WordPress is one of the most popular, easy-to-use, and stable content management software. It is used by millions of bloggers to create blogs. However, not many people know that they can create an eCommerce site using WordPress. Today, there are several plugins that allow you to create an eCommerce website in a few seconds. One of the most popular WordPress eCommerce plugins used by many popular websites is WooCommerce. The popularity of this plugin is increasing by the day and about 4,000,000 people have already downloaded this free plugin.
WooCommerce has a high rating of over 4 stars and most people who are using this plugin are happy with the product. Most webmasters who have used this plugin find it extremely easy to use and consider it to be the best eCommerce software for WordPress sites. The plugin is developed and maintained by WooThemes which is founded by Mark Forrester and Magnus Jepson. WooCommerce is updated regularly to fix the minor bugs and to add new features to the software.
Features of WooCommmerce
The best part about using WooCommerce is that it gives its users access to unlimited features. Some important features of the plugin are:
1. Sell any Product or Service
You can use this eCommerce plugin to sell any product and service. All you have to do is upload the product details and start marketing your website. If you are an affiliate of popular website, you can use this plugin to sell affiliate products.
2. Payments
The software allows you to accept PayPal account and credit card payments, Cash on Delivery, and BACS. Other popular payment gateways that can be added for a small fee include SVEA, PENCEPay, Alipay, PAYU, and PayEx.
3. Shipping
When you setup an online store, your site must give details of the shipping charges. When you use the plugin, you can offer either free shipping or charge a flat rate. If you have specific requirements like postcode validation, distance rate shipping, per product shipping, flat rate box shipping, or shipping to multiple addresses, you can add these features by paying a small fee.4.
4. Inventory Management
Inventory management can be difficult, especially when you have to manage a large store. When you use WooCommerce, you can easily manage both digital and physical products. Also, you can assign store managers to handle inventory management.
5. Reporting
The WordPress eCommerce plugin helps you keep a track of your stock level, sales, and all other features that can have an impact on the performance of your store. The user interface is easy-to-use and can generate detailed reports at the click of the button.
6. Marketing
WooCommerce allows you to run complex marketing campaigns on your website. You can run discount offers and coupon campaigns on your website to attract and retain customers. You can also set user limits and usage restrictions on these special offers.
7. Tax
Most eCommerce plugins don't make any provision for taxes. WooCommerce allows you to configure tax settings to accommodate local tax rates and various tax classes.
8. Flexibility and Extensions
WooCommerce gives you the flexibility to add hundreds of additional features to your website. You can use extensions to add features in areas like accounting, marketing, shipping, widgets, products, payment gateway, and subscription. These extensions not only help in improving revenues, but will also simplify admin processes. For example, you can use PDF Invoices extension to generate customizable PDF invoices and email them to your customers. Using these extensions, will not only ease the load on admin team but will also reduce manpower requirement. If you are looking for specialized extensions that are not readily available, you can use the services of WooCommerce development companies. These companies will help you in customizing the plugin to suit your business needs.
Who is using WooCommerce?
The popularity of WooCommerce can be gauged from the fact that many popular websites are using it to run their store. Some of the high profile websites that use WooCommerce include Entrepreneur.com, Kirby.com, AVBC.com, Piaa.org, SkinnyMom.com, PetAdviser.com, SantaMonicapuer.org, PlanetNatural.com, SewMamaSew.com, Neatorobotics.com, and Foundersbrewing.com. Today, more than 17 percent of all eCommerce websites use WooCommerce for their online store.
Should you use WooCommerce?
If you are planning to start WordPress eCommerce site, you must use WooCommerce to setup your online store. WooCommerce is easy-to-use, keeps you updated on incoming sales, helps you manage inventory, and can be easily customized. Users of WooCommerce can also benefit from hundreds of country specific plugins. It is powerful and practical software that provides an excellent user-friendly interface for customers.
There is no doubt that WooCommerce is one of the best eCommerce solutions in the market.
