If you are planning to build an eCommerce store, you might have been considering WordPress because of its popularity. The platform rules 40.0% of websites on the internet, so its popularity as a content management system is undeniable.
Moreover, it is a leading platform specifically for eCommerce businesses too. As currently, 26% of eCommerce stores use the WordPress plugin WooCommerce. However, there are various other eCommerce specific platforms too, like Shopify and BigCommerce. So, can WordPress be a good choice for eCommerce?
Building an eCommerce website
Building an eCommerce website is a crucial step for businesses looking to establish a digital presence and tap into the growing online market. The process begins with selecting a reliable platform that suits your business needs, budget, and technical expertise. Among the popular choices, WordPress stands out as a versatile and user-friendly content management system (CMS).
By integrating WooCommerce, a powerful eCommerce plugin, you can seamlessly transform a WordPress site into a fully functional online store. This combination is perfect for businesses of all sizes, offering scalability, extensive customization options, and a plethora of plugins to enhance functionality.
Imagine browsing the web and encountering WordPress more than two times out of five! That’s the reality – 45.8% of websites rely on WordPress. (source: W3Techs)
When choosing platforms for your eCommerce site, it’s essential to consider factors like ease of use, design flexibility, and available integrations. WordPress with WooCommerce is ideal for those seeking a cost-effective, customizable solution with a vast support community. For more advanced needs, platforms like Shopify and Adobe Commerce provide robust features and tools tailored for larger businesses. Regardless of the platform you choose, focus on creating an intuitive user experience, optimizing for mobile users, and ensuring secure payment options to build trust and drive conversions. So, if you are looking to choose a platform soon, it would be best to weigh the pros and cons of WordPress.
Build an eCommerce store using WooCommerce solutions.
Is WordPress Good for My eCommerce store?
Let’s find out whether it’s the right choice by looking at the pros and cons of using WordPress for eCommerce!
Pros of Using WordPress for eCommerce
1. Free and Easy to Use
WordPress.org is an open-source platform where you can install the software and create your account for free. You would require technical skills for working with WordPress. However, you can escape that by using drag-and-drop tools like Elementor or Divi. Moreover, the eCommerce plugins can be used to handle and manage your entire eCommerce business.
2. WooCommerce Plugin
WooCommerce is one of the highest-rated platforms for eCommerce businesses. By integrating it into your WordPress you can add various functions to your online store. These include options like selecting different payment and shipment methods, customization of the product pages, adding attractive themes, etc.
Moreover, there are various handy plugins that help you add social proof, increase interactivity with customers, and secure your business data. eCommerce or small businesses, WooCommerce can be an ideal choice.
Did you know? WooCommerce powers 6.6 million live websites, and 5 million online stores use free WooCommerce plugins to enhance their functionality.
3. Customization and Flexibility
Both WordPress and WooCommerce allow you to make your online store as personalized as you want. You can change the appearance of your storefront, try different layouts and themes easily. Moreover, you can add more details to your store by adding different designs and styles for shopping carts, prices, product categories, etc.
With WordPress and WooCommerce being open-source platforms, you gain complete access to their source code. This enables you to customize every aspect of your eCommerce store, from its design to its functionality, ensuring a tailored solution that meets your business needs while providing a unique user experience.
If you have some developing skills, you can easily make your store as customized as per your liking.
4. Scalability for Growing Online Businesses
WordPress with WooCommerce is highly scalable, making it an excellent choice for businesses planning long-term growth. As your online store expands, you can seamlessly scale up by upgrading your hosting plan, adding new features through plugins, or optimizing your site for higher traffic volumes, ensuring consistent performance and reliability.
5. Flexibility in Hosting Options
One of the standout benefits of WordPress is its flexibility in hosting. Unlike other platforms that tie you to specific hosting services, WordPress allows you to host your website anywhere. Whether you prefer managed hosting providers or want to self-host for greater control, the choice is entirely yours.
6. A Range of Plugins and Themes
WordPress has more than 59,000 free plugins. WordPress also provides you with attractive themes that helps you bring traffic to your website. Other than WooCommerce itself, there are various plugins that you can add to your eCommerce store. Ecwid eCommerce shopping cart is one of them, through which you can get options for selling on social platforms and have an automatic taxing system. For digital products, you can use Easy Digital Downloads.
Moreover, there are a number of themes too through which you can make your website more appealing. You can use Divi, Beaver, Elementor, and others to enhance your online store design.
Is WordPress Right for Your eCommerce Business?
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7. SEO Friendliness
Another great thing about eCommerce on WordPress is that you would not have to worry about ranking your eCommerce site. In terms of page loading speed, optimization of product titles, URLs, etc., WordPress works better than most website builders. Also, with the plugins like Yoast, you can easily optimize your website.
8. Various Payment Gateways at No Transaction Costs
WordPress makes accepting payments online simple and efficient by supporting a wide range of payment gateways, including popular options like Stripe, PayPal, and Authorize.net, as well as regional and lesser-known providers. Unlike many other eCommerce platforms, WordPress does not impose transaction fees. You only pay the standard fees charged by your payment service provider and bank, making it a cost-effective choice for your online store.
