Are you looking for a platform to create your online store or running an eCommerce business? More than 64% of people are using eCommerce, and increasingly evolved a vital part of business strategy and a solid motivation for economic development in the emerging global economy.
However, You probably know some eCommerce platforms and looking for more details on “What is WooCommerce?”. Running an eCommerce business can be tricky. Of course, you can make it easier by using a user-friendly, secure, and extendable.
What’s WooCommerce?
WooCommerce is an open-source tool that offers e-commerce functionality for WordPress. It provides the user the power to transform their WordPress website into a fully functioning eCommerce Store. It is available with a ton of customization options. It also embodies significant eCommerce features such as tax and management, inventory, shipping integration, and secure payments gateway. WooCommerce is one of the most eCommerce tools with over 27 million downloads to date and taking a share of more than 25% active store owners in the top 1 million sites compared to other eCommerce platforms.
Furthermore, The free plugin from WordPress quickly transforms any website into an online store, thanks to its many features and ability to integrate well with thousands of themes and plugins from other software developers.
History of WooCommerce
WooCommerce was launched in 2011 by WooThemes, a WordPress theme shop. The lead designers, Mike Jolley and James Koster developed WooThemes, and by 2014, it was an eCommerce platform used by about 318,000 destinations.
Now, owned by Automattic behind the core company of WordPress.com, The platform allows open code, matching the markets that WordPress reaches. The users of the platform have since risen, and now, it runs about 30% of all online stores. WooCommerce is now a successful eCommerce platform, one of the best in the world.
What Does WooCommerce Cost?
When launching an online business and you need a platform to help create beautiful and enticing storefronts, WooCommerce is the plugin to use. It is free to anyone using WordPress. Since it is an open-source platform, store owners retain full ownership of their content and data forever.
So, if you want a powerful tool to kickstart your retail business, then it’s the perfect platform to launch your business, thanks to its powerful blend of content and commerce.
Why is WooCommerce so popular?
WooCommerce remains to be the world’s leading eCommerce platform. This is not by chance but because of the many advantageous features, you can enjoy when using the platform. The most important reason is that this powerful platform that reaches a global community is free.
Besides being open-source and flexible, It is also famous because:
- Easy Installation, Setup, and Integration
- WordPress Dashboard Benefits
- Data Control
- Feature-packed Shopping Cart
- Complete Control of Products
- Easy Shipping
- Easier Tax Management
- Customer Management
- Marketing and Search Engine Optimization
- Fully Extendable
- regular update
- secure and safety
- Available Developer and Community
What can you sell with WooCommerce?
WooCommerce has been a leading online business platform all over the world. It does not limit the product list to physical ones, and you can extend your bounds as much as you like when interacting with the platform.
The most popular on WooCommerce include:
1) Physical products
These are actual goods that you can touch, and they are real, and you can ship them to addresses. They are probably the most common commodity in online businesses, including shoes, food, medication, clothes, books, jewelry, stationery, electronics, etc.
2) Digital goods
These are software products or innovative products like photos and music. You cannot touch them, but online shoppers are instant. Examples include ebooks.
3) Time
By selling your time online, you sell your access to knowledge. It may be in the form of an appointment, a consultation, or a skype session. You exchange your time and expertise for value with customers online or physically. Medical advice, real estate, and therapy sessions are good examples of such products
4) Access
When you sell access, you only provide a service to a limited group of people. You can give limitations by offering memberships or content, and selling access to exclusive content or products gives your customers a sense of belonging.
5) Tickets
It is another standard product sold online. You can add extensions line Box Office to help sell tickets to events, seminars, webinars, and conferences.
And more and more ….
How to set up WooCommerce Store ?
One of the main reasons WooCommerce is popular among online businesses is its ease of setting up and using. You no longer have to spend all your time developing products or figuring out how to plan your storefront, and WooCommerce is a basic plug-and-play installation.
