How to Choose a WooCommerce Theme for a Niche eCommerce Store

Picking a WooCommerce theme for your chosen niche can be tricky; there are thousands to choose from, so it can take a lot of work to narrow the search.

It’s more complex than picking the best-looking theme, too. Functionality is super important and can make a massive difference to your customers. Plus, a good WooCommerce theme will help to quickly display your brand identity at a glance.

Whether you’re a minimalist fashion brand looking for a sleek theme or selling discounted tech accessories and want to create a seamless customer experience, here are some tips on what to look for.

What to Look for in a WooCommerce Theme

There are some general features you should look out for in a WooCommerce theme, no matter which niche you have chosen:

Load Times

You’ll want your chosen theme to have a fast loading time; from a customer perspective, there’s nothing more annoying than waiting for a slow, unresponsive website. 

You can check out the reviews of your potential new theme to see what real users have to say about the load times. For more tips, you can also read our guide on Choosing the Perfect Responsive Theme.

Mobile-Friendly

It’s essential to make your website as mobile-friendly as possible. Many people prefer to shop on mobile, so for that reason, it makes sense to ensure the mobile experience is as smooth as possible.

On top of that, Google uses mobile-first indexing practices, meaning mobile-friendly websites are more likely to do well in indexing and ranking.

Check out how your potential new theme looks on mobile (you should be able to do this using the live demo). Does it feel intuitive, can you easily read the text, and do the images look good? These are vital questions to keep in mind when theme shopping.

Ease of Use

Themes should be as easy as possible to use. New WooCommerce users, of course, may need some extra support in setting up their new theme. Look for a step-by-step guide to installation and customization (checking reviews for the theme should give you an idea of how easy it is to use).

Navigation

Navigation should be as straightforward as possible whether your customer is browsing on a desktop, mobile, or tablet. Consider it from the customer’s perspective:

• Can the customer easily view product categories? 
• Can the products be sorted by different metrics (pricing, customer ratings, etc.)?
• Can they easily click to checkout?
• Can they find support if they need it?

Picking a WooCommerce Theme For Your Niche

Whether you’re running a small, handmade skincare business or a large tech store selling hundreds of products at varying price points, there will be a WooCommerce theme to suit you.

Which theme you go for will rely on a variety of factors. Here are the main features to think about while you’re theme shopping for your chosen niche:

1. Product Type

Up top, it’s a good idea to consider the kind of products you’re selling and the number of variations you want to offer.

If you’re looking to sell digital products – for example, PDFs or online courses – you probably won’t need dozens of product pages (unless you’re selling a lot of different PDFs, of course!). You also may not need to worry so much about displaying large, high-quality photographs.

You’ll need a theme with a landing page to showcase why your particular product will make a difference to people. Look for a theme that includes testimonials or customer reviews in a prominent place on the landing page, as well as banners for special offers or discounts if you’d like to offer those.

An excellent example of this is the theme DGWork by FocuxTheme. It centers feedback and special offers and is super easy to navigate from a user perspective.

2. Product Photography

Good photography is key for many niches, mainly in lifestyle and fashion niches. Customers love to see how items look on models in a real-life context, and photography can help to sell a lifestyle; think beautiful beach photography for swimwear.
If you’re in the lifestyle or fashion niches, consider choosing a theme that centers on beautiful photographs. For example, Moren by LA-Studio is a lovely theme with a minimalistic layout, allowing the products to speak for themselves. These types of themes suit mid-to-high-end brands particularly well.

Of course, some niches within fashion/lifestyle are better suited to smaller images to showcase as many products on the homepage as possible. For example, the theme Haine is bold, bright, and perfect for showcasing many products in a small space.

This also works well if you plan to run a lot of sales or special offers, as customers can easily see the savings they can make.
You could also go for a Pinterest-inspired theme for a fashion niche; this is a great way to create a coherent brand identity using photography and will feel familiar and easy to navigate for social-media-savvy customers.

A good example is Coastline, an engaging theme designed to make it easy for customers to navigate.

