a thorough tutorial on how to set up your online sales presence and build a WordPress e-commerce website.
WordPress is now the most adaptable platform for online sales.
WordPress is an established platform that won’t vanish overnight or cease to exist because it is open-source.
Learn how to set up a WordPress eCommerce website and develop a strong online sales presence by reading on.
Ecommerce platforms: What Are They?
The content management system used to create and maintain an online store is known as an eCommerce platform.
Ecommerce systems often fall into one of two categories:
Software as a Service (SaaS) e-commerce platforms that are privately owned.
Open-source Online Stores (WordPress).
All of the technology, hosting, and, to variable degrees, SEO for the e-commerce business is handled by a proprietary SaaS platform.
The advantage of a custom e-commerce platform is that the merchant can concentrate on marketing and sales rather than worrying about technology.
The disadvantage of closed platforms is that there is less control over the website’s SEO. On the closed platform, a merchant could not be able to introduce features that are not available.
Closed platforms’ SEO capabilities differ; some provide decent search performance possibilities while others do not.
When Rob Snell and his brother launched GunDogSupply.com in 1997, WordPress wasn’t an option, according to Rob Snell.
He mentioned how extremely pleased he had been with Yahoo! Stores (Turbify). Rob stated that he would be willing to pay more in order to avoid using technology.
He talked about using a SaaS platform:
“Using a platform designed for e-commerce gives you peace of mind, but at a cost.
To acquire that degree of security, support, and uptime, I actually don’t mind paying enterprise-level hosting pricing.
Knowing that the developers at Turbify (previously Yahoo! Small Business) are at work allows me to sleep quite soundly. I’m a retailer, not a software developer, at the end of the day.
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Describe WooCommerce.
An open-source plugin called WooCommerce gives WordPress e-commerce capabilities. The business arm of WordPress, Automattic, is responsible for its development.
Users may utilize WooCommerce in a variety of ways, starting with the free WordPress plugin.
Everything a small business needs to build a profitable online store is enabled with the free WooCommerce plugin.
Additionally, users may add both free and paid logistics, technical, and marketing extensions created by WooCommerce and the Woo community.
These WooCommerce-approved plugins include payment gateways, customizable shipping choices, and built-in sales tax computations.
Any feature that is required may be simply added to the WooCommerce store due to its modular design.
While it is possible to build an online store without WooCommerce, it is typically simpler to do it using WooCommerce.
The advantages of utilizing WooCommerce to build a WordPress e-commerce store are as follows, as stated by Katie Keith of Barn2 Plugins:
“Due to the scale of the community, the variety of extensions, and the significant amount of resources, WooCommerce is the greatest option going ahead.
The reason WooCommerce is the simplest choice is that you can utilize the large selection of compatible themes and plugins, enabling the majority of business owners to establish an e-commerce store to their exact specifications without having to write any custom code.
If any bespoke work is required, finding a developer to complete it is simple.
WooCommerce is simple to use, and there are a ton of tutorials and learning materials accessible to assist you.
Just Google it if you ever need to know how to accomplish something with WooCommerce. You’ll probably find a free lesson or video to assist you online!”
The Benefits of WooCommerce
The main advantages of WooCommerce include cheaper pricing, almost endless options for what can be produced using WordPress, and a large developer community to support the platform.
Depending on the size of the online shop, hiring a WordPress developer may be beneficial because the capacity to establish an eCommerce site with WordPress depends on the expertise and knowledge of the person designing the website.
However, some web providers have a unique point-and-click WordPress function that makes setting up a store as simple as responding to questions, so hiring a developer is not always necessary.
Once the business is operational, the CMS’s (content management system) daily upkeep is rather easy.
Comparing the site’s running expenses to those of a proprietary e-commerce platform, the latter might be strikingly inexpensive.
Plan To Improve Site Speed
WordPress eCommerce sites may achieve high Core Web Vitals speeds. However, it is something that must be prepared for.
Business owners may use WordPress’ open-source flexibility to construct quick eCommerce stores, and they frequently do so.
Makin 8’s Adam J. Humphreys offered the following insight:
“WooCommerce is for individuals who wish to generate quality content and drive traffic to their website using that content and have a strong SEO plan.
Although the content platform on Shopify is adequate, it is not at all optimized for good search performance, which is why the majority of my clients don’t use it.
The best place to start is using WordPress and Woocommerce if you don’t want to pay an outrageous sum for an e-commerce platform.
The majority of affordable WordPress hosting is sufficient to get started with an appropriate CDN like Cloudflare.
Hosting for WordPress Ecommerce
Many things affect site speed, but web hosting is the starting point for a high-performance e-commerce company.
It’s crucial to select the best web hosting for a WordPress e-commerce site.
The optimal hosting for a WordPress e-commerce site should take the following factors into account.
Public Hosting
A single server (computer) houses a large number of websites that all share their resources under shared hosting.
