WordPress has become one of the most popular tools when it comes to creating all kinds of websites. With this CMS it is possible to build from blogs and institutional sites, to help you create an online store.
But, before starting, why create an online store? Whether you have a physical business and want to expand it to the digital world, or you want to start a 100% online business, it is important that you know a little of the context we are currently experiencing to understand the real importance of electronic commerce in our region. .
Why create an online store with WordPress?
Many platforms have limited customization options, that is, you can create your store and add the products you sell. However, it will be difficult to have your website with the identity of your company. In addition to this, this can present problems when expanding, especially if changes to the source code are not allowed. WordPress is a best platform for creating sites there are many anonymous websites who creates their websites using WordPress.
We know the ideal solution for your question: how to create an online store with WordPress. According to survey, 35% of the web uses WordPress, and they are websites of all sizes, markets, and functionalities.
Many people who are starting their internet business are completely unaware that it is possible to create an online store with WordPress. This CMS is free and offers facilities to adapt your website to an e-commerce through different plugins.
WordPress plugins to create online stores
Plugins are one of the most useful tools for WordPress users. When you need to make any alteration or install new functionality, just use a plugin. It is not necessary to spend hours working with programming codes so that a person without technical knowledge does not understand.
There are hundreds of plugins for various purposes in WordPress. These can be used for something simple, like editing the appearance of the site, or for more complex functions. This includes creating an online store with WordPress.
You may also be interested in WordPress Plugins: 5 plugins to optimize your website.
What is a WooCommerce online store?
WooCommerce is one of the most popular online store platforms today. According to Built With Trends, more than 34 thousand websites were created with this plugin and the number keeps growing.
Do you know why WooCommerce is so important to create a virtual store with WordPress? Because it is free, extremely efficient, and it helps your website look more professional and sell easier with a low implementation cost.
WooCommerce is an open source platform. Therefore, anyone can edit it according to their individual needs. So it is the best option to creating WooCommerce & WordPress websites that is easy to handle even a beginner can easily handle the website by themselves.
The system was created by three WordPress contributors in 2008 and currently consists of a large team of developers and designers around the world performing optimizations and updates. In addition to being built on WordPress, the platform is audited by Sucuri, a leading company in digital security.
In this way, WooCommerce became one of the best options for creating e-commerce. This is a complete system, which allows the creation of an attractive, fast and secure website, it has everything a virtual business needs. And there is more, the creation of the website on the platform is very simple, as you will see below:
What do you need before creating an online store?
Starting a digital project, like any other project, is not an easy task, there are many great ideas and brilliant projects that fail for different reasons, it can be from the planning of the company to bureaucratic, financial or logistical questions.
So it will be best to use a suitable e-commerce platform to obtain the desired results. Remember that before starting your project you must evaluate everything you need. We will give you some guidelines for the digital world:
To start, it is necessary to define the products or services offered, in this way you will start creating a catalog. That will help you when choosing a WordPress theme for your store. It is even worth checking the competition websites to learn a little about how it works.
You will also need to have an active website, regardless of whether it is not in the ideal form yet. Do not forget to choose a Web Hosting plan indicated for online store, which provides security and speed to your website.
Know everything you need to prepare before creating a virtual store with WordPress:
Web Hosting for Online Store;
Own domain for the website;
List of products that you will use.
Do you have everything ready? So, you can start creating your website
Step by step to create your e-commerce
Contrary to what many people think, creating an online store with WordPress is simple and fast. The platform is quite inexpensive, since it allows the use of free plugins to complement the virtual store.
Best of all, you can combine an efficient website with an online store. It is not necessary to have two domains, one for the store and one for the blog where you apply content strategies and digital marketing. Everything can be integrated.
Install the WooCommerce plugin on your website
Enter the main page of your WordPress website, in the toolbar on the left side you can find the option “Plugins” and select “Add New”.
Install-plug-in WooCommerce
Find WooCommerce in the search bar and select Install Plugin. Don’t forget to activate the plugin before moving on to the next stage.
Configure WooCommerce
If you search in the sidebar, there will be a new option, WooCommerce. That means that your virtual store is a few steps from activating, before you will have to make some important configurations. Click on the WooCommerce option to get started.
Start with the general settings section. In this, you must insert different information, such as the region where your business is located, shipping value, currency used and tax method. You will notice that the customization options are great, including measurements for each image, inventory control and even discount coupons.
Woocommerce-step-2
Register your products
In the next section, you must configure the product information. Create categories and start registering your products with description and URL structure. This part will be essential to facilitate sales in your virtual business later.
Define payment and shipping options
Now it will be necessary to define the payment options, in addition to being able to use more common forms, such as credit card and ticket, you can also use other payment methods such as PayPal for example.
Some plugins will also help you send your orders by mail, such as WooCommerce Super Shipping.
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Tips to have a successful online store
After finishing your virtual store, you are ready to start selling. To attract more consumers and make e-commerce efficiex nt, it is important to have an attractive and easy-to-navigate layout.
WordPress is one of the best options for creating online stores. This is inexpensive and has countless themes compatible with WooCommerce. When used with a good Web Hosting plan, the website will also be fast and easier to find in search tools.
