Properly setting up an online store can be difficult at first. But with WooCommerce and WordPress, it’s easier than you might think.
WooCommerce is the go-to e-commerce plugin for WordPress, powering over 5 million online shops worldwide. It offers a flexible, user-friendly way to transform your WordPress site into a powerful online shop.
So, whether you’re a small business owner or looking to grow your existing retail presence, you can use WooCommerce to create a professional and user-friendly online store in just 30 minutes. But how to set up WooCommerce on WordPress?
Don’t Worry! This guide will walk you through the entire process of setting up WooCommerce on WordPress. You will get everything from installation and configuration to adding your first products. Let’s go!
What is WooCommerce and Why Should You Use It
Simply put, WooCommerce is a free and open-source e-commerce plugin specifically designed for WordPress. It allows website owners like you and me to quickly set up and run online stores.
It was first launched by WooThemes in 2011. However, as it became more popular daily, Automattic(owner of WordPress) acquired it in 2015. Since then, it has become one of the best and most popular e-commerce plugins.
The core platform is entirely free and easy to use. WooCommerce offers different customization methods for stores and supports various product types. Most importantly, using this plugin, you can create your online e-commerce shops within half an hour.
Why Should You Use WooCommerce: 5 Key Benefits
Check out the reasons why WooCommerce should be on your bucket list. It has numerous offerings that will blow your mind.
1. Product Management
WooCommerce supports a diverse range of products and can be used to sell an unlimited number of products.
It doesn’t end there. From uploading the products to managing them perfectly, you can do it all very quickly at WooCommerce. Different features are available for adding product descriptions, images, SKUs, stock levels, and more, saving you time and effort.
2. Customizable Store Design
WooCommerce is highly customizable, with a wide range of themes and plugins. Users can tailor their store’s design and functionality to meet specific needs.
You can also ensure a unique and personalized shopping experience for your customers without extensive coding knowledge.
3. Payment and Shipping Options
The platform offers numerous built-in payment gateways like PayPal and Stripe and flexible shipping options. This will allow you to provide your customers multiple payment and shipping choices. It can enhance the shopping experience and increase the conversion rates a lot.
4. Easily Sell Products on Other Marketing Channels
This is one benefit that is often ignored. You can quickly sell your WooCommerce products on different marketing platforms like Google Shopping, Instagram Shop, etc, by uploading a product feed.
Speaking of it, the renowned software company WebAppick has created a WooCommerce Product Feed Manager Plugin—CTX Feed. It provides an all-in-one solution for creating and managing product feeds.
So, upload your products using a feed and get more sales and traffic from different marketing channels.
5. Maximum Security
Regarding the e-commerce industry, security is not just an option—it’s essential. And in terms of security, WooCommerce is reliable and trustworthy.
It is highly committed to security. WooCommerce receives regular updates to address vulnerabilities and ensure compatibility with the latest WordPress versions. It has enough security measures that you don’t have to think much about online threats and can properly protect your business or customer data.
6. Analytics
To optimize your online shop further, consider integrating woocommerce analytics software. It offers a robust platform for analyzing customer behavior, segmenting audiences, and enhancing your email marketing campaigns. This additional layer of data insights helps WooCommerce store owners make informed decisions and optimize their marketing strategies.
How to Set Up WooCommerce on WordPress: 11 Easy Steps
Let’s get to the main stuff. Now, the WooCommerce setup guide is straightforward and beginner-friendly. So, hopefully, you can pull it off in one go. Have a look.
Step 1: Install WooCommerce and Launch the Setup Wizard
The first step is plain and simple. All you need to do is install the WooCommerce plugin. To do that, go to your WordPress Dashboard, and from the left side, select “Plugins > Add New Plugin”.
Now, search for ‘WooCommerce’. After that, install and activate the plugin.
And that’s it. Once the WooCommerce installation is done, you will be redirected to the setup wizard. What does that do?
It guides you through the basic steps to get your store up and running. Remember, your choices during this setup are not permanent; you can modify any of them later if needed.
Step 2: Setting Up Store Details
The first section in the WooCommerce setup wizard is the Store Setup.
It involves specifying your store’s basic details. Such as its-
- Address,
- Country,
- City,
- Postcode,
- and Your email address
Here are some things you should follow. Enter those details on this screen if your store has a physical location. If you’re selling online, you can use your residential address.
