DYNAMIC WAYS TO BUILD AN ECOMMERCE WEBSITE WITH WORDPRESS

 

WHAT IS A WEBSITE?

A website is a collection of web pages and related content that is identified by a common domain name and published on at least one web server. Notable examples are wikipedia.org, google.com, and amazon.com. All publicly accessible websites collectively constitute the World Wide Web

A website is a collection of publicly accessible, interlinked Web pages that share a single domain name. Websites can be created and maintained by an individual, group, business or organization to serve a variety of purposes.

Together, all publicly accessible websites constitute the World Wide Web.

Although it is sometimes called “web page,” this definition is wrong, since a website consists of several webpages. A website is also known as a “web presence” or simply “site”.

Websites come in a nearly endless variety, including educational sites, news sites, porn sites, forums, social media sites, e-commerce sites, and so on. The pages within a website are usually a mix of text and other media. That said, there are no rules dictating the form of a website.

A person could create a website of nothing but black and white photos of roses, or the word "cat" linked to another Web page with the word "mouse." However, many sites follow a standard pattern of a homepage that links off to other categories and content within the website.

The homepage (or simply “home”) represents the main page of the site itself. Frequently, the homepage is a sort of “hub” from which all other pages can be accessed. An internal web page to which several other pages are linked in a coherent structure (such as a specific category of topics) is instead called a “parent page.”

Every page is a single HTML document, and all of them are connected through hyperlinks (or simply “link”) which can be combined in a navigation bar for ease of use.

The navigation bar is displayed on every page rather than just the homepage, and allows the user to quickly move across the main website’s structure.

Another important section of most websites is the footer, which is another recurring section that is found at the bottom of every page. Usually the footer contains external links pointing to similar websites and other external resources, together with other vital info such as disclaimers, links to the terms of service, privacy policy and contact pages, as well as the physical address of the company that owns the site.

Websites are hosted on servers, and require a web browser such as Chrome, Firefox, or Internet Explorer to be visited (either on a computer or mobile device).

A website can be accessed directly by entering its URL address or by searching it on a search engine such as Google or Bing.

Originally, websites were categorized by their top-level domains. Some examples include:

• Government agency websites = .gov
• Educational institutions’ websites = .edu
• Nonprofit organizations’ websites = .org
• Commercial websites = .com
• Information sites = .info

Although these top-level domains extensions still exist, they say little about a website's actual content. In modern days’ internet, the ".com" extension is by far the most popular domain, together with many other country-specific extensions (.it, .de, .co.uk, .fr, etc.).

The first website was created in 1990 by Tim Berners-Lee, a British physicist at CERN. 3 years later, in 1993, CERN announced that everyone could access and use the World Wide Web for free.Advertisement

                             

WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF WEBSITES?

Magazine websites
—

A magazine website features articles, photos and videos that are informational and educational. In the last twenty years, the magazine industry has changed from a print-only platform to largely digital format. The magazine website type works well for informational websites, particularly publications from universities and organizations.

As you think about creating a magazine site, start by building a basic framework. Users should see a similar layout no matter what day they land on your homepage, and each article must have a similar layout and navigation. Keep in mind how responsive the overall design is to different screen sizes to make sure your content is easily readable both on desktops and smartphones.

Via  Urban Omnibus

Urban Omnibus is an online magazine website with a fairly traditional magazine layout. The theme of their current issue is highlighted with a hero image and a box describing what’s in the feature article. Under the featured post is a grid layout of each column in the magazine with an image, headline and brief description of what readers find inside each article.

3. E-commerce websites
—

An e-commerce website is an online shopping destination where users can purchase products or services from your company.

A robust e-commerce web page makes it easy to browse products, filter by categories, highlight special sales and make purchases.

Via Flipcart

An easy way to get started is through a full-solution, e-commerce platform like Shopify or Squarespace. Your team can easily update online inventory and list new products. Plus, because the system is interconnected, sales, logistics and marketing are all kept apprised on what’s working well. On the design front, e-commerce platforms offer several templates that match the needs of nearly any business type.

