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 that are suitable for almost any niche, which is why it is the primary choice for many ecommerce 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 ecommerce store?

WordPress has a ton of themes to choose from and also has thousands of plugins that add extra functionality to your site. In fact, there are several plugins designed specifically to turn 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 instantly integrates with different payment gateways and has its own set of extensions that allow you to synchronize orders with your accounting software, offer additional shipping methods, print invoices and shipping labels, automatically send emails to customers who abandon their carts and more.

How to choose a WordPress ecommerce theme

An attractive site can help you attract more visitors and turn them into customers, however design isn't the only thing you need to 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 of the eCommerce functionality comes from the plugin, there are some features found in themes that will enhance the customer experience. In particular, we recommend that you find 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 their cart reduces the amount of clicks visitors have to make and can improve conversion rate.
• Catalog mode. Likewise, if you choose a theme with a catalog mode, your visitors can browse your products without having to click through an insane 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 that has a clean design with lots of white space between the 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 key to 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 eCommerce site in WordPress, you'll need to take care of some technical details before adding products and tinkering with the theme settings. For starters, you need to purchase a domain name. You will 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 on the web. 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 based on the products you sell or choose a more generic name in case you want to expand your inventory in the future.

2. A hosting plan

Once the domain name is established, you need to choose a hosting plan so that people can access your site. There are a lot of options when it comes to hosting, from cheap, 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 often as premium themes. Keeping the theme up to date is key if you want to ensure your website offers the best user experience and is safe.

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 that you can change the theme as many times as you want. Once you find the theme you like, all you need to do is purchase it and download the compressed file to your computer. You can also find many themes for WooCommerce 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 that you prepare your product images and product descriptions, so all you need to do is copy and paste them after installing the WooCommerce theme and plugin. This speeds up the website setup process and allows you to get your site up and running in hours. Don't forget to include the copy on other pages of your site, such as the About page, the Terms and Conditions, your location, or anything else you may need.

Getting started with WordPress and WooCommerce

Now that you have everything in place, it's time to create your site. You will need to install WordPress, WooCommerce, your theme and the necessary plugins before customizing the theme or importing any content.

For the purposes of this tutorial, we will use the theme Lotus. The Lotus theme features a modern, responsive design with plenty of white space and a one-click import button for demo content, which makes setting up the site easier. 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 to install WordPress. Once the hosting plan is purchased, the hosting company will provide the link to the hosting account 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 where you will be prompted to enter your site name and description, your desired username and password, as well as your email address. Fill in the fields with your information and then press 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 has been activated, you will see a notification in the dashboard with a message indicating that some plugins are required for the theme to have all its functionality. 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 last step is to install WooCommerce to enable eCommerce functionality on your site. In the dashboard, go to Plugins> Add New. Search for WooCommerce, install it and then activate it.

You will need to go through the plugin setup procedure, 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 the theme is to import demo content. Most modern themes usually have the option to use one-click import which allows you to import dummy images, posts and pages with just one click of a button. Once you're done 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 pages, posts, images, widget settings and more and make your website look like the demo. In the case of the Lotus theme, it will import sample products and a shop page, so all you have to do is edit the existing pages with your 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 to add your content and customize the look.

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 change the settings to your liking. You can upload your own logo and site identity icon, change fonts, configure homepage, sidebar positions, and more.