We guess today every merchant takes eCommerce seriously. It’s obvious that worldwide Internet expansion has contributed considerably to the transformation of trade and store transactions. Statistical data always sound more convincing, so let’s use the language of numerals.
For example, online retail sales are predicted to reach £52.25bn in the UK this year. This is a 16.2% increase over 2014 when the total stood at £44.97bn. This equates to 15.2% of all retail sales in the UK and means that, on average, UK consumers will spend £1,174 online in 2015, which would make them the most frequent online shoppers in Europe. By comparison, the average German is predicted to spend £1,023 while in France the figure is £847. BTW, the figures come from a study conducted by RetailMeNot and the Centre for Retail Research.
The data indubitably shows that eCommerce is driving the growth in consumer spending across Europe.
However, the above figures could be increased if online merchants tried their best to improve users’ experience on their sites. According to a series of surveys, 44% of shoppers said they are more likely to purchase online if they are able to pick up in-store, and that 62% are more likely to shop online if they can return an item in-store.
New data from Walker Sands says that the offer of free shipping and returns goes a long way, with consumers saying they’d not only shop online more frequently and across more product categories, but would also buy expensive items online without seeing them first. 76% of consumers now say they would spend more than $100 online on a product without seeing it first (up from 70% in 2013). Free shipping (83%) continues to be the top reason consumers say they would shop more online. Free returns can help drive higher eCommerce sales for big-ticket items – nearly three times as many consumers (27% vs. 10%) would purchase a product online costing more than $1,000 without seeing it first, if returns were free.
And what about the mobile traffic?
Mobile traffic to eCommerce sites is rising but, globally, still only accounts for one third of visits. The conversion rates are also slightly lower, as is the average order value. Data from Ipsos and PayPal show that mobile shopping is growing at nearly four times the rate of overall online spending in the UK. From 2013-2016, the UK average compound annual growth rate for mobile spending is projected at 36% vs. 10% for overall online spending. However, this is mainly due to the relatively small base size for mobile commerce. As a percentage, smartphone shopping accounts for, on average, 8% of UK online spending while shopping on tablets accounts for only 6%. In comparison, laptops, desktops and notebooks together account for 86%.
And now let’s have a look at that small fly in the ointment. The average rate of cart abandonment in 2015 is 68%. That means two-thirds of the time online shoppers add to their basket only to leave the items there. We are sure that you don’t want your store to be in this loss category. How do you launch a really irresistible online store that will be loved by users and would avoid cart abandonment? It’s not that complex, especially when you use pre-designed themes developed by professionals.
Actually, you can view some of the bestselling eCommerce themes for the most popular platforms like PrestaShop, OpenCart, WooCommerce, Shopify and Magento right now. Some of them are premium and some are free. All of them are beautiful, trendy, user-friendly and feature-rich. Of course, premium ones come to you with a solid package that offers solutions for any type of business. Free support is also included. But maybe you are a web development guru and don’t need all those extensions, plugins, widgets, advanced features or anybody’s help at all, because you can do everything yourself. Anyway, no matter which theme you choose, it will save you time, effort and money. You will exploit TemplateMonster’s vast experience to your benefit. And you know what? We are sure it will help you to succeed.
Premium eCommerce Themes
The theme for this clothing store is designed in neutral grey colors, so it fits both male and female apparel shops. It is responsive and supplied with other modern features like Bootstrap and On-line chat. The theme is Search Engine friendly, has Sample Data Installer, Theme Color Switcher and so on.
Extreme Clothes & Gear PrestaShop Theme
The design is great for extreme sports clothing and gear stores. It is very visually appealing thanks to Parallax and Background video. You can switch between Carousel and Slider gallery scripts at customization. The theme supports five languages, so you will be able to sell your goods not only locally, but also overseas.
A very nice cheerful theme for a kitchen utensil shop. It has a very impressive slider, showing the best items offered at the store. Categories are supplied with Accordion feature. The products have Quick View option, which is really useful as it helps the buyer to examine the item closely before the purchase.
