Do you want to open your online store? We know that starting an online store can be a challenging thing, especially if you are not a tech-savvy person.
Well, you're not alone. Having helped hundreds of users start their online stores, we decided to create the most comprehensive guide on how to create your online store with WordPress.
Here are six steps to launch your eCommerce website with WordPress:
1. Get your domain name and hosting
Your domain name is your website's unique and address—the part after "www." to your URL. For example, we have moticreatives.com.
You can buy a domain name from places like NameCheap. It's always a good idea to keep your domain name as close to your brand as possible and keep it short and memorable.
.com is the most popular domain extension. This is a smart choice for online stores because it leaves you open to sales worldwide. Choose a country-specific extension, and you may limit your potential for further expansion.
Hosting is where you store all the files associated with your site. Various types of web hosting are available in the market, such as shared, VPS, and cloud hosting. Once you have purchased a domain and hosting, getting your site up and running is just one step.
2. Install WordPress
There are two primary ways to install WordPress: one-click installation through your hosting manager and manually downloading WordPress and then uploading it to your hosting account.
As you might think, the first option is the easiest and is the one we recommend. When choosing a hosting company, look for those that offer one-click installation- check out the service on our list of the best WordPress hosting to see a selection of the best.
Once you sign up with a hosting company that offers this setup, you must go to your hosting account and click the button that says Install WordPress. Here is our guide to installing WordPress and Bluehost, and you will find that the process is the same as most hosting companies.
If your host does not offer a one-click installation of WordPress, you will need to download WordPress to your computer and then upload it to your host's installation directory. It's simple; it's not easy.
3. Integrate an eCommerce plugin
Now, you will have a basic WordPress website. But to turn it into an online store, you need to install an eCommerce plugin. I chose WooCommerce, but you can choose other options that better suit your needs. Next, you must set up your store, which includes tasks such as creating store pages, setting up the site with a WooCommerce side cart, understanding sales taxes, and choosing a payment method.
WooCommerce is the best store builder available in the market. It is built on WordPress, giving you the flexibility of WordPress and the freedom to sell any product you want. First, you need to add the WooCommerce plugin.
Add Plugin
Just go to Plugins » Add New Page and search for WooCommerce. In the search results, click the "Install Now" button next to the WooCommerce menu. WordPress will now download and install the WooCommerce plugin for you. Wait for the installation to finish downloading, and then click the activate button to continue.
Activate
Upon activation, WooCommerce will start the installation process, and you will see the "Welcome to WooCommerce" screen. This set of instructions will introduce you to the basics of WooCommerce.
Basic Information
First, you must provide basic information for your online store, such as an address, country, and region. You can add the seller's location information as an address if you are a seller. After that, click the "Continue" button to proceed to the next step.
Store Industry
Next, you will be asked to select a store. You can choose an industry close to the type of store you want to manage. Click the "Continue" button to continue.
Types of Products
After that, you will be asked to choose the types of products that you will sell in your store. For example, you can choose special items if your products require shipping.
You can also choose from many types of products. For example, you can choose both physical and digital items. You can select which product to add for each type.
You will be asked to provide more information about the business, such as how many products you plan to sell and when you will sell elsewhere. You can choose that you do not have a product now and choose "No" for another option.
Install free features
Now you need to go to the Free Features tab. You will see a pre-checked box to install free content for your site. It would be best if you disable this option because it will install other WooCommerce extensions you may not need. If you need them later, you can install them yourself.
Choose a theme
You can continue using your current default theme by selecting Store or any free options listed on the page. That's it; you have completed the WooCommerce basic setup.
4. Creating Important Store Pages
Online stores can be very specialized, so you also need specific pages for stores that they use well. The reason is that the first step of the WooCommerce wizard is to create these pages.
The store page will display all your products. Your customers can change their order on the Cart page before checking out. Your customers can choose a purchase/delivery method on the checkout page and make the final payment.
My account description is like a profile for potential customers to show them my profile, contact information, and other information. All you have to do is follow the steps, and WooCommerce is now set up for you.
5. Add Your Products
Now that your store looks like an eCommerce store, you're ready to add products. There are a few details you'll want to sort: title, short and long description, price, product image, product category, product brand, and product type.
Don't worry about messing something up- you can always go back and edit this data later. When happy with it, hit the Update or Publish button, just like a blog post. Once you do this, your product will live in the front of your store.
6. Extend WooCommerce's Functionality
Another great business solution that has hundreds of add-ons and plugins to enhance its capabilities. Here is a list of a few plugins that you should install on your website:
Payment Gateways
These extensions allow you to accept additional payment methods in addition to PayPal.
Shipping Extensions
These extensions can be useful if you want to integrate your store with official shipping costs from companies like FedEx and UPS without additional effort.
WooCommerce Subscription
These plugins and extensions allow buyers to join the product or service by paying an upfront fee.
In addition to this, you can also install other WordPress plugins such as Yoast SEO, UpdraftPlus, Contact Form 7, and MonsterInsights.
Conclusion
Online shopping is the fastest-growing retail sector worldwide. Most users say they wouldn't buy it any other way. Now anyone who has products to sell can create an online store. If you want that too, why not consider using WordPress? WordPress makes it easy for you with eCommerce options to suit all budgets and skill levels.