this year. Here are the ones I keep recommending to clients based on niche, layout quality, and performance.
ThemeBest ForDesign StyleWhy It WorksHorizonGeneral stores, startupsClean, minimalFast, flexible, easy to extendTinkerTools, gadgets, B2B brandsBold, utilitarianSharp layout, high usabilityRitualFashion, skincare, lifestyleEditorial, premiumGreat for visual storytellingFabricClothing, textilesVisual-first, large gridsAmazing for big imageryDwellHome goods, wellnessSoft, neutral, warmCreates emotional connectionPitchBeauty, makeupVibrant, swipeable UXGreat mobile product experience
Each theme has its own style and use case, so choosing the right one comes down to your niche and brand goals. Let’s walk through some of the top options I recommend regularly.
Horizon (Base)
This is the foundation theme. It’s built to be fast, clean, and easy to modify. If you want something minimal or plan to customise heavily, start here.
Great for:
General stores
Startups testing different layouts
Developers building custom experiences
Tinker
Tinker has a more utilitarian design—structured grids, strong CTA hierarchy, and sharp product-focused sections. I’ve used this one for hardware, gadget, and DTC tech brands.
Ideal for:
Electronics
Home improvement products
Tool or utility brands
Ritual
This is the go-to theme if you’re selling anything premium—especially fashion, beauty, or lifestyle. Ritual feels like a high-end magazine and supports strong editorial storytelling.
Perfect for:
Fashion labels
Beauty and skincare lines
Lifestyle product launches
Fabric
Built for bold visuals. Fabric uses full-width grids and media blocks that stretch edge-to-edge. Great if your product photography does the heavy lifting.
Best for:
Apparel
Textile or furniture stores
Visual-first branding
Dwell
Dwell uses soft colour palettes and serif typography to give off a warm, homey vibe. I’ve used this for brands selling candles, wellness products, and lifestyle goods.
Works well for:
Home goods
Wellness or artisan stores
Lifestyle-focused brands
Pitch
This theme has more personality—vibrant colours, swipeable sections, and standout animations. It’s made for beauty brands with visual edge and energy.
Recommended for:
Skincare
Beauty
Colour-driven brands with Gen Z focus
These themes are already optimised for:
Mobile responsiveness
Core Web Vitals
AI-powered layout creation
Custom section control across all pages
And since they’re free, you’re not locking yourself into a premium theme that may need third-party patches to keep up with performance or design standards.
When to Switch to Horizon
I get this question all the time: “Should I switch if I’m already using a 2.0 theme?” The answer depends on your situation—but in most cases, Horizon is a major upgrade worth considering.
If your current theme was built before 2023 or hasn’t been updated in over a year, chances are it’s already falling behind in both speed and flexibility. You might be able to get by, but you’re likely spending extra time (or money) to work around limitations that Horizon eliminates.
Here’s when I usually recommend switching:
You’re launching new product lines and need layout flexibility
Your team wants to edit pages without dev help
You’re redesigning your store or rebranding
Your current theme doesn’t pass speed tests (especially mobile)
You want to take advantage of AI design tools natively
And here’s when it makes sense to hold off temporarily:
You’re mid-launch or peak sales season
You have heavy custom integrations that would need rework
Your current theme is already tightly optimised and performing well
Ultimately, it’s about future-proofing your store. Horizon isn’t just about today’s features—it’s Shopify’s default system going forward. Migrating now means you’ll be aligned with future updates, integrations, and performance standards.
How to Migrate to a Horizon Theme
Migrating to Horizon is surprisingly smooth—especially compared to what theme rebuilds used to feel like. That said, there are a few important steps to follow if you want to avoid downtime or broken pages.
I recommend handling migration in a staged approach, especially if your store is live and actively generating traffic.
Step-by-Step Horizon Migration Plan:
Backup Your Current Theme
Always start with a full duplicate of your live theme, just in case you need to roll back quickly.
Install a Horizon Theme (Draft Mode)
Choose your Horizon theme from the Shopify Theme Store, and keep it unpublished while you build.
