How to Setup Your Online Store Using WooCommerce
With WooCommerce you don’t need to hire a professional to help setup your first online store. The platform is very flexible and offers many ways for you to create a unique store on WordPress. The only three things you will need before setting up is WordPress hosting, a domain name and SSL certificate. It is free to use WooCommerce. Here are the steps you need to take to set up.
Getting WooCommerce
The first things you have to do is visit the Bluehost website and click the ‘Get Started Now’ button. Select your hosting plan. You can upgrade whenever you want later so don’t feel pressured when picking a hosting plan. You will also be asked to register a domain name here or use your existing one. If registering a new domain name makes sure you use keywords in the domain name and stick to .com extension. Avoid the use of hyphens or numbers in your domain name as they make it harder to spell and pronounce.
Set up WooCommerce and WordPress
The second step is all about setting up WooCommerce and WordPress. Most web hosting companies offer one click WordPress installation. Bluehost will install WordPress automatically for you as well as install SSL certificate for your domain name. Login to your hosting dashboard and click on WordPress and then login to WordPress.
Install WooCommerce
The third step is to install WooCommerce. This is a WordPress plugin. This means installing it is the same as installing any other plugin. From your WordPress dashboard you need to go to Plugins>>Add New page and search for WooCommerce. Find the WooCommerce plugin in the search results then click on, ‘Install Now’. Once it is installed you need to click on ‘Activate’ button.
After activation WooCommerce will be launched in a setup wizard. Fill in the required information which includes the location of the store, currency and the type of products you will be selling. You will also be required to select a payment method. By default PayPal and Stripe payment gateways will be available.
Adding products
It is very easy to add products in WooCommerce. From the dashboard locate WooCommerce then click ‘Add New’. You will be required to add a title for the product and a short description. You also need to select a product category. A category makes it easy for your customers to browse your products. Make sure you add pictures too.
These are the steps you need to take to get started with WooCommerce. You can customize your online store further by installing templates and themes and installing WooCommerce extensions and add-ons. There are many resources you can use to grow your online store too.