So, why should you choose WooCommerce for your eCommerce store?

WooCommerce is open-source, fully customisable, comes with a rich feature set as standard, and should you so wish, can be further extended with a seemingly endless list of additional add-ons – take a look for yourself, “the possibilities are endless”.

Easy to understand, easier to use.

The process of installing, activating and indeed setting up WooCommerce couldn’t be more straight-forward – the process is super slick, and the dashboard more intuitive than ever due to its recent overhaul.

That being said however, it’s of utmost importance that you get the right developer onside from the get go. It’s so often the case that shop bought themes and self-builds simply aren’t fit for purpose long-term – a custom-built product tailored specifically to your business’ needs is what I always recommend from day dot.

Product Management

Variety of Product Types

WooCommerce offers a long list of different types of product, from simple to variable, physical to digital, and even affiliate as well – and with the help of extensions, subscriptions, bookings and memberships can be catered for too.

See below for a simple breakdown of some of the most common types of product.

• Simple – a product with no options, e.g. a book;
• Variable – a product with options, e.g. a t-shirt that is available in different sizes and colours;
• Digital – a downloadable product, e.g. a DVD;
• Affiliate – a product, which although listed and described on your website, can only be purchased elsewhere; and
• Subscription – a subscribable product which can generate weekly, monthly or yearly income, e.g. a magazine.

Product Galleries

As well as a featured image, WooCommerce also comes with a fantastic gallery built-in. Not only does this allow your customers to see your products from a range of different angles, but also offers hover to zoom functionality for close-ups, and lightbox functionality for a full screen view of your items. And if that’s not enough, the gallery can be further extended to support video as well.

Product Reviews

Nothing sells your products better than previous customers raving about them, and with WooCommerce’s ratings and reviews system, you can sit back and let the positive vibes roll in – guests can chip in as standard, but reviews can be restricted to previous purchasers only if need be.

In part two, we’ll continue to explore the WooCommerce plugin and the benefits it can provide your online store. Keep your eyes peeled for the next post!