The advantage of shared hosting is how inexpensive it is.
The drawback of cheap shared hosting is that it is infamously inadequate for demanding applications like e-commerce. As a result, cheap shared hosting should be typically avoided.
Private virtual servers
A virtual private server (VPS) is a form of shared hosting, although only a small number of websites use it. A VPS is a reasonably priced choice for quick performance.
The need for expertise with server control panels, which adds another layer of technology to manage, is a significant factor for a VPS.
Dedicated Managed Servers
A server run by a single client is referred to as a managed dedicated server.
Managed implies that the web host looks after the hardware and software on the server, keeps backups up to date, and generally reduces the technical burden.
Unmanaged servers are those where the client is in charge of the software.
Dedicated servers of both varieties offer quick performance.
WordPress Hosting that is managed
Utilizing a managed WordPress site hosting provider is a well-liked choice.
The simplicity of not having to deal with the supporting technology is provided by managed WordPress hosting.
The fact that managed WordPress hosting offers a quick, secure WordPress environment that is already optimized for site speed is a significant advantage.
Because caching plugins frequently consume excessive amounts of resources, their use may be restricted. However, managed web providers provide their own server-level optimized equivalents.
Many managed WordPress hosting providers have features caching and Content Delivery Networks that enhance the speed of websites (CDN).
So, with a managed WordPress web server, one may get the independence and typically reduced costs of an open-sourced system while still getting the speed and security advantages of a closed SaaS system.
It’s an excellent option since it secures, caters to the requirements of WordPress websites, and addresses the issue of site performance at the hosting level.
Consider Popular Managed WordPress Hosts
Examples of well-known managed WordPress web servers are shown below.
WP Engine
Kinsta.
Bluehost. \sGoDaddy.
Cloudways.
DreamPress.
Click and construct Hosting for WordPress
Because they provide a simple click-and-build method for WordPress eCommerce websites that can compete with any of the closed-source eCommerce platforms, Bluehost is an intriguing option.
Payments, inventory management, and all other facets of eCommerce are handled by the Bluehost fill-in-the-blanks type approach to WordPress eCommerce.
With Bluehost, you can effortlessly create a WordPress online shop and use that flexibility to design a strong SEO strategy.
WordPress provides all the benefits of a proprietary SaaS eCommerce system.
What Are WooCommerce Extensions And WordPress Plugins?
Using plugins and extensions, WordPress and WooCommerce may be upgraded with new features.
With plugins, the WordPress core may be expanded. The entire website is affected by changes made using WordPress plugins.
In addition to plugins, WooCommerce has been improved with extensions. Extensions for WooCommerce are solely applicable to the WooCommerce portion of the website. But there are also e-commerce-specific plugins (with or without WooCommerce) and WooCommerce-specific plugins in the WordPress plugin library.
Through plugins accessible in the WordPress plugin repository and WooCommerce extensions available on the WooCommerce website, one may add new e-commerce functionality.
Typically, WooCommerce extensions fall into one of four major functional categories:
Payments.
tracking and shipping.
Sales and inventory management.
WooCommerce extensions may be found in a variety of ways, including by functionality and collections.
WooCommerce provides a set of suggested extensions referred to as WooCommerce Essentials.
Extensions called WooCommerce Essentials were selected by WooCommerce to serve as the building blocks for an effective e-commerce website.
Some of the fundamental capabilities include:
Payments.
Backup.
Add-ons for sales and product display.
Theme.
vouchers and gift cards.
Integrating Google Marketing.
Automations (like abandoned cart reminders) (like abandoned cart reminders).
How To Select Plugins And Extensions For WordPress And WooCommerce
IconicWP creator and WooCommerce developer James Kemp offered his advice on expanding WordPress e-commerce stores:
“Make sure each plugin and extension you select has a specific function.
Will the average order value rise as a result?
Does it guarantee that more clients finish the checkout process?
Is the user experience improved?
When selecting which plugins they’ll require, Dorron Shapow of 100PercentOrganicSEO.com explains what business owners should concentrate on.
“In my observation, website owners frequently tend to overlook the user experience.
Before a single pixel appears on the screen, the structure of an e-commerce site and the user flow from various touch points of entry should be taken into account.
Therefore, not thinking like a site visitor is the most frequent error I observe.
For instance, reasonable prices, quick or free shipping, and a simple checkout process may convince site visitors with cash in hand and a limited wish list to make a purchase.
For them, it’s crucial to constantly be three clicks away from making a purchase.
Not everyone needs to be pushed or swatted by bells, whistles, and pop-up windows.
And it will affect the plugins that are required.
Examples Of Plugins And Extensions For Ecommerce
Measurable SEO’s Chuck Price provided the following list of suggested eCommerce plugins and extensions:
WooCommerce.
WooCommerce Advanced Order Export.
WooCommerce booster.
For the WooCommerce Payment Gateway, use Braintree.
