XStore has just launched. This new e-commerce WordPress theme takes into account some of the cool design trends professional web designers are following.

XStore could best be described as an aesthetically minimal theme, a theme that is easy to use and is able to deliver SEO optimized websites that are favored by the search engines.

XStore’s functions and features are directed at what e-commerce website end users need and expect. Dig deeper, and you’ll find a lot to like, including:

• A host of design options that are easily put in play thanks to this theme’s powerful Admin Panel.
• A selection of product page options and shop styles that you are unlikely to find elsewhere.
• An ingenious use of skins and hover effects, designed to capture a user’s attention, and engage the user in a way that can boost conversion rates.
• Impressive page speed performance, due in large part to the minimalist approach taken by the authors.

Sharp Stores for E-Commerce Success

XStore comes with an exceptional selection of stores. How they are used is the key however.

You will find four of them below.

Bike

In this minimalist design, the colored skin adds emphasis to the message, but does not interfere with it. The foreground image is sharp and the text is crisp and to the point. The combination tells a story, while the long scrolling feature creates a perfect UX for mobile shoppers.

Wedding

There is an impressive use of white space. The brown skin makes the message stand out. The use of a skin also softens the image, whereas a featureless white background and colored text could create too much contrast, and be a distraction. The other pages, including the gallery, and accessory pages also have a minimalist flair.

Furniture

In this demo, the background imagery is subtle, and a slider and hover effects are put to good use. This website has the clean and modern look befitting a store dealing in modern furniture. The hover effect is also used on other pages, providing the user with instant, no-click information.

Dark

A dark skin creates a dramatic look. It grounds both the image and the text, and creates a sense of visual equilibrium. A dark skin, as used here, has a focusing effect on the text message. As you scroll down, a hover effect is skillfully employed to direct a user to a call to action.

How You Can Effectively Use a Hover Effect on an E-commerce Category Page

Hover effects are useful and important features in a website based on a minimalist design. This special effect enables you add information (textual or graphical) without adding clutter.

In true minimalist fashion, you add only the information that is needed. The information a user needs is there, and the number of clicks needed to access it is zero.

Hover effects can also be entertaining. In addition to presenting important information, they tend to attract and engage a user. When you hover over an image, and something pops up, you are tempted to hover over still another image.

Entertainment aside, there are a number of reasons to employ this special effect, and you can easily come up with some of your own.

• The hover effect can show the show the product or its features better (e.g., zoom, rotation).
• Showing the price gives the user needed information, while saving a click.
• Employing a minimalist effect lets you keep your category pages simple and uncluttered.
• Grounding, visual balance, and a dramatic affect are achieved by using a darker shade.
• The vertical photo effect can add style and perspective to product images.

As long as you hold to the principle that hover effects should be used to engage and inform the user, or direct the user to a call to action, there’s no limit as to how you can apply this useful special effect.

The XStore WordPress Theme – Brand New and Filled with Promise

XStore is a modern e-commerce theme in every sense of the word. Much of its design takes into account recent digital design trends. Its minimalist approach is a based on a philosophy of giving the end user, and the web designer as well, everything that is needed, and withholding features or functions having little or no use.

Four years of experience have gone into its design and development, together with the expertise and professionalism of the ThemeForest 8Theme Power Elite author. The author is responsible for products delivered to over 28,000 customers. More than a few of the features built into XStore are based on feedback provided by these customers.

You will be amazed at what you can accomplish with XStore, without any need for coding. There are so many unique and innovative features that make up XStore, that your ability to create a truly awesome e-commerce site is practically a given.

• Key features include a powerful Admin Panel which enables you to put a wealth of different design options into play. There are plenty of page options and several shop styles to build your store around as well.
• The popular Visual Composer is your page builder. XStore is fully integrated with VC and, working with the Admin Panel, keeps everything organized as you create your pages.
• You’ll find a noticeable improvement over other themes in page speed, both during your design activity and in the final product.
• There are other innovative and ingenious features as well; Top Filters allow your users to filter their products and view specific product groupings, and XStore has built-in Mega Menus, a Multicolumn Product Grid, various Blog Layouts, and the very impressive Dark/Light version switch.
• There’s a Catalog Mode, a Brands List Widget, and Lifetime Updates – all good reasons to pay a visit to XStore’s website today.