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Focal Theme Shopify Review 2024: Is it Worth the Investment?

May 01, 2024
Written and researched by experts at AvadaLearn more about our methodology

By Sam Nguyen

CEO Avada Commerce

96% of users said that they are satisfied with what the Focal Shopify theme provides. Though the price of the theme is pretty high, it’s worth it.

What in the Focal theme makes it that popular and highly praised?

We’re about to find out in this blog post.

Key Takeaways
  • The Shopify Focal theme offers four main theme styles: Carbon, Ivory, Quartz, and Sapphire, each conveying a different message and creating a unique aesthetic.
  • It has a range of advanced features which help to streamline the shopping experience, improve customer satisfaction, and increase sales.
  • It is best suited for businesses that focus on editorial content and high-volume sales, and those who want to showcase images to support visual storytelling.

A quick look at the Focal Theme Shopify

When we first look at the Focal theme, it exudes a clean, visually appealing, sleek, and stylish vibe. The large product images and strong color design give the spotlight to the products to be the focus of the site. It creates a sense of boldness, and I myself couldn’t take my eyes off it.

The Focal theme is a premium Shopify theme created by Pixel Union, which means that it is not available for free. The cost of the theme is now $320 dollars, making it a pretty expensive (yet worthwhile) theme in the Shopify Theme Store.

You can find more information about the theme by clicking here.

Pros & Cons of the Focal Theme Shopify

Here are some of the key pros and cons of this theme to help you make an informed decision:

Pros of the Focal Theme Shopify:

  • Well-designed and easy to use: The Focal Shopify Theme has a clean, modern design that is easy to navigate. This makes it a great option for online stores that want to create a professional-looking website without having to spend hours customizing every detail.
  • Wide range of features: One of the standout features of the Focal Shopify Theme is its customization options. You can easily change the colors, fonts, and layout of your website to match your brand and style. Plus, the theme offers a range of features, such as multi-column drop-down menus and color swatches that help showcase your products.
  • Good SEO potential: The Focal Shopify Theme is optimized for search engines, which can help improve your store’s visibility in search results. This means more potential customers may find your store and purchase your products.
  • Regular updates: The Focal Shopify Theme is regularly updated to fix bugs and improve functionality. This ensures that your store stays up-to-date and runs smoothly.
  • Fast and timely support: The customer service team for the Focal Shopify Theme is responsive and can help you with any issues or customization needs you may have.
  • Highly customizable: The Focal Shopify Theme is incredibly flexible regarding available sections and allows for easy modification of templates when needed. This level of customization enables store owners to create unique and visually appealing online stores.

Cons of the Focal Theme Shopify:

High price: The Focal Shopify Theme is priced at the higher end of the premium-theme category. This may be a barrier for some online Shopify stores that are on a tight budget. Some technical conflicts may happen because some third-party apps are not supported by the theme.

Four main styles of the Shopify Focal theme

The Shopify Focal Theme offers four main theme styles: Carbon, Ivory, Quartz, and Sapphire. Our analysis below will help you understand the message each theme style is trying to convey, so you can choose the most suitable style for your store. Remember that: despite varying in style, all the styles still retain one thing—the sense of sophistication and elegance.

Carbon

The Carbon style, with its high contrast and bright accents, is, to me, the most impressive style out of the four styles. The magic is: it adds a pop of color and energy while looking so clean, minimalist, and professional.

Ivory

The Ivory style features a harmonious and sophisticated color palette. This makes it look so elegant and refined, with a focus on soft colors and delicate typography. The Ivory style is perfect for stores that want a feminine and delicate look.

Quartz

The Quartz style is sleek and modern, with a focus on sophisticated and minimalistic colors and geometric shapes. It somehow creates a sense of professionalism and trustworthiness.

Sapphire

The Sapphire style of the Focal Shopify theme features a harmonious and luxurious color palette that creates a sense of sophistication and elegance. It has a deep shade of blue, which creates a sense of luxury and sophistication while also giving a touch of softness and elegance to the overall design.

Focal Theme Features

The Shopify Focal Theme offers a wide range of features that make it stand out from other themes on the market. Let’s take a closer look at some of the key features of Focal and how they benefit online store owners:

Beautiful slider

The Focal theme comes with a beautiful slider that allows you to showcase your products and promotions in an engaging and visually appealing way. This feature is particularly useful for Shopify stores that want to highlight new or seasonal products or for running special promotions or sales.

While this feature may not be exclusive to the Focal theme, it is still an advanced feature only available in a limited number of premium Shopify themes

Shop the look

The Quick Shop feature in the Focal Shopify Theme allows customers to quickly view product details and make purchases without having to leave the current page they’re on. This feature streamlines the shopping experience for customers, leading to increased sales and improved customer satisfaction.

Search auto completion

Focal’s search feature is equipped with auto-completion: customers just need to type some letters, and they can find the most matching result to their wish. This helps customers find what they’re looking for faster and more efficiently.

Retina Support

The Shopify Focal Theme supports high-resolution retina displays, ensuring that your store images look crisp and clear on all devices. This feature is particularly important for stores with a strong visual component, such as those selling photography or artwork.

Cart notes

Their visual brand storytelling cart is amazing for what you can do to your product page, including the FAQ page, conversion blogs, cross-selling, collections, and any other sections that you might want to add. You can do image zoom and slide to the next product image with just a click.

Mega menu

The Mega Menu feature in the Focal Theme Shopify offers a visually appealing and easy-to-navigate drop-down menu for users. With a multi-column design and the ability to display product images, this feature provides an excellent user experience.

