WooCommerce
WooCommerce is an open-source e-commerce plugin for WordPress. It is designed for small to large-sized online merchants using WordPress. Launched on September 27, 2011, the plugin quickly became popular for its simplicity to install and customize and for the market position of the base product as freeware.
“Woo’s greatest strength is its extensibility. There’s very little I can’t build with Woo. Given enough time and resources Woo can be finely tailored to even your store’s most niche feature.”
“No other ecommerce platform allows people to start for free and grow their store as their business grows. More importantly, Woo doesn’t charge you a portion of your profits as your business grows.”
A Comprehensive Introduction to WooCommerce
WordPress has come a long way from the humble blogging platform it used to be. These days, you can use it to create any type of site you need, including e-commerce. However, selling products and services online hasn’t always been easy, even with a user-friendly platform like WordPress.
That all changed when WooCommerce was launched and became the de facto e-commerce solution for WordPress users. WooCommerce is the standout choice for anybody who wants to build an online store. This popular plugin offers a wide variety of features and makes selling goods and services through your site simple — even for beginners.
The WooCommerce plugin was first launched in 2011 and quickly became a popular method for creating an online store:
It was later acquired by Automattic in 2015, making it more or less the officially supported WordPress e-commerce plugin. WooCommerce’s growth since then has been continuous and staggering.
According to statistics collected by Barn2, WooCommerce powers almost 41% of all e-commerce websites. This makes it the most popular e-commerce solution by far, almost double its closest competitor (Shopify).
So what is all the hubbub about? The main reason for WooCommerce’s incredible growth and continuing success is how easy it is to use. Before it came along, selling products and services online was not always a picnic. You usually had to purchase several pieces of software, construct the site yourself, and keep track of every moving part.
WooCommerce streamlines this process, helping you turn your existing WordPress site into an online store in minutes. It also makes configuring and running your store much easier. Now, let’s take a closer look at why WooCommerce is such a valuable tool.
Why WooCommerce Is the Best Choice for Your Online Store
We’ve already mentioned that WooCommerce is easy to install and configure, even for total beginners. Just by using the basic free plugin and its default settings, you can set up a store in less than an hour.
This ease of installation significantly lowers the threshold for e-commerce beginners while still giving you control over nearly every facet of your store.
Once WooCommerce is installed, you can easily configure and manage everything from a user-friendly interface. This includes product costs, item details, shipping fees, taxes, stock levels, images, and much more. You can also tailor the checkout process to suit your needs, thanks to customizable carts, geolocation features, and several different payment options.
Perhaps the best feature of WooCommerce is its flexibility. It truly is a one-size-fits-all solution that works equally well for small independent stores and large, ambitious e-commerce businesses. As your company grows over time, WooCommerce’s scalability makes it easy to expand your store.
While the plugin’s default settings work well for a more modest site, the plugin can also be configured and customized to match your precise needs. You can change the look of your store using themes created specifically with WooCommerce sites in mind and add new functionality through dedicated extensions.
Start an Online Store Today
If you want to use your WordPress site to sell goods and services, WooCommerce is by far your best option. It’s the most popular e-commerce plugin for a reason and makes it incredibly easy for beginners and experienced users alike to open an online store.
While using the basic WooCommerce plugin will enable you to build a successful store, you can improve it even further using themes and extensions. For instance, you can link your online store with Google Analytics to track customer behaviour or set up recurring subscriptions for your customers.
Creating a beautiful e-commerce store is just the first step. You’ll also need to make sure that your WooCommerce-powered shop loads quickly and provides a great user experience.