Flipcart sells a wide range of products, which means there are a lot of items featured on their homepage. Note how they break items into specific categories but also offer highlighted deals of the day on their homepage. Each image is professional and shows the product clearly, but descriptions are initially brief, with more detail on the product page.

4. Blogs
—

A blog features regularly updated articles, photos and videos. Blogs started with more casual, personal content compared to magazines. But since then, the lines have blurred, and now it’s extremely common for major brands and businesses to have their own blog. Adding expert content improves the overall credibility of a company or an individual. Blogs also provide material for social media posts and email campaigns.

However, a blog can also become cumbersome for smaller companies. Make sure you have a team and strategy in place to keep content fresh before you consider launching one. It’s actually better not to have a blog and instead offer a few videos or guides, than to have a hopelessly outdated blog.

Via Nourish Eats

Nourish Eats keeps things simple and focused on the content on its blog. Instead of using a slider at the top of the page, the site integrates a rotating slider to the right, which goes through the different categories on the site. The slider keeps the content fresh and engages users. Users can navigate at any point or use the arrows to go forward or back.

5. Portfolio websites
—

A portfolio website allows creative professionals a place for showcasing their best work. This is perfect for artists, writers, designers, filmmakers, furniture builders—you name it.

As you build a portfolio, there’s no need to add every single project you’ve ever worked on. Instead, focus on creating categories of items and highlighting the best work from each category. A portfolio website is a bit more creative by nature, so this is the place to try unique layouts and add in interesting features.

The online portfolio for designers is the perfect blend of creativity and best project highlights. As the user scrolls down the page, different images get highlighted. Click on any image, and you see ad campaigns from the project. If you want to know more about the designer, click the about navigation button in the upper right corner and learn that he lives in Paris, where he’s studied and what projects he worked on. This layout and strategy work because the focus is on his actual work and the text is limited. Users process and remember images better than text alone.

Social media websites
—

There are approximately2.77 billion people on social media with dozens of different platforms available. No matter who your target audience is, you’ll probably find them on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram or Snapchat or LinkedIn. Although you can’t redesign the platforms themselves, you do have some control over the look of your page, and you can create content that drives social media shares.

Go for a consistent look across all your social media pages and web pages, so users instantly know your brand is behind the page. Use the same logo and color choices. Choose a specific voice and personality that shines across all content.

When creating content, focus on things that have a high potential of being shared on social media, such as entertaining videos, infographics, memes, in-depth reports and free offers. Find more tips on how to make your social media pages work for your business here.

Via

Natela’s Facebook page shows an interesting mix of content that all align with the overall color palette and look of the brand. They feature memes made specifically for social media, such as “Today, I’ll share my Nutella with…” However, they also offer videos and ideas for how to use their product in unique ways. Note how they also feature social media buttons on their website so users easily find them on the different platforms.

8. Directory and contact pages
—

A directory or contact page is a place where users can connect with you or others.

This type of website works well when you want to list a repository of businesses or people within an organization. For example, a local restaurant directory features eateries in the area with menus, price ranges, phone number and reviews.

The nature of an organization creates an opportunity for a directory website. For example, an association of local dentists in a city might list each member, their area of expertise and their contact information. Keep this design option in your back pocket for clients.

              CHAPTER  3

WHAT IS ECOMMERCE?

E-Commerce, also known as e-Business, or electronic business, is simply the sale and purchase of services and goods over an electronic medium, like the Internet.
It also involves electronically transferring data and funds between two or more parties. Simply put, it is online shopping as we commonly know it.
E-Commerce started way back in the 1960s when organizations began to use Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) to transfer documents of their business back and forth. The 1990s saw the emergence of online shopping businesses, which is quite a phenomenon today.

Ecommerce or electronic commerce refers to a business model that involves sales transactions being done on the web. Virtually every online shopping website - big or small - follows this structure. Any site where you can obtain items for sale over the internet is considered an ecommerce website.

