Roqqett Blog

January 27, 2023
Author: Patrick McDill

​​Getting started with WooCommerce: A step by step tutorial

Do you want to use WooCommerce to establish an online store? Need a WooCommerce tutorial that's simple enough for non-techies to understand? If that's the case, you've come to the correct place.

Quick Summary

WooCommerce is the most widely used eCommerce platform on the planet. It's highly adaptable, cost-effective, and simple, even for beginners. However, many beginners are hesitant of setting up WooCommerce on their own. The majority of people have trouble figuring out how to get started with WooCommerce and properly set it up. We'll walk you through how to set up WooCommerce with step-by-step instructions in our ultimate WooCommerce tutorial. We'll also provide WooCommerce resources such as the top WooCommerce themes, WooCommerce SEO strategies, and other essential tools to assist you in growing your store.

As an overview, here is what we want to cover in this tutorial:

  • What is WooCommerce
  • Why Woo and not another platform
  • What do you need to make a woo commerce store
  • How to install WooCommerce
  • Choose a Theme
  • Adding products in WooCommerce
  • Other Plugins and extensions
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What is WooCommerce?

WooCommerce is a free eCommerce platform that makes selling goods and services online a breeze. It has grown to become the most widely used eCommerce platform globally, with millions of minor and large enterprises using it (online stores).

WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin that extends the most popular website builder. Users can use this to create an eCommerce website from the ground up or to add shopping cart features to an existing website.

WooCommerce is free to download and use because it is open-source software. While the WooCommerce software is free, you will still need to pay for a domain name and hosting web to create a website. Later in this tutorial, we'll go over WooCommerce pricing.

Why WooCommerce and not another platform?

WooCommerce has become the most popular eCommerce software globally because it is simple to use and offers a lot of valuable features. Because WooCommerce is open source, you gain complete independence and control over your eCommerce website and the fact that it is entirely free. WooCommerce pricing does not include licencing fees, unlike other proprietary eCommerce platforms. As a result, you can use it to set up as many online stores and eCommerce websites as you like.

WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin so that you can take advantage of all of WordPress's powerful features. You may choose from thousands of attractive WooCommerce themes and templates to launch your online store. Each has simple modification possibilities, and many of them are entirely free.

The flexibility of WooCommerce is one of the key reasons why business owners appreciate it. Plugins can be used to extend the functionality of WooCommerce (also known as add-ons). There are dozens of WooCommerce-specific plugins available to add services like booking, subscriptions, shipping platform connections, sales tax collection, etc. Aside from WooCommerce extensions, you may use thousands of WordPress plugins to add features like contact forms, call now buttons, galleries, data backup, security firewall, and more to your website.

Another benefit of WooCommerce is that it does not impose any limitations on managing your business. You can add an unlimited number of items, make a total number of sales, import and export product data, and add a total number of product photos, videos, and categories, among other things. For many consumers, accepting payments online is a considerable challenge. The most crucial benefit of adopting WooCommerce for those users is that it effortlessly connects with dozens of payment systems and gateways. It comes with built-in support for PayPal and Stripe. Using add-ons, you can also accept payments via Roqqett, allowing you to get money into your bank instantly before you ship any goods. Reduce fraud and nasty chargebacks, and also give your customers a fantastic experience when paying.

What do you need to make a woo commerce store?

At its core, you need three things to start an online store. They are:

  • A WordPress account: To host all the files of your website.
  • A Domain Name: An address of your website
  • An SSL certificate: which helps keep payments and your website secure

These services listed above are not free. Beginners frequently inquire, "If WooCommerce is free, why do I need to pay for these things?"

To develop any form of a website, you'll need to pay for these three items (not just WooCommerce). Which services you choose to purchase for your website will determine the overall cost of your online store (WooCommerce pricing). You can simply keep prices under control by only buying what you require. As your firm grows and profits, you may add more features. Typically, web hosting for a starter site costs £8 per month, a domain name costs £3.99 per year, and an SSL certificate costs £50.00 per year. This is a substantial investment, and when you're establishing a new firm, every penny counts.

