Worried about how to create an e-commerce website on WordPress? An online store is a great option to start a profitable business. Working in a digital space requires a minimum of effort. But this does not mean that it is easier because when selling goods online, you must have a website that works perfectly.
Now, creating an online store is not such a big problem. And using WordPress makes this process even easier than it sounds. In this easy-to-follow guide, we'll walk you through how to make an e-commerce website with WordPress.
Online Store Through WordPress: Where To Start?
It doesn't matter if your business is physical or completely digital—the approach to launching it should be the most serious one. Of course, if you want to get up to speed quickly, you need to be able to use the WordPress platform at least at an intermediate level. But if other people do it for you, then knowledge of the theory is not necessary. Now we are going to talk about building an e-commerce website with WordPress.
Firstly, you should fully understand the concept of your store. With it, you can create an e-commerce website using WordPress much more easily. Come up with a name for your project, and approach it with special creativity. As a last resort, you can use your own name. But this is not as important as having a stable hosting and domain. Without these things, your site is unlikely to work. Consult or decide for yourself which services are worth it. In principle, the rest is not so important. Use your enthusiasm and motivation to the maximum, and then you can create an online store through WordPress.
A WordPress Website for Ecommerce. Step-by-step Guide
Let's talk about how to set up e-commerce on WordPress. If you have finally decided to create an online store through WordPress, we have prepared some recommendations. Use them to make the process of setting up clearer and more convenient.
Step 1: Configure Your Online Store Platform
We hope that you understand that any online store operates on some kind of site. Yes, unique projects use their own services, but in this case, using WordPress is pointless. Therefore, if you are a beginner, it is impossible to build a business without using a specialized sales platform.
Fortunately, there are two popular platforms for e-commerce. Their names are Shopify and WooCommerce. By the way, the last one is WordPress's own project, so it provides perfect integration and ease of use. Anyway, Shopify is a popular platform that is used by thousands of people like you. Use the platform you prefer the most. We think that both are cool for an online store, but it is always up to you to decide. All we can say is that using WooCommerce is much cheaper, but using Shopify is more focused on online sales.
Well, then you need your domain, hosting, and SSL certificate. We are sure that you already know what these things mean. Anyway, a domain is a name for your store, and hosting is a place where your website lives, a kind of apartment. One can exist without the other, but for a workable online store, they should work together. SSL is what makes your website safe for clients.
If you don't fully understand what is what, don't worry. You can just buy hosting, a domain, and SSL all in one place. We recommend you use Bluehost. When you buy a plan, you get access to the web hosting control panel. There you can connect to WordPress to start working with this platform. And then, well done – you are ready for the next step. Many eCommerce platforms are paid. Don't use free services as well as overpriced ones. It is also always up to you which platform to work on.
Step 2: Configure WordPress for Ecommerce
Approach this step responsibly—any wrong actions can lead to the fact that your site will not work correctly. However, there is nothing complicated here—WordPress can even give hints.
Firstly, go to General Settings to set up a website. You can change your business's name, tagline, URL, and WordPress address, as well as your administration email address. Also, there you can change SSL settings. It is usually included in your plan, so don't worry about it.
When you have completed all the necessary actions, make sure that you save your settings before closing the window. As you can see, this step is not that hard to complete. Let's see what you should do next.
Step 3: Configure Your WooCommerce Store
For this step, you need to go to the Plugins section and then find the WooCommerce plugin. WooCommerce is considered to be the most popular tool to build an online store. It works over WordPress, so it provides the best experience while using it. Then press "Install Now" to activate your WooCommerce plugin.
Then you will see the window where you can change such settings as country, address, and region. This basic information is very important to fill in carefully. Then choose your store's industry and tell WooCommerce which types of products you sell. It can be physical or digital. Of course, you can sell all the types you entered. Then fill in such information as your business details and use the free features that are offered by your platform.
In the next window, choose the theme of your website: you can use paid variations as well as free ones. If you are still not sure about the settings, you can change them anytime. All the processes we described are very easy. There are clear tips for each stage, so don't think that you won't understand them.
Step 4: Create Payment Options for Your Online Store
An online store is interesting because, unlike a regular website, it can accept money from customers directly online. At the same time, customers have the right to choose any available payment method: from bank cards and electronic wallets to even cryptocurrency. But asking customers to transfer money using your details is not very convenient and even strange. Therefore, to collect payments, there are special platforms that conduct transactions online right on your site.
In WooCommerce, this process is very advanced (not surprising, because it is an e-commerce platform). To go to the payment settings, go to VuCommerce, then to the "settings" section. Select Payments. Here you can activate the Stripe service—it automatically collects payments from customers for all the goods they purchase on the site. You can also connect to your site's payment via PayPal or bank cards. For each payment gateway you find on the site, you can click on the "Configure" button and provide the required information. For example, you can enable Stripe and enter your API keys. Accordingly, you must have a Stripe account in order to change the settings and find all the information you need.
Step 5: Include a Variety of Products in Your Online Store
And finally, it's time to add all the products you are going to sell to your online store. There should be a special section where all the products, whether they are physical or digital, are placed. Firstly, you should go to the Products section, and then press the "Add New" button. In the special window, all you need to do is enter the name of your product, write a brief (or not) description, and then choose the specific category. It is needed to help your customers find the most relevant items. Don't make a mistake and give your products only the right categories. For instance, t-shirts should have a "t-shirts" category. If you are not sure about the tag, just leave the "uncategorized" option.
