If you are someone who is interested in setting up an online store on your WordPress website, WooCommerce is the simplest and best plugin you can use. As the most popular e-commerce plugin available, WooCommerce created by WooThemes will allow you to create an attractive, customized, and powerful store that you can manage and maintain yourself all right within WordPress.<\/p>\n
There are many special features about WooCommerce that set it apart from other e-commerce plugins. Here are the most important ones:<\/p>\n
It\u2019s Free-<\/strong>\u00a0There are no licensing, hidden, or subscription fees that you pay at any time.<\/p>\n It\u2019s Open Source-<\/strong>\u00a0WooCommerce has over 350 contributors that regularly develop new features and keep the plugin updated to make sure that it is always working just as you expect it to.<\/p>\n Setup is Fast and Easy-<\/strong>\u00a0Just follow the instructions and you\u2019ll have your store up and going in a matter of hours.<\/p>\n Huge Choice of Extensions-<\/strong>\u00a0There are hundreds of extensions available that you can access so you can customize your store exactly how you want it. You can also remove them as you wish.<\/p>\n It\u2019s All in Your Control-<\/strong>\u00a0Your store won\u2019t be hosted on anyone else\u2019s server, which means you are always the boss and no one can shut you down without your consent. All your data belongs to you at all times.<\/p>\n Seamless Integration-<\/strong>\u00a0WooCommerce is set up to easily integrate with any theme or design on a WordPress site as well as any service you use. And, your store will be a natural part of your site so your customers don\u2019t have to divert to a separate site.<\/p>\n Full Customization-<\/strong>\u00a0Many e-commerce plugins have pre-determined settings and constraints for creating a store. WooCommerce allows you to change anything you want at any time including your page display and shipping options.<\/p>\n Payment Collection Options-<\/strong>\u00a0The plugin comes with a variety of methods to collect payment from your customers. You can choose to allow bank credit cards, electronic bank transfers, PayPal, and even cash. You can also set up your store to work with over 140 region-specific gateways to collect payment such as Amazon Payment, Stripe, and more.<\/p>\n REST API Included-<\/strong>\u00a0With a REST API, you can access your store\u2019s data at anytime from anywhere so you can modify and grow your store as necessary.<\/p>\n Full Security-<\/strong>\u00a0WooCommerce has a dedicated team of developers that regularly monitors the internet to detect and patch any viruses or bugs that try to infiltrate your site.<\/p>\n Stability-<\/strong>\u00a0In 2015, WooCommerce was acquired by Automattic, the same company that owns WordPress.com and supports the WordPress Foundation. Because Automattic owns both, you know neither of them are going anywhere any time soon.<\/p>\n With so many features included in the WooCommerce plugin, it is easy to understand why it has become so popular with WordPress users.<\/p>\n Whatever type of business you are in and whatever product you want to sell, you can do with WooCommerce. Here are a few examples of what you can sell:<\/p>\n \u2022 Physical products, either simple in nature or with feature options such as colors or size, or a selection from a specific group of items You can literally sell anything with WooCommerce. And, if you\u2019re already familiar with WordPress and how it works, it will be easy for you to set up.<\/p>\n The First Steps to Setting up WooCommerce<\/strong><\/p>\n If you are a beginner to setting up a WordPress website<\/a>, there are a few initial steps you need to take before you start creating your online store.<\/p>\n First, pick a hosting service and claim your domain name (your business name). There are many good hosting services available. BlueHost<\/a> are the number 1 choice for hosting according to WordPress. You could also use a domain name registered elsewhere.<\/p>\n Next, install WordPress through your hosting service\u2019s dashboard or user panel by following the on-screen instructions. If you have any trouble, contact your hosting service\u2019s customer service department.<\/p>\n Here is a more detailed guide to installing WordPress with BlueHost<\/a><\/p>\n Design Your Store\u2019s Theme<\/strong><\/p>\n It is very important to pick the right look, or theme, for your new store. WordPress offers many choices of website themes at very affordable prices, some even free, and all customizable. Yours may be compatible with WooCommerce already, but if you find that your theme isn\u2019t compatible then you will need to change it.