                            

WHAT IS ECOMMERCE WEBSITE

An e-commerce website, by definition, is a website that allows you to buy and sell tangible goods, digital products or services online.
Trade, be it barter exchange or buying and selling of goods and services has been prevalent for centuries. No one can be self-sufficient. And this brings out the need for demand and supply of goods and services.
Transactions have been going on all over the world for centuries, locally, and across locations. Keeping the same concept in mind, now think electronic.
However, also bear in mind that with the whole world going online, data privacy laws have become increasingly stringent. And before you begin, an eCommerce venture you should be aware of all the Legal policies required for your ecommerce website.

How does eCommerce work?

eCommerce is nothing but a type of commerce. Its functioning style is quite similar to that of the physical retail industry. The only difference it has with a brick-and-mortar store is that here, the entire process takes place online.
The journey of an eCommerce firm begins with setting up an eCommerce website. It is usually done with plugins like WooCommerce.
After that, the products are displayed along with necessary details like product descriptions and price tags.
A CTA button like “Buy Now” is placed near the products for the convenience of the customers. If they feel like buying a product they can simply click on the button and make the payment.
Customers are usually asked to place their orders by filling up a form. There, they need to provide all the necessary details like the delivery address. There are different payment methods used in the eCommerce industry.
Buyers either can make the payment through a payment gateway like PayPal or they can use their credit cards. There is another option called COD or cash on delivery. This is mainly preferred by senior customers.
In this option, the buyer makes the payment when the item they ordered is delivered on their personal address. The payment can be made either in cash or through cards or other convenient options like Google Pay.
If you are not happy with the quality of the product or mistakenly a different product gets delivered to you, you can use the reverse logistics system. It is simply returning the items and getting the money back.
You need to notify that you want to return the product you ordered. A representative of the company will come to you and take the product back. The money will be cashed to your account.
The product promotion in eCommerce is also done digitally. The two most prominent methods are a digital advertising and email marketing.
Ads are placed on the social media platforms which are most preferred by the target groups. All visitors are asked to provide their email addresses.
Based on that an email list is prepared. After that personal emails are sent. Sometimes personal notifications are also sent to the social media accounts of the prospect costumes.

                                             

FEATURES OF ECOMMERCE WEBSITE

Key Elements of a Successful Ecommerce Website

To create a successful ecommerce website, you need to focus on a few key elements. First, a visually appealing design that reflects your brand and engages customers. Imagine your website as a fashion show, but instead of models strutting down the runway, it's your products looking their best.

Secondly, a seamless user experience is crucial. This means easy navigation, clear product information, and a smooth checkout process. Nobody likes a website that's harder to navigate than a corn maze.

Lastly, trust and security should be priorities. Show your customers that their personal information and payment details are safe and secure. Implement measures such as SSL certificates and trusted payment gateways to give them peace of mind. It's like having a bouncer at the door of your virtual store, keeping out any unwanted party crashers.

 User Interface Design and Navigation

Importance of User-Friendly Design

When it comes to ecommerce websites, user-friendly design is crucial. Customers should easily be able to find what they're looking for and navigate your site without feeling like they're on an Indiana Jones-style treasure hunt. Remember, a confused customer is a quick customer exiter.

 Creating Clear and Intuitive Navigation

Clear and intuitive navigation is key to a successful ecommerce website. Use logical categories and subcategories to organize your products, and make sure your search bar is readily available for those who know exactly what they want. Think of your navigation as a GPS system for your customers, guiding them effortlessly through your virtual shopping aisles.

 Best Practices for Responsive Web Design

With the ever increasing use of mobile devices for online shopping, responsive web design is a must. Your website should adapt seamlessly to different screen sizes and devices, like a chameleon changing colors to blend in. This ensures that customers have a smooth and enjoyable experience whether they're shopping on a desktop, smartphone, or tablet.