Recreate Page Layouts
Use Horizon’s modular editor to rebuild your homepage, product templates, and key landing pages. Stick to the same structure if possible to make comparisons easier.
Check App Integrations
Some apps rely on scripts that may need to be reinstalled or reauthorised. Especially anything that modifies the cart or product pages.
Transfer Metafields and Custom Data
Use Shopify’s bulk editor or a metafield manager app to map old data into the new templates.
Run Prelaunch Tests
Check mobile layouts, speed scores, checkout flow, and embedded forms. Run your usual analytics scripts in preview mode to make sure nothing’s broken.
Go Live During a Quiet Window
I always recommend launching in the early morning or during a low-traffic period to minimise risk.
With proper planning, most stores can fully migrate in 2–4 days. For smaller stores, I’ve done Horizon migrations in less than 24 hours with zero downtime.
Final Thoughts
Shopify Horizon themes are more than just a design update—they’re a shift in how stores are built. Whether you’re launching a new brand, redesigning an existing site, or just looking for a better way to work without developers on speed dial, Horizon is the upgrade that actually delivers.
It’s not just the cleaner design or modular layouts. It’s the whole system: faster performance, better structure, smart AI tools, and a theme editor that finally feels intuitive.
From my side as a developer, I can tell you this—Horizon has reduced build times, cut down client revision loops, and made it easier for brands to grow their store without getting stuck in tech debt.
If you’re still using an older theme, or even a clunky 2.0 template, now’s the time to move forward.
The post Shopify Horizon Themes Guide (2025 Edition) appeared first on Ecommerce-Platforms.com.
Original Source: https://tympanus.net/codrops/2025/05/27/animated-product-grid-preview-with-gsap-clip-path/
Learn how to transform a simple product grid into an interactive, animated preview experience using GSAP in this hands-on tutorial.
Original Source: https://www.hongkiat.com/blog/customize-wordpress-post-embeds/
WordPress introduced post embeds in version 4.4, allowing you to easily share and display WordPress posts from one site to another. When you paste a link to a WordPress post, it automatically appears as a styled preview with the title, excerpt, and featured image.
While this feature makes sharing content simple, the default look might not always match your website’s style or layout, as we can see below.
Default WordPress post embeds look
Fortunately, WordPress provides several ways to customize these embeds to better fit your design. In this article, we’ll explore different ways to tweak and personalize WordPress post embeds, so they blend seamlessly with your site.
1. Customizing the Styles
You can easily change the embed’s appearance to better match your website’s theme by adding a custom CSS file with the enqueue_embed_scripts hook, which ensures it’s loaded when the embed is displayed. You can add it in your theme’s functions.php file, for example:
add_action( ‘enqueue_embed_scripts’, function () {
wp_enqueue_style(
‘my-theme-embed’,
get_theme_file_uri( ’embed.css’ ),
[‘wp-embed-template’]
);
} );
This function tells WordPress to load your custom embed.css file when rendering an embedded post. Now, you can define your own styles in css/embed.css to modify the look of the embed. For example, you can adjust the typography, colors, or layout with CSS like this:
.wp-embed {
background-color: #f9f9f9;
border: 1px solid #eee;
border-radius: 8px;
}
.wp-embed-featured-image img {
border-radius: 5px;
}
With these changes, your WordPress post embeds will have a unique style that aligns with your site’s design, as shown below:
2. Customizing the Image
By default, WordPress post embeds use a predefined image size for the featured image. However, you can customize this to better match your design by specifying a different image size.
For example, if you want the embed image to be a perfect square but don’t have a square image size set up yet, you can define one using the following code in your theme’s functions.php file. This code will create a new image size called embed-square, which crops images precisely to 300×300 pixels.
add_action( ‘after_setup_theme’, function () {
add_image_size( ’embed-square’, 300, 300, true );
} );
Then, use the embed_thumbnail_image_size hook
add_filter( ’embed_thumbnail_image_size’, function () {
return ’embed-square’;
} );
If you’ve already uploaded images before adding this code, WordPress won’t automatically generate the new embed-square size for them. To fix this, you can use the Regenerate Thumbnails plugin. This ensures that all your older featured images are available in the new size and display correctly in post embeds.