The steps for setting up a woo-store are simple, and you can do it without prior knowledge in programming.
- Step 1: Visit https://woocommerce.com/woocommerce/ to get your site in place. If you already have a host for your WordPress site, you can proceed with the Business plan option.
- Step 2: Go to the Plugin section on the dashboard and add, then activate WooCommerce Plugin. Once you activate it, it is best to let the installation wizard be your guide.
- Step 3: Answer the WooCOmmerce Wizard questions. The setup wizard will ask about your business location, industry, and the kind of products you will be selling.
- Step 4: Install Extensions. These add-ins will give your business website more functionality like marketing and selling unique products.
- Step 5: Install a theme . The theme you choose will control the layout and design of your website. You can select a theme on WordPress or an external source, which you can learn more about later. Always choose a theme that is compatible and fits your store and brand.
- Step 6: Enable WooCommerce Tax and Shipping, These optional extensions can make your life as an online store owner more straightforward.
- Step 7: Review the setup. The final step involves going through a checklist to see how the rest of your store will look like. A click on an item on the list takes you to the page setting. This is the final step.
Extend WooCommerce with plugins and themes
When setting up an online business, a critical step is choosing a theme that matches your store and brand.An average person takes about 0.05 seconds to form an impression of websites. And your home design represents your storefront. Thus, a good theme encourages more buying and extended browsing periods, which is good news for an online store.
Plugins and themes used in WooCommerce play an important in brand marketing. The better your theme, the more sales you are likely to make. Choose a theme or addons that:
- Is professional, with high-quality designs
- Integrates well with WooCommerce
- Offers what you need without looking like its crowded
- Is mobile-friendly
- Has regular updates
- Has shorter loading time
- Has good support and documentation
- Is easy to use for you and customers
Who’s using WooCommerce ?
Probably, you understand what is woocommerce. let’s take a look Some of the biggest brands using WooCommerce include:
- ClickBank:ClickBank offers powerful online business tools that make it easy to scale businesses. They connect to marketers and sellers and help you reach millions of customers. You can also get educational materials to help you integrate as an affiliate or a seller on the platform.
- Airstream: You can shop for physical goods on the platform, from camp furniture and gear to new apparel and adventure gear. At AirStream, you can get dishware, home goods, gifts, and drinkware, among others. AirStream also sells guitars, among other goods.
- Porter and York: If you love fine chops, this is site would be a great example of woocommerce. It offers more than your regular grocery meat. They deliver meat to your doorstep, from chicken to lamb, beef, pork, and fresh seafood. Shop for bacon and chuck patties and all sorts of non-frozen meat products from the comfort of your home.
- DaelmansStroopwafels: you can enjoy the taste of high-quality products in every bite. The site, which ships caramel-filled stroopwafels to homes all over the world. You can now have the perfect breakfast thanks to the assortment of goods on the Daelmanswebshop.
- OSC: You can embrace the Christmas spirit by donating through OSC and making a difference in the community today. You can contribute to their charity fundraisers and help bring joyand goodwill to a family this festive season. You can also buy products to support the Operation Santa Claus initiative.
- Business Bloomer: If you wish to learn more about WooCommerce as you start your business, you can find the consult you need on Business Bloomer. You can get video lessons, tips and tutorials for WooCommerce, and helpful resources to familiarize you with WooCommerce.
- QuadLayers: If you want outstanding support with your website or improve your search engine performance, you can consult with QuadLayers. Their products, including lightweight codes, can help your website improve loading time and perform better according to the latest standards.
- Reddbar: Are you a nutrition enthusiast? You can now take care of your health and wellness with plant nutrition, which is made available to you by Reddbar. You can get your delicious treats of plant-based food, proteins, probiotics, and phytonutrients, from anywhere in the world. Thanks to WooCommerce
- Bjork: Art speaks volumes and encompasses a thousand words. You can define your taste in art by shopping for exclusive collections from Bjork from anywhere in the world. You can find all you need to make your life more colorful from the platform, from wall art to clothes and photos.
