How to Make an E-Commerce Website that Sells: Tips and Tricks

E-commerce is the process of buying and selling goods or services online. It is a booming industry that offers many opportunities for entrepreneurs, small businesses, and established brands. However, creating an e-commerce website that sells is not as easy as it sounds. You need to consider many factors, such as the design, functionality, security, marketing, and customer service of your online store.

In this article, I will show you how to make an e-commerce website that sells using WordPress, one of the most popular and versatile platforms for building websites. I will also share some tips and tricks to help you optimize your e-commerce website for conversions, sales, and growth.

Why WordPress?

WordPress is a free and open-source content management system (CMS) that allows you to create and manage any type of website, from blogs to portfolios to e-commerce stores. WordPress powers over 40% of all websites on the internet, making it the most widely used CMS in the world.

There are many reasons why WordPress is a great choice for creating an e-commerce website, such as:

• It is easy to use and customize. You can install WordPress in minutes and start creating your online store with a few clicks. You can also choose from thousands of themes and plugins that add features and functionality to your website.
• It is flexible and scalable. You can sell any kind of products or services on your WordPress website, from physical goods to digital downloads to subscriptions. You can also expand your online store as your business grows, by adding more products, categories, pages, or functionalities.
• It is secure and reliable. WordPress is constantly updated and maintained by a large community of developers and users. You can also enhance the security of your website by using SSL certificates, backups, firewalls, and other tools.
• It is SEO-friendly and mobile-responsive. WordPress websites are designed to rank well on search engines and adapt to different screen sizes and devices. You can also use various plugins and tools to optimize your website for SEO and performance.

How to Create an E-Commerce Website with WordPress

To create an e-commerce website with WordPress, you will need the following:

• A domain name. This is the address of your website on the internet, such as www.yourstore.com. You can buy a domain name from a domain registrar like Namecheap or GoDaddy.
• A web hosting service. This is where your website files and data are stored and accessed online. You will need a web hosting service that supports WordPress and e-commerce features. We recommend SiteGround, which offers fast, secure, and affordable hosting plans for WordPress websites.
• An e-commerce plugin. This is a software that adds e-commerce functionality to your WordPress website, such as product pages, shopping carts, checkout forms, payment gateways, etc. The most popular and widely used e-commerce plugin for WordPress is WooCommerce, which is free and easy to set up.

Here are the steps to create an e-commerce website with WordPress:

Step 1: Register a Domain Name and Sign Up for a Web Hosting Service

The first step is to register a domain name for your online store and sign up for a web hosting service that supports WordPress and e-commerce features.

You can choose any domain name that suits your brand and niche, but make sure it is catchy, memorable, and relevant. You can use tools like NameMesh or Lean Domain Search to generate domain name ideas based on keywords.

You can buy a domain name from any domain registrar, but some web hosting services offer free domain names when you sign up for their plans. For example, SiteGround offers a free domain name for one year when you sign up for their StartUp plan.

To sign up for SiteGround’s StartUp plan, go to their website and click on “WordPress Hosting”. Then select the StartUp plan that costs $6.99 per month (regular price $14.99 per month) and offers 10 GB of web space, unlimited traffic, free SSL certificate, daily backup, free CDN (content delivery network), free email accounts, managed WordPress updates, out-of-the-box caching, unlimited databases, 100% renewable energy match, 30-day money-back guarantee, and more.

On the next page, enter the domain name that you want to register or use an existing one if you already have one. Then fill in your personal information, payment details, purchase information (you can choose the data center location that is closest to your target audience), extra services (you can skip them if you don’t need them), and confirm the terms and conditions. Then click on “Pay Now” to complete your purchase.

Step 2: Install WordPress and WooCommerce on Your Website

The next step is to install WordPress and WooCommerce on your website. SiteGround makes this process very easy and fast with their WordPress Starter tool.

After you sign up for SiteGround’s hosting plan, you will receive an email with your login details for your SiteGround account. Log in to your account and go to the “Websites” tab. Then click on “New Website” and select “Start New Website”. Then choose “WordPress” as the software to install on your website.

On the next page, enter your email address and password for your WordPress admin account. These are the credentials that you will use to log in to your WordPress dashboard later. Then click on “Continue”.

On the next page, you will see a list of optional enhancements that you can add to your website, such as SG Site Scanner (a malware detection and prevention service) or domain privacy (a service that protects your personal information from public access). You can skip them if you don’t need them or add them if you want. Then click on “Finish”.