How to install WooCommerce

WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin, installing it is equivalent to installing any other WordPress plugin. 

Simply go to your WordPress admin's Plugins » Add New page and search for WooCommerce. Plugin search results will now be displayed in WordPress. Then, next to WooCommerce, click the 'Install now' option.

WordPress will now download the WooCommerce plugin files and install it for you. After you've finished, click the 'Activate' button to begin using it. After activation, WooCommerce will launch the WooCommerce setup wizard.

First, you will need to select your store location, currency, and what type of products you want to sell. After that, click on the let’s go button to continue. In the next step, you will be asked to choose a payment method. By default, WooCommerce supports PayPal and Stripe payment gateways.

You may activate these payment methods by clicking the toggle and providing your email address to set them up.

Alternatively, by going to the WooCommerce » Settings page and selecting the Payments tab, you can turn them both off and set them afterwards. Likewise, if PayPal or Stripe aren't what you are looking for, you can always upgrade your online checkout with Roqqett’s WooCommerce Plugin, the option for customers to pay instantly using their banking app. Thanks to Roqqett you can get paid instant settlements on your Woo site and take advantage of many other benefits. Find out more here.

After that, you'll be asked to arrange for shipping. You can choose to have free shipping or to charge a flat rate for different zones.

Choose a Theme

There are thousands of internet stores that compete to sell the same things as one another. Choose a professional design for your store because it will have a significant impact on how customers perceive your business. Thousands of WooCommerce templates and themes are currently available for purchase on the market. Although you can use WooCommerce with any WordPress theme, we prefer that you select a theme that is WooCommerce-compatible.

These themes have been created exclusively for WooCommerce websites, and they will assist you in increasing the number of sales on your site. Because there are thousands of premium and free WooCommerce themes available on the market, it might be difficult for beginners to choose the most appropriate design from among the many options. It is also very simple to change the theme at an early stage with few consequences.

Adding products in WooCommerce

Adding products to your store is a breeze using WooCommerce's drag-and-drop functionality.

Simply navigate to Products » to get started. Create a new page in order to add your first product.

You must first supply a title for your product, followed by a clear description of what it is.

After that, in the right-hand column, click on the link that says "Add new product category." You have the option of creating a new category for the item you are adding. Your customers will be able to browse through your products more easily if you organise them into categories.

In order to access the 'Product Data' box, you must first scroll down a few lines. This is where you will choose the product type, and enter product pricing, shipping information, and other details.

A box with a brief description of the product will appear next. This description will be featured on a variety of product pages throughout your website. You must include a short description that is both appealing and informative in order to attract more clicks. Nothing improves the usability of a product page more than product photographs. Product photos and even product image galleries may be added to each product with ease thanks to WooCommerce's drag-and-drop functionality.

First and foremost, you must provide the primary product image. This will be the primary product image that will be displayed on all of your store's shop page layouts.

You can add numerous photographs to the section below to build a product image gallery of your own. Now go back and look through all of the product information that you have entered so far. If everything appears to be in order, you are ready to make this product available for purchase on your website.

To make your product available for sale, click on the Publish button in the top right corner of the screen.

Congratulations you have added your first product - why not add some more?

Other Plugins and extensions

The actual power of WooCommerce comes from the numerous powerful extensions and add-ons available for the platform. These add-ons operate in the same way that a WordPress plugin does, and they may be installed in the same way that any other WordPress plugin would be.

There are thousands of plugins available for both WooCommerce and WordPress, and they are constantly being updated. Create contact forms, landing pages, pricing tables and gift cards are just a few examples of how you can put them to use.

