Themes in WordPress simply can’t be underrated. They are simple and reliable to the core. Pretty much every site out there is using a theme of their own, and in most cases, they’re just basic templates that alter how things look.
But sometimes you need more than just great style for your WooCommerce theme; performance, speed, functionality, and even security are all important aspects to take into account.
Luckily, we’ve put together a list of ten secret techniques that will help improve your store’s look and feel while also keeping everything running as smoothly as possible!
1. Use a Responsive Theme
Responsiveness is key when it comes to website design in 2016. Google is even taking responsiveness into account when ranking websites. And with 60% of your site’s visitors arriving from a mobile device, it’s important to make sure your WordPress theme looks good on all devices.
In short: if you’re not making use of responsive eCommerce themes then you’re pretty much-doing things wrong.
2. Optimize Your Site’s Loading Speed
There are many ways to speed up your Woocommerce store, but the first stop should always be your theme. Let’s face it: out of all of Woocommerce’s features, its speeds probably aren’t what users turn to it for. If you have a slow-loading site, customers will quickly leave.
Luckily, there are ways to improve Woocommerce’s loading speeds without having to change your theme. You can use a caching plugin, for example, or minify your CSS and JavaScript files. However, if you find that your theme is still the culprit, then it might be time to switch to a faster one.
3. Use a Custom Woocommerce Theme
There are many great Woocommerce themes out there, but sometimes you need something that’s just a little bit different. That’s where custom Woocommerce themes come in.
Custom Woocommerce themes allow you to change how your store looks and functions while still using the Woocommerce platform. This can be a great way to add some extra features or to improve the look and feel of your store.
4. Install a Woocommerce Plugin
Plugins are another great way to improve your Woocommerce store. They add features and functionality that might not be available in your theme or that are just too difficult to code yourself.
There are thousands of Woocommerce plugins out there, ready to help you with almost anything. A few of the most popular plugins are Woocommerce Local Stock, Woocommerce Catalog Visibility Options, Woocommerce Brands, Woocommerce Quick View Pro, Woocommerce Shipping per Location, and Woocommerce Image Zoom. And that’s just scratching the surface!
5. Optimize Your Navigation Menu
One of the easiest ways to lose potential customers is by having a poorly designed navigation menu or one that simply doesn’t work properly. This will cause them to leave your site before they even have a chance to look around, so it’s important to make sure everything runs smoothly.
You can optimize your navigation menu by making sure all of your images are the right size (you don’t want them to slow down your page), by adding sub-menus for extra clarity, and by using clear and concise labels.
6. Use Woocommerce Widgets Wisely
Widgets are a great way to add extra functionality and features to your Woocommerce store without having to modify your theme. However, it’s important to use them wisely. Adding too many widgets can slow down your site and make it difficult to navigate.
7. Use Custom Fields in Your Product Pages
Custom fields are a great way to add extra information about your products that might not be available in the default Woocommerce fields. This can include things like extra images, videos, or pricing information.
8. Create Product Categories Wisely
Creating effective product categories is essential for a successful Woocommerce store. If you have too many categories or if they’re not well-organized, customers will have difficulty finding what they’re looking for.
9. Optimize Your Product Images
The main way people shop online is by looking at product images and descriptions, so it’s extremely important to make sure these are optimized and legible. Woocommerce allows you to add unlimited product images to your store, but this isn’t always a good idea. Try adding high-quality images of your products and no more than five or six per product page.
You should also optimize the alt text on every Woocommerce image you add; this will help search engine crawlers find your pages and your customers will be able to see the descriptions if they’re unable to load specific images. Remember that Google Image Search can be used to find free stock photos.
10. Use Woocommerce Templates Wisely
WooCommerce themes are a great way to improve the look and feel of your store without having to modify your theme. However, it’s important to use them wisely. Too many Woocommerce templates can slow down your site and make it difficult to navigate.