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您想創建一個在線商店嗎？我們並不感到驚訝。如何創建電子商務商店是我們受眾最需要的教程之一。
電子商務行業蓬勃發展，目前的零售趨勢顯示，51％的美國人更喜歡網上購物。這是將您的腳趾融入電子商務業務的最佳時機。如果您想知道如何開設在線商店，那麼本指南適合您。
下面，我們已經創建了一個有關如何啟動可用於創建自己的商店的在線商店的分步演練。你不必是一個技術嫻熟的人。我們承諾，您可以在不編寫任何代碼的情況下構建在線商店。
為了幫助您輕鬆遵循本指南，我們將其分為10個不同的部分：
目錄
- 第1章：決定賣什麼
- 第2章：設定正確的期望
- 第3章：選擇電子商務平台
- 第4章：創建在線商店 – 技術指南（逐步）
- 第5章：在線商店入門
- 第6章：擴展您的在線商店
- 第7章：添加您的第一個產品
- 第8章：啟動前檢查表
- 第9章：促進和發展您的在線商店
- 第10章：常見問題解答
第1章：決定賣什麼
在開始建立在線商店之前，您需要決定要銷售什麼。選擇合適的產品對您的在線商店的成功至關重要。
總的來說，您需要銷售在線購物者想要購買的產品。為了幫助您確定在線商店的銷售渠道，您需要了解一些因素，包括：
- 市場需求 – 市場需求描述了某種產品的需求以及誰想要購買它。因此，如果市場對產品的需求很高，那麼人們更有可能從您的在線商店購買該產品，並為此付出更多。您可以使用免費工具來研究市場需求 Google的關鍵字規劃工具。輸入產品的關鍵字，例如「有機面部保濕劑」。如果這些關鍵字的搜索量很高，則會顯示有很多在線購物者在搜索該產品。
- 競爭 – 對產品的需求可能很高，但如果競爭太激烈，您的網上商店可能無法脫穎而出。因此，研究您的競爭對手很重要。對您的產品關鍵字進行簡單的Google搜索，然後查看顯示在搜索結果頂部的公司。確定您與他們的不同之處，以說服購物者從您的在線商店購買。
- 什麼是趨勢 – 如果您可以開始在您的在線商店銷售趨勢產品，您將能夠在競爭之前捕獲在線購物者。所以，要緊緊抓住趨勢。您可以查看亞馬遜，eBay和Etsy等網站，瀏覽他們的「熱門」和「最希望的」列表，找到最新，最想要的產品。
請記住，無論您選擇在網上商店銷售什麼產品，都應該是您熱衷的事情。創辦網上商店是為了賺錢，但選擇出售你不感興趣或知識淵博的東西，不會給你帶來成功。您對產品的熱情應該在您的網站上發揮作用。如果您真正喜歡並相信您所銷售的產品，在線購物者將更有可能向您購買。
為了幫助您弄清楚在線商店的銷售情況，請繼續閱讀。
1.1。數字與實體商品
首先，您需要決定是否要銷售數字產品或實體商品。長期以來，實體產品一直是在線銷售和購買的熱門選擇，但數字產品也變得越來越受歡迎和有價值。
讓我們來看看數字產品與實際產品的差異。
什麼是物理產品？
實體產品是您可以銷售並運送給客戶的可觸摸，有形產品。服裝，傢具，食品，美容產品，油畫等都是實物產品。
銷售實體產品的流行在線商店的一些例子包括亞馬遜，沃爾瑪，Target，American Apparel和百思買。
優點和缺點：數字與物理產品
銷售數字和實體產品有利有弊，你必須權衡利弊，以決定你應該在你的網上商店銷售什麼類型的產品。
那麼，讓我們回顧一下每個人的利弊。
物理產品
優點：
- 明確的價值 – 展示實物產品的價值非常容易。物理產品的目的通常是清晰易懂的。
- 更高的感知價值 – 由於實物產品是有形的，購物者通常會將它們與更高的感知價值聯繫起來。
- 易於使用 – 對於實體產品，通常不會涉及很多解釋，培訓或後續工作。只需出售，發貨，客戶即可立即使用。
缺點：
- 運輸成本 – 由於您必須運送實物產品，因此您必須考慮運輸和處理的成本。
- 更多時間 – 將物理產品運送到全國各地的客戶需要時間。
- 存儲 – 如果您銷售實體產品，大多數情況下您需要大量空間來存儲產品。
數碼產品
優點：
- 無庫存 – 使用數字產品，您沒有任何庫存。這意味著您不必處理訂購一定數量的單位並存儲它們。
- 沒有運輸成本或時間 – 您不必運送數字產品。客戶可以直接將數字產品下載到他們的設備上，這意味著他們可以立即獲得產品，您也可以免費發送產品。
- 易於擴展 – 由於您可以反覆銷售相同的數字產品而無需處理庫存或存儲，因此擴展和發展業務要容易得多。
- 整體更簡單 – 出於上述所有原因，數字產品總體上更易於銷售和管理。
缺點：
- 更難以展示價值 – 使用數字產品，更難以展示價值。要讓客戶相信您的數字產品值得購買需要更多的工作。
- 較低的感知價值 – 因為數字產品不是客戶可以持有的東西，它們與較低的感知價值相關聯。
- 很多競爭 – 由於數字產品很容易在網上銷售，現在很多人都在這麼做。所以，你可能會有很多競爭對手。但也有與銷售實體產品的競爭。
如您所見，銷售數字和實體產品有利有弊。銷售數字產品的數量正在增加，因為它很容易開始在線銷售數字產品。你不需要花很多錢就可以開始，你可以一遍又一遍地銷售同樣的產品。但消費者也在尋找實體產品。因此，權衡利弊，並確定哪種方案最適合您。
1.2。創建自己的產品與銷售已有產品
接下來，您需要決定是要創建自己的產品還是銷售已建立的產品。
如果您想創建自己的產品，那麼您必須了解它會佔用您的大量時間。例如，如果您要銷售手工編織圍巾，您必須花時間提前創建大量庫存，或者每次有人訂購時都要花費數周時間創建新商品，這將導致客戶不得不等待更長時間才能收到他們的項目。
除了手工製作的產品，創建自己的實體產品，如下一個最好的真空吸塵器將花費大量的時間，有時幾年，你將不得不花很多錢，這可能不是你的最佳途徑。
另一方面，創建自己的數字產品要容易得多。例如，如果您決定銷售模板，則可以在幾個小時內創建模板並一次又一次地出售 – 更容易。
銷售成熟的產品是最簡單的方法，因為您不必花費任何時間來構建或創建產品。此外，對於某些現有產品，大部分營銷也是為您完成的。購物者已經熟悉產品及其價值，因此，購買的決定將更容易。
1.3。亞馬遜聯盟商店
您可以創建的另一種在線商店是亞馬遜聯盟商店。通過亞馬遜聯盟商店，您可以在亞馬遜攜帶的網站上銷售產品。因此，您不必擔心創建自己的產品或處理存儲庫存，運輸和處理，跟蹤庫存等問題。
亞馬遜聯盟商店通過 亞馬遜協會 程序，允許您通過您的網站在每個亞馬遜產品上獲得促銷和銷售的百分比。
如何使用WordPress創建亞馬遜聯盟商店。