 Product Catalog and Search Functionality

 Organizing Products in a User-Friendly Catalog

A well-organized product catalog is like a well-arranged supermarket shelf, making it easy for customers to find what they need. Group similar products together, provide detailed descriptions and high-quality product images, and use clear and concise categories to help customers navigate through your offerings with ease.

 Implementing Advanced Search Features

Sometimes customers know exactly what they want but don't want to spend hours scrolling through pages of products. By implementing advanced search features like filters, sorting options, and even predictive search suggestions, you can help customers find their desired items faster than a speeding bullet.

 Filtering and Sorting Options for Enhanced Product Discovery

Give your customers the power to narrow down their search by implementing filtering and sorting options. Let them choose the price range, color, size, or any other relevant attributes. This way, customers can find the perfect product in a jiffy, and you can make sales faster than a kid at a lemonade stand on a hot summer day.

 Secure Payment and Checkout Process

 Securing Customer Data and Payment Information

When it comes to online shopping, keeping customer data and payment information secure is non-negotiable. Implement security measures like SSL encryption to protect customer data from prying eyes. Treat their sensitive information like a precious unicorn, guarding it with the utmost care.

 Implementing Trusted Payment Gateways

Trusted payment gateways are the unsung heroes of ecommerce websites. They handle the transaction process, ensuring that customer payments are processed securely and smoothly. Choose reputable payment gateways that instill confidence in your customers, because nobody wants their payment details falling into the wrong hands.

 Streamlining the Checkout Experience

The checkout process should be as smooth as a buttered slide. Minimize the number of steps required, offer guest checkout options for those who don't want to create accounts, and clearly display any additional costs like shipping fees or taxes. Make the checkout experience so easy that customers will want to come back for seconds, and thirds, and fourths (oops, we meant purchases).

 Personalization and Customization Options

In today's digital age, customers expect a personalized and tailored shopping experience. Ecommerce websites that offer personalization and customization options stand out from the competition.

 Providing Personalized Product Recommendations

Imagine having your very own personal shopping assistant who knows your preferences and recommends products you'll love. Ecommerce websites can use algorithms and machine learning to analyze customer behavior and provide personalized product recommendations. This not only enhances the user experience but also increases the chances of making a sale.

 Allowing Users to Customize Products

Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all. Customers love having the ability to customize products to their liking. Whether it's choosing the color, size, or adding personalized messages, ecommerce websites that offer customization options provide a unique and personal touch. This feature can be especially appealing for industries like apparel, jewelry, or home decor.

 Enabling User Account Customization

A well-designed ecommerce website allows users to customize their accounts, making their shopping experience more convenient and personalized. From saving payment and shipping preferences to managing wish lists and order history, user account customization enhances customer satisfaction and encourages repeat purchases.

 Inventory Management and Order Fulfillment

Behind every successful ecommerce website is efficient inventory management and order fulfillment processes. These features ensure smooth operations, happy customers, and ultimately, business growth.

 Tracking and Managing Inventory Levels

Knowing the latest inventory levels is crucial for preventing stockouts and backorders. Ecommerce websites should have robust inventory management systems in place that provide real-time updates on stock levels. This helps businesses make informed decisions and maintain an optimal inventory balance.

 Streamlining Order Processing and Fulfillment

Order processing and fulfillment can be a daunting task, especially for businesses with high order volumes. Ecommerce websites that streamline these processes by automating order confirmation, picking, packing, and shipping save time and ensure prompt delivery. This leads to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

 Integrating with Inventory Management Systems

To achieve efficient inventory management, it's essential for ecommerce websites to integrate with inventory management systems. This integration allows for seamless synchronization of inventory data, preventing overselling and reducing the risk of errors. It also enables businesses to have a holistic view of their inventory across multiple sales channels.

 Analytics and Reporting for Performance Tracking

To thrive in the competitive ecommerce landscape, tracking and analyzing website performance is crucial. Analytics and reporting provide valuable insights that can drive data-informed decisions and optimizations.

 Implementing Ecommerce Analytics Tools

Ecommerce websites can leverage powerful analytics tools, such as Google Analytics or Shopify Analytics, to track and measure various metrics. These tools provide valuable data on website traffic, conversion rates, customer behavior, and more, allowing businesses to identify areas for improvement and optimization.

