How to Build WordPress Ecommerce Site in Quick Steps?

Introduction

Building a WordPress e-commerce website is an exciting journey that opens the door to selling products or services online. WordPress, combined with the power of WooCommerce, provides a flexible, cost-effective, and user-friendly platform for creating a professional online store without the need for advanced technical skills. This approach is suitable for both beginners and seasoned developers, thanks to WordPress's vast array of themes, plugins, and customization options.

Whether you're launching a small local business, expanding an existing retail store to the digital space, or starting a niche online marketplace, WordPress offers the tools you need to create a unique and fully functional e-commerce website. With millions of active online stores running on WordPress, it's a proven solution trusted by businesses worldwide.

In this guide, you'll learn the essential steps for setting up a WordPress e-commerce website using vital steps. 

What is an Ecommerce Site? 

An e-commerce website is an online platform allowing individuals and businesses to buy and sell goods and services online. These websites enable transactions to occur digitally, meaning customers can browse products, make purchases, and complete transactions without physically visiting a store.

E-commerce websites have revolutionized shopping, making it more convenient for consumers and opening up new opportunities for businesses worldwide.

Why is it necessary to have an e-commerce website? 

Having an e-commerce website is essential for businesses today due to the rapidly growing digital economy and changing consumer behaviour. Here are several key reasons why having an e-commerce website is necessary:

• An e-commerce website allows a business to reach customers beyond local limitations, tapping into a global audience 24/7.
• Unlike a physical store, which relies on foot traffic, an online store can attract visitors from all around the world.
• E-commerce websites provide a convenient shopping experience for customers, allowing them to browse, compare, and purchase products from anywhere, at any time.
• Running an e-commerce website can significantly reduce costs compared to a brick-and-mortar store, such as rent, utilities, and staff.
• E-commerce websites provide access to a wide range of digital marketing tools, such as social media marketing, email marketing, content marketing, and SEO.
• E-commerce websites are easily scalable. Businesses can add new products, categories, and services without the constraints of physical space.
• An online store is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, providing customers with the flexibility to shop at their convenience.
• E-commerce websites often lead to higher sales due to impulse buying, upselling, cross-selling, and special online promotions.
• A well-designed e-commerce website enhances brand visibility and builds trust among potential customers.
• E-commerce websites offer advanced analytics tools that provide insights into customer behavior, sales trends, product performance, and more.

How do I Build a WordPress Ecommerce Website? 

Here is a complete set of the vital steps you’ll need to know to build a WordPress e-commerce website. 

Step 1: Get a WordPress Site Domain and Hosting 

• To begin with, you first need to know a website runs on the two most vital entities, or can be said blocks. Those are the domain and the hosting provider. Without these two entities, your website cannot stand on the web.
• A domain is the addressing element for your website through which users get to recognize you on the web. It is the unique address that takes users to your website when entered in the browser. 
• Hosting is like a home to your website that helps in residing the files and folders of your website. A hosting service nurtures your website with reliability, security, and performance. So, choosing the right hosting is important when you design an e-commerce website. 
• Finding the best hosting service and domain can be a bit crucial for beginners. But let me make this simpler for you, as some reputed hosting services come with free domains. So, you don’t need to opt for a separate hosting and domain provider. One of those hosting services is Bluehost Hosting. 
• Bluehost offers highly supportive and professional services that help beginners build complete websites easily. It also comes with a free domain provider, making it much easier for you as a beginner. 
• So to get Bluehost hosting service, you first need to visit the Bluehost official website. Here, you need to tap the “Get Started” button.
• After tapping the button, you will reach a new page with the listed plans to get for your e-commerce website. Here, you can see multiple plans listed ranging from $1.99 per month to $8.99 per month. The plans are named as basic to Choice Plus. 
• All plans come with a free domain and SSL certificate, ensuring good security for your website. 
• Once you have chosen the right plan for your website, you need to select it, and the next page will arrive. On the next page, you must choose a perfect domain for your website. 
• Once you have chosen the right domain, the next page will allow you to enter your account details and complete the purchase.

Step 2: Install and Configure WordPress 

After the purchase, you will receive an email with the login details, like username and password. From the email, you can simply reach the Bluehost dashboard, which makes installing WordPress much easier.

• It simply installs WordPress automatically with a single click, and from there, you can reach your WordPress website dashboard. 
• In the dashboard, look for the My Sites section.
• Click the Create Site button.
• Enter your site name and tagline.
• Choose your domain from the dropdown if it's already linked.
• Select a directory if you want to install WordPress in a subfolder. 
• Click Next to proceed.
• After installing WordPress, there are several configuration steps to ensure your site is secure, optimized, and ready for content.
• Log in to your WordPress dashboard. 
• Go to Settings > General:
• Site Title: Enter your website's name.
• Tagline: A short description or slogan for your site.
• WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL): Make sure these are correct (use HTTPS if you have an SSL certificate).
• Admin Email: Enter the email address for website notifications.
• Timezone: Set your correct timezone.
• Date Format and Time Format: Choose your preferred display format.
• Click Save Changes when done.

