The coronavirus pandemic and its lockdowns catapulted the growth of the e-commerce industry. Increased online shopping activities prompted business owners to adapt and make changes. They had to find ways to meet customer expectations.
Many transitioned from physical to online stores. Some went for customized designs. Others depended on e-commerce themes. They needed to create online stores fast to meet their customers’ needs. And, these themes brought on the speed and ease they wanted.
If you are a business owner who wants to make this move yourself, there are several things you have to know first. Selecting the right e-commerce themes for your business can be mind-boggling. There are thousands of options available and several of them may offer the key features you need. But, while others may be good, some e-commerce website themes are better than others.
Your website theme represents your brand and will impact user experience. So, you have to make sure that its style, look, and feel speak to what your brand stands for. You need to consider such things as layout, color schemes, and style elements. Then, you also have to ensure that it allows you to integrate key e-commerce features. You need to drive your business forward, after all.
Below we have provided five reasons some e-commerce websites are better than others. They can help you decide which theme is most suitable for your business.
1. They are more professional-looking.
The e-commerce industry may be booming, but it is also becoming more competitive. So, the better e-commerce themes come with minimalistic designs. They look clean and professional. Their simplicity doesn’t take away from your desired call-to-action (CTA). They are also easier to navigate on mobile devices, which is a must for end-users who are always on the go.
Another good thing about these flat-looking designs is the straightforward presentation of features. This makes it easier for your customers to find the information or products they are looking for. E-commerce themes like these are so simple, they are brilliant.
2. They are mobile-ready.
Most of the e-commerce website themes now available are responsive to mobile devices. But this does not guarantee an exemplary mobile experience. There are a lot of websites that pass Google’s mobile experience tests. Yet, the overall shopping experience they provide is so poor. They are worthless especially when it comes to conversion potential.
The better e-commerce themes are primed to convert visitors into leads or customers. Their pages are appealing to the eyes. Their forms are easy to fill out and complete regardless of whether you are using a laptop or a smartphone. Their CTA buttons are also positioned in a way that is hard for visitors not to notice.
3. Their developers are available for support.
Developer support is a factor that determines the worth of e-commerce themes. If they are available 24/7 especially when it comes to the installation of updates, they are golden. Your e-commerce platform will need regular updates. This is to keep up with the changing times and new developments. Without these updates, your theme will bug down on you after some time.
So, when looking for e-commerce themes, look for developer information on released updates. This usually comes with customer reviews and ratings. They reveal developers’ availability and consistency in rolling out updates. Those who update their themes with the latest features do not only care for their products. They also care for the people using them.
4. They have apps, plugins, and extensions suitable for e-commerce.
When you get an e-commerce theme for your website, it is rare for you not to customize it. You will need it to match the look and feel of your brand. You may also add such features as automated emails and personalized product recommendations. These will not only boost user experience. But will ensure that everything on your site will convert traffic into leads and sales.
It follows that better e-commerce themes offer features that answer your business needs. You will need add-ons that will not only allow you to capture leads. They must also be easy to integrate into your website. This is important especially if you have no development or coding skills. So, make a list of the features you need from a theme. The one that can provide these and more may be what you are looking for.
5. They are compatible with all mainstream web browsers.
The better e-commerce themes work well on all the popular web browsers, not only on Chrome or Safari. You can know this by testing the e-commerce platforms across all available browsers. There are so many devices and these use different operating systems and browsers. So, testing will help you ensure the compatibility of your theme with all browsers. It must provide the same functionality and user experience for everyone.
Testing resources and tools are available online – some for a fee, while others offer free trials. Find a tool that allows you to test your website through all browsers in one go. Once you spot an issue on a specific browser, you can check further using other resources.
The wealth of e-commerce themes now available may make it hard for you to find the one for your business. But, the reasons provided above may give you a headstart in knowing which ones are better. All you need to do now is to weigh your choices well.