This uncommon design and terrific font solution will draw alternative clothing buyers’ attention without fail. It has everything for successful eCommerce: Product Quick View, Social Options, Newsletter popup, Background video, clean code, Admin Panel, Bootstrap and lots of other cool features. Read the theme’s extensive documentation and click the ‘More details’ link for further info.
Infant Clothing Store OpenCart Template
The theme for this kids’ clothing store is made in joyous rainbow colors. Such kind of childish design is highly relevant for the theme. The site has a full set of features, necessary for high conversion rates. It is Responsive and Crossbrowser Compatible. Subtle HTML plus JS animation add interest when you browse the website. Google Web Fonts provide perfect content legibility.
Electronic Store OpenCart Template
The theme was designed for home and office electronics stores. It is clean; the author uses colors that are easy on the eyes. Left sidebar boosts website navigation. Slider features the latest gadgets. Nice icon-based buttons call customers to action. The products are supplied with star rating, which helps hesitant and prudent buyers to make a choice.
This theme is absolutely special. It is multi-purpose, with 39 child themes in the package. All of them are WooCommerce compatible, so you will be able to choose the right design for your business niche. We recommend that you take time to read about Monstroid yourself, as it is impossible to tell you about all of its features in a few short sentences.
Natural Foods WooCommerce Theme
The theme is a brilliant solution for food and beverage stores. It is supplied with two sliders, which save space on the page and make it more dynamic. The theme is built on Cherry Framework, so it possesses all its functional features and is extremely easy to customize.
Car Audio Video WooCommerce Theme
This dark theme for car audio and video stores has a luxury look. Parallax, Background video and Lazy Load effect make it really impressive. The possibility of integrating both Audio Player and Video will help you make your car store one of a kind.
This sport clothing store is designed in trendy material style. Bright colors attract potential customers’ attention. Timer creates the atmosphere of urgency, so important for higher conversion rates. The theme is equipped with Admin Panel, Bootstrap, On-line chat, Responsive layout, Search Engine Friendly settings and lots of other goodies.
The theme is really great for online wine stores. Parallax effect significantly improves users’ experience on the site. Due to Lazy Load effect, site visitors won’t sit before an empty monitor screen waiting until the content of your site has uploaded. The theme possesses the power of Bootstrap and a selection of other features.
Medical Equipment Responsive Shopify Theme
The theme has been designed specifically for medical equipment stores. It looks extremely clean. The design can be called futuristic, which is great as it conveys the message that only the latest medical devices are being sold here. Modern life-saving equipment is shown at the slider. Green elements and animated effects maintain the visitor’s interest in the site.
A very stylish website for clothing stores. Lots of white space focuses users’ attention on the products on offer. Some layout elements have fixed position. Huge banners considerably simplify site navigation. New and special products are showcased in sliders. The logos of famous brands help to increase the visitor’s trust in the company.
This theme is good for selling mobile phones and home and office electronics. The latest models are shown in a slider. Colored stickers guide users’ eyes and help to find the most beneficial offers. Parallax creates the illusion of depth and perspective. The theme is translated into four languages by default and prices can be viewed in three currencies. You can integrate video into your page to make product descriptions or other information easier to comprehend.
The theme is best for spice stores. It has a pinned transparent mega menu that constantly stays before the users’ eyes but does not prevent them from seeing the whole picture. New products are presented in a slider and show functional buttons on hovering. You can choose between Accordion, Carousel and Slider gallery scripts. The theme is responsive, SEO friendly, and ready for video integration.
Free eCommerce themes
Free PrestaShop Theme for Book Website
Free OpenCart Theme for Mobile Shop
Free WooCommerce Theme for Drug Store
It’s always up to you which way to go. You may choose any of the premium themes shown here or save and download a free one. In any case, we will be happy to hear from you. Which theme did you like the most? Which eCommerce platform do you prefer and why? Your comments are welcome at the comment section. And, please, don’t forget to share this blog post on social networks if you like it.