As more people shop online, it is becoming increasingly important to navigate and pre-empt the exciting world of ecommerce. If you’re looking to create a beautiful online store, you’re in luck. In this blog post, we’ll explore eight of the best WooCommerce themes out there, and we’ll take a look at the factors you need to consider when making your decision. So without further ado, let’s get started!
Contents:
- Things to Keep in Mind When Selecting Your Theme
- Themes and Editors – What’s the Difference?
- Divi
- Elementor
- Avada
- Flatsome
- Woodmart
- Storefront
- Blocksy
- Astra
Things to Keep in Mind When Selecting Your Theme
Creating a website can involve a lot of guesswork. Designing from the back end means it can be hard to anticipate how the website will look on the front end. While this can cause challenges, the creative WordPress community has already set out to tackle this inconvenience. A variety of WordPress themes have been created to support you in building a beautiful ecommerce store.
Your Preferences
It’s important to acknowledge that everyone has their preferences in the world of code. When our developers discussed their favorite WordPress themes, they provided a similar group of examples, however, each of them had different favorites. The base requirements (explored further down) were identical, but the deciding factor was often linked to their personal preferences.
There are a variety of WooCommerce themes available. However, while there are a few favorites, no clear leader is dominating the market. Instead, popular WooCommerce themes tend to have pockets of advocates.
Community Support
Community support can bolster the value proposition of WooCommerce software. An active community can provide support, helpful resources, and information to aid users in applying and managing the software. To have a beneficial community, there needs to be a group of engaged users (or at the very least, a handful of passionate advocates), happy to answer questions and provide support to others when requested.
Popularity
While popularity isn’t necessarily an indicator of the best software on the market, it’s beneficial to have a certain level of familiarity amongst the technical community. If work is required on your site and the developer has prior knowledge of the software, it’s likely to be easier for them. If this isn’t achievable, having straightforward code is a big bonus that leads us to our next point.
Quality of Code – Bug Free
The quality of code used to construct themes is another significant factor for consideration. Unfortunately, bugs are unavoidable within web development, but high-quality code can significantly reduce the number of issues that occur. In turn, this minimizes the problems that the user is likely to experience and the resources required to maintain the website.
Customer Support
As bugs are inevitable within code, it’s incredibly useful to select a provider that offers on-hand customer service and developer support. Having accessibility to this resource will prove to be invaluable when issues do arise. Providing peace of mind that any problems can be resolved quickly and efficiently.
Simple for Client Use
During the website creation stage, it’s easy for developers to tailor the code and make changes to the appearance of web pages. However, when the websites are handed over for clients to manage and make changes, they’re likely to experience issues if they don’t have any developer knowledge or if the user interface is challenging. Due to this, it’s essential to create a website with a theme that’s easy to use and navigable for those with little to no developer experience.
Plugins and Extensions
Extra assets can be added to the theme to offer additional functionality. Depending on the way they’re built, and the code used, different themes will have varying compatibility. It’s worth identifying any extra functionality required for your business and ensuring this can be integrated with the theme of your choice.
Load Times
A fast website offers a whole host of benefits. Firstly, it supports an excellent user experience and helps to achieve a seamless customer journey. Secondly, it bolsters functional elements such as SEO which can improve website rankings on search results.
Themes and Editors – What’s the Difference?
As we explore the considerations and uses of WooCommerce themes, you may notice considerable overlaps between the function and purpose of WordPress editors. So, what’s the difference?
Themes tend to offer some template designs that work as a framework for the site. However, to create unique web pages with features, widgets, and customizable elements, you are likely to require an editor. Some themes may have built-in editing software (making life much easier), while others may recommend page builders that work well with the theme.
It’s worth keeping this in mind when making your selection, as it’s important to find two products that complement one another, making it easier to manage. To find out more about the use of editors, you can read our blog here.
Divi
Pricing: Yearly access: $89
Lifetime access: $249
While it can be challenging to find an editor and theme that work successfully hand in hand, Divi offers the best of both worlds. This advanced WordPress theme goes above and beyond with additional editing software that enables users to create professional designs. Their visual builder is incredibly straightforward and can be used by everyone (newcomers or industry specialists) to construct engaging websites.
Users can build their page visually with the live page editor. This makes it incredibly easy to construct pages with real-time editing. There are a vast selection of design options available such as inline text editing, global elements, videos, animations, filters, effects, and shadows. With all of this on offer, it’s easy to build unique websites without the need for external software and plugins. The interface is user-friendly and straightforward but not limited in its capabilities. The editable templates can be tweaked with save and undo commands and additional revisions. Designs can be protected and managed for straightforward page creation and a streamlined workflow.