1.4。定期銷售與訂閱模式
在製作在線商店時，您還必須決定是使用常規銷售模式還是使用訂閱模式。
常規銷售，也稱為一次性銷售，是指客戶購買產品並將其交付給他們一次。如果他們想要訂購其他產品，他們必須在您的網站上再次購買，然後該商品將再次發送給他們。
但訂閱模式是指客戶定期支付經常性價格以訪問產品或服務。
例如， 你好新鮮 使用訂閱模型。客戶支付經常性費用，每周都會向他們提供餐具。
其他一些遵循訂閱模式的流行在線商店包括BarkBox，FabFitFun和Netflix。
您也可以通過訂閱模式銷售數字產品。許多軟體和插件公司每月向客戶收取使用該產品的費用。
當您向客戶出售一次產品時，您必須努力讓他們再次購買。但是，通過訂閱模式，您可以獲得可依賴的每月經常性收入。
第2章：設定正確的期望
在開始在線商店之前，您還需要設定正確的期望。如果您是電子商務的新手，您可能不會意識到新電子商務網站常犯的錯誤。避免這些初學者錯誤將有助於您的在線商店走上成功之路。那麼，讓我們來看看一些最常見的電子商務錯誤。
不切實際的銷售期望
顯然，大多數人都希望建立一個網上商店來賺錢。有些人希望他們所需要做的就是建立他們的網站，在線添加他們的產品，並且大筆資金將開始流入。但是，成為一個擁有大量收入的成功在線商店需要時間和工作。因此，您必須為在線商店設定切合實際的目標。設置收入目標並跟蹤它們將有助於您了解您的在線商店的運作情況以及您使在線商店成為完全成熟的業務的距離。
設定現實目標：
- 每日銷售
- 每月銷售額
- 年銷售額
有了這些目標，您還必須考慮運行在線商店的成本。只有當您的銷售額超過您的成本時，您的商店才會盈利。隨著您的在線商店的增長，您可以調整您的目標和期望以匹配。
沒有目標受眾
不是每個人都會成為您的客戶。如果您嘗試成為每個人的一切，您的在線商店將無法成功。您需要確定目標受眾是誰，並且您需要設計和營銷您的在線商店，並考慮到這些人。此外，您需要讓您的觀眾有理由與您一起購物，而不是像亞馬遜或沃爾瑪這樣的大型網站。
為您的理想客戶創建客戶檔案，其中包括：
- 受眾特徵 – 目標受眾的基本人口統計信息，如年齡，性別，地點，職業，生活方式等。
- 興趣 – 您的觀眾對此感興趣？烹飪，露營，時尚，運動等
- 價值觀和信念 – 決定對觀眾重要的是什麼？道德嗎？誠實？
- 痛點 – 您的目標受眾面臨哪些問題？您的在線商店如何幫助解決這個問題？
定義目標受眾將有助於您的業務與購物者建立聯繫並獲得更多銷售。
糟糕的網站設計
許多新的在線商店所有者未能意識到良好網站設計的重要性。您的網站通常是客戶看到的第一件事。如果您的在線商店的設計混亂，不專業且難以瀏覽，購物者將不想向您購買。
因此，請確保您的在線商店具有現代主題，易於瀏覽，並且在移動設備上看起來也很棒。您可以在電子商務網站上顯示的專業徽標也有助於促進購物者和您的網站之間的信任。
差的客戶服務
良好的客戶服務是擁有成功的在線商店最重要的部分之一。客戶即使在購買之前也希望知道您提供良好的客戶服務。您可以通過向您的網站添加退貨政策向他們證明這一點，提供支持聯繫信息，如電子郵件或電話號碼，甚至在您的網站上添加實時聊天。
如果您不提供快速，高效的客戶服務，您將面臨失去客戶的風險。
我們將在本文後面介紹一些可以避免這些錯誤的步驟。但首先，您需要選擇合適的電子商務平台並開始構建您的網站。
第3章：選擇電子商務平台
選擇合適的電子商務平台對您的業務至關重要，因為如果您的決定被證明是錯誤的，很難退出。事實上，60％的中大型店主同意在選擇電子商務平台之前應該進行更好的盡職調查。
我們推薦的3種最受歡迎的電子商務平台 Shopify， 的Bigcommerce和WordPress + WooCommerce。
讓我們快速瀏覽一下這些流行的電子商務平台。
3.1。最佳電子商務平台攤牌
Shopify是一個完全託管的電子商務解決方案，起價為每月29美元。 Shopify使得無需安裝任何軟體或維護網路託管伺服器即可輕鬆啟動商店。
雖然它允許您自定義商店的設計，但與自託管電子商務平台相比，自定義選項受到限制。除月費外，您還必須支付每筆訂單的交易費用。這意味著您的實際成本將高於每月29美元，並隨著您的商店增長而增加。
優點：
- 用戶友好且易於學習。
- Shopify為您管理您的在線商店。
- 擴展您的網站既簡單又實惠。
缺點：
- 您無法完全控制您的網站。
- 你必須支付交易費用。
- 由於無法選擇您想要的功能，因此定製有限。
BigCommerce是另一個完全託管的電子商務解決方案。這意味著您可以快速創建在線商店，而無需管理任何技術方面。只需使用BigCommerce創建一個帳戶，使用他們眾多時尚的電子商務模板中的一個，即時設計您的在線商店，添加您的產品，然後開始銷售。
您可以以每月29.95美元的價格開始使用BigCommerce，其中包括無限制的產品，文件存儲和帶寬。此外，與Shopify不同，使用領先的支付網關時，使用BigCommerce沒有交易費用。
優點：
- 用戶友好，易於啟動網站。
- 沒有交易費用。
- 它是一個完全託管的解決方案，您不必擔心管理您的網站。
缺點：
- 您無法完全控制您的網站。
- 您網站的自定義有限，只有少數免費主題可供選擇。
- 年度在線銷售限制，如果超出限制，則必須升級您的計劃。
WooCommerce，您將完全控制您的在線商店。 WooCommerce是近28％的在線商店的首選平台。最重要的是，它作為免費插件在WordPress之上運行，所以如果您熟悉WordPress，那麼您可以使用WooCommerce輕鬆管理商店。此外，如果您已經擁有WordPress網站或博客，則可以使用WooCommerce輕鬆將其轉換為在線商店。
WooCommerce附帶了許多內置功能，如運輸，支付處理，庫存管理，優惠券，報告等。您還可以購買WooCommerce擴展程序，為您的在線商店添加更多電量或使用多個第三方免費和付費 WooCommerce插件 幫助您增加銷售額。
此外，由於WooCommerce是一個開源平台和WordPress電子商務插件，因此可以從WordPress.org存儲庫免費下載。要開始使用WooCommerce，您只需要一個域名，SSL證書和網路託管帳戶。有了一些最好的網路託管公司，你可以以每月3-5美元的價格獲得所有這些，這使得WooCommerce成為創建在線商店的最低成本方式。
優點：