Then add more information about your product, such as stock balance, related products, shipping terms, and so on. Note that the more detailed the product card, the more convenient it is for customers to make their choice. Lack of any important details may be the reason you lose a potential client. Pay special attention to the product gallery, especially to the main photo. The more attractive it is, the more successful sales will be. Use only high-quality content, and work on making your product look presentable and stand out from competitors.
After you are done, save the changes and quit the section. Check how it looks on your website. If there are some mistakes, just get rid of them using the same settings window.
Step 6: Choose and personalize your WordPress theme to make it look just right.
WordPress themes show you what your site looks like. That is, it is essentially a design, and how it looks depends only on you. As you probably already know, design plays a huge role in sales. It is a fact that people prefer to buy where everything is thought out to the smallest detail, and not where everything is done in, say, five minutes. You need to show that you, as the site owner, really care about both your business and your customers. The selection of a good design is a whole art. Here you need to think a lot about how to make it both beautiful and different from competitors at the same time.
There are thousands of ready-made themes on the platform. Most importantly, they are both paid and absolutely free. To see the available options, go to the Appearance section, and then click the Customize Page button. You can always see in advance how a particular theme will look on your site. You can both change the settings and save them. It's a fact that paid themes look not only prettier but also more unique compared to your customers. However, it is always up to you what your online store will look like.
Step 7. Expand Your Online Store with Plugins
Once you have set up your online store, it is completely ready to go. However, the use of plugins allows you to greatly expand the functionality and get additional features that will help you not only run your business more professionally but also improve your customers' experience.
With plugins, you can do anything. For example, provide your store with a support service, or promote your business on social networks. Fortunately, there are over 6,000 plugins available for WordPress. All of them are both paid and absolutely free. Each plugin is unique in its feature set.
The Plugins We Recommend
Here are some essential plugins that will help you to run your first online store.
OptinMonster
This plugin is ideal for boosting sales performance, increasing conversions, and getting customers interested in your product. For example, through OptinMonster, you can easily install lightboxes, pop-ups, a lucky wheel element (to offer discounts), a countdown widget, and so on. All website traffic will be monetized with this free plugin. What's more, OptinMonster offers geo-location targeting.
However, other functions will be paid for—you can see the prices on the official website of OptinMonster.
WPForms
WPForms is a free plugin for WordPress with which you can create various forms, from contact and registration to payment. With the help of WPForms, you can conduct surveys of buyers or site visitors, or send promotional letters via e-mail. The functionality of this plugin is really diverse—it is impossible to describe all this in a couple of sentences. Familiarize yourself with all the delights of WPForms on the official website. The plugin can be provided both for a fee and for free.
AffiliateWP
This plugin perfectly works with WordPress. Unlike other similar plugins, it allows you to create an affiliate program for your online store. AffiliateWP helps you promote your products and partner with affiliate marketers.
Advanced Coupons
An excellent plugin that works perfectly through WooCommerce. With it, you can create various coupons: for delivery, specific products, or product categories, as well as create scheduled coupons. You can also create a loyalty program for your customers using this plugin.
SeedProd
The special thing about SeedProd is that you can use it to create landing pages for your online store. The plugin is free and contains over 100 ready-made templates. With SeedProd, you can significantly increase conversions, customize your homepage, and checkout page, and send emails to your customers.
PushEngage
PushEngage is a handy plugin that allows you to monetize your site. With the help of convenient tools, each owner of an online store has access to the announcement of new products, blogging, sending emails, and personalized messages. PushEngage offers a lifetime free plan, easy WordPress setup, and 24/7 support.
Conclusion
Well, now you know how to create an online store with WordPress. Believe us, it is not that hard if you fully understand the concept of your business and do all the steps with great interest and motivation. Use the helpful tips we provided in this article to create your ideal online store.
FAQs About Starting an Online Store
Here are the answers to the most common questions about starting an online store.
Where do I find products to sell in my store?
Obviously, creating an online store without products is very strange. To start your business, you need to think carefully about what you are going to sell.
There are several ways to find products for your business. If you are an art store, you can sell your crafts, paintings, hand-made supplies for the house, and so on. In this case, the availability of goods will always depend on you.
If you just want to resell products, then all products must be purchased from specialized sites or places for bulk purchases. In such cases, the price will be much cheaper than in regular stores, and this will be a special plus for you.
You can also trade digital goods like music, books, and everything that is available online. At the same time, remember that you must have either a license or permission to sell goods. In other cases, running an online store will violate the law.
Can I start an online store for free?
Yes, of course, you can create an online store for your business for free. However, it is still very, very difficult to do this absolutely free.
For the very creation of an online store through WordPress, no money will be asked. However, buying hosting, a domain and SSL are costly things. Of course, you can use free hosting or a domain, but we do not recommend doing this. First, they will be of the lowest quality. This can lead to the fact that the site will work intermittently, and the site name itself will not look very nice. It will be very, very difficult to succeed in such a business.
Therefore, keep in mind that the process of creating an online store is free. However, you have to pay for additional features if you want your online store to look perfect.
Can I build an e-commerce store myself?
Yes, in fact, there is nothing complicated here. You can build an online store yourself because the WordPress platform is convenient and simple. But if you have any difficulties, it is recommended that you contact a specialist in order to avoid mistakes.
There could be some difficulties with hosting, plugins, and domains. But if you do some research on the Internet, it would not be that difficult for you to build an e-commerce store yourself.
How much does it cost to start an online store?
It depends on whether you are going to use tariff plans and buy additional features. We believe that the most optimal minimum is $100. This amount is enough to purchase hosting, a domain, or a tariff plan that includes all these features. There is no final price; you can spend as much money as you like. You can always upgrade your plan and buy different plugins and themes.
