Submit a enquiry






    Back to all posts

    Can WooCommerce be used by beginners?

    Guide
    by Iain Thomson Project Lead

    Can WooCommerce be used by beginners?

    Hardly any businesses build their websites from scratch these days. It’s not just the ever-growing degree of complexity required for ensuring sites are secure, search engine optimised and mobile friendly. It simply makes more sense to start with all the basics in place on a tried and tested platform, then make it your own by changing the appearance and functionality to your specifications. Even the most oily-fingered custom car enthusiast starts with a basic production model.

    So it is that many website builders use WordPress. It’s by far the number one content management system, and powers countless websites, from solitary bloggers to multinational corporations. It’s also remarkably easy to set up. You don’t even need to import the files and upload them to your web space to get going – every hosting package has a list of apps that you can install at the click of an icon, and WordPress will invariably be on it.

    So that’s the first potential hurdle for beginners leapt – installation of the platform.

    Bringing the Woo

    Second, WooCommerce needs to be installed onto WordPress as a plugin. Again, it’s simplicity itself. All you need to do is go into the “Plugins” section of the WordPress dashboard, click “Add new” and search for WooCommerce. You’ll see the logo appear with a very reassuring “5+ million active installations” caption, and click “Install”. Done.

    Then it’s onto the setup wizard. Again, it’s all designed for the non-expert to use, so if you have any experience at all with using WordPress, or even if you’re new to the platform, you’ll be guided through the basic configuration, payment system, shipping details and add-ons step-by-step.

    Now you have a functioning eCommerce site, but it’ll look pretty vanilla. You’ll want to find an interesting theme, and you’ve got plenty of options here. The most straightforward is to tinker with the native WordPress settings, where you can change the layout, colours and so on, but you won’t get too far with that. Alternatively, you can seek free or paid themes from one of the many suppliers online – and you don’t even need to leave the dashboard to do it.

    There’s a bespoke option for people who want a truly unique experience – partner with a WordPress developer who can design and build a site to your visual and functional specifications. This will guarantee a site that nobody will mistake for anyone else’s, and will give you the most professional look. And again, you don’t need too much technical expertise to do it if you partner with a decent developer.

    (Incidentally, since we’re whte label developers, we’ll ensure we’re 100% transparent with the coding, including full annotation, so if you decide to use another developer in the future, they can hit the ground running. Not that we’d try to influence you or anything …)

    Populating the site

    The final piece of the jigsaw is one you’ll already be familiar with if you’re coming from another eCommerce platform: populating the site. WooCommerce is as straightforward and intuitive as any other system, so you’ll have no problem adding products and shipping details, setting prices and special offers and making sure things sell themselves.

    We think WooCommerce is indeed simple to set up for anyone with a modicum of tech savvy. And if you ever want to get complex and introduce new functionalities, it’s a doddle to do that too, although you might need some expert help. Why not get in touch to see how we can help get your migration moving?