Understanding the fundamentals of selling on WordPress is one of the most important things you can do for your eCommerce website. WordPress eCommerce solutions are some of the best alternatives you can find for retail businesses, and they work best when you keep in mind some key aspects.
WordPress eCommerce plugins are fundamental to any eCommerce website built on WordPress. A WordPress eCommerce plugin can help you build a powerful User Experience. Yet, this isn’t the only aspect you should consider. There are many other things to take into account if you want your WordPress site to help you boost your sales. I will also discuss the payment gateways and the User Experience.
A common mistake many traditional businesses make is failing to think in terms of digital products. Being successful in a physical store does not guarantee sales on the Internet. Something similar occurs to businesses that operate completely as online stores. That is why understanding how a WordPress site works becomes essential.
In this post, we discuss the fundamentals you need to consider when selling on WordPress. Whether you offer goods or services, a WordPress website might be the right tool to establish your company as an eCommerce business.
Selling on WordPress: The Fundamentals
WordPress is a very powerful tool, but it requires you to become familiar with its fundamentals to get the most out of it. Building an eCommerce website on WordPress can get very technical. Luckily, different alternatives exist to do it quickly and without having to become an expert. Shopify is a popular alternative to build an eCommerce site. However, many companies find that a WordPress website fits them right.
WordPress has established itself as a popular and reliable eCommerce platform. It easily allows you to build an online store without being a professional developer. However, you will need to keep in mind these three key aspects in order to do it right:
- eCommerce Plugins
- Payment Gateways
- User Experience
If you keep these aspects in mind, you might find that WordPress is the right eCommerce platform for your business.
Choose the Right WordPress eCommerce Plugin
One of the most popular solutions for businesses is to turn a WordPress site into an eCommerce platform by using a plugin. Normally, when people look for an eCommerce platform, they choose an eCommerce solution that easily allows them to build and manage an online store by themselves.
When choosing the right eCommerce plugin, consider what your business needs are. Like with other digital products, with a website, you also need to take into account who your target audience is. Try to align these two aspects, and you will be closer to building a great experience for anyone looking to buy something from you. Additionally, you will also make it easy for you to manage your online store.
There are many different eCommerce plugins available to choose from. Sometimes you even have to choose more than one eCommerce plugin depending on what you want to achieve and the features you want to add to your WordPress eCommerce website. Ideally, the eCommerce plugin you choose should help you with the following key aspects of any online store:
- Uploading and displaying goods and services
- Managing inventories
- Integrating a shopping cart
- Structuring a lean user journey
- Guaranteeing a powerful User Experience
- Promoting your business
- Keeping track of sales and marketing metrics
This is all possible thanks to powerful eCommerce plugins that can be quickly installed on any WordPress site. However, keep in mind that, most likely, no single eCommerce plugin will deliver everything you need. A great alternative is to use WooCommerce, as it offers many of the same things that an eCommerce platform like Shopify offers. Expert eCommerce developers can help you make the most of this plugin.
Lastly, keep in mind that although choosing the right eCommerce plugin is key, it isn’t the only thing you need to consider. Each business is unique, so make sure to find the right WordPress eCommerce solutions that meet your needs.
Payment Gateways
Payment gateways help you offer users different payment methods. By doing so, your online store will be better equipped to sell. This reduces any potential inconvenience that a customer might find at the moment of checkout.
The right payment gateway can help you build a secure WordPress site. Cybercrime is on the rise, so guaranteeing online customers a secure experience is a must. By implementing the right payment gateway, your WordPress eCommerce experience is guaranteed to be a success in terms of security.
Securing your payments through a certified PCI-compliant gateway is one of the best things you can do for your business. To do this, it is recommended to hire experienced security professionals.
User Experience
The User Experience, sometimes referred to as the Customer Experience, will determine the quality of the interactions your customers have with your WordPress eCommerce site. It considers different aspects of your website’s design. Important considerations like how easy to use or how intuitive it is will largely impact the User Experience.
Although many different template alternatives exist to build a WordPress eCommerce site, nothing compares to a website that has been designed exclusively for your brand. A custom web design helps your customers come into closer contact with the values of your company.
Amazon, for example, is known for being obsessively customer-centric. Every decision they make considers how it will impact customers. Similarly, you should also consider every aspect of your site so that the customer journey is the best it can be.
Final Thoughts
eCommerce plugins for WordPress are a great solution for many businesses that wish to build an online store. Alternatives like WooCommerce offer many useful features for eCommerce businesses. Considering the payment gateway and the User Experience can also help your site.
To obtain the best results, you probably want to hire an experienced team of developers who can help you out. They will not only help you with the implementation of eCommerce tools. Additionally, they will also help you understand your business needs and choose the digital tools that can be used to meet them. Selling on WordPress can help grow your business if done correctly.
