With the content management system (CMS) WordPress are familiar to many people in the context of blogging. But not only a blog, also an own online shop can be created with WordPress. With the plug-in WooCommerce it is possible to use the WordPress framework for e-commerce. How to set up WooCommerce and all the things to consider for a WooCommerce online store, you can read here.
What is WooCommerce?
WooCommerce is a free plug-in for WordPress that can be downloaded directly from the official WordPress Plug-In Directory. It allows the seamless embedding of the shop function into the WordPress Framework. Thanks to the plug-in, the content management system is supplemented with e-commerce functionality, a fully-fledged online shop is created. WooCommerce is now the most common e-commerce software, depending on the statistics, 29 % to 37 % of all online shops should run with WooCommerce. Also in the WordPress universe WooCommerce is one of the most popular plug-ins with over 15 million downloads.
What functions does WooCommerce offer?
Whoever wants to build an e-commerce business and is considering creating a WooCommerce online shop with WordPress, wonders how the features offered compare to other shop systems such as Gambio, Magento, Shopify and Squarespace. Here is an overview:
-Easy creation and management of products, multiple product categories (simple, grouped, affiliate, variable) available.
-Digital products (music, posters, e-books, etc.) can be created as downloads (limits and expiration times are adjustable) and are available for customers to download immediately after purchase.
-Clear receipt and management of orders in the dashboard of the WordPress website.
-regular reports and analyses of sales (sales by date, per product or per category, average daily sales, etc.).
-Clear inventory management (Notifications when stock is low or when items are no longer in stock). Different settings if and how the stock level is displayed to buyers and how long unpaid items are reserved in the shopping basket.
-Diverse payment methods adjustable (bank transfer/advance payment, check, cash on delivery, credit card, PayPal, voucher).
-Integrated discount code and voucher option, discount codes and vouchers can be created and managed (usage restrictions, limits and other setting options)
-Diverse shipping methods can be set (including flat rate, free shipping, local delivery, international shipping).
-Different tax settings. Prices can be displayed net or including VAT, VAT can be displayed in the shopping cart, individual calculation of VAT possible (depending on shipping address, billing address, country etc.), different tax classes can be set.
In addition to the basic functions, further extensions, some of which are subject to a fee, are available to adapt the WooCommerce online shop even more precisely to your own needs (example: almost 150 additional payment services can be added). These are conventional WordPress plug-ins that extend the functional range of WooCommerce and leave WordPress untouched.
Create WooCommerce online shop with WordPress - The guide
To create a WooCommerce online shop with WordPress is really not difficult and goes fast. First of all you need to have your own WordPress blog including website hosting. To download the WooCommerce plug-in, all you have to do is go to the plug-in directory via the dashboard view, call up WooCommerce via the search function and install it. Since WooCommerce is also available in German language is available, installation and configuration are effortless. The program even offers an installation wizard that guides you through the setup of the online shop after activation. This wizard is a great help especially for beginners. Advanced users do not need to use the wizard and can skip all steps or complete them at a later time. This is how the setup works:
1. "page setup"
To make a WooCommerce online store from a WordPress blog, the Shop, Shopping Cart, Checkout and My Account pages must be created. With one click this is done.
2nd "Shop location settings"
This is where you define in which country the new online shop is located and which currency is used. These details can be changed later if necessary. In addition, product dimensions can be entered in this step - for example, an online shop for spices will trade in grams rather than kilograms. If weight and size are not important for your own products, you do not necessarily have to enter these details here.
3. dispatch and tax facility
In this step, the basic settings for shipping and VAT are defined. Although there is an option to display prices without VAT, German law requires the opposite.
4) "Payments".
The fourth and final step in the WooCommerce online shop setup process deals with the payment options. At this point, the email address associated with PayPal can be entered. Offline payments by cash on delivery, check and bank transfer can also be activated in this step.
And the installation wizard informs you that the setup of WooCommerce is complete! Now the next step is to create products in the online shop and add the Shop, Shopping Cart, Checkout and My Account pages you've just created to the menu (in the dashboard via the Design navigation point).
Adapt WooCommerce online shop with WordPress for the German market
German law requires every online shop operator to comply with certain standards. These include, for example, the general terms and conditions, a revocation policy and the imprint on the website of your own online shop. If these elements are missing, a warning may be issued for lack of compliance with German law. To ensure that your own WooCommerce online shop is adapted to the legal requirements in Germany, WooCommerce Germanized or WooCommerce German Market should be used from the outset. WooCommerce German Market is a fee-based premium plug-in (price between 69 and 99 euros), whereas the WooCommerce Germanized plug-in is free of charge. The professional version WooCommerce Germanized Pro also costs 69 to 99 Euro.
