How to Create an Ecommerce Website through WordPress
WordPress is an extremely popular CMS in part because it is so flexible. Indeed, WordPress carries widespread appeal and attracts users ranging from individual bloggers to multi-million dollar corporations. Today, though we’ll be focusing on just one element of WordPress design, namely, how businesses can create an ecommerce store through their WordPress site. The good news is that it’s much simpler than many people imagine. Here is a quick overview of this process:
Register Your Domain Name
As with any website, the first step to establishing credibility and protecting your preferred URL is to register your domain name. The associated fee is low and will usually cost somewhere between $10-$35. Registering your domain name will ensure that you claim a URL that works for your company. Furthermore, it’s a good idea to register your domain well in advance of launching your website, since it can take Google and other search engines several months to begin to index newly registered domains.
Pick a Theme
WordPress offers users hundreds of different design themes that they can choose from. However, for our purposes, it’s important to select a theme that has specific ecommerce capabilities. Naturally, there are other factors you should consider as well –– such as the overall design and the ability to customize it. Regardless of which theme you eventually select, it should be geared toward facilitating online sales.
Download Ecommerce Plug-Ins
Unfortunately, there is no quick way to list all of the many plug-ins that WordPress offers to help business owners set up an ecommerce store. On the plus side, this means you have a lot of potential tools to play with! WooCommerce is just one of the many plug-ins that you can get for free that will help you organize your digital store, monitor its performance, and start moving products ASAP.
Upload or Create Content
If you’re building a website from scratch then the next step is to create content to fill out your new theme. If, however, you’re moving existing content over to a WordPress theme from an existing CMS, you’ll have to either manually transfer the pages or download a plug-in to help you automatically integrate your old pages onto your new site. Note, this maneuver in particular can prove tricky –– depending on the size and complexity of your existing site. You may want to consult with a web development professional for assistance if you run into trouble transferring content.
Test, Test, and Test Again
It doesn’t matter if your site hosts obscure products like micro pipette tips or novelty office supplies, business owners need to test their ecommerce store extensively before launch. Companies rely on ecommerce websites to function smoothly, so if you have an issue with ordering, sales tracking, or fulfillment, it’s imperative to address this issue before you go live. It may seem tedious, but testing your website is vital to long-term ecommerce success!
