In case you do not already know, we sell a couple of free and paid nopCommerce themes on our website. We like creating beautiful and usable nopCommerce themes, and I would like to lay down some guidelines in this blog post on how to choose the perfect nopCommerce template for your next store. (I've earlier written a more generic article on the same topic, make sure you read it before continuing.)
When it comes to e-commerce, the layout of your shop can be crucial to positive user experience (UX), how long a user stays on your site, and even conversion rates. When users visit an e-commerce store they want to easily find what they're looking for while viewing a website that is aesthetically pleasing to their eyes. In fact, a well designed e-commerce template can directly increase your store's sales.
So how do you choose the perfect theme?
Not all e-commerce templates are created equal
Choosing the right template is not always an easy decision. You would usually want to pick a template or theme that is the best for your customers. Ease of use, color pallets, and how effectively a user can navigate the website are just some of the important factors when considering which template to use.
In terms of colors, it has long been known that it will directly affect sales. Here are two articles detailing the relationship between color and sales:
But even with the correct color, most themes still missed another important thing - usability or UX as more commonly known. And usability is not just about beautiful design. I've seen many websites that have beautiful design but are very hard to use.
And the sad thing is, most template designers in the market would sacrify UX for aesthetic. Why? Because aesthetic is usually the more attractive element that causes customers to buy their template. And most customers would just choose templates that please their eyes, forgetting about UX.
In case you want to know more about e-commerce usability, here are 2 articles you can borrow some ideas from:
About Responsive Templates
Responsive templates have become the new standard when it comes to website functionality and UX. While "responsive design" techniques are initially introduced to improve usability, it often does not work like intended. Instead of improving the websites, many badly-implemented responsive themes breaks them. Things like broken menu, misplaced elements, messy layouts are a few common issues with responsive templates.
In case you are wondering, a responsive template (at the simplest form) is a website layout that adapts to a user's "viewport". A viewport is the visible part of the canvas inside of a web browser (what the user sees of a website on varying types of electronic screens). Responsive templates can be viewed on a desktop, a laptop, a notebook, a tablet, a mobile phone, and even a television without sacrificing its design or functionality. A website with a responsive template is truly cross-platform and can be used on almost any device.
So, the next time you are choosing an e-commerce templates that uses responsive design, make sure you run through enough tests to make sure it works across most device.
Choose your nopCommerce theme wisely
Again, a well-designed e-commerce store can positively affect user experience, which in turn increase sales. Remember: good design does not only mean aesthetical value. User Experience (UX) is also an important point to consider!
Further readings:
I am Woon Cherk, an