- 完全控制您的網站。
- WooCommerce是一個開源軟體，定製無窮無盡的插件。
- 比其他電子商務平台更實惠。
- 更實惠的託管Web託管選項，特定於WooCommerce。
- 沒有交易費用。
缺點：
- 您必須管理自己的站點，包括安全性，更新，備份等。
- 無限的功能可以使學習有點壓倒性。
- 擴展您的在線商店更加困難，因為您必須自己管理您的網站或為託管網路託管支付更多費用。
重要的是要注意，要使用WooCommerce WordPress插件，您需要使用WordPress.org而不是WordPress.com構建您的網站。查看我們的文章 WordPress.com與WordPress.org 了解更多關於2的區別。
3.2。為什麼我們推薦WooCommerce
雖然Shopify和BigCommerce等電子商務平台使用起來比較容易，而且開箱即用，可以輕鬆設置在線商店，但WooCommerce的起始成本較低，您可以更好地控制您的網站。
使用WooCommerce，您可以完全控制在線商店的外觀和執行方式。正如我們建議使用WordPress創建一個網站，因為無限的自定義選項，與使用WooCommerce製作在線商店同樣如此。使用WooCommerce的在線商店允許您使用眾多WordPress插件為您的在線商店添加更多功能。
此外，您還可以獲得驚人的數量 WooCommerce主題 為您的商店提供您想要的外觀。它還帶有集成，支付方式，插件等。
由於WooCommerce和WordPress社區規模如此之大，如果您遇到網上商店的問題，可以通過大量的在線社區和論壇來幫助您。
使用WooCommerce創建在線商店，您可以創建所需的電子商務網站，而無需花費大部分預算。
3.3。在線商店的先決條件（域名，託管，SSL等）
正如我們前面提到的，當您使用WooCommerce創建在線商店時，在開始之前您需要做一些事情。由於WooCommerce是一個WordPress插件，你需要一個自託管的WordPress網站以及這三件事：域名，SSL證書和網路託管。讓我們回顧一下這些先決條件是什麼以及為什麼需要它們。
域名
域名是您網站的地址。用戶可以在瀏覽器的地址欄中鍵入您的域名，並訪問您的網站。例如，您可能熟悉的一些熱門域名包括www.IsItWP.com，www.Amazon.com，www.Facebook.com和www.WPBeginner.com。
如果沒有域名，用戶將無法通過自己的計算機訪問您的電子商務網站。因此，如果您要創建在線商店，則需要購買與您的在線商店的品牌名稱相匹配的域名。
有關更詳細的說明，請查看我們的文章： 什麼是域名以及它如何運作？
SSL證書
SSL證書（安全套接字層），也稱為數字證書，可在網站和訪問者的瀏覽器之間創建安全鏈接。這可確保您的購物者和網站之間傳遞的所有數據安全可靠。任何將接受信用卡信息的網站都需要SSL證書。
死亡願望咖啡 – 世界上最強的咖啡
如果您在提出品牌名稱時遇到問題，您也可以免費使用 域名生成器 幫助你想出一些很棒的東西。
只需鍵入1或2個關鍵字，該工具將為您提供許多品牌名稱的想法。該工具還會檢查域名可用性，因此您不必擔心選擇其他人已經使用的名稱。
在找到完美的品牌名稱後，就可以選擇網路託管併購買域名。
3.5。如何選擇虛擬主機
選擇最好的網路託管是製作在線商店的另一個重要步驟。您需要選擇一個高性能的網路託管解決方案，以便為您的客戶提供快速便捷的購物體驗。如果您的電子商務網站速度很慢，即使只有1秒的延遲，也可能會使您的銷售額減少7％。如您所見，選擇具有一流速度和性能的Web託管非常重要。
在選擇最佳電子商務網站託管時，您還應考慮其他一些因素，包括：
- 1-Click安裝 – 您選擇的網路託管應提供一鍵式，輕鬆安裝您首選的電子商務應用程序，如WooCommerce。
- SSL證書 – 如前所述，您需要SSL證書來保護您的在線商店。這應該由您選擇的網路託管公司提供。
- PCI合規性 – 您還需要選擇PCI兼容主機以安全地接受信用卡付款。
- 支持和備份 – 選擇可在您需要時提供出色支持，更新和備份的Web託管。
有許多偉大的電子商務託管公司可供選擇。我們的一些最佳建議是 SiteGround Cloud， 的Bigcommerce， Shopify，和 WP引擎。
但是，由於我們建議您使用WordPress和WooCommerce構建您的在線商店，我們建議您選擇 Bluehost WooCommerce。
免費域名，免費SSL，以及他們的託管計劃50％的折扣。
注意：我們相信完全透明。如果您使用我們的推薦鏈接購買主機，那麼我們將免費獲得一筆小額傭金。您實際上可以獲得託管+免費域名+免費SSL的折扣。我們可以從任何託管公司獲得傭金，但我們只推薦我們真正相信會給我們的讀者帶來價值的產品。
第4章：創建在線商店 – 技術指南（逐步）
僅僅因為這一部分被稱為「技術指南」並不意味著你必須精通技術。如果您可以點擊，那麼您可以按照本教程操作，立即啟動並運行您的在線商店。
我們來看看如何使用WooCommerce在WordPress中設置在線商店。
4.1。購買域名和WooCommerce託管帳戶
要開始您的WooCommerce商店，請前往 Bluehost網站 然後單擊立即開始按鈕。
在下一頁，您將被要求選擇一個計劃。每個計劃都預裝了WordPress上的WooCommerce以及一個 免費的SSL證書。
SSL certificate adds a special security layer on your website, so you can accept sensitive information such as credit card numbers and other personal information. This is required for you to run an online store and accept credit card payments.
Since you』re just getting started, you can choose the starter plan.
You can either choose to use an existing domain that you have or get a free new domain. We recommend registering a new domain since it』s free.