  • WPForms – Allows you to easily create contact forms, customer surveys, customer login forms, and more.
  • MonsterInsights – Allows you to install Google Analytics and track your top products, categories, and landing pages. See where your customers are coming from and what they do on your website.
  • SeedProd – It is the best drag and drop page builder plugin for WooCommerce. It allows you to easily create beautiful landing pages to promote products, marketing campaigns, sale events, and more. You can even use it to create a completely custom WordPress theme for your store without any coding knowledge.
  • AIOSEO – All in One SEO is the best WordPress SEO plugin that’s used by over 3 million websites. It helps you optimise your store with the right WooCommerce SEO settings to rank higher on Google.
  • WooFunnels – helps you create sales funnel and customise WooCommerce checkout pages to add one-click upsells, order bumps and other eCommerce automation to boost profits. It also comes with a marketing automation toolkit Autonami that helps you set up email automation for WooCommerce.
  • AffiliateWP – lets you easily create an affiliate referral program for your WooCommerce store.
  • Advanced Coupons for WooCommerce – this plugin lets you add custom coupons for free shipping, and BOGO offers, and they also have extensions for loyalty programs, gift cards, and more.
  • OptinMonster – lets you create spin-a-wheel campaigns, floating bars, and other personalised popups to boost your sales conversion.
  • TrustPulse – Allows you to utilise the power of social proof and FOMO to instantly win customer trust and generate more sales
  • SearchWP – helps you improve your WooCommerce product search by adding live AJAX search and more to boost sales.
  • RafflePress – Helps you run viral giveaway campaigns to promote your WooCommerce store.
  • PushEngage – Helps you connect with visitors after they leave your website through web push notifications.

FAQ’s

WooCommerce is a very strong platform, and many business owners have questions before using it. We've heard them all from thousands of new WooCommerce users. Here are some often-asked WooCommerce questions.

1. Is there a live WooCommerce demo?

Millions of sites use WooCommerce. You've probably visited countless WooCommerce-powered sites without even realising it.

WooCommerce is utilised by some of the world's biggest brands as well as small enterprises.

Have a look at https://www.practicalecommerce.com/5-Beautiful-WooCommerce-Sites

2. What Products Can I Sell Using WooCommerce?

WooCommerce allows you to sell any type of product. Physical goods (items that must be shipped), digital downloads (ebooks, software, digital art), and even subscriptions are all options.

WooCommerce offers extensions that let you use it as a booking system, auction site, multi-vendor marketplace, dropshipping, and much more.

3. What are some alternatives to WooCommerce?

WooCommerce is adaptable and simple to use, but it isn't always the best option. Depending on your requirements, you may discover that other options are more appropriate. For more examples, see our list of the best WooCommerce alternatives.

4. Is WooCommerce suitable for dropshipping?

Yes, you certainly can. In fact, WooCommerce is the most popular platform for creating a dropshipping website. There are a number of good WooCommerce dropshipping plugins available that make managing orders, managing vendors, and automating the entire process a breeze.

5. Can I use WooCommerce to create a blog?

Yes, you certainly can. Your WooCommerce store is built on top of WordPress, the world's most popular blogging platform. All you have to do now is set up a separate blog section and begin producing articles.

6. Can I modify the name of my WooCommerce store?

In the WordPress admin area, go to Settings » General and modify the name of your store. Simply alter the title to anything you'd like your store to be called.

If you wish to modify the domain name of your WooCommerce store, though, you'll need to follow a slightly different procedure. 

7. Where is my WooCommerce login information?

Because WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin, you don't need a separate WooCommerce login for the admin area. Simply click the WordPress login link to access your WordPress dashboard.

Your customers, on the other hand, will have a WooCommerce login, allowing them to access their account area and track orders.

8. Where can I get WooCommerce assistance?

Because WooCommerce is a free programme, there is only limited help accessible through the WordPress community forums and the official WooCommerce website.

Your WooCommerce hosting provider or individual WooCommerce theme and extension developers supply the majority of WooCommerce support.

You can hire a WordPress developer from a reputable directory like Codeable for custom WooCommerce development and customisation services.

That's all there is to it; we hope this WooCommerce guide has shown you how to install WooCommerce and create an eCommerce store. 

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