Chapter 14: Best E-Commerce Themes
Posted on April 18, 2024 | Updated on April 18, 2024
There’s almost no limit to the number of e-commerce themes you can find. Not only are there themes built exclusively for online retailers but you can also tap into industry-specific options.
E-commerce is a growing, thriving industry. Big box retailers as well as local mom-and-pop shops have online stores these days. You’ll find businesses selling only online as well as companies selling in brick-and-mortar stores but listing some of their inventory digitally.
According to Statista, e-commerce sales in 2022 were over $5.7 trillion dollars globally. One interesting fact is that 2023 saw 70% of all retail website visits come from smartphones. The addition of more online shopping via social media platforms may be the biggest driver of mobile device shopping.
To find a theme that works well for your e-commerce store, there are some things you should specifically seek.
What to Look for in E-Commerce Themes
E-commerce themes tend to already have shopping cart compatibility. Some things you’ll want to look for include:
- Mobile responsiveness to accommodate the increased traffic from smartphones
- Grid layout for a clean, uncluttered look
- Detailed product listings
- Compatible with WooCommerce or other shopping cart of your choice
- Ability to add reviews and other trust factors
- Personalized header to make your store stand out
- Ability to collect user info and send offers either via WordPress or by integrating with a third-party software
You’ll also want the typical things that make a theme excellent, such as a good color palette, customization options and simple navigational structure. When in doubt about which theme to use, try out a couple of options and get feedback from your favorite customers about which one they prefer.
Our Favorite E-Commerce Themes
With the things in mind that make an e-commerce website stand out from the crowd, we sought the different themes out there. We narrowed down the choices by looking for themes with a free component you can later upgrade as your store grows. We then wanted only WordPress themes that have been updated in the last few months. The last thing you want is a theme that grows stale or has security issues due to neglect. Finally, we took a step back and went with gut instinct about which themes were most aesthetically pleasing and likely to engage site visitors.
Apparel E-Commerce Store
The Gutenberg-friendly Apparel E-Commerce Store theme offers a lot of bells and whistles, even with the free version. The design is modern and intuitive. It responds to different screen sizes and allows for some customization with the free option.
The design is modern and intuitive. It responds to different screen sizes and allows for some customization with the free option.
E-Commerce Online Store
E-commerce Online Store is one of our favorite e-commerce themes in this lineup. We like the way each product is set off with an image, yellow band and star rating. The free version offers a responsive layout, user-friendly interface and integrates with payment gateways.
The Premium version runs $49 and offers advanced customization options, more homepage sections, premium support, four header and footer layouts, additional plugins and one-click installation. The light outline around each product box gives the entire design a structured appearance that’s perfect for most product types.
Shopping E-Commerce WP
Shopping E-Commerce WP is a fun theme that helps you list discounts and run specials. It works particularly well for anything that moves seasonal items, such as clothing, beauty products and gifts.
You can adjust the header image, tap into the power of WooCommerce, gain a responsive layout and single home page with the free version. Upgrade to the Premium version for $49 and you’ll get three home pages, a page builder, multiple blog layout, mega menu and unlimited color options.
Superb E-Commerce
Superb E-commerce theme has a light, uncluttered look that works well for home decor, spa products and furniture. Note the white space between blocks and the ability to add full background images rather than an isolated shot. The design looks more like a blog setup but is a shopping theme.
With the free version, you get WooCommerce integration, widgets, customizable menu, custom header and colors. With the For $39 you gain Premium features such as SEO optimization, hide author name, replace copyright text, full page width template, access to more child themes and compatibility with elementor.
Our Winner: Classic E-Commerce
Classic E-Commerce is a versatile theme that has a highly professional edge. We love the bright pop of orange but you can adjust the colors to whatever works for your brand. The categories drop down menu lets users navigate quickly to where they want to go on your site and the calls to action (CTAs) encourage conversion.
Some of the features of the theme include:
- Responsive
- Customizable Headers
- SEO Ready
- Use on Unlimited Sites
- GPL license
If you upgrade to the Pro version for $39, you gain additional customization features, fancier page headings, built-in mega menu, parallax sections, video and advanced blogs.
Finding Perfect E-Commerce Themes
Finding the perfect e-commerce theme that matches the tone of your store takes time and effort. Fortunately, we’ve reduced your browsing time by tracking down five themes that should work for almost any type of online retailer. Give each one a try and see what your customers respond to best.