SiteGround will then install WordPress on your website in a few minutes. You will see a confirmation message when the installation is complete. Then click on “Manage Site” to access your SiteGround Site Tools, where you can manage your website settings, security, speed, email, etc.

To install WooCommerce on your website, go to the “WordPress” section in the Site Tools and click on “Install & Manage”. Then click on the “Add New” button and search for “WooCommerce” in the search box. Then click on the “Install” button next to the WooCommerce plugin.

SiteGround will then install WooCommerce on your website in a few seconds. You will see a confirmation message when the installation is complete. Then click on the “Activate” button to activate the WooCommerce plugin.

WooCommerce will then launch a setup wizard that will guide you through the basic configuration of your online store, such as store details, industry, product types, theme, payment methods, shipping options, tax settings, marketing tools, etc. You can follow the wizard or skip it if you want to configure these settings later.

Step 3: Choose a Theme and Customize Your Website

The next step is to choose a theme and customize your website. A theme is a collection of templates and stylesheets that define the appearance and layout of your website.

WordPress offers thousands of free and premium themes that you can choose from. You can browse and install themes from the WordPress repository or from third-party sources. However, not all themes are compatible with WooCommerce or optimized for e-commerce.

One of the best themes for e-commerce websites is Storefront, which is a free and official theme from WooCommerce. Storefront is designed to work seamlessly with WooCommerce and its extensions. It offers a clean, simple, and responsive design that showcases your products and brand. It also offers many customization options and features, such as multiple widget areas, color schemes, typography, layout settings, etc.

To install Storefront on your website, go to your WordPress dashboard and go to Appearance > Themes. Then click on “Add New” and search for “Storefront” in the search box. Then click on the “Install” button next to the Storefront theme.

WordPress will then install Storefront on your website in a few seconds. You will see a confirmation message when the installation is complete. Then click on the “Activate” button to activate the Storefront theme.

Storefront will then display a welcome message with some links to help you customize your website, such as documentation, support forum, child themes, extensions, etc. You can explore these links or close the message if you want.

To customize your website, go to Appearance > Customize. This will open the WordPress Customizer, where you can preview and modify various aspects of your website, such as site identity, colors, typography, header image, background image, menus, widgets, homepage settings, etc.

You can also use plugins like Elementor or Beaver Builder to create and edit pages with drag-and-drop functionality and live editing.

Step 4: Add Products and Categories to Your Online Store

The next step is to add products and categories to your online store. Products are the items that you sell on your website, such as physical goods, digital downloads, subscriptions, etc. Categories are the groups that you use to organize your products by type, feature, price range, etc.

To add products to your online store, go to Products > Add New in your WordPress dashboard. This will open the product editor page, where you can enter the following information:

• Product name: This is the title of your product that will appear on your website.
• Product description: This is the main text that will describe your product in detail on its own page.
• Product data: This is where you can choose the product type (simple, variable, grouped, external/affiliate, or subscription), set the regular and sale price, manage the inventory and stock status, enable or disable reviews, add shipping dimensions and weight, select a tax class, link up-sells and cross-sells, add attributes and variations, etc.
• Product short description: This is a brief summary of your product that will appear on the shop page or under the product name on its own page.
• Product categories: This is where you can assign your product to one or more categories that you have created or create new ones.
• Product tags: This is where you can add keywords that describe your product and help customers find it on your website or search engines.
• Product image: This is the main image that will represent your product on your website. You can upload an image from your computer or select one from your media library.
• Product gallery: This is where you can add more images that will show different angles or features of your product on its own page.

After you enter all the information for your product, click on the “Publish” button to make it live on your website. You can also save it as a draft or schedule it for later if you want.

To add categories to your online store, go to Products > Categories in your WordPress dashboard. This will open the category editor page, where you can enter the following information:

• Name: This is the name of your category that will appear on your website.
• Slug: This is the URL-friendly version of your category name that will be used in the web address of your category page.
• Parent: This is where you can choose a parent category if you want to create a subcategory. For example, you can create a subcategory called “T-shirts” under a parent category called “Clothing”.
• Description: This is an optional text that will describe your category on its own page.
• Display type: This is where you can choose how to display your category page, such as showing products only, showing subcategories only, or showing both products and subcategories.
• Image: This is an optional image that will represent your category on your website. You can upload an image from your computer or select one from your media library.