Conversios.io is an all-in-one Google Analytics, Pixels, and Product Feed Manager for WooCommerce. Contact Form 7.
WooCommerce’s multi-step product configurator
PW Pro Gift Cards for WooCommerce.
Woo Related Products Custom.
Woo Billing.
Bulk Price Update for WooCommerce.
Google Analytics Integration for WooCommerce.
WordPress Side Cart
Single Product Page Builder for WooCommerce.
Extra Product Options for WooCommerce TM.
Tree Table Rate Shipping for WooCommerce.
The following WordPress plugins are suggested by Dorron Shadow:
WooCommerce.
a plugin for SEO (I prefer Rank Math because it offers more free functionality and built-in schema).
Integration of a payment gateway.
Analytics dashboard integration.
an email newsletter CRM
plugin for website security.
My favorite page builder is Elementor.
tracking and integration of shipping.
plugin for contact forms.
Customize your WooCommerce emails.
plugin for WP optimize caching.
capability for an optional chat.
a plugin for backups with daily backups.
James Kemp suggests:
Switch Checkout (ensures checkout process is optimized for conversions).
For SEO, use RankMath.
eCommerce WordPress Website Mistakes to Avoid
One of the worst errors an e-commerce website can make is to provide so many features that conversion rates start to decline.
To function, plugins and extensions download additional code and scripts to the browser of the user.
A webpage takes longer to load as more code and scripts are downloaded, which slows down the purchasing process.
A clever developer can get around these problems by doing things like only downloading the content that each page requires.
For instance, if a webpage doesn’t have a contact form, there is no need to download scripts and fonts linked to one.
Make sure that every extension or plugin is actually essential because it’s still commonplace in the software development industry to add scripts to every page.
Chuck Price points out that WooCommerce sites frequently make the same errors as WordPress sites do.
Chuck disclosed:
A WooCommerce store may make the following errors, which might harm any WordPress website:
not maintaining plugin updates.
Forms are inoperative
Threats to security are a concern
Incompatibilities with plugins
In order to minimize mistakes that reduce revenue, Dorron Shapow focuses on the user experience:
Lack of success in striking the ideal balance between design, user experience, and SEO.
Clients are occasionally shocked when told that an eCommerce site should focus more on the customer than the merchant.
For them, the website exists.
Prior to the online store is life
No matter how well a website is designed to function, customers will inevitably run across unexpected issues.
Making it simple for website users to contact you so they may give you feedback on the site is something I advise doing. It may be done by text, chat, email, or any combination of the three.
Ecommerce Advice To Increase Sales & Reduce Abandoned Carts
For businesses to learn what works and what doesn’t, customer feedback is crucial.
Microsoft’s Clarity user experience analytics tool is a free method for fixing faults in the user experience.
Website owners may learn from Clarity how far visitors are scrolling down a page, which pages are the most effective, and even how to apply machine learning AI to recommend improvements.
Some people wrongly compare Google Analytics to Clarity, however, there is no comparison because each does distinct things.
Clarity analyzes the user experience of site visitors on specific web pages, displaying how people engage with a webpage.
Google Analytics is helpful for monitoring website traffic to learn more about conversions in relation to adverts or certain web pages.
During the first three to six months after the website is live, it could be helpful to utilize Clarity to acquire insights on how well the site is performing.
What should be done both before and after the site launches?
IconicWP’s James Kemp proposes the following five ideas:
“Is it simple to navigate your store? Can customers navigate your store with ease all the way to the page that confirms their purchase?
Is your store search engine optimized? Avoid over-optimizing your site; instead, use an SEO plugin like Toast or RankMath to make it easier for users to locate you in search results.
Have you tested your purchase flow and payment gateway?
Going live and discovering that your inflow of potential consumers can’t checkout is the worst!
Have you made your checkout better? To make sure your checkout experience is streamlined and conversion-focused, use a WooCommerce plugin (like Iconic’s Flux Checkout).
How will your store be promoted? You probably won’t be able to launch and anticipate traffic right away. You should think about investing in paid promotion on Google, Facebook, and other social media sites, maintaining a blog on your website, and participating actively and contributing to relevant online communities.
WordPress Is A Popular Ecommerce Platform
WordPress is a dependable eCommerce shop-building platform that provides practically limitless alternatives for almost any purpose.
Consumers anticipate lower inflation and spending in the coming year, according to a New York Fed survey.
WooCommerce is the most widely used e-commerce platform, according to BuiltWith.com.
Why WordPress is so well-liked, according to Katie Keith of Barn2Plugins
“WooCommerce has the largest community of any platform, hence there are more extensions available to add new features than on any other platform.
You may also engage members of the large community of WooCommerce specialists to create and maintain your business.
Any other platform won’t have a diverse selection of pros.
These are excellent justifications for you to feel secure about funding a WordPress e-commerce website for your company.
