A few days ago, Megha shared a special guide to launching her first online store. Today, I will expand the chain by sharing this comprehensive guide to starting an eCommerce store.
Setting up an eCommerce store takes a lot of work, but it's worth the effort.
Presenting your products online means that anyone can access them with an internet connection. It also means that more people will be able to find it, perhaps from Google search or social media.
Whether you sell physical products (T-shirts, posters) or digital products (ebooks, photos), an e-commerce site will help you find your customers.
Thanks to WordPress, creating an eCommerce site is easy. With the right tools, your online store can go live in a matter of days or even hours.
WordPress provides two major e-commerce platforms for creating online stores.
- Wuo Commerce.
- WPE Commerce
It can be great to start with the technical side of building an e-commerce website, so it's a good idea to start with the basics. You can later figure out what additional features or functions you want to add to your online store.
The best eCommerce WordPress platform:
Platform refers to the application, tool or plugin that you will use to manage your store. There are many eCommerce platforms, but only a few are able to be used in the long run.
Every business owner has a different need, so it is important to understand their needs before choosing a platform.
1. WooCommerce
WooCommerce is the most popular and easy to use platform for WordPress eCommerce sites. It's easy to use, supports both physical and digital products, and has many plugins and add-ons.
In 2015, 78.4 W of e-commerce sites built on WordPress were using WooCommerce.
In addition to its easy-to-use interface, WooCommerce is packed with great features and continuous product improvements. The latest version of WooCommerce is probably the best version ever.
2. WP eCommerce.
While leading the WooCommerce pack, why would anyone want to use something like WP eCommerce?
Since features like advanced checkout and table fee shipping are free, you'll need to purchase a plugin to use the same feature in WooCommerce.
Some business owners may realize that WPE commerce is not their primary option, but it can be more beneficial to their sales process.
3. Easy digital downloads.
Although the first two platforms allow you to sell both digital and physical products, Easy Digital Downloads focuses only on digital products.
The platform is designed for artists, writers and other business people who sell non-physical products such as eBooks, digital art and music.
Product downloads require a specific type of purchase, and this plugin simplifies the process as much as possible. It supports payment gateways such as PayPal, Stripe, and Amazon, as well as many frequent downloads.
4. Shopify
If you want an easy and fast way to create an online store, Shopify is the best option for you.
Not only does it give you easy steps to start selling in minutes, but it also offers free hosting. This means you only need to purchase a domain name for your store, and Shopify will give you a home on the web.
The service is offered with a monthly subscription, starting at $ 13 / month. With Basic Account, you get unlimited product uploads, unlimited file storage, and 24/7 customer support.
E-commerce payment gateway
A payment gateway is a facility that allows you to pay for your products. This is usually done with PayPal, credit card, or online payment services such as Patti or Brentry.
Not all platforms offer the same payment gateway, so you should consider this feature when choosing a platform.
Some platforms require plugins to add specific payment gateways. For example, you'll need to purchase the Wal 79 extension to add Google Wallet to WooCommerce.
1. PayPal.
The most well-known installment door for internet business is PayPal.
It's free to use and anyone can register for the service.
Most platforms have a built-in PayPal payment gateway so you can use this feature immediately. If you're not using an e-commerce platform, you can put the code anywhere on your site with PayPal.
If you use WordPress, there are other variations of the PayPal button that you can configure with the plugin.
2. Authorize .net
Authorize.net is an installment door for direct Visa installments, without the need to make a PayPal account.
Installment can be made with charge card or electronic check. The money is then transferred to the seller through a bank account.
Authorize.net upholds all significant charge cards like Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club and JCB. It likewise upholds PayPal, Apple Pay and Visa Checkout.
The service also offers fraud prevention technology with automatic billing for monthly subscriptions.
While all of this sounds great, Authorize.net is an expensive payment gateway. It is ideal for an established business, but not for small businesses or individual entrepreneurs. Setting up Authorize.net for your site costs $ 49.
3. Stripes.
Stripe is a free alternative to Authorize.net, as it also allows credit card payments.
However, it charges a flat fee (2.9 + + 30 cents) per transaction. Flat fees are charged only when the transaction takes place.
Stripe does not require a monthly subscription and is a free WooCommerce extension. But keep in mind that your site must have an SSL certificate to ensure that your users' credit card information is secure.
Another downside is that the strip is only available in a few countries (including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands). You can check if the strip is available in your country on this page.
4. Gumrod.
For $ 10 per month, you can sell physical and digital products online and accept all major credit cards and PayPal. More than a simple checkout tool, Gumrod offers a product page where your customers can see all of your products.
If you have a separate website, you can install the Gamrood widget to link checkout to your site. While this payment gateway supports both physical and digital products, key features benefit digital product vendors.
Software developers can use Gumrod's automated license key generator. Downloads can also go to specific cloud services such as Dropbox and Kindle.
Store customized.
Any store owner wants their store to look good, so expect a lot of WordPress plugins for this purpose.
Customizing an eCommerce store is more complicated than a typical website, as there are many other things to consider.
- Does the store look organized?
- Can a user easily find something?
- Are the products offered in the best possible way?
Here are a few devices to assist you with making a lovely online store:
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Many themes are designed specifically for e-commerce sites.
WooCommerce offers both free and premium themes on its website.
There are many themes that work with any eCommerce platform.
You can also search the WordPress directory for themes that suit your eCommerce platform design. Choosing the right theme helps build your brand image while improving the customer experience.
The WooCommerce Storefront theme is free and looks clean and polished.
Product interaction
The stars of your store are your products, so they should be clear and easy to communicate.
Plugins like WooCommerce Image Zoom and WooCommerce Image Hover allow users to take a closer look at their products. WooCommerce Quick View allows the user to get a larger image while hovering over the image. Some users want to see more products on the same screen, so plugins like WooCommerce Product Slider can add this feature to your site.
When you search the WordPress Plugin Directory for a particular feature, you'll find more gallery customization options.
There are additionally modules that deal with the general look of your store. An example is Custom Woo Commerce Shop, which allows you to change the layout of your store's product, checkout, store and shopping cart pages.
Extended functionality and advanced customization.
Although eCommerce platforms try to offer basic (and some modern) features, sometimes they are not enough for the shop owner.
For example, non-US sellers want a custom shipping rate calculator for their country. Sellers of digital products do not want to use the default add-to-cart button and prefer the download button instead. Some sellers want to apply discounts to their products for a specific period of time.
These "boosters" are a way to disable the default features found in the eCommerce platform while adding more features. Most of these plugins provide features for free, but some advanced settings may need to be upgraded to the Pro version of the plugin.
Create an e-commerce website.
Setting up an online store can be a long and arduous process, but it is also a great learning experience.
It is important that you know how one platform differs from another, so that you can create the store you want for your audience. You want to make sure you're building the best possible store that your customers find informative and easy to navigate.
Knowing the many tools available - from design to functionality - will help you decide what you want your store to be. Lastly, presenting your product online should be a hassle-free experience for your customers. That way, you'll have more loyal customers who will keep coming back for more.
Are you an e-commerce entrepreneur? What ideas might you want to add to this rundown? Let me know in the comments below!
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