WooCommerce is an eCommerce platform that is easy to adapt, cost-effective, and simple to use, even for the most inexperienced users. Many newbie’s, however, are scared by the prospect of setting up the entire WooCommerce all by themselves. Most people are confused about how they should get themselves started on WooCommerce and how to set up their businesses with the help of Woo-commerce.
Understanding WooCommerce
To start with, WooCommerce is a free software designed to make eCommerce work simple, especially with selling goods or services online. In recent years, the platform has grown to become the most popular eCommerce software in the world, with millions of small and major enterprises using it, especially online stores.
Initially, WooCommerce was created as a plugin for WordPress, the popular website creator on the market. Users may use this plugin to create an eCommerce website from scratch to the extent of having “the add to shopping cart” feature to an existing WordPress website.
The best part of WooCommerce is that it is free to download and use since it is open-source software. Even though the software is free to use, users still require a domain name and web hosting provider to set up a website, both of which draw expenses.
Essentials to Create a WooCommerce store
To create a brand new eCommerce store from the ground up users will require three main components.
- A WordPress hosting account. This is needed as this acts as a location where all the files regarding the website will be stored.
- A Domain name. This reflects not only the address of the website but also the identity of the business.
- An SSL Certificate. This is needed to ensure that all payment transactions sail through without any discrepancies.
The above-mentioned three components are not free and users need to pay for them, even though WooCommerce is free. Any user would require to pay for these components irrespective of whether or not they use WooCommerce . The overall cost of setting up an online store at WooCommerce pricing can be determined by the services users select for their website. Users can easily keep the prices under control by acquiring only what they require.
Select Hosting
WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin that may be installed on any WordPress website. WooCommerce has collaborated with a few hosting companies that provide pre-installed WordPress, a Storefront theme, and eCommerce-specific features like a dedicated IP address and SSL certificate to make the online shop safe and secure.
Installing WooCommerce
As mentioned earlier, WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin, so the process of installing the WooCommerce plugin is the same. The first step is to go to the WordPress admin and search for WooCommerce under new plugins. WordPress now displays plugin search results, and now Install the plugin.
Picking a Theme
The above-mentioned set-up Wizard automatically prompts the user to select a theme. The theme that users will select will decide the initial appearance and the layout of the online store, which can also be changed later on if needed. Users also have the option of using a free WordPress theme or purchasing a premium theme.
Added Extensions
The website can be flushed with extra features by adding extensions such as Bookings, Memberships, Shipping, and Payment Gateways etc.
CTA
WooCommerce is simple to use and offers a plethora of sophisticated features. Since WooCommerce is open source, it is not only completely free, but it also gives businesses complete independence and control over their eCommerce website. WooCommerce cost does not include license fees, unlike other proprietary eCommerce platforms.
This means firms may use it to establish an unlimited number of online businesses and eCommerce websites. WooCommerce gets all of the amazing features of a WordPress site as well. Various WooCommerce plugins, also known as add-ons, may be used to extend the functionality of WooCommerce. Another benefit of utilising WooCommerce is that it does not impose limitations on how firms manage their business.
Accepting money online is a significant barrier for many people. The most crucial advantage of adopting WooCommerce for those clients is that it connects smoothly with hundreds of payment systems and gateways. It includes support for PayPal and Stripe by default. Using add-ons, firms may utilize hundreds of alternative payment gateways.