Creating a WordPress Online Store

Introduction to a WordPress Online Store  

While those traditional brick-and-mortar stores served us well for decades at this point and continue to do so, the pandemic has taught us that such options may not readily be available all the time. This is exactly where online stores come in and the number one tool out there that’s used to build them, i.e., WordPress. 

The eCommerce Boom  

The impact of online stores is something that cannot be quantified in any meaningful way. That it’s enormous is all we know and the convenience it offers is unparalleled to what earlier generations had to go through in terms of shopping. 

Setting Up Your Online Store 

So are you interested in setting up an online store for yourself? Well let’s take a look at what setting things up will entail. 

Domain and Hosting Selection 

A domain name will serve as the thing that people will type in those address bars when visiting your website. So it should be short, concise, and memorable. Having a forgettable name is the last thing you want.  

Besides that looking for hosting providers should take precedence too. Make a list of your website’s requirements and see if there are any hosting providers providing that at reasonable costs. 

Installing WordPress 

The easiest way of installing WordPress is to only pick the hosts that do the entire process for you. Nowadays several hosts are offering the option of having WordPress pre-installed and finding one that provides that along with the features you want is quite easy. 

Building the Foundation 

So now that you have WordPress installed, what’s next? Well that would be to choose a WordPress theme for your WordPress eCommerce website and installing the relevant plugins. 

Selecting a WordPress Theme for eCommerce 

Themes on WordPress represent the face of your website or how it will look to other people. You can customize and decide the exact style of various website sections and elements, whether it’s entire pages, typography or social icons.  

However, the themes will vary depending on the type of website. In this instance you’d obviously want to go for an eCommerce-specific theme. 

Installing Essential Plugins 

There’s not much you can do with base WordPress when building an eCommerce website, you’ll need to download some plugins that’ll get the job done for you. Probably the most popular eCommerce plugin for WordPress would be WooCommerce so try looking into it. 

Configuring Your Online Store 

Now that you’re done with those plugins and themes, adding in some products and payment gateways comes next. 

Designing Your Storefront 

The appearance of your online store obviously matters and how you present yourself and your products is vital if you’re to gain good first impressions. 

Customizing Your Store’s Look and Feel 

Is there a particular identity you’ve cultivated around your brand? Are there certain color combinations associated with it? Well, then customizing your store’s appearance to match that of your brand will go a long way in cementing that brand identity in consumers’ heads. However, don’t shy away from experimenting a bit with other color palettes, especially those that complement the ones associated with your brand. Design with purpose.

Creating a User-Friendly Navigation 

Design aside, you should make navigating your website a smooth and hassle-free experience by considering the user experience throughout the design process. If you make buying or finding products a difficulty, then many will be put off. So try putting yourself in the customer’s shoes and categorize your products properly while including a well functioning search bar. 

SEO and Marketing for eCommerce 

However suppose you manage to do well from a design perspective, nailing down everything from navigation to the looks, it won’t amount to much if your store isn’t appearing on search engines that often or if your marketing efforts are subpar. Both are thus incredibly important. 

Managing Orders and Customers 

From the management side of things, knowing how to efficiently process orders, manage inventory, and offer customer support is an important aspect of the online shopping experience. Getting the hang of this is therefore an important learning curve when starting out. 

Order Management 

Order management can be a rather intensive process with so many variables that you’ll have to consider, like validating and verifying orders, preparing for shipment, authorizing payment, producing invoices, and so much more. 

Inventory management has to do with maintaining ample stock levels so that things don’t run out but not to the extent that there’s an overabundance. 

Customer Support and Engagement 

Have a 24/7 customer support team that’ll always be available to handle queries and complaints. You may include a chat bot, email, or a hotline. The best way to build loyalty is to have the least complaints. So offer quality products and make sure everything’s in order, from shipping and warranty to payment gateways and refunds. 

Security and Performance 

As with anything on the interwebs, your online store needs to have things sorted out from the security and performance end. 

Conclusion 

The significance of online stores cannot be overstated. They have been an instrumental medium of convenience with which to buy the goods we want. 

For many retailers, WordPress remains the go-to platform for their eCommerce needs and those looking to start their own online store have much to gain from it. However, the road to creating a functional eCommerce website isn’t easy.  

Things have to be set up, the foundations built, design has to be perfected, and the online visibility increased; not to mention efficient order management and customer support along with optimum security and performance. 

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