Some of the Best eCommerce Themes for Building an Online Store
Choosing an eCommerce theme puts you on the right track for building a quality online store. But making that choice is only half the battle. The look and feel of your online store is critical. Your eCommerce theme can perform the tasks to make that happen, but you have to tell it what you want done.
What do you need to consider when designing your online store?
- Give your store a familiar look. This makes it easier for shoppers to go where they want to go. Krug’s first law of usability puts it nicely – “Don’t make me think.†Don’t make your visitors have to think in order to find their way around your store.
- Don’t overdo your homepage banner. A knockout banner is nice, but it’s really unnecessary. If it’s too loud or flashy, it will simply drive customers away.
- Think about how you want to display your products. A traditional or conventional display tends to work best. Make sure the product images are compatible with the website’s style and brand.
- Think mobile first. Half of your potential customers do their shopping from mobile devices, and before long, the majority will be doing so. Make their visit a pleasant one.
- Make owning a lightweight, fast eCommerce theme a priority. It will be easier to work with, and it will help you build fast and reliable websites.
XStore-Responsive WooCommerce Theme
If it’s a priority to find a theme that gets the job done, yet is delightfully easy to work with, XStore is an excellent choice. It is also an excellent choice if you plan to take Krug’s first law of usability to heart. If you spend a few moments browsing their demos, it’s apparent that this theme’s authors have done just that.
That is why the demos have such a familiar look. Familiarity gives your shop a trustworthy, professional appearance, plus your customers don’t have to think. By hovering over one or more of the demos, you should be able to come up with some great ideas for how you want your own store to look.
XStore is responsive, RTL-ready, and Visual Composer compatible. It is also 100% WooCommerce compatible. You’ll like working with its Theme Options feature. It gives you the flexibility to build whatever is on your mind. Support is excellent, and video tutorials are there to assist you with installation and settings management.
Merchandiser is minimalist, fast, and reliable. The exact opposite of an over bloated theme that tends to be loaded down with functionality, bells, and whistles that you have no need for. Merchandiser’s authors follow the principle that simplicity is the ultimate in sophistication – and it shows. Merchandiser is packed with features, but only as many as you need – nothing more.
The Theme Customizer/Visual Composer Drag and Drop Page Builder features combine to create a potent web-building force. Visitors to your online shop will appreciate features like the off-canvas shopping cart and off-canvas quick view, along with the ability to choose how they want to view your products as they shop.
Merchandiser gives you the ability to sell anything online, including digital products, or you can open an affiliate business if you wish. It all happens with simplicity in mind.Â
Most eCommerce themes, or other WP themes that you might consider for building an online store, are WooCommerce compatible. Mystile takes it a step further. It is a WooCommerce theme, and a clean and lightweight theme at that. Better yet, Mystile is a free download that is built on the same WooFramework as are the WooCommerce commercial themes.
One slight drawback might be that it is unsupported, but updates are always available, and with the purchase of any WooCommerce product you are given access to whatever support resources you may need. A quality product that costs nothing is always worth a look.
Uncode – Creative Multiuse WordPress Theme
Uncode offers concepts instead of layouts. Once you start using them, you’ll quickly discover why that descriptive choice makes sense. These concepts come in five flavors, yet take a closer look at the shop ones.
Each and every shop concept will take your website and online store-building adventures to a new level.
Uncode’s new hierarchical options system gives you complete flexibility and control while you build your pages, the advanced grid system pushes layout design to the cutting edge, and the adaptive images feature will put any concerns you might have about responsiveness to rest. Creatives enjoy Uncode.
Modular, building-block systems tend to be easier to work with, and perform better, than more traditional approaches. Divi’s building block foundation, and its 46 customizable content modules, makes website building as easy as it gets. Within a few brief minutes you’ll have a completed page, and not too much later your eCommerce site will be ready to go online.
Divi is wonderfully responsive, so you’ll be able to capture the mobile crowd, and you’ll quickly discover how the Divi Builder enables you to create a dynamic online store without touching a single line of code.
KLEO – Pro Community Focused, Multipurpose Theme
This multipurpose theme has a lot going for it. For starters, it’s the #1 BuddyPress theme for 2016. You can use KLEO to build a community, publish your professional blog, showcase your portfolio, open an amazing online shop, and more. A selection of 24 plugins comes with the package, including Sensei, which you can use to sell online courses, Geo Directory for creating your own business directory, WooCommerce, WordPress SEO, and more.
KLEO’s demo pages are nothing short of awesome. You’ll have Google Material Color Presets to work with, and a practical easy-install plugin updates feature. Check it out.
Merchant is hip, beautifully responsive, translation ready, has the features you need to put together an online store that provides a great UX, and more. It will be a good choice, if finding a theme that is especially easy to work with is at the top of your list. In fact, one of Merchant’s more powerful tools is called the Easy Layout Creator.
Among the many features included that support building an online store are Google Maps, 100% WooCommerce compatibility, a mega-menu, lots of color options, and superb portfolio and catalog building functionality.
To conclude…
If you haven’t quite made up your mind, you could either start with the free theme or check out the demos. You really can’t make a poor choice. Every item on this list has what you need to create a booming online business, but be sure to take our tips into account to make sure that will happen. Don’t force your visitors to think.
Your choice may simply boil down to a preference for a multipurpose theme, or one that primarily addresses eCommerce. Whatever your choice, these are all premium eCommerce themes, so you won’t be disappointed.