 Tracking Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) serve as benchmarks for measuring the success of an ecommerce website. Whether it's tracking sales revenue, average order value, or conversion rates, setting and monitoring KPIs helps businesses understand their performance and identify opportunities for growth.

 Utilizing Data to Optimize Website Performance
Data-driven decision-making is essential for ecommerce success. By utilizing the insights gained from analytics and reporting, businesses can optimize various aspects of their website, such as user experience, marketing campaigns, and product offerings. This continuous optimization leads to improved customer satisfaction, increased conversions, and ultimately, higher revenue.
 Mobile Responsiveness and Cross-Platform Compatibility
In the era of smartphones and tablets, having a mobile-responsive and cross-platform compatible ecommerce website is no longer optional. It is a necessity to cater to customers' ever-increasing mobile usage.

 Importance of Mobile-Optimized Websites

Gone are the days when people solely relied on desktop computers for online shopping. Today, customers expect a seamless and user-friendly experience regardless of the device they are using. Ecommerce websites that are optimized for mobile devices ensure that customers can easily browse, navigate, and make purchases on-the-go.

 Responsive Design Techniques for Different Devices

Responsive design is the key to ensuring a consistent and visually appealing experience across various devices and screen sizes. Ecommerce websites should implement responsive design techniques, such as flexible layouts and fluid images, to adapt to different screen resolutions. This ensures that customers can enjoy a smooth shopping experience, no matter if they're using a desktop, smartphone, or tablet.

In conclusion, the features discussed above are essential for creating a successful ecommerce website. By focusing on user-friendly design, intuitive navigation, secure payment processes, personalization options, efficient inventory management, comprehensive analytics, and mobile responsiveness, businesses can create a compelling online shopping experience. Embracing these features will not only attract and retain customers but also contribute to the overall success and growth of the business in the competitive ecommerce landscape. By continuously evaluating and optimizing these features, businesses can stay ahead of the curve and meet the evolving needs and expectations of their online customers.

                                  CHAPTER  SIX

HOW TO DESIGN ECOMMERCE WEBSITE

How to create an eCommerce website using WooCommerce & WordPress?

#1. Choose a domain name for your eCommerce website:

A domain name refers to the web address of your website. An easy way to come up with the domain name for your blog is to use the name which is related to your niche and choose .com as the extension.
Check whether the domain name is available using a website likeNamecheap.

#2. Choose a web hosting plan

Web hosting is the place where your website data is stored. There are multiplewebhosting service providers you can choose from, but for illustrative purposes, we will stick to Bluehost for this guide.
Go to Bluehost home page and click on the Get Started button to continue:

Upon clicking, you will be taken to their signup page where you will be asked to choose a pricing plan among the following 3 plans. We recommend you to choose the plus plan. You can always upgrade your plan.
(Note: While we were working on the article, Bluehost was offering a special discount on the choice plus/prime plan. We would recommend going for the Choice Plus plan if the offer can still be availed.)

After selecting the plan, you have to enter the domain name of your website.

If you’ve opted for the Choice Plus plan, you’ll get the domain privacy protection feature for free. For other plans, you can choose it as an add-on. Domain privacy protection is a useful feature as it keeps your details hidden from the public.

After adding the payment details, you’ll receive a confirmation mail. Once you’re registered with Bluehost you’re good to go!

#3. Installing WordPress

Bluehost and almost every major web hosting service provider offers 1-Click Installation for WordPress and other CMSs such as Joomla and Drupal.
Below are the steps to install WordPress using the 1-Click Installation feature:

1.     Log into Bluehost (Or any web host you are using)

2.     Go to the control panel

3.     Click on the WordPress icon (Install WordPress) which you can find under the website section

4.     Choose the domain where you’d like to install WordPress

5.     Enter the site name, admin username and admin password of your choice, and once you’re done, click on Install Now

Congratulations! You’ve successfully installed WordPress, and now you are ready to install the WooCommerce plugin and start building your e-commerce site.