3. Typography

Typography is another factor to consider. It makes a surprising difference to the ‘feel’ of your website. In addition, a well-chosen font can help to reinforce what customers can expect from your brand. 
An excellent example of this is La Comete, a fashion-focused theme:

The fonts are stylish and minimalistic and give a distinct impression of the quality customers can expect. It also emphasizes brand values up front (good quality copywriting will be important here).

You can learn more about this in our Best WordPress Typography Themes guide.

4. Content

The kind of website content your customers will expect depends on your brand. For example, if you’re going for the minimalistic high-fashion look, you may want to keep writing content to a minimum, instead focusing on photography and stylish typography.

However, if you’re running a family-owned organic pet food store, for example, part of the appeal for customers will be getting to know the people behind the brand. In that case, you’ll want a theme that includes behind-the-scenes content.

A blog can be helpful for several niches. For example:

• A small, handmade jewelry business offering blog posts about the process of making new products
• A store selling stock images or assets for building websites can give customers tutorials on how to use their products
• A store in the health and beauty niche can create weekly blog posts about skincare with links to their own products

Look for a theme with a beautiful, easy-to-read blog if you think your customers will enjoy content about your chosen niche. For example, Presence is a good theme with a clear, easy-to-navigate blog.

You could also go for a theme that allows you to embed behind-the-scenes videos, which is a nice way for customers to get to know you. If not, you can include clear links to your social media channels (for example, you can show a grid of your most recent Instagram posts) and use social media to connect with your customers.

5. Discounts and Special Offers

If you want to offer discounts, look for a theme that puts those special offers on prominent display. Of course, most niches benefit from the occasional sale, but others (for example, in the fashion or lifestyle niches) can see a real boost in sales by offering discounts and special offers.

Look for a theme that allows you to easily add banners or landing pages based on special events (for example, Black Friday sales). This is important if you want to run regular sales or if you need to clear out old stock.
The Paletto theme is excellent for this; it clearly shows special discounts (for example, 15% off for students) in a way that is easy for customers to find.

6. Membership and Appointments

You may have the kind of business that offers memberships and appointments, so you’d need to find a theme that makes this as easy for your customers as possible. For example, you may want to sell a combination of single products and subscription boxes, so look for a theme that accommodates this.

A good theme for subscription-based products is TheCrate; it centers the subscription boxes and makes the different tiers very clear.

7. Important Information

In some niches, it will be essential to have clear information on the homepage; this is particularly relevant in healthcare or education niches.

For example, if you sell vitamins or anything to do with health, you may need to have your credentials or training upfront. The theme Bezin is excellent here.

8. Product Descriptions

Some niches need text to accompany photography. For example, you may need to advertise key specs upfront, with more detailed specs on the product pages. in the tech niche

The theme SNS Nova is great for this. It has a good balance of text and images, showcasing the looks and specs of each item. As a result, customers will know at a glance if the product is the one they’re looking for and can easily click through to find out more.

Frequently Asked Questions

Before you go theme shopping, here are some frequently asked questions:

How can I find a WooCommerce theme that fits my specific niche?

You should be able to find a WooCommerce theme that suits your niche, although it may take a little customization if you have a very unusual niche.

Searching on specific websites can help; for example, you can search for themes on Themeforest.

Should I go for a free or paid theme?

It depends on what you’re looking for. Some free themes are excellent and flexible but may require effort to get them to look just right. Woostify is a perfect example of this.

Premium themes vary in pricing, but if you find one that works well from both your perspective and the customer’s point of view, it’s worth the investment.

How can I pick the right plugins for my eCommerce stores?

Plugins can change your chosen theme to make your website faster and easier to use. We’d recommend checking out plugins for specific functions, including:

• Improving page speeds
• Improving mobile responsiveness
• Making a faster checkout experience
• Increasing security

For more information, check out our Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to WordPress Plugins. 

WooCommerce Themes for All Niches

Hopefully, this guide has given you some hints on what to look for when shopping for themes. 

With a bit of customization, every niche has a theme out there somewhere; the main thing to consider is what your customers are looking for. 

Do your customers want to feel they’re shopping with a luxury brand, or are sales more important? Do they want a professional experience, or are they looking to connect with the people behind the brand? These questions will help you narrow your search for the perfect theme.