Now, your WordPress post embeds will now use the embed-square image size, as shown below:
3. Customizing the Excerpt
The post embeds also display an excerpt of the post content. However, the default length may not always fit your design or readability preferences. Fortunately, you can control how much text is shown by adjusting the excerpt length by using the excerpt_length
For example, if you want to shorten the excerpt to 18 words specifically for embeds, you can use the following code in your theme’s functions.php file:
add_filter( ‘excerpt_length’, function ($length) {
return is_embed() ? 18 : $length;
} );
This code checks if the content is being displayed in an embed and, if so, limits the excerpt to 18 words. Otherwise, it keeps the default excerpt length, as shown below.
Experiment with different word counts to find the right balance in your content.
4. Adding Custom Content
By default, WordPress post embeds display basic information like the title, excerpt, and featured image. However, you might want to include additional details, such as the post’s updated date, to provide more context.
To do so, you can use the embed_content. In our case, we can add the following code in the functions.php file to display the post’s updated date:
add_action( ’embed_content’, function () {
if ( ! is_single() ) {
return;
}
$updated_time = get_the_modified_time( ‘U’ );
$published_time = get_the_time( ‘U’ );
if ( $updated_time > $published_time ) {
$time = sprintf(
‘<time datetime=”%s”>%s</time>’,
esc_attr( get_the_modified_date( ‘Y-m-d’ ) ),
esc_html( get_the_modified_date() )
);
printf(
‘<p class=”wp-embed-updated-on”>%s</p>’,
sprintf(
esc_html__( ‘Updated on %s’, ‘devblog’ ),
$time
)
);
}
} );
Now, the post embeds will display the updated date after the content, as shown below:
Displaying the updated date is helpful for readers to know if the content has been recently refreshed. This is especially useful for articles with time-sensitive information, tutorials, or news posts that may change over time.
5. Overriding Embed Templates
By default, WordPress uses a single template file called embed.php to display embedded content for all post types, including blog posts, pages, and custom post types. If you want to change how embedded content looks across your site, you can create a custom embed.php file inside your theme folder.
Additionally, WordPress lets you customize embeds for specific post types. For example, if you have a custom post type called “product” and want its embed to show extra details like price and availability without affecting other embeds you can create an embed-product.php file in your theme folder and customize it as needed.
<?php get_header( ’embed’ ); ?>
<?php $product = wc_get_product( get_the_ID() ) ?>
<div id=”embed-product-<?php the_ID(); ?>” <?php post_class(“wp-embed”) ?>>
<div class=”embed-product-image”>
<?php the_post_thumbnail( ’embed-square’ ); ?>
</div>
<div class=”embed-product-details”>
<header class=”embed-product-header”>
<h3 class=”embed-product-title”><?php the_title(); ?></h3>
</header>
<div class=”embed-product-content”>
<?php the_excerpt(); ?>
<p><strong>Price</strong>: <?php echo number_format($product->get_regular_price()); ?></p>
<p><button>Buy Now</button></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<?php get_footer( ’embed’ ); ?>
Now, whenever a product post is embedded, WordPress will use this template instead of the default one.
Bonus:
Disable Post Embed for Specific Post Types
While post embeds are a useful feature for sharing content, you might want to disable them for specific posts or post types. For example, you may have private content that you don’t want to be embedded on other sites.
To disable post embeds for a specific post, you can use the embed_oembed_html filter to return an empty string.
Here’s an example of how you can disable post embeds for page post type.
add_filter( ’embed_oembed_html’, function ( $html, $url, $attr, $post_id ) {
if ( get_post_type( $post_id ) === ‘page’ ) {
return ”;
}
return $html;
}, 10, 4 );
Wrapping up
WordPress post embeds make it easy to share content between websites. In this article, we explored several ways to customize how these embeds look, so they match your site’s design and include extra details for your readers. Now, you can try these techniques to create embeds that look better and make your content more engaging.