9. Complete Ownership and Control of Your Ecommerce Website
Unlike many eCommerce platforms that can shut down your store without notice, potentially holding your data and unprocessed transactions, WordPress puts you in full control. With WordPress, you own your website, including all its data, transactions, and payments. Even in rare cases where a hosting provider terminates your account, you can quickly restore your site using a backup and migrate to a new hosting provider with ease. This ensures your eCommerce business remains secure and fully under your control.
| Features | WordPress (WooCommerce) | Shopify | BigCommerce |
| Cost | Free to use WordPress.org, with additional costs for hosting, themes, and plugins. | Subscription-based pricing; includes hosting. | Subscription-based pricing; includes hosting. |
| Ease of Use | Requires technical skills but can be simplified with drag-and-drop tools like Elementor. | User-friendly, no coding required. | User-friendly, no coding required. |
| Customization | Highly customizable with themes and plugins, suitable for developers. | Limited customization compared to WordPress. | Customizable but less flexible than WordPress. |
| eCommerce Features | Depends on WooCommerce and other plugins for features like payments, shipping, etc. | Built-in eCommerce features; easy to set up. | Built-in eCommerce features; more advanced options for scaling. |
| SEO Friendliness | Highly SEO-friendly; supports plugins like Yoast for optimization. | Decent SEO features; limited control over URLs and structure. | Good SEO features; includes tools for structured data. |
| Plugins/Apps | Extensive plugin library; issues with compatibility may arise. | Large app store with seamless integration. | Large app store with seamless integration. |
| Security | Security depends on self-management; more prone to vulnerabilities. | Platform-managed security; SSL included. | Platform-managed security; SSL included. |
| Scalability | Scalable with the right plugins and hosting plan. | Scalable, but high costs as the business grows. | Highly scalable with advanced features for enterprise solutions. |
| Best For | Small to medium-sized businesses, blogs with eCommerce integration. | Beginners and small businesses without technical expertise. | Medium to large enterprises needing advanced features. |
| Drawbacks | Relies heavily on plugins; requires manual setup and maintenance. | Higher costs and less flexibility. | Higher costs for advanced features and scaling. |
Cons of Using WordPress for eCommerce
1. Plugins Compatibility issues
Though there are a number of useful plugins on WordPress, it sometimes can be problematic to use different plugins simultaneously. As various of the plugins might not be compatible with WooCommerce. To resolve the issues related to this, you would be required to hire a skilled developer, or you have to go for low-quality plugins that are compatible.
2. Security Issues
With WordPress, security issues are another concern. As it is an open source platform, for ensuring security you have to make your site secure on your own so that you can make sure that your data is protected.
Moreover, the websites on WordPress are more vulnerable in terms of security because of two reasons. Firstly, because of its popularity and secondly because it is an open source platform.
3. Not Precisely an eCommerce Platform
Yet another drawback of using WordPress for eCommerce is that it’s not entirely an eCommerce platform and relies more on plugins. In comparison to Shopify, or BigCommerce, the features you will get on WordPress will be limited. For each different feature, you are required to use a different plugin.
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How to Build an eCommerce Website with WordPress?
Once you’ve chosen WordPress as your platform to build an eCommerce site, you would look “How to build an eCommerce website with WordPress.
- Building an eCommerce website with WordPress is a straightforward yet highly customizable process, making it an excellent choice for businesses of all sizes.
- Start by selecting a reliable hosting provider and installing.
- Once set up, choose a theme that complements your brand’s identity—WordPress offers a vast array of free and premium themes tailored for eCommerce.
- The next crucial step is integrating WooCommerce, the powerful plugin that we are talking about. It transforms your WordPress site into a fully functional online store. WooCommerce because, again, it enables you to manage products, inventory, and payments while offering additional plugins for advanced features such as shipping calculators, subscription services, and customer reviews.
- After setting up the essentials, customize your eCommerce site to enhance its usability and appeal.
- Use WooCommerce extensions to expand your store’s functionality, such as integrating multiple payment gateways, adding automated tax calculations, or enabling global shipping options.
- Focus on creating a user-friendly experience with intuitive navigation, fast loading times, and responsive design for mobile users.
- Additionally, optimize your site for search engines by utilizing SEO plugins like Yoast to improve visibility and drive organic traffic.
By following these steps, WordPress allows you to build a scalable, feature-rich eCommerce website tailored to your business needs.
Final Thoughts
WordPress is the most widely used CMS platform and a powerful choice for eCommerce businesses. By integrating the WooCommerce plugin, you can transform your website into a dynamic and fully functional eCommerce store. This combination offers unparalleled customization, allowing you to design layouts and themes that align perfectly with your brand. Additionally, WordPress provides access to a vast library of plugins to enhance your e-store with advanced features and functionalities.
While WordPress excels in flexibility, it does come with challenges, such as security vulnerabilities and plugin compatibility issues, which can complicate store management. Since it was initially designed for blogging, it may lack some features found in dedicated eCommerce platforms. However, for small businesses seeking an affordable, customizable, and scalable solution, WordPress with WooCommerce remains a strong and viable option.
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