Create an Ecommerce with WordPress

Your eCommerce platform should be easy to use and maintain. WordPress fits the bill perfectly because it allows you to create any type of website and is easy to use, even for beginners.

WordPress also has thousands of themes available to suit almost any niche, which is why it is the primary choice for many e-commerce owners.

In this post we will talk about how to build an e-commerce site with WordPress. You will find out how to choose the right theme. Plus, we'll show you how to get your online store up and running easily.

Why use WordPress for an e-commerce store?

WordPress has tons of themes to choose from, and it also has thousands of plugins that add extra functionality to your site. In fact, there are several plugins specifically designed to transform your WordPress site into an online store.

One of the most popular plugins for this purpose is WooCommerce. It allows you to sell both digital and physical products. WooCommerce integrates immediately with various payment gateways and has its own set of extensions that allow you to sync orders with your accounting software, offer additional shipping methods, print invoices and shipping labels, automatically send emails to customers who abandon their carts, and much more.

How to choose a WordPress ecommerce theme

An attractive website can help you attract more visitors and convert them into customers, but design isn't the only thing you should focus on when looking for a WordPress theme. Here are some key things to look for.

1. Choose a theme with the right features

While most eCommerce features come from the plugin, there are some features found in themes that will improve the customer experience. Specifically, we recommend finding a theme that offers the following features:

• Megamenu. A megamenu usually acts as a drop-down menu that reveals additional pages and links as you move through it. It allows you to organize your browsing and add product categories and pages without overwhelming visitors.
• Quick view. The ability to click on a product and instantly view details or add the product to the cart reduces the amount of clicking visitors have to do and can improve your conversion rate.
• Catalog mode. Similarly, if you choose a theme with a catalog mode, your visitors can browse your products without having to click through a crazy number of pages and categories.

Envato offers many options when it comes to eCommerce WordPress themes.

2. Don't ignore the white space

If possible, opt for a theme with a clean design and plenty of white space between individual elements. This allows your products and calls to action to stand out and makes it easier for your customers to focus on everything your store has to offer.

3. Make sure your theme is easy to customize

Theme customization is essential for creating a consistent look for your brand. A theme that comes with a theme settings panel or uses Customizer allows you to change colors, fonts and other aspects without having to touch any code. If you choose a theme that comes with a page builder integration, you will also be able to easily change the layout of your pages.

How to get started with your WordPress eCommerce website

To get started with your WordPress eCommerce site, you'll need to take care of some technical details before adding products and tinkering with theme settings. For starters, you'll need to purchase a domain name. You'll also need to purchase a hosting plan, a theme for your website, and prepare your content, such as images and product descriptions.

1. A domain name

Your domain name allows your visitors to find you online. If you already have a physical store, it's a good idea to use it for your domain name. Alternatively, you can name your store after the products you sell or choose a more generic name if you want to expand your inventory in the future.

2. A hosting plan

Once you've decided on your domain name, you need to choose a hosting plan so people can access your site. There are many hosting options, from affordable shared plans to more expensive managed WordPress hosting plans.

3. A WordPress theme

As mentioned above, WordPress has no shortage of high-quality themes for various niches. While free themes are nice, they often lack support from theme authors and aren't updated as frequently as premium themes. Keeping your theme updated is crucial if you want to ensure your website offers the best user experience and is secure.

Fortunately, there are some markets like Envato Elements which allow you to download an unlimited number of WordPress themes for an affordable annual subscription. This means you can change the theme as often as you like. Once you find a theme you like, all you have to do is purchase it and download the zipped file to your computer. You can also find many WooCommerce themes that are regularly updated and give you access to six months of free support from the author at ThemeForest.

4. Content and images

Finally, we recommend preparing your product images and descriptions, so all you have to do is copy and paste them after installing your theme and WooCommerce plugin. This speeds up the website setup process and allows you to launch your site in just a few hours. Don't forget to include the copy on other pages of your site, such as the About page, Terms and Conditions, your location, or anything else you might need.

Getting started with WordPress and WooCommerce

Now that you have everything in place, it's time to create your site. You'll need to install WordPress, WooCommerce, your theme, and any necessary plugins before you can customize your theme or import any content.

For the purposes of this tutorial, we will use the theme LotusThe Lotus theme features a modern, responsive design with plenty of white space and a one-click import button for demo content, making it easy to set up your site. It also includes Visual Composer Builder is Revolution Slider to easily change the layout and create awesome slides of your products.

Let's begin:

1. Install WordPress

The first step is installing WordPress. Once you've purchased your hosting plan, your hosting company will provide a link to your hosting account's dashboard where you can install WordPress.

Once logged in, look for a section called WordPress Installation, One-Click Installers, Softaculous Installers, or something similar. Find the icon of WordPress, click on it and follow the instructions.

A screen will load asking you to enter your site's name and description, your desired username and password, and your email address. Fill in the fields with your information and then click the button. Install.

Once WordPress is installed, you can log into your WordPress dashboard. Visit the URL: yoursitename.com/wp-admin (replace yoursitename.com with your actual domain name). Then enter the username and password you created earlier.

2. Install the WordPress Theme

In the WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance> Themes> Add New. Then, click Upload theme.

Find the downloaded zip folder that contains the theme files and upload it. When the installation is complete, click Activate.

3. Install the required plugins

After the theme is activated, you'll see a notification in your dashboard stating that some plugins are required for the theme to have all its features. Click the link. Begin plug-in installation to access the installation screen directly.

Select all plug-ins from the drop-down menu, click Install and wait for the process to finish.

4. Install WooCommerce

The final step is to install WooCommerce to enable eCommerce functionality on your site. From your dashboard, go to Plugins> Add New. Search for WooCommerce, install it and then activate it.

You'll need to go through the plugin setup process, which will create the necessary pages and allow you to choose your location, currency, and payment method.

With the technical details out of the way, it's time to add your content and set up your theme.

How to set up and customize the theme

The easiest way to set up your theme is to import demo content. Most modern themes usually have a one-click import feature, which allows you to import dummy images, posts, and pages with just a click of a button. Once you've finished importing your content, you can play around with the theme settings to change colors, fonts, and more.

1. Import demo content

The best part about importing demo content is that the theme will import all your pages, posts, images, widget settings, and more, making your website look like the demo. In the case of the Lotus theme, it will import sample products and a store page, so all you have to do is edit the existing pages with your own content.

To get started, go up Appearance> Import Demo Data, then click the blue Import button. Wait for the process to complete, and your site will be ready for you to add your content and customize its appearance.

2. Replace the demo content

Let's proceed with the replacement of the demo content. In the WordPress dashboard, go to Pages and click the button Edit below the page you want to work on. In this example, we will change the Slider page to full screen.

Since the Lotus theme uses the Visual Composer builder, press the button Edit with Visual Composer. Once the page editor is loaded, you will be able to change the layout, add additional modules and more.

To edit elements on your page, simply click on the pencil icon and enter your content and adjust the settings to your liking. You can also add other elements like text boxes, buttons, icons, videos, images, and more.

3. Add your products

To add your products, go to your WordPress dashboard and go to Products> All products. Click on the link Edit under each product and replace the content with your description, price, and images. If you have more products than the demo, go to Products> Add New and enter the product description, pictures and set the correct price.

4. Customize the visual appearance

When you're done setting up your pages and products, go to Appearance> Customize and modify the settings to your liking. You can upload your logo and site identity icon, change the fonts, configure the homepage, sidebar positions, and more.