How to Add a Subtitle to Your Shopify Product Page: A Step-by-Step Guide

Subtitles can play a crucial role in enhancing the presentation of your products on Shopify. Whether you want to highlight key features, convey a unique selling proposition, or simply add a touch of creativity to your product pages, subtitles can make a significant difference. This guide will walk you through the process of adding subtitles to your product pages in Shopify, step by step.

Why Add a Subtitle to Your Product Page?

Before diving into the technical steps, it's essential to understand why subtitles are valuable for your product pages.

1. Clarity and Focus: A subtitle can clarify the main headline, adding more context and guiding the customer’s attention.
2. SEO Optimization: Including relevant keywords in your subtitle can enhance your page's SEO, making it more likely to show up in search engine results.
3. User Experience: Subtitles provide an additional space for you to speak directly to your customer, offering more information in a compact format.
4. Branding: A well-crafted subtitle can help reinforce your brand's identity and tone. Whether you want it playful, professional, or technical, the subtitle can help set the right mood.

Now that we understand the value of subtitles, let's move forward with the steps to add them to your Shopify product pages.

Step 1: Go to Settings and Access Custom Data in Shopify

The first step in adding a subtitle to your product page is to access the Shopify settings and navigate to the Custom Data area.

1. From your Shopify Admin Dashboard, click on Settings located at the bottom-left corner of your dashboard.
2. In the Settings menu, select Custom Data. This area allows you to define custom fields, including product metafields, which will be used to display additional information such as subtitles.

Metafields in Shopify are a powerful tool that allows you to store additional data that isn't included in the default Shopify product fields. This is where we will define the subtitle field.

Step 2: Navigate to the Products Section

Next, you need to define a new metafield for your product subtitle.

1. After accessing Custom Data, click on Products. This will take you to the metafield definitions for products.
2. Here, you’ll be able to manage all the metafields associated with your products.

Product metafields are customizable fields that allow you to store specific information for each product. Since we want to add a subtitle, we’ll create a new metafield definition specifically for that.

Step 3: Create a New Product Definition

Now that you're in the product metafields section, it's time to create a new definition for the subtitle.

1. Click on the Add Definition button.
2. This will allow you to create a new metafield definition that can be used on all or specific products.

The metafield definition will be what Shopify uses to handle and store your subtitle content.

Step 4: Name the Definition “Subtitle”

Now, give your new metafield a name. This is important for future reference and clarity when you're managing your metafields.

1. In the name field, type Subtitle.
   • This will be the name Shopify uses to identify this metafield across your store.
   • You can name it something more specific if necessary, but “Subtitle” is clear and straightforward.

The metafield name helps to identify the data being stored, and in this case, we are defining a space for subtitles to be added to product pages.

Step 5: Select the Type of Product Metafield Definition (Single Line Text, One Value)

Shopify allows you to define various types of metafields based on the kind of data you want to store. Since subtitles are short text snippets, the ideal metafield type for a subtitle is Single Line Text.

1. In the Type dropdown, select Single Line Text.
   • This will create a field that allows you to input a short text value for each product.
2. In the Values section, make sure to select One Value. This ensures that each product can only have one subtitle, which is ideal for clean and organized product pages.

The "One Value" option limits the field to a single entry, which is perfect for something like a subtitle.

Step 6: Add the Subtitle to the Products of your choice

Now that we’ve defined the metafield, it’s time to add subtitles to specific products.

1. Go to your Shopify Admin Dashboard and click on Products.
2. Select the product to which you want to add a subtitle.
3. In the product details page, scroll down to the Metafields section.
   • You should now see the new metafield definition called Subtitle.
4. Enter the desired subtitle for the product. This could be anything that helps to describe or market the product, such as “Best for Outdoor Adventures” or “Premium Quality – Made with Care.”

This is where the actual subtitle content is added for each product. You can customize it for each product depending on its unique features or selling points.

Step 7: Customize Your Theme to Display the Subtitle

Now that we’ve added the subtitle to the product, it’s time to make sure it appears on the product page. For this, you’ll need to make some adjustments to your Shopify theme.

1. Navigate to Online Store > Themes in your Shopify Admin.

2. Under your active theme, click Customize.

3. From the theme editor, go to the Product Page. This is where you will make changes to the layout of your product page.

4. In the product page settings, add a new block for the subtitle.

   • Look for the option to Add Block and choose Rich Text or Text Block.
   • This block will allow you to place custom text anywhere you like on the product page.

Step 8: Link the Subtitle Metafield to the Text Block

Now we need to display the metafield (the subtitle) on the product page.

1. In the Text Block or Rich Text section, click on the small icon at the top-right corner of the block.
2. From the dropdown menu, select Product Template.
3. Click on Subtitle (the metafield definition we created earlier).
4. This will link the subtitle metafield to the text block, meaning that Shopify will now automatically display the subtitle you added to the product.

Step 9: Finalize and Save

Once you've linked the subtitle metafield to the product page, you’re almost done.

1. After making sure everything is in place, click Save at the top-right corner of the theme editor.
2. Go to your product page on the live site to ensure the subtitle is displaying correctly. You should see the subtitle appear on the product page beneath the product title or wherever you placed the text block.

Tips for Writing Effective Subtitles

Now that you know how to add subtitles to your product pages, here are some tips for writing compelling and effective subtitles that can enhance your customers’ experience:

1. Keep It Short and Clear: Subtitles should be concise but informative. They should provide added value without overwhelming the visitor.
2. Highlight Unique Selling Points: Use the subtitle to emphasize key features or benefits of the product. For example, "Eco-Friendly Materials" or "Free Shipping Worldwide."
3. Use Persuasive Language: Subtitles should appeal to emotions and urge customers to make a purchase. Words like "Exclusive," "Limited Edition," or "Best Seller" can create a sense of urgency or exclusivity.
4. Incorporate Keywords for SEO: If possible, include relevant keywords in your subtitle that can improve search engine optimization (SEO) for your product pages.

Why Subtitles Matter for Your Shopify Store

Subtitles play a crucial role in providing additional information, boosting SEO, and enhancing the overall user experience on your Shopify store. With this guide, you can easily create and display subtitles for any of your products, making your pages more engaging and informative.

Adding subtitles also allows you to:

• Improve SEO: By including keywords in your subtitles, you help search engines understand your product better.
• Increase Conversion Rates: Clear, well-crafted subtitles can persuade potential customers by giving them more context about the product’s features and benefits.
• Enhance User Experience: Providing more information without cluttering the main title gives users a better shopping experience.

Conclusion

Adding subtitles to your Shopify product pages is a simple yet powerful way to improve your product pages’ appeal, clarity, and effectiveness. By following the step-by-step process outlined above, you can easily integrate subtitles into your Shopify store, enhancing both the aesthetic and functional aspects of your product pages. Remember, subtitles aren’t just about adding extra text—they’re about adding value, improving the user experience, and potentially boosting your store’s performance.