You』ll now be prompted to enter your account information. For easy registration, you can sign in with your Google info with just a couple of clicks.
After entering your details, scroll down the page until you find the package information box. You can select the starter plan for 12 months, 24 months, or 36 months. You will also see that a few addons are preselected which are increasing your total price. We recommend that you uncheck these boxes because you can always add them later should you decide that you need these services.
Next, you need to scroll down the page further to enter your payment details. You will also be asked to Agree to their Terms of Service, and then click Submit.
而已！
You』ve successfully subscribed to a WooCommerce hosting plan. You』ll now receive an email with details on how to log in to your web hosting control panel (cPanel) where you can manage everything from hosting files to emails and support.
Go ahead and log into your cPanel. You』ll be greeted with a popup informing you that WordPress, along with WooCommerce, has been pre-installed. You can now click log into your site and start managing your online store.
Now let』s take a look at how to launch your online store with WooCommerce.
4.2。 Configure WooCommerce
Using the login credentials from your email, you need to login to your WordPress dashboard where you』ll see a welcome message. Go ahead and click the I don』t need help link. Don』t worry, we』ll walk you through every step of the process.
The first step is to make sure that you specify the name and tagline of your site. To do this, you need to visit Settings » General page and insert your WordPress site title and description.
Your WordPress hosting package came with a free SSL Certificate. This certificate is pre-installed for your domain name. However, your WordPress site needs to be configured, so it loads as https vs http. You』ll also need to change your WordPress Address and Site Address to use https instead of http.
Next, you need to run the WooCommerce setup wizard. Simply click the Run the Setup Wizard button. The setup wizard will walk you through the basic configuration of WooCommerce storefront.
In the first step, you』ll be asked to specify your store』s location. You』ll also be prompted to select the currency you』d like to use. After completing the first step, you can proceed to the Payment step.
By default, WooCommerce only allows you to accept payments via PayPal. You can simply enter your PayPal email in this step without linking your PayPal account. If you want to add additional payment methods, then you』ll need to install respective addons (which you can do later).
