Choosing the right eCommerce platform to power your web store can be challenging, especially if you are new to the scene. eCommerce platforms are like pizza toppings. There are many options, and you have no idea which one is the best for you. The vast choices available in the market might overwhelm your senses and give you a splitting headache!
You need to carefully factor in criteria like hosting options, pricing, UI/UX experiences, speed, scalability, payment gateways, etc., before zeroing in on the right fit for you.
Let us make this marginally easy by suggesting an all-rounder platform – WooCommerce!
WooCommerce is currently ranked the best, most popular, and most trusted eCommerce platform among all others in the market, powering over a whopping 8.7% of the total internet platforms.
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What is WooCommerce?
WooCommerce is an open-source eCommerce plugin for WordPress. Launched on September 27, 2011, WooCommerce is presently the most popular eCommerce platform on the web. It's easy to see why: it's simple, free, easy to install, highly customizable, easy to use, and has a free base product. It is packed with features and options like aesthetic themes, subscriptions, shipping options, and much more that allow you to create a robust and flourishing online store.
WooCommerce is a powerhouse eCommerce platform for small to medium-sized online businesses, especially if you're not a technical person. As a WordPress plugin, it allows you to create a fully functioning online store right inside your WordPress site. It integrates with WordPress and offers a wide range of features to help you sell your products and services online.
In this comprehensive WooCommerce guide, we will cover the top features of WooCommerce and how to set it up on your website. We will also provide a review of WooCommerce to help you decide if it is the right eCommerce platform for you.
Having trouble deciding the best platform for your eCommerce business?
WooCommerce's Top Features
WooCommerce comes loaded with features that allow you to create a powerful online store. Let's take a look at some of the top WooCommerce features.
WooCommerce allows a wide range of shop types to be built on it, such as:
So, if you're looking to create an online store, WooCommerce is the top horse. Still not convinced? Check out the below WooCommerce details for more information.
WooCommerce Statistics 2022
Now let us delve into some fascinating statistics on WooCommerce.
With all these features comes a steep learning curve if you want to take advantage of everything you can do with it. Be aware of the best and worst of WooCommerce before you start.
Is WooCommerce the platform for your eCommerce store?
Advantages of WooCommerce
1. Free and Open Source
WooCommerce is free and open source. You can download it right from the WordPress plugin directory and use it without charge.
2. Limitless Customization and Scalability
WooCommerce is highly customizable. There are hundreds of WooCommerce themes and templates available that you can tweak to your liking and create any design you want. You can easily create your product catalog, calculate shipping costs, send a confirmation email after purchase, etc. It is also very scalable and has low shop costs.
3. High Security for Site and Payments
WooCommerce is known for its security options. It is pretty hard to break into your site if used right. The platform also integrates payment options like Paypal, Stripe, and even COD to give your customers a faultless checkout experience. The payment happens through secure gateways without compromising your customers' credentials.
4. Easy to Use and Set Up
WooCommerce is easy to use. Even if you're not a techy person, you can easily set up and manage the store on your own. Setting up the site takes very little time via the WooCommerce Wizard. We have detailed it in the coming segments.
5. Feature-rich
WooCommerce has all the features you need to create a successful online store. It has built-in support for payments, shipping, taxes, and more. There are hundreds of extensions and plugins that you can choose from the WordPress Plugin Directory to make your store look smashing. If you want to include a specific feature in your store, a plugin is probably available.
6. Easy Integration
Another great thing about WooCommerce is that you can integrate it with almost any other service since it works on top of WordPress' REST API. Many plugins extend that API so you can use third-party services like Zapier or IFTTT for automation.
7. Community Support
The community behind WooCommerce like “Advanced WooCommmerce” and 'WooCommerce Help and Care' are huge and active, so finding support through forums or communities is easy. You can also bank on the whole WordPress community for help, such as the 'WordPress Support Forum.'
Challenges of WooCommerce
1. Maintenance Costs
After setting up, the WooCommerce site would need some factors met to function smoothly. You will need a PHP version 7 or greater, MySQL version 5.6 or greater, or MariaDB version 10.0 or greater, a WordPress memory limit of at least 128 MB or greater, and an SSL certificate. You will need to make extra payments for these options in most cases.
2. Slow Loading Speed and Uptime
Because it uses tons of third-party plugins, WooCommerce has lots of maintenance requirements. These can affect your website speed and uptime, which ultimately lead to fewer sales for you.
Now that you know Woocommerce in detail, are you ready to get started? Follow our step-by-step guide on how to set up a WooCommerce website.
How to Set Up a WooCommerce Website?
Setting up WooCommerce is relatively easy. You can find detailed instructions on the WooCommerce website. Once you have WooCommerce installed on your website, you'll need to add products and configure your payment gateway settings. After that, you're ready to start selling!
Once you have everything configured, you're ready to launch your WooCommerce store! For more information on setting up WooCommerce, be sure to check out the WooCommerce documentation.
Final Review of WooCommerce Platform
Overall, we think that WooComerce is a great eCommerce platform. It's easy to use, has a lot of features, and integrates well with WordPress. If you're looking for an eCommerce solution for your business, we recommend WooCommerce.
If you are a small or mid-range business owner looking aesthetically pleasing, customizable platform to run your website, WooCommerce is your thing. It is easy on the pockets and a pleasure to handle. You will have enough time at hand to do what you love the most – sales, revenue, and reputation!
Looking to set up a WooCommerce store from scratch?
Summation
In conclusion, we feel that WooCommerce is a great choice for most businesses owing to its world-class features. Get in touch with us for any services regarding WooCommerce.
We hope you enjoyed this article. We hope it helped decide whether or not WooCommerce is suitable for you. Don't forget to check out our other blog posts on eCommerce and WordPress. Thanks for reading! Happy selling!
