The time is here to start an online business, and WordPress makes it simple for you to do so. WordPress offers a wide range of features to assist website owners in setting up an entire e-commerce site for the sale of goods of all kinds. Whether you are a seasoned web developer or a total novice to the world of online retailing, it makes no difference. In just a few simple steps, you can convert your WordPress website into an online storefront. The best part is that there are numerous options to fit every price range.

Here is a brief overview of how you can set up your own e-commerce shop on WordPress.

 

Get a domain name

Fundamentally, your domain name serves as the address for your website. It's the text in your URL that comes after the www. 

A domain name can be purchased from websites like NameCheap. If you're lucky, you'll discover that the one you desire is available for free or for a reasonable price ($10–$20/year). If you're less fortunate, it's possible that your ideal domain name is already taken or that it can be purchased through resale for a considerably higher price, sometimes in the several hundred or even thousands of dollars range. However, after the first year, even the most expensive domain names will renew at the regular fee ($10 to $20/year).

Generally speaking, you should try to maintain your domain name as near to your brand name as possible and keep it short.

 

Sign up for a hosting provider

Now that you've secured your domain name, it's time to locate a web hosting company. All websites require hosting. It's like renting a piece of internet real estate; just be sure to choose a patch with lots of opportunities for expansion. You must consider the type of store you're constructing while deciding on the best hosting provider and the kind of hosting you truly require.

It is highly advised to avoid shared hosting. If one of the websites on the server you share gets hacked, your website becomes susceptible as well. This simply isn't worth the risk when you're dealing with people's credit card information.

In our investigation into hosting for WordPress, Bluehost came out on top. WordPress can be more difficult to manage and keep up with than eCommerce builders and platforms; you first need to instal the software before keeping up with upgrades and security. We give Bluehost a high rating because it automates a lot of this for you and provides reliable hosting in and of itself at a reasonable cost. WordPress is a provider that benefits both parties.

 

Install WordPress

After signing up with a hosting company that offers this installation, all you need to do is go to your hosting dashboard and click the "Install WordPress" option. This is our tutorial on installing WordPress with Bluehost, however, the procedure is generally the same with most hosting companies.

 

Configure Woo Commerce

The most popular WordPress plugin for e-commerce features is WooCommerce. More than 3,000 users have given it a 4.6/5 rating, and there are more than 4 million active installations. It's fair to say that it's quite well-liked, and it's understandable why.

To begin with, it's free. WooCommerce is an open-source platform created by a community, much like WordPress itself. While some "extensions" (like the ability for users to book appointments) may need a fee, you can transform your website into an online store without investing a dime. That contains:

• items pages
• Checkout and cart
• safe transactions
• Printing labels and shipping choices
• calculating taxes automatically
• Integration with Facebook, MailChimp, Google Analytics, etc.

 

Choose the theme of your shop

Your "theme" will serve as the fundamental layout of all of your web content. With WordPress, you may completely customise your website; by changing or adding to the HTML code, you could easily wind up with something that doesn't resemble the initial design.

However, unless you're an expert coder who would love the chance for total modification, it makes sense to pick a theme that resembles your desired finished product as closely as you can.

In other words, choose a theme that you enjoy and will be useful for your e-commerce website, even if that means spending money on a high-end template from a third-party website. In the long run, it will save you trouble!

 

Add products and make your site public

The next step is to add products. The descriptions might include items, price, product image, and product description.

It's time to launch your site once you're essentially satisfied with how it functions (remember, you can always "Preview" pages to see how they'd look live).

Select "Settings," then "Privacy." Once your privacy statement has been posted, you should be able to make your site "Public."

 

Final Thoughts

Although we tried to make this article as simple as possible, WordPress really works best for people who have some tech know-how. If (like many others!) you wouldn't include yourself in that category, don't panic. E-commerce website builders are developed to be simple to use for anyone, and costs as low as $15/month.