Hi,
I’m totally new to this so forgive me if I ask silly questions, but I need a bit of guidance.
I’m in the process of setting up a dropshipping site for designer clothing, but the costs are mounting up, is it worth it to spend another $2-300 on a theme? Are the extra features also given with the synclogic app? in terms of stock tracking etc?
Can I start with a free theme and upgrade, or is it really worth the extra to launch the site with a more professional feel?
Thanks in advance,
FGUK 
If you do not have a solid business reason to buy a theme you shouldn’t buy one.
Premium themes are not magic and do not fix underlying issues like traffic generation, bounce rates, uninteresting products, bad business models, etc etc etc .
A theme may have oooh neat features but “oooh neat” is not a business case to justify spending money. Just like a slideshow could seem like worth having it’s actually generally a bad idea to use just for the sake of using it. If you don’t understand why it should be used it can be a detriment. The same it true of premium themes if you do not know how or cannot afford to set them up to be at their best it’s a waste of money.
At scale with basic setup they may marginally differentiate how some stores look less like a common shopify store in terms of layout|design|aesthetic feel versus just using a free theme also with basic setup.
However with proper investment of time and money even free themes can look premium, often premium themes may be bought because of existing features or familiar architecture that makes development cost less.
Vet themes based on the features your business needs, or the aesthetic you are trying to match for the business venture in tandem with a designers input.
Unless you have money to burn and need the experience of lessons learned , wait until there is capital to invest.
Hi @FGUK ,
I would concur with a lot of the advice @PaulNewton has provided in their post. Paid themes often come with additional features and different designs, but they are not a guarantee of more sales or success. Paid themes are best utilized when you have a clear need for your store that the theme can provide.
As you’re new to the platform, I’d recommend checking out and installing some of the free themes Shopify has to offer. All of our themes are heavily customizable and are built for Online Store 2.0, which allows you to use sections on every page of your store. Many businesses stick with free themes and enjoy plenty of success on Shopify without ever opting to pay for a theme.
Nonetheless, if you do find a paid theme you really want, I’d recommend previewing the theme inside your store before you make a purchase. This will allow you to see how your products and your content appears in the theme. Please bear in mind that all theme purchases are non-refundable so you will want to be completely sure that you want the theme in question before you commit to buying it.
The SyncLogic app you referenced appears to be primarily aimed at helping merchants manage and sync their inventory, which is very much a backend function and can be used effectively regardless of which theme you are using on your storefront. It comes with a 30-day free trial so you can install and test out the app before you pay for the subscription.
Finally, you can read more about how to pick a theme in this article on the Shopify Blog. It breaks down in more detail what you’ll want to consider when choosing a theme for your online store.
I hope this has helped but please let me know if you have further questions.