Highly configurable home page

Focal’s home page is highly configurable, allowing you to create a unique and engaging layout for your store. You can choose from a variety of customizable elements, such as featured collections, images with text, blog posts, testimonials, and more, to create a homepage that perfectly reflects your brand without any coding skills!

Focal’s navigation and user interface are designed with user experience in mind. The theme provides easy-to-use navigation menus, intuitive page layouts, and a seamless shopping experience, making it easy for customers to find and purchase products.

Customization package

The Focal Shopify Theme offers a customization package that allows you to personalize your store further. The package includes a range of customization options, such as custom fonts, colors, and styles, as well as additional features like pop-ups, announcement bars, and cart drawers. This package allows you to create a truly unique and engaging shopping experience for your customers.

Fully mobile experience

With mobile traffic accounting for a significant portion of online sales, it’s essential for online stores to have a mobile-responsive design. The Focal Shopify Theme is fully optimized for mobile devices, providing a seamless experience for your customers, regardless of the device they’re using.

Top 5 successful online stores using the Focal theme

Below are the top five online Shopify stores that use the Shopify Focal theme, carefully selected for you to take a closer look at. These stores are also the highest performing in terms of sales.

Example #1: The Home T

The Home T offers unique and comfortable clothing and accessories that represent various states in the US. The Focal theme used on this website highlights the minimalist and clean design, with a focus on showcasing the products and their unique designs.

Example #2: Oxyfresh

Oxyfresh sells premium oral health and pet care products that are safe and effective. The Focal theme used on this website has a sleek and modern design, with a focus on showcasing the high-quality products through large and clear product images.

Example #3: Tifosi Optics

Tifosi Optics specializes in sports sunglasses that provide clear vision and protection. The Focal theme used on this website emphasizes the sporty and adventurous nature of the brand, with a clean and organized design that highlights the products’ features and benefits.

Example #4: Kyte Baby

Kyte Baby offers soft, breathable, and eco-friendly baby clothing made from bamboo fabric. The Focal theme used on this website has a calming and natural feel, with a neutral color palette and plenty of whitespaces that creates a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Example #5: The Herbivorous Butcher

The Herbivorous Butcher offers plant-based meats and cheeses that are handcrafted and cruelty-free. The Focal theme used on this website has a rustic and artisanal feel, with a focus on showcasing the unique products and their ingredients through large and detailed product images.

You can click here to find Focal in the Shopify Theme Store.

Who should use the Focal theme?

This bold grid-style theme is perfect for:

  • Businesses focusing on editorial content, such as lifestyle and product imagery
  • Businesses that are optimized for longer-form text sections to support brand storytelling
  • High-volume stores—stores that process a large number of transactions in a given period
  • Businesses wanting to showcase images to support visual brand storytelling

Focal Theme Shopify: FAQs

Is the Focal Shopify theme worth the investment?

The Focal Shopify theme is worth the investment for businesses that are looking to take their online presence to the next level. The reason is: Focal is a premium Shopify theme that offers a wide range of features and customization options. While the cost of the theme may seem high compared to other free or low-cost themes, it is important to consider the value that the theme provides. With its modern design, mobile responsiveness, and built-in marketing tools, the Focal theme can help to increase conversions and revenue for your store.

Is Focal a high-converting Shopify theme?

The answer is yes: the Focal Shopify theme has the potential to be a high-converting theme for many businesses. There is no doubt that the design and functionality of a Shopify theme can have a significant impact on conversion rates. While there is no way to guarantee that a particular theme will be a “high converting” theme for every business, the Focal Shopify theme does offer a range of features that can help to increase conversions.

For example, the theme includes customizable product pages, promotional banners, and quick view options that can help to improve the user experience and encourage purchases. Additionally, the theme is optimized for speed and mobile responsiveness, which are both important factors in conversion rates.

How do I remove powered by Shopify in the Focal theme?

To remove the “powered by Shopify” text in the Focal Shopify theme, you can follow these steps:

  1. Go to your Shopify admin dashboard.
  2. Click on the “Online store” option.
  3. Find the theme you want to edit and click on the “Actions” button next to it.
  4. Select “Edit languages” from the dropdown menu.
  5. In the search field next to “Filter,” type in “Powered” to find all instances of “Powered by Shopify” on your store.
  6. Click on the “Powered by Shopify” text box.
  7. Hit the spacebar once to remove the text.
  8. If you have a password-protection page enabled, “Powered by Shopify” may also appear on your “Opening soon” page. To remove it, simply delete the text under the “Powered by Shopify HTML” box.
  9. Click “Save” to apply the changes.
  10. To view your store without the “Powered by Shopify” text, click “Online store” and then “View your store.

Is Focal a good Shopify theme?

The answer, in my opinion, is yes. The Focal Shopify theme is a good theme for businesses looking for a modern and customizable design. The theme offers a wide range of features, including customizable product pages, marketing tools, and mobile responsiveness. Additionally, the theme is regularly updated and supported by the Shopify team, which ensures that it is optimized for performance and security.

Conclusion

The Focal Shopify theme is an excellent choice for anyone looking to build a stylish and functional online Shopify store. With its wide range of features and easy customization options, this theme is sure to help you create a website that stands out from the competition and drives sales. You can try the Focal Shopify theme and preview how your store would look for free.


Sam Nguyen is the CEO and founder of Avada Commerce, an e-commerce solution provider headquartered in Singapore. He is an expert on the Shopify e-commerce platform for online stores and retail point-of-sale systems. Sam loves talking about e-commerce and he aims to help over a million online businesses grow and thrive.