Creating an ecommerce store takes up a lot more than just selecting the most suitable product or establishing its sales chain; in fact, contrary to popular belief, many believe it is restricted to only it. The success of an ecommerce store is not limited to the products you are selling but highly relies on the look and feel of your store. Customers are more inclined to purchase from a store that looks aesthetically pleasing, easy to navigate, minimalistic and offers a fantastic shopping experience. Moreover, all these features come under the broad umbrella of your ecommerce store theme, which we will talk to you about!
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A website theme is the foundation for a site's complete design. A website theme manages the front-end design, establishing the overall appearance and functionality by working its front-end features and every aspect of its look and feel. Most themes determine all design components, such as page layouts, backgrounds, colour palettes, headers and footers, positioning, sizing, and typography. On the other hand, specific industry-specific themes comprise the general expectation of the website, features and other components based on the theme. A theme controls the design of your website. It determines what your website looks like from the surface, and it is the part of your website that directly impacts your users.
Your theme is your website's first impression. The theme is a website about what clothes are to our bodies. But do you wear the same dress to every party? Imagine wearing the same clothes to a meeting, a wedding or even a ball sounds unreasonable, doesn't it? Of course, you probably wouldn't do that if you had the choice. Ideally, you would wear the appropriate type or style of dress for each occasion. That's what website theming is – it allows our users to choose the look and feel of our website with a set of styles based on different occasions.
Theming is simply allowing users to make customizations to our websites and apps. You can also think about theming as a set of customizations users can make to our websites or applications based on their choices.
A website theme is a fully functional package that comes with pre-made design elements and useful functions. Themes are generally built with a specific purpose in mind so that users have everything they need to start building the website they want; these features could include the look, feel, colour, font and even features, etc.
When checking around for free themes on an Ecommerce Website builder, it is good practice to list goals and what you hope to achieve for your website to see if a theme aligns with them. Many themes may seem visually stunning on the surface, but if your goals require specific custom elements, the theme might not always be flexible enough to meet your needs. For example, a feature to show videos in your product feature pictures is excellent for the fashion industry, but it would be optional for tech sites.
Search for an ecommerce builder theme that is responsive on all gadgets and doesn't lean you to consider developer support over and over. It must incorporate textual styles, colours, formatting components and substantially more. When picking a subject, it is encouraged to go through demos to check whether there are numerous ways of presenting and leading content — like websites, tributes, infographics, etc. Having loads of choices assists you with guaranteeing that your site looks one of a kind and dislikes a format.
Every industry is unique and caters to a different audience; thus, it is curated to represent a different thought process, approaching pattern, set of pictures/creatives, colours, aesthetics, product arrangements, and the number of images allowed per product. These aspects of the website theme approach differentiate one industry-specific theme from another. For e.g., A pink and pastel theme would be perfect for a fashion industry website but would be considered an inappropriate theme for an electronics website. As Sylvia Foerster, Creative Services Director, states, 'In choosing a theme, I would look through demos to see if there are multiple ways to present content — like blogs, testimonials, infographics, etc. I would also look for one that has developer support and one that is responsive so that it works on multiple devices.' Having many options helps ensure that your site looks unique and not like a template.
Let's discuss some of the most popular industry categories and learn more about their theme requirements and what makes them different.
The fashion industry has secured over 3 trillion dollars in the global market and is currently one of the world's most followed and growing markets. And its sub-industry of Clothing and Apparel is expected to reach $194.3 billion by 2024. Unlike other markets where the visual aspect doesn't play such an important role, but for the fashion industry, your visual appearance is crucial. Many components make up your visual appearance, such as how relevant your ecommerce website template or ecommerce theme is to your specific industry. Fashion, in particular, is a vast industry comprising sub-industries of itself such as Jewellery, watches, footwear, Clothing and apparel, etc. Most of these sub-industries follow a similar ecommerce theme and work along parallel lines of website features, marketing and overall aesthetic. 0
Digital Competition is tough these days, and to stand out from the competitors and lead, the best fashion websites must combine a great UX and UI. But of course, we know that not all business owners are well versed enough to have that skill, so the best option is to find the perfect ecommerce builder theme which is relevant to the industry so that you get the ideal visual appearance for your store without any hassle.