If you choose to sell physical goods on your WooCommerce store, then you』ll be asked to setup shipping methods and shipping fees for both national and international shipping.
After setting up the shipping options, WooCommerce will persuade you to connect your site with Jetpack. Setting up Jetpack is not a necessary step for building a WooCommerce store, so you can skip it. You can find the Skip this step option at the bottom of the page.
You』re done with the setup wizard.
4.3. Change Your WordPress Theme
WordPress themes control the visual appearance of your website. To give a unique design to your website, all you have to do is find and install the right theme on it. With WordPress, you can customize an existing theme or even install a custom-built theme per your unique requirements.
By default, your WooCommerce store comes preinstalled with the Storefront theme。 Storefront is a free WordPress theme offering deep integration with WooCommerce.
If you want to customize your Storefront theme without touching a single line of code, then you can get the Storefront Extensions Bundle that helps you delight your customers with a unique look.
Alternatively, you can easily find another WooCommerce-compatible theme in the free plugin repository. Before you choose a random theme from the official directory, it』s in your best interest to take a look at some WooCommerce compatible theme reviews, and decide which one would be a perfect choice for your needs.
A premium theme has to be downloaded from the theme vendor』s site and manually uploaded to your WordPress.
If you decide to go with a free WordPress theme from the official theme repository, then you can search and install it directly from your WordPress dashboard without having to download it to your computer.
To install a free theme, navigate to Appearance » Themes in your WordPress dashboard. Then click the Add New Theme box. You can now find some featured themes in your dashboard.
Before installing, you can preview your theme by clicking on the thumbnails displayed. You can also filter themes based on layouts, features, and niches by clicking on the Feature Filterbutton.
Since you are looking for an eCommerce theme, you can simply check the E-commerce option in the subject column. This way it』ll only show you eCommerce-compatible themes.
In the right-hand corner, type the theme name in the search bar. Once you』ve found the right theme, hover on its image and click the Install button. Then click Activate to change your website』s appearance.
4.4。 Extend Your Online Store With Plugins
WooCommerce supports tons of different addon plugins that let you enhance your online store without writing code or hiring a developer.
Just like WordPress themes, you can easily find and install free plugins from the WordPress plugin repository within your WordPress dashboard.
All you have to do is visit Plugins » Add New. Use the search box in the right corner to find a plugin and click the Install Now button. And then, click Activate.
Chapter 5: Getting Started with Your Online Store
WordPress is a fully-featured website builder solution that gives you endless possibilities to customize your site the way you want. Unlike other popular eCommerce solutions, WordPress makes it easy to integrate a blog with your online store and create standalone web pages.
If you』ve never used WordPress before, then we』ll walk you through how to kick start a fully-featured website along with your online store. Below are the things we』ll cover:
- Add a blog to your online store
- Create standalone pages
- Add a navigation menu
- Add a widget
- Setup a static homepage
5.1。 Add a Blog to Your Online Store
Do you want to help your eCommerce customers stay connected with your brand? Want to attract more website visitors, generate more sales and revenue? Then, you need to integrate a blog with your online store.
Every eCommerce business needs a blog. By integrating a blog with your store, you can update your brand』s news and stay connected with your customers. Keeping a regular blog is one of the best ways to drive organic traffic to your site as well.
Let』s take a look at how to create and publish a blog post in your WordPress website.
In the left-hand menu of your WordPress dashboard, you』ll find two similar options that may confuse you as a new user: Posts and Pages.
Choose Posts if you want to create a website post that appears in reverse chronological order (newest first) on your WordPress website. Posts are also organized into categories and tags. You can read the difference between categories and tags for more information.
To create your first blog post, head over to your post editor by going to Posts » Add New. You need to start by adding a title for your blog post. After that, you can start writing your blog post content in the post editor. To upload images to your website, all you have to do is drag and drop your images to the text editor from your computer. Alternatively, you can use the Add Media button to upload your images and videos.
5.2。 Create Standalone Pages
Just like a blog, you』ll also need to add standalone pages to your site such as an About us page, Contact page, Terms of Service page, etc.
Adding a page is almost similar to adding a blog post. The only difference is that you』ll need to visit Pages » Add New to create a new page. Once you』re done, click the Publish button to publish the page.
5.3。 Add a Navigation Menu
Your navigation menu sticks to the top of your website, so your visitors can easily find the most important pages and links.
To add a navigation menu, go to Appearance » Menus. You need to start by specifying a menu name in the Menu Name field and click Create Menu.
You can now choose from your existing pages, posts, custom links, and categories. After selecting, click Add to Menu. With drag and drop, you can position the menu』s structure. You can also use drag and drop to make nested dropdown menus. Once you』re done, select the display location and click Save Menu.
5.4. Add and Customize Your Widgets
Within your WordPress website, you can easily add the right sidebar widgets per your preference.
Adding a widget is helpful if you want to display dynamic content in your sidebar such as social media buttons, facebook feeds, testimonials, etc. If your WordPress theme has support for footer widgets, then you can use it to add copyright notices, links, and more.
Go to Appearance » Widgets and select from the available widgets. Next, you need drag your choices to the widgetized area of your WordPress site.
5.5. Set Up a Static Homepage
By default, WordPress shows your blog』s latest posts as your homepage instead of a static page. If you want to set a custom static page as your homepage, then simply follow the steps below.
After creating a page, go to Settings » Reading. In the Your Homepage displays section, you』ll need to choose A static page and then select the page you want to display as your front page in the dropdown menu. Once you are done, click Save Changes.
