Shopify homepage best practices: what to put above the fold
What a Shopify homepage needs to turn visitors into shoppers: a clear headline, one main button, real products, trust signals and a layout that works on phones.
A good Shopify homepage tells a first-time visitor what you sell and why to buy from you within a few seconds, gives them one obvious way to start shopping, shows real products with prices, and makes trust easy to find: reviews, delivery times and returns. Keep pop-ups out of the way on arrival, and design for the phone first, because that is where most of your visitors will see it.
- The first screen has one job: make it obvious what you sell and where to click.
- Show real products with photos and prices near the top, not only lifestyle images.
- Put reviews, delivery times and your returns promise where people can see them without hunting.
- Check the homepage on your own phone. If the button is below the fold there, fix that first.
Show products early
Visitors who land on your homepage want to see what you sell. A "Featured collection" or "Best sellers" section with photos and prices right after the hero gives them a way in, and lets them judge your prices without clicking around.
Keep it to your strongest sellers. Six good products beat twenty-four average ones, and fewer choices make it easier to pick.
Make trust easy to find
A first-time visitor doesn't know you. Before they buy, they look for signs that you're real and that buying is safe.
- Reviews and ratings: your average star rating and review count near the top, and a few short reviews further down.
- Delivery and returns: a slim bar under the header with delivery time and your returns promise.
- Contact details and policies: shipping, returns and contact pages linked in the footer and menu.
- Payment methods: the payment options you accept, especially familiar ones like PayPal or Shop Pay.
Our guide to ecommerce trust signals goes deeper on each of these.
Keep pop-ups out of the way
Newsletter and discount pop-ups that open the moment someone arrives cover the very thing they came to see. On phones they often fill the whole screen. Delay them by 20 to 30 seconds or until the visitor scrolls, and keep the cookie notice to a slim bar. More in our guide to using pop-ups without losing sales.
Common homepage mistakes
- A slideshow of several banners that rotate before anyone can read them.
- Too many sections fighting for attention: three banners, a video, an Instagram feed and a newsletter box before the first product.
- Shipping costs that are only revealed at checkout.
- Text over busy photos with no dark overlay, so it's hard to read.
- A homepage that's slow because of large images and too many apps.
Want a second pair of eyes? Run a free StorePeek check. It looks at your homepage on desktop and mobile and ranks each of these issues by impact.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a Shopify homepage be?
As long as it needs to be, but every section should earn its place. A clear hero, a row of bestsellers, a trust section with reviews, and a footer with policies and contact details cover what most stores need. Cut anything that doesn't help a visitor decide to buy.
Should I use a slideshow on my homepage?
Usually not. Rotating slides move on before people finish reading, and most visitors never see past the first one. A single strong hero with one message and one button tends to work better.
Which Shopify theme converts best?
No theme converts well on its own. What matters is how you set it up: the headline, the button, the products you show and the trust signals you add. Most free and paid themes can do all of that.