When many people think of an eCommerce website they think of Magento and complicated shopping cart software. However, what they don’t realise is that it is indeed possible to build an operational and efficient online store by using WordPress.
The platform has come a long long way from the service it was initially developed for – blogging. Nowadays, the platform can allow you to build a professional website complete with a fully-fledged digital eCommerce store.
How is this possible you ask? The answer is simple, plugins. Here we will examine three of the best eCommerce plugins to use to help build online store on WordPress.
This robust plugin is best suited to small business owners who wish to set up their eCommerce store quickly and with minimal fuss.
Jigoshop’s easy-to-use dashboard interface means that you can set up control of your online store within minutes. There are also dozens of extensions available to help the user to advance their store to a greater level.
The plugin also allows for in-depth reporting features which allow for real-time insights into general sales performance. One recurring nightmare for online business owners is running out of stock, fortunately, Jigoshop offers store owners the option to manage their stock efficiently with an added option of receiving a notification once stock levels are running low.
There are also a number of add-ons available to help with the extension of the store including, more payment gateways and shipping methods
This lightweight plugin cuts out all the unnecessary stuff and makes it as easy as pie to set up an online store. Simply install the plugin, pick a preferred method of payment and begin adding your desired products.
The plugin supports two payment gateways; Stripe, which is automatically built-in and Paypal Standard which is available as a box add-on. There are a number of Exchange themes to suit the user’s various needs while a pro pack is available with many more useful features.
Uniquely, unlike many eCommerce plugins, iThemes exchange doesn’t create its own customer database tables. Instead, it utilises the built-in user management system as WordPress, making it much easier to manage & edit transactions, make customer notes and view available downloads.
Widely recognised as one of the best eCommerce plugins, WooCommerce is also one of the most popular. In fact, the plugin is currently used by about 19% of all eCommerce websites worldwide. The popularity of the WooThemes designed plugin is unsurprising as it offers up a large range of features which allow the user to sell literally anything on their online store.
Payment is one of the most important features of any eCommerce plugin and WooCommerce offers an extensive range of options which cover everything from all major credit cards, bank transfers and even cash on delivery.
There are also a host of add-ons available that support payment gateways such as Amazon Payments, Stripe and Autoriize.net. Another key feature of WooCommerce ios the availability of a variable range of shipping options. The plugin allows users to offer flat shipping, free shipping, drop shipping or calculate rates in real-time. The user can also choose whether to ship to specific countries or regions or open up their store to include worldwide shipping.
The plugin offers a comprehensive reporting dashboard and inventory management system which allows for real-time order tracking, sales statistics and analytics. Coupons and special offers can also be created with the ability to add specific individual products to be discounted.
The main reason that many eCommerce website owners choose WooCommerce is the overall control that it offers, this is ideal for business owners who wish to change their themes and add new products regularly. The plugin is also renowned for its security – a massive concern for many eCommerce business owners.
eCommerce Website Design & Development
By Iñaki Castellet Hernández
By Conor McCaffrey