Divi also offers its users access to an advanced code editor. This add-on makes writing code easier and more enjoyable. The features of this software include syntax highlighting, auto-complete, error reporting, colour picking, search, find, replace, and multi-line selection. Custom CSS control means developers can use their CSS to combine it with Divi’s visual design.
Divi is a platform suitable for everyone, including freelancers, agencies, and website owners. Assuring that the software and code are of a high standard and can be approached by users of all skills and abilities.
24/7 premium customer support is available via the Divi Support Center. The team is on hand to work on any issues that arise. Users can also access support via the help system, containing free resources, useful tips, and full-length instructional videos.
Elementor – Theme Builder and Hello Theme
Pricing: Yearly access: $99
Elementor is an excellent piece of software for website creation. Like Divi, their platform is both a theme and an editor rolled into one. This allows for complete website builds and easy management. Users can design their website head to toe with a range of features.
Elementor’s main theme, Hello theme, is an attractive all-around theme. The design is fast and lightweight for optimal performance, with load times of 1-4 seconds and only using 6KB of resources. With minimal requests to the server, users can see the website at record speed, perfect for SEO and an enhanced user experience. The design of this theme means that it requires a minimal amount of styling to achieve excellent results and design freedom. The theme is responsive to different devices by default. However, when combining Elementor and the Hello theme, users can go one step further and customize each device’s design.
Elementor has been designed for users with little to no developer experience. The platform is entirely visual with zero code, simplifying the process for users. Web pages can be constructed with the live drag and drop editor, making the process incredibly convenient and easy. If developers wish to alter the code, it’s open-source and RTL-supported, which can be tailored and expanded upon easily.
Elementor provides a great platform to manage the website with all of the tools required. Users can set up their websites quickly with hundreds of designer-made templates to choose from. Websites can be accessed, edited, updated, and managed, all in one place. Once users have created a layout that they love, it can be applied to other elements such as blog posts, product pages, or listings. The layout can be easily used across pages when creating new and additional content.
The software integrates seamlessly with relevant WordPress plugins, including WooCommerce, ACF, Toolset, JETengine, etc. This makes it incredibly easy to add additional functionality.
The platform has had over 700K+ installs with a 4.5/5 star rating and has an average of 4,000 downloads per day. The software is constantly updated to ensure that it is optimized and meets the highest standards for compatibility and performance.
There are many routes for additional support with Elementor. They have a help center for both normal users and developers, containing valuable resources. They also have a Facebook group with an impressive 125K+ members to offer community support.
Avada
Pricing: Monthly access: £69
Avada offers a solution perfect for users with a range of experience and skills. If you’re a beginner, they provide a range of support to help launch a website, including a visual builder, documentation, support, and 86 pre-built templates. The platform offers benefits in lead generation and conversion for marketers, including seamless UX and design, SEO optimization, shop builder, and form builder. For industry specialists and those with a little more experience within the field, the all-in-one platform takes projects to the next level with dynamic data, patcher, and WCAG. Custom branding means that you can easily white-label client projects.
The software meets all coding standards with excellent compatibility with other WordPress plugins. The software has been optimized for mobile and desktop and is SEO-friendly. In addition, the Performance Wizard and critical CCS ensure that content loads quickly with excellent website performance.
As a provider, Avada has an excellent track record as the #1 selling website builder on Theme Forest for over 9 years and counting. Their software is built in-house by trusted developers on hand to offer their support as well as free lifetime updates. In addition, they provide a clear roadmap and listen to users regarding feature requests. Users can vote for the top features that matter to them, demonstrating that Avada is listening to the needs of their audience and their requirements.
Avada has an active helpdesk with helpful videos, documents, Q&A, and a ticketed support desk. They also have a community forum and Facebook group containing 23K+ members.
Flatsome
Pricing: $59
Flatsome is the number one best-selling WooCommerce and Business theme, suitable for any WordPress project. The high-performance software is flexible and works well with various ecommerce websites to provide an excellent user experience. It’s often applied to shop and company websites as it supports super-fast, responsive designs. Users can create anything without coding with a revolutionary page builder and endless options.
Flatsome has a drag and drop page builder. Users can apply this to create grids, sliders, and great content, with no need for additional plugins. The elements on offer (sections, rows, sliders, buttons, testimonials, countdowns, etc.) mimic those of complex page builders. They even provide excellent UX design features such as parallax scrolling. The live theme options mean that users can tailor the site to meet their requirements and create something beautiful.
Users can view a range of theme demos and pre-made homepages that can be added with a simple click. Users can cherry-pick their favorite elements of each design to create something suited to them.
The design can be tailored for additional purposes, branching off from the standard ecommerce template. The flexible style means that it’s also perfect for blogs and portfolios. Although ecommerce businesses may not require this, it provides flexibility for business growth and expansion in other areas and reassurance that this template is a suitable option for long-term use.