#4. Install WooCommerce Plugin

Follow the below steps to install and setup WooCommerce:

1.     Login to your WordPress dashboard

2.     Go to Plugins > Add New

3.     Now type “woocommerce” in the search field. The first search result you’ll see is WooCommerce.

4. Next, click the “Install Now” button next to the plugin and activate the plugin.

Next, you’ll see WooCommerce’s on-screen setup wizard. To start the wizard, click “Let’s go!”

The first step in the wizard is about creating below pages:

1.     Shop: Your all products will appear here

2.     Cart: This is the shopping cart where your customers can modify their order before proceeding to the checkout page.

3.     Checkout: This is where your customers choose the delivery method and pay for whatever they’ve bought.

4.     My Account: This is where your registered customers can view their past orders and manage other details.

After creating the required pages, all you need to do is click the “Continue” button to proceed next.
The next screen you’ll see is to set up your store location, currency, preferred units, etc.

Once you’re done, click the “Continue” button.
On the next screen, you can select if you’re going to be shipping physical goods or not. If you check the box, WooCommerce will pre-set the remaining shipping-related details in the settings.

Next, check the main tax box, if you’re going to charge sales tax. Once you check the box, a new set of boxes will appear and inform you of what’s going to happen next.

 

Next, click the “Continue” button and you’ll be asked to set up your preferred payment method.

PayPal and Stripe are the most popular payment options. We recommend that you integrate your site with both PayPal and Stripe. When you are done, click “Continue” to proceed.
The next screen you’ll see is just a confirmation page. Now, you’ve just built a blank e-commerce store with WooCommerce!

#5. Installing and activating a theme

The WordPress theme directory is a great place to find free themes or you can check this list of the top 100 free wordpress theme. In this guide, we will use the free responsive theme one of our own popular WordPress themes with 50,000+ active installations) that can be installed and used as any standard free WordPress theme.
Follow the below steps to install the Responsive theme manually from the WordPress admin dashboard:

1.     Download the latest Responsive theme from the WordPress repository

2.     Login to your WordPress Dashboard

3.     From your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance > Themes > Add New

4.     Upload the downloaded theme zip file

5.     Install the Responsive theme

6.     Activate it

Install & Activate Responsive Ready Site Importer Plugin
The Responsive Ready Sites Importer plugin extends the functionality of the popularresponsive theme by adding the ready site importer feature.
It comes with free ready to use WordPress website templates that can be easily customized using the Elementor page builder.
First, download the latest free Responsive Ready Sites Importer.

After downloading the plugin zip file, follow the below steps to install the Responsive Ready Sites Importer Plugin manually from the WordPress admin dashboard:

1.     Login to your WordPress Dashboard

2.     Go to Plugins > Add New

3.     Upload the downloaded plugin zip file

4.     Install the Responsive Ready Sites Importer plugin

5.     Activate it

Now that you have activated the importer plugin, it’s time to import an eCommerce website template that comes free with the Responsive theme. To do so, follow the steps below:

1.     From the WordPress dashboard navigate to Appearance > Ready Sites and select any eCommerce template like Furniture shop, Jewellery shop, Ecommerce fashion, Fashion shop, Pet shop, etc. For demonstration, we’ll select the Ecommerce Fashion template in this article.

2. On the preview page, you will see the website and you can see the “Import Site” button.

3. On clicking the Import Site button on the preview page you will see actions that will be taken to import the website.

 

4. Now you can click on the Import Site button and the import process will start. You will see a checkmark in front of the actions that are completed.

5. After Import is complete you will see the Launch Site button which will take you to the newly imported site.

Next, you will need to add your site logo, add and style the navigation menu. With Responsive theme you can easily make these changes to your eCommerce site. Check this guide.

How to add product to your eCommerce site?

