If you’ve ever dreamed of starting your own business then now is a great time to start.
You can never go wrong with being a business owner but it requires quite a lot of preparation and planning on your part. Luckily, the internet has made it easier for just anyone to be a business owner even if they don’t have a physical store.
Having an online store has a lot to offer and you will have a wider reach of potential customers. Even if you aren’t tech-savvy, you can still start up an online store. One of the avenues that will make it easier for you to create an online store is by using WordPress.
WordPress is a platform that enables you to create your own website. If you want to start an online store using WordPress, here are a couple of things that you might want to know:
1. Get a Domain Name and Web Hosting
The first thing you need to have an official website is to get a domain name and web hosting service.
Your domain name should properly reflect what your business is about so that your online store can be easily found on search engines. Think of your domain name as your address if your online store was a physical store.
As for your web host, which will serve as your website’s home on the web, WPHost Managed WordPress Hosting NZ advises that you should make sure that they are reliable based on customer reviews. Not to mention that their plan should be affordable.
2. Select an E-commerce Plugin
Although WordPress gives you the ability to start a website, they aren’t exactly mean for creating an online store. They mostly provide services to people looking to start a blog.
Regardless, there are workarounds available to turn a content management system into an e-commerce website.
One way you can create an online store in WordPress is by installing a plugin on the site. Installing an e-commerce plugin will add online store functionalities to your website, which could come in handy when building a loyal customer base.
There are several plugins that provide this for you. Here are some of them:
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a popular WordPress plugin that offers a lot of advanced features in order for you to create an online store using WordPress. It is also open-source, which means that you have access to thousands of plugins that offer additional features you would want to include in your e-commerce website.
The great thing about WooCommerce is that it has the ability to support your business when you’re only starting out and will scale with you as your business grows.
If you’re looking for a powerful e-commerce WordPress plugin, then you can’t go wrong with choosing WooCommerce.
Easy Digital Downloads
If your online store is not meant to sell any physical products, then you might want to get a plugin that is specifically designated for that type of store.
One such e-commerce plugin for WordPress is Easy Digital Downloads.
Easy Digital Downloads is made for those who are selling digital products. They specialize in things like creating discount codes, download restrictions, and so on.
You can get more out of EDD if you install additional extensions to the plugin. With these extensions, you can even set up a subscription service for your potential customers.
For digital goods, Easy Digital Downloads is an easier go-to e-commerce plugin for you.
WP eCommerce
Another plugin that works similarly to WooCommerce, but might not be as extensive in features, is WP e-commerce
Although it doesn’t cover quite as much as WooCommerce, WP eCommerce is still a popular choice, powering over 36,000 online stores.
It provides every basic feature that you would need to get an online store up and running. So if you’re looking for a WooCommerce alternative, try this plugin out.
3. Install Your E-commerce Plugin
After you’ve chosen your e-commerce plugin, you should then install it on your WordPress backend. Here are the steps to follow:
- On your dashboard sidebar, go to Plugins and click “Add New.”
- Type in the name of your preferred plugin on the search bar. Once you’ve found it, click “Install” and then “Activate.”
- Once the plugin is installed, you can “Allow” or “Not Allow” depending on whether you’d like the developers to access your tracking information.
4. Set Up the Product Pages
Once you have your e-commerce website up and running, it is time to set up your product pages.
Your product pages should include the name of the product, its price, a high-quality product image, and the description of what the product does, as well as its specifications.
5. Set Up Your Payment Gateway
Your online store should have several payment gateways available so that your online store can accommodate customers who don’t have credit cards.
You should make sure that you have most of the major payment gateways available like credit cards, debit cards, and Paypal.
All of the steps listed above are key to starting an online store on WordPress. Following these steps should make it easier for you to start an online store and get everything up and running.