Flatsome constantly updates the product features with 24/7 support, online documents, and an active Facebook community. They’ve also received excellent customer reviews.
WoodMart
Pricing: $59
Storefront provides a simple and effective WordPress themes to help you create a functional online store. The design can be altered in real-time with a few simple clicks to update the look and feel. The framework has been optimized with an eCommerce-focused homepage and promotional features, including display product categories, recent, featured, top-rated, and on-sale product displays. The software offers a clean, straightforward design which makes a perfect starting point for businesses. Additional alterations can be made to customize the store and match it to the brand, whether using a WordPress customizer, a custom plugin, or a child theme.
The platform performs well on both mobile and desktop with a responsive display. Adhering to accessibility guidelines to ensure that the ecommerce platform is accessible to all.
Storefront’s theme integrates smoothly with WooCommerce and is maintained by core developers, so users can rest easy knowing that all integration is water-tight.
Storefront
Pricing: Free!
Storefront provides free, simple, and effective WordPress themes to help you create a functional online store. The design can be altered in real-time with a few simple clicks to update the look and feel. The framework has been optimized with an eCommerce-focused homepage and promotional features, including display product categories, recent, featured, top-rated, and on-sale product displays. The software offers a clean, straightforward design which makes a perfect starting point for businesses. Additional alterations can be made to customize the store and match it to the brand, whether using a WordPress customizer, a custom plugin, or a child theme.
The platform performs well on both mobile and desktop with a responsive display. Adhering to accessibility guidelines to ensure that the ecommerce platform is accessible to all.
Storefront’ integrates smoothly with WooCommerce and is maintained by core developers, so users can rest easy knowing that all integration is water-tight.
Blocksy
Pricing: Yearly access: $49 – $99
Lifetime access: $149 – $299
Blocksy is a free woocommerce theme and editor that performs exceptionally amongst competitors with its light and fast framework. Blocksy boasts lightning-fast results and is ranked highly by speed testing tools. Built using the latest web technologies such as React components and the Webpack build pipeline, to load code efficiently. Designed for both desktop and mobile with a responsive, retina-ready display to offer a unique navigating experience. Their platform complies with GDPR to ensure security for users. In addition, the clean code has been carefully constructed to provide flexibility and new features when required.
This software enables users to build and customize their online store in minutes. The live preview syncs changes in real-time with a preview window to offer excellent visibility without slowing down the process. The intuitive customization options give you complete control over layout settings, header, sidebars, footer, pagination, single pages, etc. Users can customize the color patterns, header elements, widgets, sticky sidebars, typography, implement a dark mode, and much more.
Users can live search on the site to see results instantly, and the lazy loading system ensures that resources aren’t wasted on loading unseen images.
The software is SEO friendly and works with various social media platforms.
The platform works well with various page builders, including Gutenberg, Brizy, Elementor, and BeaverBuilder.
Users can access support through their website with a ticketing system, knowledge base, or video tutorials. Blocksy’s developer team can be hired out to make additional customizations and users can have their say in upcoming developments and features that they believe would be beneficial to the software.
Astra
Pricing: Free – with priced extension packages ranging from $59 to $249 annually.
Astra is one of the most popular themes used by organizations such as Stanford University, Google, NASA, etc. They’ve received over 4,800+ 5-star ratings on WordPress and Trustpilot. The design is fast and lightweight for excellent performance and achieves perfect scores on external monitoring software. It’s clear to see why their software requires less than 50KB of resources compared to most other WordPress sites that require at least 300KB.
Astra has an extensive library of pre-built starter website templates, making it easy for users to find a design that suits them and quickly get their websites up and running. Developers find the theme easy to work with, due to the high quality of extendable code. Customizations can be implemented with no coding knowledge required, reducing the need for developer resources and simplifying the management process.
The page building functionality means that users can turn off the page title and sidebar. Creating full-width pages with complete design freedom. Users can tailor the layout with advanced styling options with the freedom to edit different elements such as the header, blog, archives, posts, footer, and sidebar. In addition, the colors and typography can also be amended. Users get what they see with the live page editor, making it incredibly easy to see all of the updates and amendments in real-time. In addition, the software is designed to work with various page builders that may provide advanced flexibility, including Beaverbuilder, Elementor, Site Origin, Visual Composer, Divi, etc.
Astra integrates well with various programs, including Elementor, BeaverBuilder, WooCommerce, LearnDash, Toolset, and Yoast. The software also has seamless compatibility with Gutenberg. Astra’s extensive library of free starter templates (explicitly designed for Gutenberg) provides the ability to create custom layouts with the editor and automatically manage the template’s spacing and style.
The platform is readily accessible and meets the AA level of the WCAG 2.0 standards, essential for usability.
Users can receive additional help through the support channel, Facebook group, or online documentation.