One more thing! You can also opt-in for tips and marketing emails from WooCommerce. It can be beneficial if you’re new to the plugin.
Bonus Tip:
The email address you provide will receive notifications, so use one you monitor regularly. However, avoid personal emails due to the high volume.
Once you provide all the information, click “Continue”.
Step 3: Choosing an Industry
In the second section, you must choose an industry you will operate in. It can be the fashion industry, the electronics industry, or the food industry. Remember that you can always select multiple industries if you need to.
However, if none of the given options matches your business, you can select ‘other’ and click on ‘Continue.’
Step 4: Selecting the Product Type
The next step is to choose the type of products you’ll sell, whether digital or physical.
But here’s the thing! You can opt for premium features at an extra cost if you want to include subscriptions, memberships, bookings, bundles, or customized products.
As you can see, we have chosen ‘Physical Products’. After selecting your desired product type, click on ‘Continue.’
Step 5: Providing Business Details
In the next section, you’ll need to provide some information regarding your business. It mainly has two parts. Give it a look.
- Business Details
- Free Features
Now, let’s start with the first one, which is the business details. It mainly includes two things-
- How Many Products you Plan to Display
- If you are Currently Selling Elsewhere
As you can see, we have selected around 11-100 products, and I’m not selling elsewhere.
However, remember that if you select “Yes, on another Platform” in the “Currently Selling Elsewhere” WooCommerce will ask you some additional questions.
What are they?
It includes basic queries like how much revenue you earn every year and which platform you are using. So, you can select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ and then click ‘Continue’.
It will take you to the next part, the “Free Features”.
This section mainly includes whether or not you want to add free extensions to your store based on the answers you provided. You can click the drop-down arrow to view the extensions WooCommerce recommends.
Bonus Tip:
If you’re new to extensions, it’s best to skip adding them for now. You can always install the tools you need later. Especially once you’re more familiar with how WooCommerce works.
Step 6: Choosing a Theme for Your Store
The next step is to choose an eCommerce theme to display your products. And this is a section where you should take your time. But why, you ask?
There are many themes, both free and paid, available for WooCommerce. Again, this has a direct
So, our suggestion is that you take your time and do your research. Then, choose a theme that is perfect for your store.
That’s it for the Setup Wizard, but your whole WooCommerce plugin setup still needs to be completed. Next, you must add your products and configure the tax and shipping settings.
Step 7: Adding Products to Your WooCommerce Store
Here comes one of the most essential parts. You need to add and upload your products accurately in your WooCommerce store. And it is straightforward to do so.
You should start by selecting the ‘Products’ tab from the WordPress Dashboard. Then click on ‘Add New’.
It will take you to a page where you can add the product details.
Start by entering the product name in the title section. Then, provide a good description. The description should highlight the critical features of your products and you should write in a way that shows how the products will benefit the customers.
Important thing! Remember, the first thing a customer would notice is the product image. So, try your best to provide an appealing and eye-catching feature image. The other photos should be good as well.
Next up, you need to go down below and choose the product type. Selecting the product type depends on what you are selling. By default, WooCommerce allows you to select from four product types as
- Simple products
- Grouped products
- External or affiliate products
- Variable products
There are two additional options to modify those four product types:
- Virtual: Select this if you are selling a digital product that doesn’t require shipping.
- Downloadable: Select this if the product includes a downloadable file.
Once you have provided all the product details, go to the top of the page and select ‘Publish.’
And that’s it for this step. Your product will be added.
Step 8: Setting up Taxes
There are multiple ways to set up taxes, payments, and shipping. However, the easiest way to do them is through the ‘Settings’ option of WooCommerce. Let’s start with taxes. So, from the WooCommerce dashboard, click on ‘Settings’.
After that, click on the ‘Tax’ tab from the top.
You will get all the information you need to provide regarding tax.
After entering all the required information, click the ‘Save Changes’ button. This will open a new screen where you can configure the tax rates.
Step 9: Setting up Shipping Information
Similarly, you can set up the ‘Shipping’ Information like the tax information.
From the settings tab, click on the ‘Shipping’ tab. What’s next? Click on the ‘Add Zone’.
It will take you to a tab where you can set up all the shipping-related information. Give the zone name and select the zone regions. After that, simply click on ‘Add shipping method’ to choose your method.
