Need best Wordpress template for this use....

sellerscompanion · 08-16-2009, 04:10 PM

Hello all... I have a website that is SUPPOSED to be geared toward selling accessories for a high end hobby. The WP theme I am using really is not geared for this. I am selling the accessories from Linkshare and Amazon.

Is there a good, free WP theme that will look more like a STORE format than a blog? I am using a random, basic theme now but my Google Analytics is showing that my bounce rate is high. This means people are leaving from the front page because the products are not there on the front page.

I would like to set something up that shows boxes on the front page with a sample pic of the product. Then, they can click there and go to a page with all of the options.

So, let's say I was selling motorcycle accessories (I'm not). I would want maybe 8 boxes on the front page with headings like "Helmets", "Gloves", etc. They would click each box and go into the review page for products related to those topics.

Any idea on how to do this? I am way out of my comfort zone!

CC

nick1123 · 08-16-2009, 04:19 PM

Can you provide an example of site that has a layout you like?

You can also browse 100's of free themes here: WordPress › Free WordPress Themes

sellerscompanion · 08-16-2009, 04:22 PM

Kind of like this site:

J&PCycles - Keeping the World on Two Wheels!

thunderbird · 08-16-2009, 04:35 PM

There would be different ways to accomplish this, eg shopping cart plugin with gallery on front page, or linking home page gallery images to different shopping cart pages.

Roncham · 08-16-2009, 04:42 PM

A quick search on Google shows a few different themes, some paid some free.
Google

There is also a very good free e-commerce plugin which makes it great for stores.
WordPress e-Commerce Plugin a WordPress Shopping Cart Plugin by Instinct | Instinct Entertainment

Hope that helps
Ron

David Louis Monk · 08-16-2009, 04:45 PM

You may have a look at a site I knocked up by way of a trial.

I am using the Atahualpa theme. There is now an updated version of this theme that gives you two sidebars right and left.
This is a highly customiseable theme.

This might give you some ideas. It certainly does not look like your ordinary blog site.

Visit: http : // kickershoes .info

PS. I recently opened up the comments box that appears at the bottom of the pages jusy to see what happens. You can easily disable comments on each page so that these reply boxes do not show.

sellerscompanion · 08-16-2009, 04:54 PM

Would I still use a shopping cart if they are not buying from my site? Each product will either link them to the vendor or Amazon....

thunderbird · 08-16-2009, 04:58 PM

Right...you wouldn't necessarily need a shopping cart for that. Maybe a gallery plugin to link home page images to your product pages, then with Amazon code pasted in the pages or the link to vendor.

Fernando Veloso · 08-16-2009, 05:04 PM

Two ideas:

Using WordPress as a Portfolio: Examples & Themes (15+)

Magento - Magento Community Edition - eCommerce Software for Growth

Let us know if you got what you need

BinderGang · 08-16-2009, 05:17 PM

This theme: Vanilla Cart | ShoppingThemes

Plus a plugin that pulls in Amazon products (search for it on Wordpress.org, I know it's out there).

That should do the trick.

David Louis Monk · 08-16-2009, 05:38 PM

My site is a trial.

If anyone buys from my Amazon store on the WordPress page, I receive a commission. Instead of an Amazon store, you can set up pages where you link to specific products from Amazon and your affiliate code is built in to the link for each product. In each of these cases, the buyer purchases through Amazon's shopping cart.

You could create pages for different vendors provided you can build in your affiliate link.

If you need to set up your own shopping cart (and I do not have one yet), then the e-commerce theme/plugin suggested by Roncham looks very good. I owe him a "thank you" for the link. I have downloaded the theme and will try it out on another project I have lined up for when I can get around to doing it.

InternetMarketingIQ · 08-16-2009, 06:09 PM

These "free" requests always make me grin.

Who makes quality free stuff? Is there this pool of people just sitting around with nothing better to do but create templates so other people can profit?

Sure there are some nice free themes. And if you can find one then go for it.

But if you are really doing this to make money you skip right past the free and just find the best tool for the job.

I am blown away by how cheap Themes are... and the backend of a well designed theme pays for itself over and over.

So find the best theme... free or otherwise and use it.

If people are scared to invest $20-$60 in a site then they must not have much confidence in it's ability to make money. If that's the case you might as well just scrap it. What's you time worth?

08-16-2009, 04:10 PM	#1
sellerscompanion Ghostwriting Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Georgia Posts: 440 Thanks: 10 Thanked 145 Times in 62 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Need best Wordpress template for this use.... Hello all... I have a website that is SUPPOSED to be geared toward selling accessories for a high end hobby. The WP theme I am using really is not geared for this. I am selling the accessories from Linkshare and Amazon. Is there a good, free WP theme that will look more like a STORE format than a blog? I am using a random, basic theme now but my Google Analytics is showing that my bounce rate is high. This means people are leaving from the front page because the products are not there on the front page. I would like to set something up that shows boxes on the front page with a sample pic of the product. Then, they can click there and go to a page with all of the options. So, let's say I was selling motorcycle accessories (I'm not). I would want maybe 8 boxes on the front page with headings like "Helmets", "Gloves", etc. They would click each box and go into the review page for products related to those topics. Any idea on how to do this? I am way out of my comfort zone! CC
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08-16-2009, 04:19 PM	#2
nick1123 Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: , , USA. Posts: 1,248 Thanks: 9 Thanked 556 Times in 83 Posts	Re: Need best Wordpress template for this use.... Can you provide an example of site that has a layout you like? You can also browse 100's of free themes here: WordPress › Free WordPress Themes
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08-16-2009, 04:22 PM	#3
sellerscompanion Ghostwriting Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Georgia Posts: 440 Thanks: 10 Thanked 145 Times in 62 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Need best Wordpress template for this use.... Kind of like this site: J&PCycles - Keeping the World on Two Wheels!
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08-16-2009, 04:35 PM	#4
thunderbird Advanced Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada. Posts: 797 Thanks: 349 Thanked 496 Times in 374 Posts Social Networking	Re: Need best Wordpress template for this use.... There would be different ways to accomplish this, eg shopping cart plugin with gallery on front page, or linking home page gallery images to different shopping cart pages.
	Donate to Directly Help Critically Ill Warrior KimW. QR Code to KimW Mega-WSO http://qrgenerator.biz/view.php?id=3 Please take my new online business directory for a spin. List your business, website, logo, embed a video. Feedback appreciated.

