First launched in 2011, WooCommerce has become the most popular e-commerce platform for WordPress merchants. It has more than 100 different extensions and ten times as many plugins. Many are paid, but the base product is free to install and use.
Why should you use WooCommerce to launch a web store?
There are multiple reasons to base your online business on WordPress’s most popular and trusted plugin. Here are some of them.
No initial costs
WooCommerce is an open-source plugin for WordPress. As such, you won’t incur any installation or subscription costs.
Expenses come later, when you may want to tailor its functions as per your online business’s specificities. Luckily, the platform provides plenty of themes and plugins for your store’s initial setup.
Endless customization opportunities
Even if you can’t find your plugin or theme among the free ones, you can always visit WooCommerce’s marketplace and look around for a paid alternative.
You can find a list of affiliated plugin developers in any WooCommerce guide. For a few dollars more, you’ll get a custom-made plugin that will give your online business a decisive edge over the competition.
Numerous online store design options
WooCommerce is compatible with all WordPress themes, so you can design your online store’s layout to reflect your brand’s image fully.
If you already have a WP blog, you can quickly start selling your writing by installing WooCommerce.
Minimum technical knowledge is required.
WooCommerce’s interface is as intuitive as that of WordPress. If you have been managing your WP site singlehandedly, you should be okay with switching to a plugin-based online shop.
If you need help with how something works, just Google search the issue, and you’ll reach a YouTube video tutorial. That’s how popular WooCommerce is.
No product restrictions
Law permitting, WooCommerce has no limitations regarding the product types you can sell online. You can set up the software to automatically announce seasonal promotions, update product lists, or scrap out-of-stock items.
But that’s not all. You can use the platform to set up and activate paid memberships, accept online reservations, etc. The platform provides a short journey to checkout, which results in fewer cart abandonments.
Seamless 3rd-party integration
Another undisputed benefit of using WooCommerce is its non-conflicting nature. You can continue to use your old order management or payment processing app while enjoying 100% of the platform’s other functionalities.
WooCommerce is compatible with various types of payment options, such as credit cards, bank transfers, PayPal, Stripe, and many others options. This kind of easy and quick integration and payment options are useful in allowing all types of customers to order from a WooCommerce store easily.
Yet, check out an integration’s compatibility on WooCommerce’s official website before installing it.
Broad analytical powers
It is not possible to make an online store successful without using the power of modern data analytics tools. WooCommerce has an integrated analytics tool allowing the user to review their online business’s performance weekly, monthly, or quarterly.
The good thing is that you don’t need any technical knowledge to use such analytical tools. They have a very user-friendly interface to ensure store owners can use them to gather important data about their online store and make smart business decisions.
You’ll thus know if you need to update your product catalog. And make other changes in the business. If you already use Google Analytics, you can compare both platforms’ readings for an even deeper insight.
Built for secure shopping
If you keep your WP site’s essential security plugins updated, you should not encounter any security issues while using WooCommerce.
If you need to learn more about website security, you should use WordPress’s managed hosting plan. WP’s Jetpack Security kit will add an extra layer of protection to your online store for as little as $20/mo.
Numerous online marketing opportunities
No online business can grow without a consistent content marketing strategy. WooCommerce will automatically email weekly newsletters to your loyal customers or tweet your latest promotions.
Because WooCommerce is WP-based, your product descriptions and promotion announcements automatically get SEO-optimized.
The best community support
WordPress has the largest community of developers in the world. It supports forums in dozens of languages, where you can easily find a solution to just about any issue. In addition, the help & support section of the platform’s official website is also very exhaustive.
SEO-friendly
Search engine optimization (SEO) plays an integral role in the success of a website or an online store. WooCommerce ensures that all of the stores are SEO-friendly. As a result, you can enhance the visibility of your store and reach the target audience more effectively.
Scalability
It is understandable that most businesses and online stores start on a smaller scale due to limited resources. However, once your store starts getting attention and making sales, you will want to grow your business.
This kind of business growth and scalability is possible with WooCommerce. You can add a wide range of products, product categories, and other features to the store with your growth. Therefore, you can expect to keep working with the same platform – WooCommerce – as your business
Shipping Options
When you are starting an online store, you would want it to reach as many people as possible. You can achieve this goal with WooCommerce, as it offers a wide range of shipping options. Some of the popular shipping options include flat-rate shipping, free shipping, and shipping charged on the basis of the weight or destination.
By integrating your store with various shipping companies, you can offer great shipping services to customers and ensure maximum satisfaction.
Conclusion
The bottom line is WooCommerce is a popular and effective platform for building and managing an e-commerce store. It offers a range of benefits, including being cost-effective, customizable, secure, SEO-friendly, scalable, and easily integrated with other tools and services. You can establish a highly successful online store with WooCommerce.
FAQs About WooCommerce
Is WooCommerce free?
WooCommerce itself is free to use, but you will need to pay for hosting and a domain name for your website. You may also need to purchase premium themes or extensions to add additional functionality to your store.
How do I install WooCommerce?
To install WooCommerce, you will need to have a WordPress website. You can then install the WooCommerce plugin through the WordPress plugin repository or by uploading the plugin files to your website.
Can I customize my WooCommerce store?
Yes, WooCommerce allows you to customize your store to match your brand and products. You can choose from a wide range of themes and extensions to add extra functionality to your store.
Can I sell digital products with WooCommerce?
Yes, WooCommerce allows you to sell both physical and digital products. You can add digital products to your store and set up automatic delivery after a purchase is made.
Bob Smith