Here are a few pointers highlighting the type of theme features one should have in their online fashion industry store.
Your ideal ecommerce solution theme for website examples showcases the essentials like smooth site functionality, intuitive navigation, displaying size info, and so on.
Your Fashion Industry theme design should include drool-worthy product Photos that highlight complementing aesthetics. If the item is apparel, it's recommended to have the option to include a product video showcasing the look and feel of the product.
As an essential requirement, an "Add to cart" or "Buy now" feature button is a must. It should be visible on the page, enticing a user to hit it as soon as possible.
Include space to feature product descriptions for your website. They must describe and highlight details and features, focusing on the qualities, features and benefits it offers.
Another critical theme option is the feature that shows multiple variants and sizes of the product. This is a crucial fashion industry feature as most articles come in different types and sizes.
Choose an ecommerce theme that includes Social media buttons, so people can comfortably share that desired product with family and friends. Keep a social media sharing button in order to leverage word-of-mouth.
And let's not forget the "Customer Reviews" page/section. They will be your self marketer and feature what others say about your products, their experience and recommendations; this will significantly impact buying decisions.
Sell a look. Turn into a stylist by offering a ready-to-go look to your customers. Many people need help creating them and will certainly be interested in such an option.
Most purchases and scrollings are made from your customer's mobile; keeping a mobile-friendly theme that stays smooth and efficient regardless of the device is essential.
Aesthetics mean everything, especially when you know how tough the market is; always choose a flexible, easy to play with and customizable theme so you can change and mould it whatever you want.
Theme features that help you showcase any sales, offers and discounts.
The Health and Beauty department is a whooping market of more than $300 billion and is fastly growing even more prominent. This industry includes Cosmetics, Medicines, Skin Care and Hair Care. It's much like the fashion industry as they have similar marketing patterns and theme requirements.
If your website features procedures and schedules grooming sessions, you must keep your layout nice and simple for individuals to navigate easily and book their health and beauty sessions. An efficient business arrangement is an absolute key. It's essential to Involve a web-based booking framework for your health and beauty business as an internet booking framework permits clients to book their arrangement on the web, which makes it more advantageous and, to a lesser extent, an issue for both of you. This cancels out the missed calls, busy call lines, and inability to manage business hours for calling and other issues. And, of course, out of all, the most annoying continuous ringing of the phone, especially when you're with a client.
Customers aren't the best at making decisions on the spot, especially when it's about a few extra $$ over their budget or maybe something fancy like a beauty item, new cosmetic or perhaps a serum. Most customers tend to circle their decision to buy and come back and forth to the website filling up the same cart. Your ecommerce theme must be well equipped with features to remember the previous cart selection in case the website was refreshed or closed, so customers find it easier to access their product items.
Like the fashion industry, For health and beauty, you would want your homepage to be impressionable and eye-catching to attract customers and build an aesthetic brand image. Your beautiful yet easy homepage will let them know they have landed on a website which will meet their needs. Your homepage will form the very first impression of your business and will determine how your viewers will proceed. If your viewers feel lost or uninterested, they will bounce off your site. The best beauty websites are simple and minimalist and don't overwhelm the customer by putting too much out there
According to a recent report, the electronics industry is set to bring in $716.3 billion in revenue by the end of 2022. This industry is huge and has a set of its own requirements in terms of features and theme requirements.
Your business's success depends on how quickly your customers can find products and navigate through them. As your website will have people coming with different requirements, choices and budgets it is essential to have Product Filtering, Sorting, and variation settings when selecting the appropriate theme for your electronic product business, look for a theme that has relevant product listing by categories, sorting and relevance (filtering).
As digitalization kept sweeping the business industry, It wasn't long before it took over traditional ways to market, such as word of mouth to now 'Product Reviews'. This helps customers trust the easier as the first thing they do when going to any website is to check the reviews! Product reviews help you build brand trust, assist with decision-making and boost sales. Pick a theme with an incorporated product review section, as it is a crucial eCommerce feature, especially for the tech industry.
