What Is WooCommerce WooCommerce 101, Explained for Beginners

Wondering what is WooCommerce? and whether its something you should use?Heres the quick answer, though well go more in-depth:WooCommerce helps you build an eCommerce store using WordPress.WordPress is like your websites operating system, and WordPress is also by far the most popular way to make a website.WooCommerce takes that basic WordPress operating system and turns it into a fully-functioning eCommerce store. 🚄 Shortcut: Want to make an eCommerce store with WooCommerce? Read this.More than that, WooCommerce is the most popular way to build an eCommerce store for successful sites. It powers 25% a plurality of the eCommerce stores in the top 1 million sites worldwide:Why is WooCommerce so popular?There are a bunch of reasons why WooCommerce is such a popular way to build an eCommerce store:💠¸ WooCommerce is free, and the underlying WordPress software is also free.👋 WooCommerce is open source. Anyone can go in and audit, modify, or extend the code.👠 WooCommerce is regular person friendly. You dont need to be an expert developer to launch a store.ðŸ”Å' WooCommerce is extensible. Using something called plugins, you can add all kinds of new functionality to your store without the need for any technical knowledge.📠± WooCommerce works on all devices. More and more people shop on smartphones, and WooCommerce is ready to serve those people.🎠¨Ã‚  WooCommerce looks how you want it to. Using something called themes, you can control exactly how your store looks without the need for any technical knowledge.🔒 WooCommerce is secure. Beyond being open source, WooCommerce comes from Automattic, a billion dollar company with the resources to secure your store.So what is WooCommerce? Its your way to build a secure, flexible eCommerce store using the most popular tool to make a website (thats WordPress!).What can you sell with WooCommerce?WooCommerce lets you sell pretty much anything.  Ã°Å¸â€™ °The most popular use i s to sell physical products, like t-shirts, jewelryanything. These are the types of stores youre familiar with think Amazon.But you can also use WooCommerce to sell digital products, or charge for appointments, reservations, services, etc.For example, if you had a vacation rental by the beach, you could use WooCommerce to let people reserve your house and pay the booking fee.Basically, if you want to sell something and accept payment for it, WooCommerce can help you do it.What are some examples of WooCommerce stores?To help answer the question of what is WooCommerce, lets take a look at some real examples of eCommerce stores that are powered by WooCommerce.Blue Star Coffee RoastersBlue Star Coffee Roasters uses WooCommerce to sell coffee and accessories direct to consumers.Jack Rudy Cocktail CoJack Rudy Cocktail Co sells cocktail mixers using WooCommerce.Deliciously Clean EatsHeres a different look at how you can use WooCommerce Deliciously Clean Eats uses it to create a restauran t ordering menu where shoppers can get meals delivered.What is WooCommerce and how do you use it? WooCommerce Author(s): AutomatticCurrent Version: 3.7.1Last Updated: October 9, 2019woocommerce.3.7.1.zip 92%Ratings 77,312,503Downloads WP 4.9+Requires In slightly more technical terms, WooCommerce is a plugin for WordPress. So if you want to create your own eCommerce store with WooCommerce, youll first need to install and set up WordPress.We have a full guide on how to make a website with WordPress and how to set up WooCommerce, but heres a quick run-down of the steps youll need to take†¦1. Purchase WordPress hosting and a domain nameWordPress hosting is what powers your store and makes it accessible to the world and your domain name is the permanent address of your store on the Internet (ours is themeisle.com).WordPress hosting can cost anywhere from $10 per month for a small store to $50+ per month for a large store, and a domain name will typically only run you about $ 10 per year.To get you started, weve collected some of the best WooCommerce hosting providers, all of which can help you purchase your domain name, as well.2. Install WordPressOnce you have hosting, youll need to install the basic WordPress software. Most hosts make it easy to install WordPress, and some will even install it for you.3. Install WooCommerceAt this point, youll have a working, albeit basic, WordPress site. Youve basically built a blank canvas for your website. Now, youre going to get out the paintbrushes and make it into exactly what you want.First on your list install the WooCommerce plugin and run through its setup wizard to configure its basics. Once youve done that, youll officially have a working eCommerce store.4. Extend WooCommerce with plugins and themesNow for the fun part making things your own.To customize your store, you can use two types of extensions:ðŸ”Å' Plugins these extend your store with new functionality (just like the WooCommerce plugin exte nds the core WordPress software with eCommerce functionality).🎠¨ Themes these let you control how your store looks to visitors. Think of them kind of like changing your stores clothing you can easily switch outfits until you find one you like.You can find lots of great free and paid WooCommerce themes.Go to topWhat is WooCommerce? A recapSo what is WooCommerce? At this point, you should be ready to answer this question:WooCommerce is a free tool that helps you build an eCommerce store. Whats more, its powered by the open source WordPress software, which is the most popular way to build a website in existence.Beyond offering you a secure, functional way to create a store, WooCommerce is also easy to extend, which lets you customize your store to meet your needs.To get started with WooCommerce, youll need to:Purchase hosting and a domain nameInstall WordPressInstall the WooCommerce pluginExtend your store with plugins and themesFor a deeper look, check out our guide on how to set up WooCommerce 👈. our WooCommerce vs Shopify comparison.Still confused by the question of what is WooCommerce? Ask away in the comments and well try to help out.Free guide5 Essential Tips to Speed Up Your WordPress SiteReduce your loading time by even 50-80% just by following simple tips.