Where can I fine good looking templates like these.

[apples]

Hi,

Where can I find good looking templates like these?

http://www.naildelights.com/
http://www.clevershoppers.com/
http://www.moissaniteco.com/
http://www.mollybrownlondon.com/
http://www.coppermoon.net/

These all look kick a**. Much much better than the stock template or even other verions of the stock template with different colors.

Surely you must get more sale from a great looking site compared to a standard stock template?

Where can I find templates like these? Any change I can get them free?

Cheers,
Peter
Soon to be WeldingShop.com.au

[schoolboy]

These are usually very carefully crafted custom templates, but SOMETIMES they are clever "tweaks" to the css.

When I see a site I like, I copy their css and (using firefox tools), "apply" their css to my site to see what happens.

Sometimes, they use a "free" template, and then customize the css.

I am doing this with the apple_zen template.

If you look at:

(sorry, site offline) and load the Apple Zen template

compare it with:

www.callmecupcakes.co.uk

... yes, both are Apple Zen core templates!

[apples]

where do I acces the css files to change them around?

[schoolboy]

Use Firefox browser with the web-developer toolkit add-on.

This allows you to analyse and edit many components of a displayed web-page in an "off-line" mode.

You can also "view source code" to see the page's "path" to the css files.

Just run that URL through your browser:

eg:

www.callmecupcakes.co.uk/includes/templates/apple_zen/css/stylesheet.css

... will happily give you access to my stylesheet!

[apples]

Good applications there. I have been using the firefox add on called "firebug".

It lets you click and select which item you want to see does what. Then you can change it as well.

But....

I just can't find a design I like and copy all of the code, as that would be copyright.

Peter

[yellow1912]

There are free templates out there, in the add on section for example, that you can take and modify the way you want. There are also commercial templates that are available, but I take that you prefer free ones over paid ones.

[apples]

Yeah if I had the cash I'd just buy a template or pay someone to make me one. I guess that is also why I'm using a free shopping cart as well.

[schoolboy]

While zencart is designed to work pretty-much "out of the box", customizing a zencart site does require a fair amount of knowledge and skill with CSS particularly, and perhaps a bit of PHP knowledge as well.

These skills can be gained over time (like I did), or if you are not able to "go it alone", you can solicit professional assistance. There is a "commercial help wanted" section in this forum.

[Domina]

I'm pretty ignorant of CSS, and I customized the stock template the way I wanted it by going through the forums and asking questions. I changed a certain amount of the CSS and was just very careful to change only one element at a time, and keep a back up copy in case I screwed up. This forum kicks ###### as far as giving you help. I only needed to post a couple of time, and usually it was something in admin I was stupidly overlooking. This cart is really great for those who are not web gurus.

I didn't see any of the add on templates I liked better than the original. I got my first sale less than an hour after going live. (to be fair, I already had a shopping cart on the site, and just switched the zen cart when it was finished.) I think the zen cart looks very professional, even using the base template.

[schoolboy]

A lot of people worry far too much about the "standard" layout in the core zencart template, saying that it makes their site "look like every other webshop site".

But, from a MARKETING point of view, this is actually a GOOD THING!!!

When customers go to a webshop, there is nothing they like more than a layout and functionality that is FAMILIAR and RECOGNISABLE.

Think of yourself in the supermarket... (WalMart, for example).

When you go into a walMart, you kinda know that the dairy products are all in the same general location in the store - whether you go to a WalMart in Wyoming, Idaho, Kentucky or Rhode Island... if you are looking for milk, it's usually in the same location in ALL the stores.

This simplicity and standardization of layout is a critical element in helping shoppers get to what they want QUICKLY and EASILY.

Exactly the same "psychology" applies to webshops.

If the customer is familiar with the layout (it's like most other webshops they visit), then their shopping experience is EASIER and QUICKER.

There is a LOT to be said for sticking with (boring) conventionality - especially if it helps customers BUY STUFF and give you MORE PROFITS...