Chapter 6: Extend Your Online Store
Expanding the core features of your WooCommerce store is as easy as installing plugins (apps). While every online store is unique in terms of the product lines, target audience, etc., there are some recommended plugins that almost every store will have to use, such as a contact form plugin, Google Analytics plugin, SEO plugin, and more.
Below are some recommended WordPress plugins that you』ll find useful for your online store:
- Build contact forms with WPForms – 臨 | 自由
- Connect your site with Google Analytics using MonsterInsights – 臨 | 自由
- Improve your SEO with Yoast SEO – 臨 | 自由
- Add an extra layer of security with Sucuri
- Take a regular backup with Updraft Plus – 臨 | 自由
- Improve WordPress performance with W3 Total Cache
- Prevent spam comments with Akismet – 臨 | 自由
- Grow your subscribers and sales with OptinMonster
Since a detailed explanation about all the plugins would be overwhelming, we』ll explain just the four most important:
- Enable customer tracking with MonterInsights
- Add online forms to your site with WPForms
- Improve your store』s SEO with Yoast
- Reduce shopping cart abandonment with OptinMonster
6.1。 Enable Customer Tracking with MonsterInsights
Want to know how your customers interact with your site? Want to track the sales and revenue of your store?
Then, you need to enable eCommerce tracking with Google Analytics on your store. Google Analytics is the most comprehensive tracking tool for your website. It gives you detailed insights into how your visitors find your site and interact with your pages. Best of all, Google Analytics is absolutely free to use.
The default Google Analytics setup doesn』t allow you to track complex user interactions like eCommerce transactions, form submissions, file downloads, etc. This is where the MonsterInsights plugin come in. MonsterInsights makes Google Analytics easy for your website. With just a few clicks, you can track complex user activities, including eCommerce transactions.
Read the complete MonsterInsights review。
Let』s take a look at how to enable Google Analytics tracking on your site.
Head over to Plugins » Add New. Search for MonsterInsights and, when the plugin shows up, click Install Now and then, Activate.
Head over to Insights » Settings to authenticate your site with Google Analytics. Click Authenticate with your Google account.
On the next screen, select your Google account.
Next, allow MonsterInsights to manage your account.
Finally, select the correct website profile for your site and click Complete Authentication.
After authentication, you can easily find how your website is doing by visiting Insights » Reports.
eCommerce tracking is a pro feature of MonsterInsights. You』ll have to upgrade to MonsterInsights Pro 至 enable eCommerce tracking。
Get started with MonsterInsights today to easily set up Google Analytics on your site.
Want to start with the free version instead? Try MonsterInsights Lite。
6.2.Add Online Forms with WPForms
When you run an online store, you』ll need to build a lot of different online forms, such as contact forms, customer support forms, product review forms, survey forms, registration forms, custom login forms, etc.
The best way to create all the different type of forms for your site is by installing the WPForms plugin. WPForms makes it easy to create any type of forms on your site with its powerful drag and drop builder. Besides the ease of use, below are a few reasons why WPForms is the best WordPress form builder:
- Tons of built-in form templates: The plugin is bundled with tons of useful pre-made form templates, so you don』t have to create every form from scratch. With their Templates Pack addon, you get a huge variety of pre-built templates for every niche and industry.
- Integrations with your favorite apps: WPForms seamlessly integrate with your email marketing services and other third-party apps you use.
- Custom registration and login forms: Have a consistent branding throughout your site including your registration and login forms.
- And a lot more…
Read the complete WPForms review。
To create a form on your blog, first off, you』ll have to install WPForms by navigating to Plugins » Add New. Search for the WPForms plugin and, when it shows up, click Install Now, and then Activate.
You』ll now be directed to the beautiful welcome page of WPForms. You can either click the Create Your First Form button or click WPForms » Add New to create your first form.
Next, you』ll be prompted to choose a template. You can select one of the premade templates or start with a blank form. If you want, you can give a custom name to your first contact form.
WPForms makes it easy to build a form with drag and drop. Click on the appropriate form fields in the left panel to add them to your form. You can also easily re-arrange them and even remove any unnecessary fields with ease. After making the necessary changes click Save.
To add a form on your site, simply go to your post or page editor and click the Add Form button above the text editor.
Select the right form you want to publish and then click Add Form and then, click Publish.
而已！ You』ve now successfully published a contact form.
Want to create a contact form the easy way?然後， get started with WPForms today。
Want to start with the free version instead? Try WPForms Lite。
6.3。 Improve Your Store』s SEO with Yoast
Do you want to expand the reach of your products? Do you want to drive more targeted traffic from search engines that are likely to purchase your products?
Then you』ll essentially need to improve your SEO. The best way to improve the SEO of your online store is installing an SEO plugin like Yoast SEO.
In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins » Add New. Search for Yoast in the search bar that you can find in the top right-hand corner. The Yoast SEO plugin will now have appeared on your page. Click Install and then Activate.
In your WordPress dashboard, you can now find the SEO menu in the left-hand menu. Simply click on it.
If the plugin detects any SEO errors, then you can fix them by following the suggestions provided.
Setting up Yoast SEO is easy using the configuration wizard. Simply click on the configuration wizard to get started.
In the first step, you』ll be asked whether you want to configure Yoast SEO yourself or hire an expert to do it for you. Select CONFIGURE YOAST SEO to do it yourself.
In the next step, you』ll be asked whether your site is ready to be indexed. You can choose option A. Then, click Next.
Next, you need to choose your website type. In this case, you want to select – An online shop. Then, click Next.
For Google』s knowledge graph card, you』ll be asked whether the website is run by a person or a brand. If Person is selected, then you』ll have to specify the name of the person. If Company is selected, then you』ll have to add the logo as well. Then, click Next.