- Belleandthebrave: Are you dressing for the party or the beach, winter or summer? You can find any apparel you need to match the season on this easy-to-use woocommerce shopping platform. The dresses, bikinis, and tunics are among the many products you can find on the website for any season of the year.
- Weber: If you enjoy camping, road trips, or live on the road, you need outdoor dining equipment. You can find this on the Weber traveler site. For picnicking, tailgating, and long-distance traveling, everything you need to have a seamless dining experience, you can find it among the hundreds of products on the website.
- Over Design: If you enjoy design-lead lifestyle cloth brands, then you can find what you need at OVER. With brands fueled by personal demands, you can find clothes that speak of authenticity, wearability, and affordability, all in one package. The designs speak to people of all ages, both men and women
- Forage & Graze:it would be another excellent example of woocommerce. A taste of the world is what you need. Forage & Graze brings you to the wild and delivers reverting diets that are good for you. These clean, whole foods that are dense with nutrients are suitable for people who need to check their health and help improve body performance. And you can get it all by visiting their website,
- Protest: As the world is fighting global warming and environmental destruction, you can make your mark by leaving a smaller carbon footprint. You can achieve this by using reusable bottles, and Nalgene provides you with local goods that help minimize emissions. These bottles keep your water tasting great and are dishwashable, hence less work for you.
- Root Science: Every day your skin contacts bacteria, smoke from traffic, sweat, and many pollutants. And it may break up. Therefore, you need to take care of it. The healthy skin care products for all skin types available at Root Science can help you fight the germs and bacteria that attack your skin while keeping it moisturized. You also enjoy sophisticated packaging and natural formula that is friendly to your skin.They did a perfect combination of woocommerce and WordPress.
- All Black Shop: Rugby is a massive game around the world. Now, you can get your share of the game’s apparel and rock them to the stadium during matches. Today, you can get soft fabric and comfortable fits for you and your family. Thanks to WoooCommerce
- Trendy Resumes:How you write your resume influences the attitude of the employer. Now, you can try new, trendy, yet professional resume templates that will make you stand out among employers. Whether you want to create a website or look great among the competition, this is your chance to shine. You can get the whole collection of designer templates at a fraction of the price and improve your chances of getting the job. If planning digital product selling with woocomerce software, then look at this site before starting.
- Rotimatic: If you do not enjoy measuring, mixing, kneading, and cooking wheat, or rice dough, then you are in luck. You can now use the fully-integrated kitchen assistant for cooking puffs and delights all in one go.
Which are the Best Alternatives of WooCommerce?
There are some great alternatives for WooCommerce in the market, which include
Shopify
Shopify is an eCommerce platform that features point-of-sale features that you would need to run an online business. You can create a business and get support from powerful tools to help drive sales and find more customers.
PrestaShop
You can also build and scale your online business with PrestaShop while owning 100% of the business. It is an innovative eCommerce solution that offers online business owners to create and grow their businesses.
osCommerce
Another good alternative to WooCommerce is osCommerce, which provides a complete and free eCommerce platform that you can self-host online. You can securely sell your products and reach clients from all over the world.
Joomla Virtuemart
Choose a template that matches your products and brands from Joomla Virtuemart. You can choose templates for your new website and create a storefront that encourages browsing and sales, and Calla is a popular template.
Zen Cart
Zen Cart is an open-source and user-friendly shopping software. You can commercialize your website with little IT knowledge because of its simplicity and easy installation. It is also freely customizable and works with any hosting company.
Conclusion
I hope you understand “what is WooCommerce,” or if you have any confusion, please ask in the comments and Starting a business is not simple. You need to put a lot of your valuable time into planning, marketing, and organizing your store. Online stores are also complicated, and however, you don’t have to handle the hassle by yourself. You can rely on WooCommerce software, a free platform developed to help users launch and grow their online stores.