Step 3: Choose an E-commerce Theme 

Now is the time when you need to add life to your e-commerce website by adding a theme. A theme is a set of template files and features that club to apply a desirable appearance to your website.

WordPress comes along with a complete set of themes and templates that are thousands in number. Those themes are then divided into free and premium versions. You can choose from thousands of active themes available for every niche you choose from. 

To build a WordPress e-commerce site, you can choose from a huge collection of WordPress Woocommerce Templates by ThemesPride. They hold a superb collection of the most powerful themes that support every niche. Here, the WordPress Shopping theme can be the most sophisticated one for your e-commerce website. 

To install ecommerce theme on your website: 

• Download the best WordPress theme from the ThemesPride website or your account if you purchased it.
• On your WordPress dashboard, visit the Themes section under the Appearance tab and then tap Add New.
• Click Upload Theme and choose the.zip file of the theme.
• Hit Install Now, then Activate once the installation is done.
• Then under the WordPress dashboard, visit Plugins and then the Add New button. 
• Search for WooCommerce and click Install Now.
• Activate WooCommerce, and follow the setup wizard:
• Store Details: Add your address, country, and currency.
• Payment: Set up payment methods like PayPal, Stripe, or bank transfer.
• Shipping: Configure shipping zones, methods, and rates.
• Recommended: Install recommended plugins like Jetpack if needed.
• Complete the setup. 

Step 4: Customize the Theme 

To customize your theme, go to Appearance > Customize:

• Site Identity: Set your logo, site title, and favicon.
• Colours: Adjust the colour scheme to match your brand.
• Header and Footer: Configure the header layout, menus, and footer widgets.
• Homepage Settings: Set a static page as your homepage or use a shop page.
• Typography: Choose fonts and font sizes for the website.
• Widgets: Add widgets like search bars, product filters, or featured product carousels.

Go to Appearance > Menus:

• Create and set up your main navigation menu.
• Add pages like Home, Shop, Contact, and any product categories to the menu.

Step 5: Add Products 

Go to Products > Add New:

• Enter the Product Name.
• Add a Description.
• Set a product image and upload product gallery images.
• Enter the price and any sale prices.
• Choose the appropriate product categories and tags.
• Configure additional product settings like inventory, shipping, linked products, and attributes.
• Click Publish.
• Repeat this process for each product.

Step 6: Add Necessary Plugins 

Now that you have chosen and customized the theme according to your choice, it is needed to fill your site with the necessary plugins.

Here are some of the most necessary plugins to build a WordPress e-commerce site. 

• WooCommerce: The most popular e-commerce plugin for WordPress. It provides everything you need to set up an online store, including product management, payments, shipping, and more.
• WooCommerce Payments: Offers seamless integration with WooCommerce for credit card processing, subscriptions, and more.
• Stripe for WooCommerce: Integrates Stripe, a popular payment processor for credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and more.
• Wordfence Security: Provides a firewall, malware scanner, and login protection to keep your site safe from attacks.
• iThemes Security: offers strong protection, including two-factor authentication, brute force protection, and security audits.
• Yoast SEO: Helps optimize your product pages and posts for search engines. It includes features like XML sitemaps, meta tag management, and readability analysis.
• W3 Total Cache: A powerful caching plugin that speeds up your site by creating static versions of your pages.
• UpdraftPlus: A reliable backup plugin that allows you to schedule automatic backups and restore easily from cloud storage.
• Mailchimp for WooCommerce: Integrates Mailchimp with your WooCommerce store for email marketing, abandoned cart emails, and more.
• Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed: Displays Instagram feeds on your website, which can be useful for showcasing user-generated content.

Conclusion

Building a WordPress e-commerce website is a straightforward process if you follow the correct steps and utilize the right tools. Start by selecting a reliable hosting provider that supports WordPress, like Bluehost, SiteGround, or WP Engine. WooCommerce is the backbone of a WordPress e-commerce website, transforming your WordPress site into a fully functional online store. Choose an e-commerce-friendly theme that aligns with your brand and style. For added convenience, consider using a WordPress theme bundle, which includes multiple premium themes designed for different business needs. Customize the theme using WordPress's built-in customizer or a page builder like Elementor or Beaver Builder. Enhance your e-commerce site with plugins that add crucial functionality. Configure multiple payment gateways (like Stripe and PayPal) to give customers options. Set up accurate shipping rates and zones.

Building a WordPress e-commerce website requires careful planning, the right tools, and ongoing effort. WordPress, combined with WooCommerce, gives you a flexible platform to create a unique and scalable online store that can grow with your business. By investing time in optimizing the design, user experience, and functionality, you can create a professional online store that attracts and retains customers. With the proper setup and maintenance, your WordPress e-commerce website can become a profitable and thriving online business. Consider investing in a WP theme bundle to give your site the flexibility and scalability it needs.