The Best Shopify Sites of 2020 (According to Us)

Shopify has proven itself to be a powerful, popular e-commerce platform with no yield in sight. Continual upgrades and improvements plus exceptionally well-built, durable, and customizable templates for different types of businesses make them a force. This year alone, merchants globally brought in more than $5.1B in sales during Cyber Week, a 76% increase from 2019. To say Shopify has staying power is to put it lightly. Next year will only further prove the need to boost your e-commerce site against your competitors2.

So when you’re sitting there paper and penciling out your site strategy, consider all the above and below: Animation — Consider whether it’s necessary for your site. High-quality visuals — Pixelated, low-quality, poorly placed images are a thing of the past. Speed — That’s what will make or break a sale within seconds. Setting — What are you trying to convey? Set the scene. Bold — It doesn’t always have to be visual; it can come through in your messaging. It can even be subtle. Innovation — What new features will enhance your customers’ experience? Polished — Keep it clean, keep it simple, keep it precise. Angles — Consumers want to see what they’re getting. Make sure there are no lingering surprises. White space — You have the power to push their eyes to the space that’s not being utilized. Community — Peer reviews, stories, and user-generated content can help build a connection.

We’ve compiled a list of our favorite Shopify 2020 sites that represent all the above.

1. Boost Immunity Vitamin - Parallax Animation

Boost Immunity Vitamin uses a parallax site that flows from one frame to the next seamlessly; a homepage experience you didn’t see coming; and bold colors, typefaces and animations that help tell a story that’s unfolding right before your eyes.

The company also doesn’t shy away from real reviews. Invest in the human touch; that’s something consumers will look out for in 2020-2021.

2. BeyondMeat - Visuals

Not gonna lie— Beyond Meat’s previous site was a bit of a mess. Link breaks, less-than-desired user flow and below-average images. Now that Beyond Meat is reaching NASDAQ-level heights and securing the billion-dollar industry as serious competition in the food sector, its site revamp is a gorgeous reflection of its status. Bold, well-photographed images showcasing their products in different dishes, restaurants, and recipes allow the user to see the full potential a vegan meat product can bring to the table (pun intended). It’s clean, simple, bold, and well-executed.

3. Hawaiian Host - Speed

During the COVID era, one of the best sweets companies to come out of Hawaii over the past 60 years has repositioned itself as a high-performing, speedy e-commerce site which we had zero, zilch, nil to do with; nothing at al...well, maybe just a little.

The site’s clean aesthetic allows for clarity in all categories, and the speed allows for shopping ease; the consumer never has to pause, making the shopping cart experience seamless and efficient.

4. Pier 1 Imports - Setting

Who doesn’t love a comeback story? Pier 1, a struggling retailer on the edge of bankruptcy, is miraculously swooped up and brought into 21st-century e-commerce. A real Lifetime, Hallmark made-for-TV movie kind of moment. When it comes to its site, Pier 1 sets a scene that tugs at the interior designer in you. It makes you feel like you’re right back in the store, painting a picture that makes you believe this reality could easily be yours (somewhat like Ikea does). The company has categorized and labeled each section with precision, reducing confusion caused by their massive inventory.

5. United Sodas - Bold

Bold type, bold colors, bold statements, and bold creative direction while simultaneously selling a minimally-designed product: genius. The juxtaposition works, even if at times it may feel a bit cluttered. There are multiple ways to get to where you want to go, so you’re never, really, truly lost.

6. Stila Cosmetics - Innovation

The discount code block, free shipping tags, and live chat bubble are a bit overkill, but Stila makes up for it with the “Try It On” feature. A woke cosmetics brand using new integration features to address consumer concerns while buying cosmetics online is brilliant. It lessens the gamble of purchasing cosmetics online, and we’re all for it.

7. MVMT - Polished