What is WooCommerce?

E-COMMERCE.  What is WooCommerce? Sounds familiar right? It does not only sound so familiar, it is the trend especially nowadays where everyone is converting from offline to online selling both products and services. Just read this survey:

According to statistics, Global e–commerce demand is projected to nearly double by 2023, expanding 12.9% annually to $6.7 trillion. Ongoing economic development and increasing internet and smartphone penetration will fuel growth in areas with limited existing e–commerce activity.

That’s why it is very hot and so in-the-trend. With E-Commerce, the online business transactions are faster and easy. I know most of you will agree with me on that. And maybe most of you reading this article, are avid customers of Lazada, Shopee, Shopify, Amazon, eBay, WooCommerce, and so on. And this pandemic period, more and more e-commerce platforms are going online. I’ll name one: ONLINE GROCERY of vegetables and meat which is now in all and every platform. Who would’ve thought it would ever exist? People are now converting from physical marketing to online marketing.

It just goes with the fact, E-Commerce is going huge in the trend. Now let’s tackle WooCommerce.

Have you ever heard the word WooCommerce? Well, Let’s define it first.

WooCommerce  is an open-source ecommerce plugin for WordPress. So it is exclusive in your wordpress website builder.  The plugin quickly became popular for its simplicity to install and customize and free base product.

According to woocommerce.com itself, WooCommerce comes with features to help you connect your audience with the right offer. Search Engine Optimization: WooCommerce runs on WordPress, recognized as one of the best platforms for SEO practices. Coupons: Give customers coupons for a fixed amount, a percentage off or special offers like free shipping.

Functions of WooCommerce

Most of these platforms are of the same functions. But of course, because they all have the same objectives, to sell and serve. But what makes WooCommerce stand-out amongst all of them? 

Let’s analyze their below functionalities :

• Coding knowledge. Do I need to learn HTML/CSS or other programming languages?
  • Answer: Most E-Commerce platforms don’t require coding.
• Store setup. How hard is it to set up your online shop on this platform? Does it have a hard/easy learning curve?
  • Answer: Setting up is easy in all platforms except for AliExpress which requires you to be Chinese.
• Pricing/cost. How much does it cost to use this platform?
  • All E-Commerce platforms have monthly fees and pricing costs. Except WooCommerce which is ABSOLUTELY FREE.
• Hosting and maintenance fees. Can I host my site on my own server? how much will it cost a month/year to host my site with them?
  • Others have hosting fees, while others like WooCommerce do not require it at all. Therefore, NO FEE.
• Help and support. Where can I search for information or tutorials when I need help?
  • All platforms have help and support documented.
• Full site property. Does my shop run on my own domain and hosting?
  • While others depend on their third party hosting, in WooCommerce, you are in control of your own shop.
• Where can I sell? Can I sell my products internationally or is there any restriction?
  • While other platforms have restrictions in selling your products or services online, in WooCommerce you can sell worldwide.
• Marketplace size. Do the platforms have their own marketplace and can you find customers only by publishing your products?
  • Huge E-Commerce platforms like Amazon and eBay have their own marketplaces. In WooCommerce you will need to promote your online shop so your potential customers can find you.

The Edge of Using WooCommerce

1.   It is absolutely FREE!

Are you into E-Commerce? Well, WooCommerce is perfectly good for you even if you’re just starting out in business. WooCommerce is free! It is an open-source WordPress plugin. Bragging aside, WordPress is by far the most popular CMS (Content Management System) platform in the world and provides direct developmental support to the WooCommerce plugin. Also, WooCommerce is a lot easier to install and can be open for business without consuming too much, compared to some custom-made shops on the web with a more complicated CMS.

2.   Unique per user. The ownership is only for you.

The usual case when it comes to online selling of products and services is the rules and terms of the third-party partner. So it is way better to have your own web shop, even if only as a backup, in case there are issues with your partner store. For example Amazon, Lazada, Shopee, eBay and the like. Organic searching is always the best option for consumers to look for you in case of troubles in your third-part partners. It is yours and the ownership is uniquely for you.

Final thoughts

I cannot enumerate all the benefits of WooCommerce, because if I do that, you will get overwhelmed by this article, you might fall asleep. Anyway, in making your own WooCommerce the professional look and flexibility make the platform a perfect solution for smaller and medium businesses. So it is really good to use even if you are a beginner in online business/ecommerce. With WooCommerce you will get all the standard requirements and make your site look amazing for a fraction of the cost of most other eCommerce platforms.

If you need help building an ecommerce store for your business, send us a message.

We Design Digital Strategies for your Business and Ministries. Helping Christian and Women Entrepreneurs design online presence and manage digital strategies for growth of business and ministries through Web Design and Digital Business solutions.

Citations:
https://purpleplanet.com/top-10-benefits-using-woocommerce/
https://woocommerce.com
https://wikipedia.com
https://wpbeginner.com