08-16-2009, 04:42 PM	#5
Roncham HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Hilo, Hawaii Posts: 176 Thanks: 58 Thanked 7 Times in 6 Posts Social Networking	Re: Need best Wordpress template for this use.... A quick search on Google shows a few different themes, some paid some free. Google There is also a very good free e-commerce plugin which makes it great for stores. WordPress e-Commerce Plugin a WordPress Shopping Cart Plugin by Instinct \| Instinct Entertainment Hope that helps Ron
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08-16-2009, 04:45 PM	#6
David Louis Monk IM Newbie War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Bromsgrove, UK Posts: 273 Thanks: 11 Thanked 32 Times in 28 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Need best Wordpress template for this use.... You may have a look at a site I knocked up by way of a trial. I am using the Atahualpa theme. There is now an updated version of this theme that gives you two sidebars right and left. This is a highly customiseable theme. This might give you some ideas. It certainly does not look like your ordinary blog site. Visit: http : // kickershoes .info PS. I recently opened up the comments box that appears at the bottom of the pages jusy to see what happens. You can easily disable comments on each page so that these reply boxes do not show.
	David Last edited by David Louis Monk; 08-16-2009 at 04:52 PM. Reason: forgot about the reply boxes that make it appear as a blog.

08-16-2009, 04:54 PM	#7
sellerscompanion Ghostwriting Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Georgia Posts: 440 Thanks: 10 Thanked 145 Times in 62 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Need best Wordpress template for this use.... Would I still use a shopping cart if they are not buying from my site? Each product will either link them to the vendor or Amazon....
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08-16-2009, 04:58 PM	#8
thunderbird Advanced Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada. Posts: 797 Thanks: 349 Thanked 496 Times in 374 Posts Social Networking	Re: Need best Wordpress template for this use.... Right...you wouldn't necessarily need a shopping cart for that. Maybe a gallery plugin to link home page images to your product pages, then with Amazon code pasted in the pages or the link to vendor.
	Donate to Directly Help Critically Ill Warrior KimW. QR Code to KimW Mega-WSO http://qrgenerator.biz/view.php?id=3 Please take my new online business directory for a spin. List your business, website, logo, embed a video. Feedback appreciated.

08-16-2009, 05:04 PM	#9
Fernando Veloso Portuguese Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Good Old Europe Posts: 3,488 Blog Entries: 6 Thanks: 1,311 Thanked 810 Times in 556 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Need best Wordpress template for this use.... Two ideas: Using WordPress as a Portfolio: Examples & Themes (15+) Magento - Magento Community Edition - eCommerce Software for Growth Let us know if you got what you need
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08-16-2009, 05:17 PM	#10
BinderGang Active Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: New York, NY Posts: 64 Thanks: 8 Thanked 5 Times in 4 Posts	Re: Need best Wordpress template for this use.... This theme: Vanilla Cart \| ShoppingThemes Plus a plugin that pulls in Amazon products (search for it on Wordpress.org, I know it's out there). That should do the trick.

08-16-2009, 05:38 PM	#11
David Louis Monk IM Newbie War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Bromsgrove, UK Posts: 273 Thanks: 11 Thanked 32 Times in 28 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Need best Wordpress template for this use.... My site is a trial. If anyone buys from my Amazon store on the WordPress page, I receive a commission. Instead of an Amazon store, you can set up pages where you link to specific products from Amazon and your affiliate code is built in to the link for each product. In each of these cases, the buyer purchases through Amazon's shopping cart. You could create pages for different vendors provided you can build in your affiliate link. If you need to set up your own shopping cart (and I do not have one yet), then the e-commerce theme/plugin suggested by Roncham looks very good. I owe him a "thank you" for the link. I have downloaded the theme and will try it out on another project I have lined up for when I can get around to doing it.
	David

08-16-2009, 06:09 PM	#12
InternetMarketingIQ Senior Warrior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: US of A Posts: 2,190 Thanks: 47 Thanked 257 Times in 211 Posts	Re: Need best Wordpress template for this use.... These "free" requests always make me grin. Who makes quality free stuff? Is there this pool of people just sitting around with nothing better to do but create templates so other people can profit? Sure there are some nice free themes. And if you can find one then go for it. But if you are really doing this to make money you skip right past the free and just find the best tool for the job. I am blown away by how cheap Themes are... and the backend of a well designed theme pays for itself over and over. So find the best theme... free or otherwise and use it. If people are scared to invest $20-$60 in a site then they must not have much confidence in it's ability to make money. If that's the case you might as well just scrap it. What's you time worth?
	Internet Marketing IQ™