You will find out that there are three default options.
Give a quick look at each of the options.
| Free Shipping | A unique method that enables shipping charges free. It can be triggered with coupons and minimum spending. |
| Flat Rate | Allows you to charge a fixed rate for shipping. |
| Local Pickup | It allows customers to pick up orders themselves. By default, store-based taxes will apply regardless of the customer’s address when using a local pickup. |
So, select one and save it.
Step 10: Setting up Payment
You can set up payments by going to ‘WooCommerce’ > ‘Settings’ > ‘Payments’.
One of the best things about WooCommerce is that it supports different payments. So, set up the payment methods that suit you for your WooCommerce store.
Activate only the payment options you want to show on the storefront. This will make the entire process smoother. You can also configure each payment method individually. Once you are done selecting methods and setting up payment information, click on ‘Save changes.’
Step 11: Testing Your WooCommerce Store Checkout
In the last step of this WooCommerce guide, we will check if everything is alright and set it up perfectly. We will check if the customer can order and checkout accurately after we are done with the basic setup.
To do that, visit your store. You will find the products you have uploaded. From there, choose a product and click on ‘Add to cart’.
After adding the required number of products to the cart, click on ‘View Cart’.
It will take you to the next page. If everything is alright, click the ‘Proceed to Checkout’ option.
It will take you to the final checkout page.
If everything is alright, click on the ‘Place Order’ button.
AND YOU ARE ALL DONE!
You have correctly set up WooCommerce on WordPress. Remember, you can still update all the information and customize your store later from the ‘settings’ tab. However, the main thing is done: your store is running, your products are up, and you should be ready to make some sales!
Is WooCommerce Completely Free to Use?
Many people wonder whether WooCommerce is free or not. Let’s clear up the confusion for you.
Yes, WooCommerce is a free plugin to download and use on WordPress. However, while the core WooCommerce plugin is free, there are costs associated with running a WooCommerce store that you should consider:
- Hosting: To run your WordPress site, you must pay for web hosting.
- Domain Name: You must purchase a domain name for your online store.
- Themes: While free themes are available, premium themes with additional features and better support can incur costs.
- Extensions and Plugins: Many essential features and functionalities in WooCommerce are available through extensions and plugins, some of which are paid.
- SSL Certificate: To ensure secure transactions, you’ll need an SSL certificate. If your hosting provider does not provide one, it may cost you.
- Payment Processing Fees: Payment gateways like PayPal and Stripe charge payment transaction fees.
Tips and Best Practices to Maintain your WooCommerce Store
Maintaining your WooCommerce store effectively ensures smooth operations and a great customer experience. Here are some of the best practices for keeping your WooCommerce store perfect.
1. Regular Updates
Keep WooCommerce, themes, and plugins updated to ensure compatibility, security, and access to the latest features.
2. Choose Reliable Plugins
Select plugins from reputable developers with high ratings and regular updates. But why, you ask?
Well, reliable plugins enhance your store’s functionality, security, and performance without causing conflicts or issues.
3. Go for Quality Themes
Use themes that are well-coded, responsive, and optimized for speed. Quality themes not only improve the visual appeal of your store but also ensure a better user experience. It can lead to higher customer satisfaction and conversions.
4. Backup Your Store
Regularly back up your store data to safeguard against data loss. Try to use reliable backup solutions to automate this process.
5. Optimize for SEO
Utilize SEO plugins to optimize product pages and content. Focus on keywords, meta descriptions, and alt tags to improve search engine rankings.
6. Optimize Mobile Experience
This one is a must! Ensure your store is mobile-friendly. Use responsive themes and test your site on various devices to provide a great shopping experience on smartphones and tablets.
7. High-Quality Images
Use high-resolution images to showcase your products effectively. Always remember that precise and detailed images help customers make informed purchasing decisions and increase the perceived value of your products.
8. Test Checkout Process
Regularly test the checkout process to ensure it is seamless and issues-free. Address any problems promptly to avoid losing sales.
Final Thought
A well-configured WooCommerce store can greatly boost your online business and provide a flexible platform for selling products.
Hopefully, the above steps will help you correctly set up WooCommerce on WordPress. If not, go through the steps again. Remember the tips and advice. If you need anything else, please feel free to reach out. Have a successful e-commerce journey!