<\/p>\n WordPress has free default themes that will work as long as you have a child theme installed with it. A child theme will allow you to customize your theme beyond what the default is designed to do. Plus, it preserves your modifications when you update to your theme.<\/p>\n Regardless if your current theme is compatible or not, it is best to choose a WooCommerce-specific theme if you want your store to be successful. These themes have been optimized to work with WordPress, and they offer the features and functionality your store needs while keeping the creative design options you have in mind.<\/p>\n To find a suitable theme, go to WooCommerce\u2019s website and take a look at what they offer. There are other companies such as ThemeForest that offer many choices of WooCommerce themes, but start with WooCommerce\u2019s site first. They have many to choose from, so you are sure to find one you like. Plus, you can be sure it is compatible. Be aware that they are all premium themes, which means you must pay for them.<\/p>\n Storefront is WooCommerce\u2019s free, default theme. It is a good theme to use if you are just starting out. It is simple and easy to set up. If you decide you want to change your theme later, you can do that.<\/p>\n After you have chosen a theme, install it on your WordPress site and double check that your store\u2019s new URL is correct.<\/p>\n Finding the WooCommerce Plugin<\/strong><\/p>\n Once you have WordPress and the theme installed, log into the admin page of your site.<\/p>\n On the left side of the screen, you will see a navigation panel where you manage every aspect of your site. This is your dashboard. Click the Plugins tab then \u201cAdd New.\u201d In the upper right corner, type \u201cWooCommerce\u201d in the search box. The WooCommerce plugin should be the first one you see. Click \u201cInstall Now.\u201d<\/p>\n Once installation is complete, click \u201cActivate.” A set-up wizard will appear.<\/p>\n Click \u201cLet\u2019s Go!\u201d<\/p>\n Setting Up WooCommerce on Your Site<\/strong><\/p>\n Setting up the WooCommerce plugin requires three steps before your store can be open for business: Page Setup, Store Locale, and Shipping & Tax, and Payments. Every e-commerce store needs specific pages for your store to both work properly and to make the customer experience easy.<\/p>\n The WooCommerce wizard will walk you through how to set up these pages. You can skip any of the steps at any time, but if it is your first time setting up an online shop, you should go through each step.<\/p>\n Page Setup<\/strong> After you have created these pages, you can manage them as needed through your WordPress dashboard under the \u201cPages\u201d tab. You can also choose which pages you want to appear on your site through the dashboard\u2019s \u201cAppearance>Menus\u201d tabs.<\/p>\n WooCommerce will automatically create these pages for you by adding a short code to each page. Click \u201cContinue\u201d to allow WooCommerce to install and create these pages for you.<\/p>\n Store Locale<\/strong> Click \u201cContinue.\u201d<\/p>\n Shipping & Tax<\/strong> Unfortunately, you will need to handle the taxes on your products. It is not the fun part of business, but it is legally necessary. The good news is that WooCommerce will guide you through the amount of taxes to charge based on your business\u2019s location. However, be sure to check with your local authorities anyway to double check that you are charging the correct amount. Local and regional taxes change occasionally, so it is best to keep up on what the current rate is.<\/p>\n WooCommerce will ask you if you are selling physical products, if you will be charging sales tax, and if the tax will be inclusive with the product price or exclusive. Based on which locale you entered in the last step, \u201cStore Locale,\u201d the wizard will automatically configure the tax for you.<\/p>\n Click \u201cContinue.\u201d<\/p>\n Payments<\/strong> Be aware that WooCommerce only integrates PayPal and Stripe, not Square or other payment collection services, with your online store. However, PayPal is an excellent choice and many customers may already have an account. Note that, whether you choose PayPal or Stripe, you will need to set up separate accounts for these services to use them. You will also need an SSL certificate installed on your site since they accept credit cards directly during checkout.<\/p>\n Choose which methods of payment you will accept by checking the box next to each method. If you decide to use PayPal Standard, you will need to enter the email address PayPal has on file for you to accept payments.<\/p>\n Click \u201cContinue\u201d one more time.