Want to sell online from your WordPress site? Look at WooCommerce
If you already have a WordPress website and want to start selling from it, you do not need to move to a separate shop platform. WooCommerce turns the site you have into a store.
What it is
WooCommerce is a free, open-source plugin (an add-on) for WordPress. You install it from your WordPress dashboard under Plugins, then Add New, the same way as any other plugin. Once it is set up, your site can take orders and payments.
What you can sell
Almost anything:
- Physical goods that need shipping.
- Digital downloads, such as e-books, music or software. (If digital files are all you sell, a lighter tool may suit you better; see my post on Easy Digital Downloads.)
- Products with options, like a shirt in three sizes and four colors, or a few items sold together as a group.
- Subscriptions, with an extension.
What it does for you
- Products and stock. Add products, set prices, and keep track of what is left.
- Payments. Take cards through services like Stripe and PayPal, or accept checks and cash on delivery. Many more payment services are available as extensions.
- Shipping. Standard shipping options are built in, and extensions add more carriers and rules.
- Customer accounts. Customers can create an account and see their orders.
- Reports. See your sales and stock levels at a glance, and connect Google Analytics for more detail.
- Your look. WooCommerce works with thousands of WordPress themes, free and paid, so the store matches the rest of your site.
- Your other tools. Extensions connect it to email services like Mailchimp, to send newsletters and follow up after a purchase, and to many other business tools.
There is also a WooCommerce app for your phone, so you can check orders and sales on the go.
Why choose it
- It costs little to start. The plugin itself is free. You will pay for hosting and your domain, and for any paid extensions you decide you need.
- It grows with you. It works for a small shop with a handful of products and for much bigger stores.
- Lots of people can help. It is one of the most widely used store tools on the web, so there is a large community of developers, guides and forums when you get stuck.
- Search engines can find it. Your products sit on your own WordPress site, with the same control over page titles and descriptions as the rest of it.
You can download it from the WooCommerce page on WordPress.org or read more at woocommerce.com.
What you get
If you have a WordPress site and something to sell, WooCommerce gets you a working store for little more than you already pay, on a site you control.
If you would like help setting up your store or improving the one you have, call me on 801-688-8590 or email seth@smartwebutah.com.