You can now enter your social media profile URLs in their appropriate fields. Then, click Next.
In the Search engine visibility step, you don』t have to change the default settings because they』re set up to index your posts and pages. Simply click Next.
Author archives might create duplicate content issue for search engines. To prevent it, you can disable it if your blog doesn』t have multiple authors.
Next, you』ll be prompted to connect your website to Google Search Console, which is a free tool that gives you detailed insights into how your blog content is being perceived by Google.
Next, you can set up the title for your blog, and then, click Next.
You can now exit the configuration wizard because the other steps were created for promotional purposes such as signing up for Yoast』s newsletter.
Get started with Yoast SEO today to improve your store』s SEO.
Want to start with the free version instead? Try the free Yoast SEO。
6.4. Reduce Shopping Cart Abandonment with OptinMonster
Did you know the average online shopping cart abandonment rate is around 70%? That means only 3 out of 10 customers are completing the checkout.
Evidently, shopping cart abandonment is the single largest obstacle for eCommerce business to overcome. But, you can reduce shopping cart abandonment with a plugin like OptinMonster。
OptinMonster is a popular lead generation tool that allows you to display targeted popups that convert abandoning visitors into subscribers.
For instance, when a customer is about to leave your site before completing the checkout, you can prompt them to complete it with a targeted popup campaign. You can use OptinMonster』s exit intent technology to display a targeted campaign.
To create a targeted exit-intent popup campaign, first create an account with OptinMonster on their official website. Once you』ve signed up for an account, you can start creating your first exit-intent popup campaign to reduce cart abandonment. First, click on the green Create Campaign.
Next, choose the campaign type by clicking on Popup.
After that, you』ll be prompted to choose a pre-designed template for your campaign. OptinMonster has a pre-built template specifically for shopping cart abandonment, so let』s choose that one, titled Abandoning Checkout. Hover over the template and click the Use Template button.
After clicking the Use Template button, you』ll be prompted to name your campaign and choose which website your popup will go on. Then, click the Start Building button to continue.
You』ll then be taken to the Campaign Builder. In this area, you can begin customizing your campaign to make it your own. You can change the colors, add your own image and text, and more.
You can also add other rules such as only showing the popup to users who have visited your checkout page as well. Play around with the rules to see what works best for you.
After designing your campaign, setting the display rules and making sure your campaign is connected to your email marketing service, hit the green Save button, then click on Publish.
From here, toggle your campaign to Live in the Status section.
In the platform section, select WordPress, and follow the simple instructions to embed the campaign on your website.
Now instead of losing precious sales, you』ll be able to convert those abandoning visitors into happy customers.
Some other ways to reduce shopping cart abandonment include adding security badges to your site and offering guest checkout. Adding a security badge helps instill confidence in your customers and guest checkout makes it easy for your customers to complete an order, so they don』t have to create an account.
Chapter 7: Adding Your First Products
You can now start listing your products in your store by clicking the Create a Product button. This will direct you to the Products editor in your dashboard. Adding a product in your WooCommerce store is easy.
Just like creating a page or post, you』ll need to add product details like title, product description, product categories, product tags, product image and gallery by navigating to Products » Add New.
Just below the text editor, you can find a product data box where you can specify the product specific details like:
- Regular and sale price
- Manage inventory
- Shipping details like weight and dimensions
- Product upselling and cross selling details
- And more…
You will also find a short description box which is used when there are multiple products on a page.
Chapter 8: Before-Launch Checklist
Now that your online store is nearly completed, before you go live, you need to make sure you have everything in order. Launching your online store before it』s ready can cause problems for you and can even drive away your potential customers.
So, here』s a before-launch checklist that includes every step you should cross off your to-do list. Be sure to complete each of these steps before launching your online store to the world.
- Build Your Online Store – Build your online store and make sure everything looks perfect for your future customers. Be sure you have all the pages you need such as product pages, about page, contact page. As an online store you also need a shopping cart and checkout page.
- Prep with a Coming Soon Page – Get your audience excited about your online store before it』s even launched by adding a coming soon page to your site. You can easily do this using a plugin like SeedProd。
- Add Your Products – Add all of your products to your online store. This includes high-quality images, product descriptions, prices, etc.
- Optimize Your Images – Online stores are image-heavy which can slow down your site. Be sure to optimize your images using an image optimization plugin like reSmush.it。
- Adjust Your Tax and Shipping Settings – Double check your tax and shipping settings to make sure you』re charging the right price for the products you』re selling.
- Test for Mobile – Many consumers do their online shopping from their mobile devices, so make sure your online store is mobile-friendly.
- Test the Performance of Your Site – Test the speed and performance of your online store to make sure it』s optimized for shoppers. You can use our free Website Speed Test Tool to test your site and get suggestions for improvements.
- Install Analytics – Create a Google Analytics account and use MonsterInsights to track your website data. Test to make sure it』s tracking accurately before launching your online store.
- Optimize Your Site for SEO – Install a plugin like Yoast SEO in order to optimize your website for SEO.
- Set up Email Marketing – You』ll need to email your customers and vice versa, so make sure to set up your email marketing. You should also start growing your email list with a lead generation tool like OptinMonster.
- Place a Test Order – Make sure your shoppers can buy products from your store successfully by placing a test order using your payment gateway. You can refund the order right after confirming it works.
- Market Your Online Store – Start marketing your online store to drive more shoppers to your eCommerce website. For instance, start promoting your online store on social media and start blogging.