<\/p>\n The Ready! Screen<\/strong> Once that\u2019s done, you will have finished creating a framework for your online store. Now, you have three choices. You can:<\/p>\n 1. Click \u201cLearn More\u201d to watch tutorials or read helpful articles and tips. Click on the link that takes you back to your dashboard so you can start adding your products.<\/p>\n Accessing WooCommerce From Your WordPress Dashboard<\/strong><\/p>\n After you have gone through the steps and set up your store, you can access it through the dashboard\u2019s left-side panel by clicking on \u201cWooCommerce.\u201d This is handy for when you need to make changes from time to time.<\/p>\n When you click the WooCommerce tab with your cursor, a menu will appear where you can choose what you want to do. Choose from Orders, Coupons, Reports, Settings, System Status, or Add-ons. Explore each tab in the menu so you become fully familiar with them.<\/p>\n Right under the WooCommerce tab, you will see the \u201cProducts\u201d tab. This is where you will go to add new products or modify existing products on your site. You can add or delete products, change a product\u2019s category or tags, or change its attributes.<\/p>\n Choosing and Installing Your Extensions<\/strong><\/p>\n The extensions, or add-ons, you use with WooCommerce are similar in nature to choosing the plugins you want for your WordPress website. They help you to customize how you want your store to work while building on the WordPress platform.<\/p>\n There are a wide variety of over 300 extensions for you to choose from. You can add additional payment gateways such as Amazon Pay or Authorize.net, choose shipping services like USPS or UPS, or change the structure of your checkout forms. Most extensions cost less than $100, but there are many others you can install for free like Google Analytics, which allows you to track your customers\u2019 spending habits. Research and choose which extensions you want to use and download the corresponding ZIP file to your computer.<\/p>\n To install the extensions, go back to your dashboard and click on \u201cPlugins>Add New.\u201d From there, you will need to upload the ZIP files to your website. The files will install automatically.<\/p>\nYou Can Sell Anything with WooCommerce<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n\u2022 Digital downloads such as ebooks, software, calendars, or any content upgrades
\n\u2022 Services you offer
\n\u2022 Affiliate products you are selling
\n\u2022 Appointments or reservations
\n\u2022 Subscriptions, both one-time and recurring
\n\u2022 Memberships<\/p>\n
\nThe Page Setup step will show you how to create your catalog\/shop, shopping cart, checkout form, and a form for returning registered customers (\u201cMy Account\u201d) where they can manage their account details and view past orders.<\/p>\n
\nChoosing your store\u2019s location is a must so that it works with your country\u2019s currency and units of measure. You can skip this step, but you shouldn\u2019t or else you will have problems with fulfilling orders. Fill in your state and country and the wizard will automatically add the units of measure for you. If you do not see the type of currency you need, you can add your own by clicking on a link. You can also change the weight and dimension units.<\/p>\n
\nYou will be able to configure your shipping methods as you like. You can charge by the weight or size, or you can charge a flat rate or even free shipping. WooCommerce also supports drop shipping so you can work with your favorite companies to print labels to ship more professionally and efficiently. You can also choose to ship your products to anywhere, from local areas to worldwide.<\/p>\n
\nFinally, you will pick the method(s) of payment you will accept from your customers. You may choose from both online and offline payments. The top two options are PayPal (recommended) and Stripe. You can also choose to accept cash, electronic bank transfers, checks, and major credit cards. You can add or change any payment method as needed through your WordPress admin dashboard.<\/p>\n
\nAfter you have gone through all the steps with the wizard, the Ready screen will ask you if WooCommerce can collect data from your site to help them make improvements to the plugin. By allowing WooCommerce to do this, they will send you a 20% off coupon through the store admin\u2019s email address to say thank-you. If you are okay with WooCommerce collecting your data, click \u201cAllow\u201d to send the data. You can also choose \u201cNo Thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n2. Click on the link that takes you back to your WordPress dashboard if you\u2019re not yet ready to place any products in your store.
\n3. Click on \u201cCreate Your First Product!\u201d if you haven\u2019t done so yet.<\/p>\n