With the above steps completed, your eCommerce site is ready to display your first product. Follow the steps below to add your first product:

• Go to your WordPress dashboard > Products > Add new

• Next, you need to:

1.     Add product title

2.     Add your product description

3.     Select your product category

4.     Set your product price

5.     Set your main product image

6.     Add additional product images to showcase your product

7.     Add a short description of your product

8.     Add product tags to organize your database of products better.

Once you’re done, click on the “Publish” button to make your first product live.

How to customize your eCommerce store page?

Follow the steps below to customize the store page layout using customizer:

1.     From the WordPress dashboard navigate to Appearance > Customize 

2.     Next, select Product Catalog Options > Layout

3.     On the next page, you will see different options to change the layout of your store page.

Below are the options which you will see:

• Main content width: You can adjust the width of the main content.
• Sidebar position: You can change the position of the sidebar. You can choose to put your sidebar on the Right side, Left Side, or No sidebar.
• Catalog view: You can change the view of your product catalog. You can choose whether a grid or list view be set as the default.
• Shop pagination: This option allows you to set up shop pagination without coding. You can choose the Default option to set up numeric shop pagination and Infinite option to set up infinite pagination which can offer a more fluid experience to your website visitors who want to quickly browse through lots of products without waiting for a new page load.
• Shop pagination style: You can change this style to Circle or Square.
• Shop quick view: You can manage the Quick view which shows product details in a lightbox. You’ll get below options:
• On Image
• On Image Click
• After Summary
• Content alignment: You can change the alignment of your shop contents.
• Shop elements: You can Show or Hide any particular shop element and also drag up-down to change the position of a particular shop element.
• Sale notification: You can set sale notifications to default, custom ring, or none.
• Sale bubble style: You can change this style to Circle, Circle outline, Square, or Square outline.

How to customize your eCommerce product page?

Follow the steps below to customize the product page layout using customizer:

1.     From the WordPress dashboard navigate to Appearance > Customize 

2.     Next, select Product Options > Layout

3.     On the next page, you will see different options to change the layout of your product page.

Below are the options which you will see:

• Main content width: You can adjust the width of the main content.
• Sidebar position: You can change the position of the sidebar. You can choose to put your sidebar on Right side, Left Side, or No sidebar.
• Gallery layout: You can change the product gallery layout to horizontal or vertical.
• Single product structure: You can Show or Hide any particular product element and also drag up-down to change the position of a particular product element.

Top 5 WooCommerce plugins for growing your eCommerce website

Below are some of the best WooCommerce plugins available to help you grow your eCommerce business:

1. WP legal pages:Wp privacy policy

Legal pages are a must to safeguard from liabilities and prevent GDPR and CCPA penalties. WP Legal Pages can generate policy pages on your eCommerce website in just a few clicks. It is a popular plugin with over 190,000+ downloads.

2. Optinmonster

Optinmonster generates opt-in forms to grow your email list, uses exit-intent popups to get potential shoppers to stick around, and more. It is available for free in WordPress.org. If you want to get pro features and want more insights on improving your website conversions, you can consider their paid plans.
 

3. HumCommerce CRO tool

It is very important to learn about how users engage with and experience your site. HumCommerce – A CRO tool with  features can help produce insights on user experience.
HumCommerce also features some powerful and cost-effective features to allow eCommerce websites to optimize the website at each stage to convert your visitors into buyers.

• Viewing visitors activity on how they browse your website
• Understanding which part of the page they spend more time.
• Knowing where your users are dropping out.
• Setting up Ecommerce funnels to push potential customers along the funnel which ultimately results in higher sales.

4Mailchimp For Woocomerce

One of the crucial ways to grow your eCommerce business is by increasing your subscriber base. This way, you can send out new product launches, announcements, and any other communication periodically.
MailChimp is a popular email marketing tool that enables you to build an email list and send mass emails. Using Mailchimps’s WooCommerce plugin you can collect emails via your website.
You can create forms on your site through which you can build your newsletter list. It also integrates with major contact form plugins giving you one more avenue to build your database

5.Yoest SEO

Yoast SEO is a must-have plugin if you want to improve the rankings of your eCommerce website in the search engine. This plugin helps with SEO-friendly content, XML sitemaps and provides an easy template to add a title, meta description, and other SEO tags.Try Yoast Now

Advantages of ecommerce website in details

1. Faster buying process

Customers can spend less time shopping for what they want. They can easily browse through many items at a time and buy what they like. When online, customers can find items that are available in physical stores far away from them or not found in their locality.