The post 5 Ways to Customize Your WordPress Post Embeds appeared first on Hongkiat.
Original Source: https://abduzeedo.com/coolbeans-sober-spaces-fresh-branding-design-vibes
Coolbeans: Sober Spaces, Fresh Branding Design Vibes
abduzeedo
05/20 — 2025
Discover Coolbeans’ vibrant branding and visual identity. See how fresh aesthetics redefine sober social experiences with captivating design.
Gen Z is setting a new trend for social gatherings, stepping away from alcohol and drugs. This shift has opened a unique opportunity for businesses like Coolbeans, which is redefining sober spaces as vibrant and lively places to hang out. They offer delicious caffeinated beverages in an environment that feels effortlessly free and youthful.
A Fresh Aesthetic and Playful Tone
The brand identity and art direction, led by Sarah See, embrace a fresh, youthful aesthetic. See’s approach to language is notably “tongue in cheek and not too serious,” adding a playful touch to the brand’s voice.
The design utilizes stark white as a backdrop, which makes the logo pop and subtly hints at the clean, sharp flavors of their drinks. This minimalist approach creates a striking visual impact.
The Wordmark: A Display of Liberation
The Coolbeans wordmark is a key element of its branding and visual identity. It features a spectrum of greens and blues, paying homage to the rainbow and queer communities. This thoughtful color choice adds depth and meaning to the brand’s visual representation. Furthermore, the wordmark uses warping to create a sense of movement and energy, symbolizing liberation. This dynamic visual element reflects the brand’s vibrant and free-spirited nature.
The color palette is further enhanced by the hard contrast of cobalt blue against a soft mint green. The design team delved into the “nitty gritty details,” exploring various wordmarks and experimenting with printing on contrasting fabrics, ensuring every element was meticulously considered.
Sensory Experience Through Cold Brew
Coolbeans offers cold brew coffee in both 330ml and 220ml cans. These cold brew options provide an uplifting, sober alternative to the usual canned beers and ready-to-drink beverages often found at social gatherings. The visual, material, sound, and taste of a Coolbeans cold brew can hit “many sensory markers,” providing a perfect non-alcoholic option.
The brand extends beyond beverages to merchandise and packaging, as seen with their branded tote bags and coffee bean bags. The consistent use of the vibrant wordmark across these items reinforces the Coolbeans brand. Even their hats carry the distinctive Coolbeans logo, extending the brand’s presence into everyday wear. From their clean can design to their playful coasters that invite you to “Grab a Cool One” or declare “Too Cool for School”, every detail reinforces the brand’s message.
Coolbeans is based in Cape Town and Sydney, bringing its unique sober experience to new audiences.
The thoughtful branding and visual identity of Coolbeans exemplify how design can shape new social norms and experiences. It’s a compelling example of how a fresh aesthetic can redefine a market.
Explore more of Sarah See’s work
Credits
Brand Identity and Art Direction: Sarah See
Photography: Esra Afsarr and Daniel Hooper
Mockups: Mockup Maison, Bendito Mockup, Unblast
Branding and visual identity artifact
Original Source: https://www.sitepoint.com/scalable-web-apps-with-react-js/?utm_source=rss
Unlock the best practices for building scalable React apps. Explore strategies for performance, maintainability, state management, code splitting, and real-world success stories.
Continue reading
How to Build Scalable Web Apps with React JS
on SitePoint.
Original Source: https://www.sitepoint.com/wordware-ai-automations/?utm_source=rss
Discover why traditional automation tools fall short for complex workflows and how Wordware’s AI decision-making capabilities transform business processes through intelligent context understanding, adaptive learning, and natural language programming.
Continue reading
Why Your Automation Needs AI Decision-Making (And How Wordware Delivers)
on SitePoint.