After you enter all the information for your category, click on the “Add New Category” button to create it. You can also edit or delete existing categories if you want.

You can repeat these steps to add as many products and categories as you want to your online store.

Step 5: Set Up Payment Methods and Shipping Options for Your Online Store

The next step is to set up payment methods and shipping options for your online store. Payment methods are the ways that customers can pay for their orders on your website, such as credit cards, PayPal, bank transfer, cash on delivery, etc. Shipping options are the ways that customers can receive their orders from your website, such as flat rate, free shipping, local pickup, etc.

To set up payment methods for your online store, go to WooCommerce > Settings > Payments in your WordPress dashboard. This will open the payment settings page, where you can see a list of available payment methods that you can enable or disable for your website.

Some of the most common payment methods are:

• PayPal Standard: This allows customers to pay with their PayPal account or credit card via PayPal. You will need a PayPal business account to use this method.
• Stripe: This allows customers to pay with their credit card directly on your website without leaving it. You will need a Stripe account to use this method.
• Cash on Delivery: This allows customers to pay with cash when they receive their order. You can limit this method to certain shipping zones or methods if you want.
• Direct Bank Transfer: This allows customers to pay by transferring money from their bank account to yours. You will need to provide your bank details and instructions for customers to use this method.

To enable a payment method, click on the toggle button next to its name. Then click on the “Set up” button or the “Manage” button (if already enabled) to configure its settings, such as title, description, email address, API keys, etc.

To set up shipping options for your online store, go to WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping in your WordPress dashboard. This will open the shipping settings page, where you can see a list of shipping zones that you can edit or add new ones.

A shipping zone is a geographic region where you ship products and charge different rates. For example, you can create a shipping zone for Italy and another one for Europe.

To edit a shipping zone, click on its name. Then click on the “Add shipping method” button to choose a shipping method for that zone. Some of the most common shipping methods are:

• Flat rate: This charges a fixed amount for shipping regardless of the order size or weight. You can also add additional costs based on the product class, quantity, or price.
• Free shipping: This offers free shipping for orders that meet certain conditions, such as a minimum amount, a coupon code, or a specific product.
• Local pickup: This allows customers to pick up their order from a location that you specify, such as your store or warehouse.

To configure a shipping method, click on the “Edit” button next to its name. Then enter the settings, such as title, cost, tax status, availability, etc.

You can also use plugins like WooCommerce Services or Table Rate Shipping to add more advanced shipping options and features to your online store, such as live rates from carriers, distance rate shipping, weight-based shipping, etc.

Step 6: Promote and Grow Your Online Store

The final step is to promote and grow your online store. This involves attracting more visitors to your website, converting them into customers, and retaining them for repeat purchases. You can use various strategies and tools to achieve these goals, such as:

• SEO: This stands for search engine optimization, which is the process of improving your website’s visibility and ranking on search engines like Google or Bing. You can use plugins like Yoast SEO or Rank Math to optimize your website for SEO and performance.
• Content marketing: This is the process of creating and distributing valuable and relevant content to your target audience, such as blog posts, videos, podcasts, ebooks, etc. You can use WordPress’s built-in features or plugins like Elementor or Beaver Builder to create and edit content on your website.
• Social media marketing: This is the process of using social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. to connect with your audience, build your brand awareness, and drive traffic to your website. You can use plugins like Social Snap or Smash Balloon to integrate social media features and functionality on your website.
• Email marketing: This is the process of using email to communicate with your audience, promote your products or services, and increase your sales. You can use plugins like Mailchimp for WooCommerce or WooCommerce Email Customizer to create and manage email campaigns and newsletters for your online store.
• Analytics: This is the process of measuring and analyzing your website’s performance and behavior, such as traffic sources, conversions, sales, etc. You can use tools like [Google Analytics] or [MonsterInsights] to track and report your website’s data and insights.

These are some of the basic steps and tips to help you create an e-commerce website that sells using WordPress. Of course, there are many more aspects and details that you can explore and improve on your website, such as design, functionality, security, customer service, etc.

However, by following this guide, you should have a solid foundation for your online store that you can build upon and grow over time. I hope you found this article helpful and informative. If you have any questions or feedback, please let me know in the comments below. Thank you for reading! 😊