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Are you planning to set up your online store and looking for an eCommerce platform? WordPress should be your first choice.
WordPress is one of the most powerful, stable, and secure CMS platforms, currently empowering 30% of websites across the globe.
It’s a scalable, dynamic platform; the best part is it’s free.
WordPress is a great platform to create an eCommerce website. However, WordPress isn’t for everyone. If you plan to set up a small shop to sell a few products, then WordPress isn’t the right choice.
It’s like booking a bus for a single-person road trip instead of Uber since Uber is a costly and time-consuming platform.
In this article, we’ll walk you through 9 essential steps to create a WordPress eCommerce Website
So, without any further ado, let’s begin.
- Find the perfect domain name
- Buy a good web hosting server
- Install WordPress
- Install WooCommerce plugin and configure it
- Choose a theme
- Add your products/services
- Install additional plugins (if needed)
- Create blog posts
- Make your eCommerce site public
Creating a WordPress eCommerce site
1. Find the perfect domain name
Your domain name is your website’s address. The part that comes after ‘www’ in your site’s URL. You can buy unique domain names from GoDaddy or Namecheap. It isn’t easy to find the domain that you want for free.
If you’re not that lucky, you can get the domain name free or buy one for $10 to $20 per year. That is the standard rate of a domain name purchase. You have to renew it after every year.
Bonus tip: We suggest choosing a domain name that is as close to your brand name as possible. Also, keep it short, catchy, and memorable.
2. Buy a good web hosting server
Now that you have your domain name, choosing a web hosting service provider is finally time.
Every website needs a hosting server. It’s like renting a spot on the Internet. Make sure to choose a room with plenty of space for your site to grow.
Before choosing the hosting provider, determine what type of hosting service you’re looking for.
We suggest you don’t even consider investing in a shared hosting plan. When you share a hosting server with other websites, there are many chances your site might get hacked if you leave it vulnerable.
When starting an eCommerce website, a secure online sales channel is essential to protect customers’ confidential details.
If you’re looking for a quality web hosting service provider, we recommend WP Engine or Liquid Web. These two are the most reputable companies that offer quality service to WordPress users.
Bonus tip: Compare the prices of hosting plans and choose the one capable of fulfilling your eCommerce website’s requirements, like bandwidth and storage.
3. Installing WordPress
There are two primary ways to install WordPress.
- ‘One-click’ installation through the hosting server dashboard.
- Manually download WordPress and then upload it to your web hosting account.
We suggest you choose the first option since it is the easiest and least time-consuming. When selecting a hosting provider, ensure they offer the perk of ‘One-click WordPress Installation.’
If you have this option, go to the hosting dashboard. You’ll find a button that says ‘Install WordPress’; just hit the button, and you’re all set.
Unfortunately, if you don’t have this option, you must download WordPress on your computer and upload it to your web hosting dashboard. It’s not as easy as it sounds.
For this, check out a complete guide on how to install WordPress to your hosting manually dashboard
4. Installing and configuring WooCommerce
WooCommerce is the most popular WordPress plugin. It converts a simple WordPress site into a full-fledged eCommerce store.
Like WordPress, WooCommerce is an open-source eCommerce plugin used by over 3,000 users, and it powers more than 4 million eCommerce stores.
For starters, WooCommerce is free. You might have to pay for some extensions, but you can convert your simple site into an e-commerce store without spending a dollar.
Extensions include,
- Cart and checkout
- Product pages
- Shipping options
- Secure payment gateways
- Automated tax calculations
- Integration with Facebook, Google Analytics, MailChimp, etc.
Installing and Activating WooCommerce
Once logged in to your WordPress account, go to your dashboard and click on the plugins section on the left.
Click on the search bar and type ‘WooCommerce.’ Find the blue button that says ‘Activate.’ Click on the button and install WooCommerce.
Once you have activated it, you’ll be led to a setup wizard. It will walk you through the rest of the process.
- Add business details
- Choose payment methods through which you’ll accept payments
- Select shipping options that are feasible for you and your targeted customers
- If you want to add any complementary plugins and theme (you can skip this step for now)
- Activate the jetpack
5. Choose a WooCommerce theme
It’s finally time to select a theme for your WooCommerce store. A theme beautifies your store and makes it visually more appealing. Since WooCommerce is an open-source platform, developers from across the globe make generous contributions.
You can find hundreds of thousands of striking and unique themes. These themes are entirely customizable. If you’re a pro at coding, you can tweak code lines to customize the theme accordingly.
To install a theme, head to your WP dashboard. Hover on ‘Appearance’ and click on ‘Themes.’ You’ll then be led to the theme dashboard.
Click on ‘Add New.’ Then, browse for themes. You’ll find many themes. Choose the one that reflects your business niche and is visually appalling.
You can also install a premium theme on your eCommerce store. But you need to pay a few dollars to get them.
6. Add Products
Finally, add all the products.
For every product you upload on your WooCommerce store, you’ll need the following things,
- Product name
- Price of product
- Main image of the product
- Additional product images (if required but recommended)
- Product Description (long and short)
- Product category
While adding your products, make sure you know what product you’re adding. Generally, there are six major types,
- Simple
- Grouped
- Affiliate/External
- Variable
- Downloadable
- Virtual
7. Install Additional Plugins (if needed)
Apart from WooCommerce, there are three primary plugins that we recommend to every eCommerce store,
- Yoast for SEO guidance
- Security
- Site Reviews for reviews
To add these plugins, go to your WordPress dashboard and click ‘Plugins.’ You’ll be led to a new page. Look for the search bar and search for the plugin.
Once you’ve found it, hit the ‘Install Now’ button. When it is installed, click on the ‘Activate Plugin’ button. Next, head to the settings option to configure your plugins.
8. Create Blog Posts
Content is the king of marketing. If you want Google to rank your website, you must write well-researched, excellent-quality, and unique content.
Adding blog posts is essential to driving the right traffic to your website. If you’re a pro at content creation, use your skill; if not, hire a copywriting or blog writing expert.
Be it your product description or headline. Everything must be catchy.
Also, focus on your site’s visual content. The product images and videos you add must be of good quality. Add sleek-looking product images and HD-quality videos to grab the attention of visitors and customers.
9. Make your WordPress eCommerce Website public
Once you’re happy and satisfied with how your site works and looks, you’re ready to make it public. Just make sure to check every page before you do it.
To make it public. Go to ‘Setting>Privacy,’ upload your privacy policy, and you’ll see an option named ‘Public.’ Hit the button, and you’re all set to rock and roll!
Conclusion
We hope this short guide will help you create your WooCommerce store on WordPress.
Follow the steps discussed in this article, and you’ll be ready to start your eCommerce business.