97% of ecommerce customers are inclined to check out special offers when visiting websites; for most customers, special offers, discounts and other promotional activities are a tough call. Make sure your eCommerce theme has features to showcase promotional offers. This feature will help you increase sales, minimise losses, build long-term customer relations, increase brand awareness, and enhance conversions.
A WishList is a must for every eCommerce website; As they are of great use for business owners, such feature tools help you know what they want, and to understand their way of thinking to drive more relevant and wanted traffic to your website. It also enables you to navigate which out-of-stock item is a priority to stock back.
Here are a few Catalogue Management Features that are a must for all types of industries
Easily find categories (Search and sort options)
Manage categories and sub-categories in the menu
Set sales/discounts/categories as "active" or "inactive"
Manage categories, thumbnails and images
Manage brands options
Feature live brands on the homepage.
Manage brand logos on the homepage or drop-down menu to show brands onboard more accessible.
Manage products associated with brands
Feature to search and sort products in certain categories or with specific attributes
Easily manage product inventory in terms of stock.
Your theme must help you manage product fields, name, details, additional details (If any), list price, your price, weight, stock , handling fee, shipping and much more.
Ability to select options such as free shipping, most reviews, best sellers ect as features.
Add and manage the main product image and additional product images.
Microsoft Word-like editor for managing content blocks, such as product details
Feature products on the homepage
Add products to a single category or multiple categories.
Select product brand
Add and manage product options and option groups.
Add and manage related products.
Add and manage accessories.
Attach and embed YouTube videos on how to use/assemble products etc
Manage (approve and delete) product reviews
Set product page URL and SEO elements for products
Another popular industry is the Food and drinks industry. The Food segment revenue is projected to reach US$276.10bn by the end of 2022. Making it yet another huge market.
As we know, most popular food chains, businesses, and resources create an online presence to provide the best accessibility regarding food deliveries, orders etc. This is because the food market is the industry that requires the most accessibility, as people prefer getting their food delivered in a matter of minutes with just a few clicks.
Here are a few food and beverage industry-specific theme features that are a must for all food & beverage websites.
Choose a theme that features aesthetic food/drink visuals that you provide so that as the customer opens the website, the pictures of your mouth-watering goodies are what they see first and would be inclined to get.
Your inventory must be managed according to the availability of stock, which means a theme feature that keeps tabs on when a product comes in stock/goes out of stock is essential.
Your theme must include special features to showcase offs, discounts and sales.
Cart items must not be forgotten if refreshed to give an easier and much more accommodating experience.
Complementing tones and aesthetic features must be accessible as they play a huge role in brand impression.
Some types of content could go into the books and magazine websites industry. Respective of content, it all comes down to the theme. Your typical inventory bookshop will follow theme requirements much like any product page focusing on a well-maintained inventory that provides all the necessary features that highlight product filtering, sorting, availability etc.
Another type would be an author's website, which falls under a similar category. These days it's essential for authors to create a professional-looking website as a technique of book marketing strategy.
An author's website also needs to follow a specific theme, as their requirements and desired features are different.
Many site themes include a page listing of all of their published books, synopsis and links to buy each one.
A redirecting link to an audio version of the book is not featured on the page.
A theme that displays the book covers is for them to purchase, plus this helps spark recognition later when a reader is browsing bookstores or the latest deals.
Create a home page theme that includes brief descriptions from the recognizable author about each book with the cover
Include links to all retailers where the book is available. This helps visitors easily find each book wherever they shop.
A features page would be a great addition to the theme as it would help authors have a prominent feature section on the homepage for promoting their most recent work.
If you're someone searching for an ecommerce website builder for your small business or just someone with less technical skills trying to take his business online, worry no more!
Webx Ecommerce is your safe solution with plenty of customizable industry-specific theme options at your disposal. These themes are designed to help you navigate your business and set the perfect website experience for your ecommerce store. So what's the wait? Go on now and try out the best theme features that suit your business.
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