Chapter 9: Promote and Grow Your Online Store
If you』re an eCommerce merchant, your ultimate goal should be to grow your sales and revenue. There are many different ways to generate more sales on your online store. Let』s take a look at a few of them below:
- Drive targeted traffic.
- Turn your visitors into leads and customers by building an email list.
- Resources to learn and master WordPress and WooCommerce.
9.1. Drive targeted traffic
Driving more traffic is the lifeblood of any online business, but keep in mind that more traffic doesn』t always equate to more sales. You need to ensure that you』re attracting targeted traffic who』s interested in your products.
A couple of ways to drive more targeted traffic to your site are:
- SEO: Improve your SEO and help your potential customers discover your products on Google and other search engines.
- Paid ads: SEO can be time consuming, so if you want a quick solution to drive targeted traffic, then you might want to spend your marketing dollars on paid ads.
- Affiliate program: Start an affiliate program and encourage people to promote your products to earn referral revenue.
9.2. Build and Grow Your Email List
One of the reasons you』re not turning your visitors into customers is that you don』t have a relationship with them. Your customers don』t know you, so they』re afraid to make a purchase from your store.
Building an email list is the best way to start and foster relationships with your potential customers.
Building an email list helps you qualify your leads, build a longlasting connection with them, and ultimately, helps you turn your visitors into leads and customers. In fact, 根據一項調查, email has an ROI of around 4,300%, so if you』re not taking your list seriously, then you』ll fall behind quickly.
同 OptinMonster, you can skyrocket your email list by showing targeted list building campaigns by detecting their individual user behavior.
9.3. Learn and Master WordPress and WooCommerce
To be able to run a successful online store, it』s imperative to learn and master WordPress and WooCommerce.
Below are a few resources you』ll find helpful.
- OptinMonster blog: OptinMonster blog is a go-to resource on the web for all things online marketing and conversion rate optimization.
- IsItWP: At IsItWP, we regularly publish WordPress tutorials, WordPress theme and plugin roundups, reviews, WordPress deals and a lot more.
- WPBeginner: WPBeginner is the largest free WordPress resource on the web for WordPress beginners. They regularly publish useful tutorials, videos, coupon codes for WordPress products and a lot more.
- WPForms blog: If you want to read tutorials that help you grow your business using the WordPress platform, you need to follow the WPForms blog. You can also find tips and recommended practices to build any types of online WordPress forms.
- MonsterInsights blog: The MonsterInsights blog is an excellent resource you can follow to get a handle on Google Analytics best practices and recommendations. You can find a lot of WooCommerce specific articles including setting up enhanced eCommerce tracking, individual customer tracking, etc. for WooCommerce.
Chapter 10: FAQs
Having helped many users set up their online stores with WordPress + WooCommerce, we』ve found that people often ask the same sort of questions again and again. This is why we』ve compiled a list of frequently asked questions, so you can easily launch your online store without hassle.
When should a business start creating an online store?
As online sales are rapidly growing, having an online store gives you a huge advantage over your competitors.
If you want to expand your business online and grow your revenue, then you should launch an online store as soon as possible.
How much does it cost to start an online store?
To start an online store powered by WooCommerce, you』ll have to purchase a domain name for $14.99 per year and a hosting account, which costs around $7.99 per month. Altogether, starting a site will cost you as low as $110.87 annually.
Can I start an online store without purchasing a hosting account?
No. Every website needs a hosting account. You can find several eCommerce platforms that allow you to build an online store with a premium subscription which includes hosting as part of it.
Can I start an online store without WordPress/WooCommerce?
Yes, there are a lot of eCommerce platforms that let you build an online store easily. However, the main thing that sets WooCommerce apart from the competition is its ease of use. WooCommerce works on top of WordPress, the world』s most popular website building platform. That means the interface will be familiar if you』ve ever used WordPress before.
Another benefit is that, unlike other self-hosted eCommerce platforms, WooCommerce doesn』t require you to go through a tedious installation process. In fact, most web host providers, including Bluehost supports WooCommerce hosting, so you can quickly get your online store up and running without any software installation or manual setup on your end.
How do I add a blog to my online store?
Adding a blog to your WooCommerce-powered store is easy. All you have to do is to create articles by navigating to Posts » Add New, and publish them by clicking the Publish button.
In addition, make sure to add a link to your blog in your navigation menu so your visitors can easily discover it.
How do I make my products Google searchable?
If you want your potential users to discover your product on Google, then you』ll need to improve your SEO (search engine optimization). SEO is the practice of increasing your website traffic from search engines by getting your web pages to rank higher in search engine results.
How can I learn more about WordPress terminologies?
Refer to this WordPress Glossary Terms for Beginners whenever you』re puzzled by strange WordPress terms or abbreviations.
What payment methods are supported on WooCommerce?
By default, WooCommerce allows you to accept payments via PayPal. To add more payment gateways to your store, simplify the find the right WooCommerce addon and install it on your store. You can use credit cards via Stripe, Authorize.net, Braintree, and several other gateways. You can also accept bank transfers, bitcoins, and more.
How do I manage shipping in WooCommerce?
WooCommerce supports a few shipping options:
- Free Shipping
- Flat Rate Shipping
- 國際航運
- Local Delivery / Local Pickup
If you』re selling a lot of products, then you can install a shipping addon like FedEx Shipping Method. This way you don』t have to worry about shipping the orders your customers』 make, giving you a peace of mind.
How do I drive traffic to my online store?
Some ways to drive traffic to your online store are:
- Search engine optimization
- Drive social media traffic
- Invest in online ads
We hope this article helped you create an online store with WooCommerce.