For example - Rajesh is a customer who goes to a store to buy a washing machine. After searching, he realises that he cannot find the product he needs. He logs onto a popular ecommerce marketplace and finds the washing machine. What is even better is that there is a special offer price and it can be delivered to his home.

This is where ecommerce comes to the rescue for many shoppers. They go online, search for an item, get a fast response and can buy it just as quickly.

Advantages of e-business include helping one to choose from a wide range of products and get the order delivered too. Searching for an item, seeing the description, adding to cart – all steps happen in no time at all. In the end, the buyer is happy because he has the item and didn’t have to travel far.

2. Store and product listing creation

A product listing is what the customer sees when they search for an item. This is one advantage in ecommerce meant for the seller. This online business plus point is that you can personalise your product listing after creating them. The best part? Creating a listing takes very little time, all you require is your product name or codes like EAN, UPC, ISBN or ASIN.

Sellers can add many images, a description, product category, price, shipping fee and delivery date. So, in just one step you can tell the customer many things about the item. Creating your listing shows the buyers what you have.

Rules for product listing
• Use high quality resolution images. Blurry images distract and confuse customers.
• Maintain image dimensions. Usually ecommerce marketplaces will recommend a resolution format.
• Provide multiple product views. Some sites even let you include a 360-degree view of items.
• When adding product variants – such as lipsticks in different shades – ensure each variant has its specific image.

Customising listings makes them attractive and appealing. Here the seller has full control over customisation, he can mention offers available, discounts etc. Other advantages of e-business product listing are that it is free to upload and fast.

How this is different from offline stores? – Offline retail merchants can provide only some details about the product. This can be a hassle as they have to keep repeating the same data to every customer!! On the other hand, an online marketplace gives you space to describe the product – just once and interested people will read it. One can include even more information like reviews, demo videos, offers ready and expected delivery timing.

Lastly, the listing stays online 24x7 so the customer can see the item when he wishes. Sellers do have the option of adding multiple listings or removing items that are sold out.

3. Cost reduction

One of the biggest advantages of ecommerce to business that keep sellers interested in online selling is cost reduction. Many sellers have to pay lots to maintain their physical store. They may need to pay extra up front costs like rent, repairs, store design, inventory etc. In many cases, even after investing in services, stock, maintenance and workforce, sellers don’t receive desired profits and ROI.

How this is different with online stores? - With an ecommerce store, a seller can reduce how much is spent in store upkeep. An ecommerce store is affordable and requires less investment when compared with a physical store.
This is also a good opportunity for individual and small scale sellers who want to earn an income but don’t have the required start-up capital.

4. Affordable advertising and marketing

Sellers don’t have to spend a lot of money to promote their items. The world of ecommerce has several affordable, quick ways to market online. Ecommerce marketplaces are visual channels – and sellers can really show off their product. For example, Amazon sellers can use Advertising tools to add videos, infographics, good quality resolution images.

One can add life to plain, boring text using DIY features to create customised deals, coupons, A+ content and sponsored ads. Many ecommerce marketplaces offer customer insight tools that can be used to analyse customers. Usually, this is a page that shows all orders – pending, unshipped, sent, cancelled, returns.

5. Flexibility for customers

An important advantage of ecommerce to business is that sellers can provide flexibility to customers. One highlight is that the product and services are ready 24x7. The result is that seller can offer his item any place, any time.

Customers are always present on an ecommerce marketplace - They are likely to return for repeat purchases online because of the conveniences they get. These conveniences include free shipping (usually on a minimum cart value), express order delivery, deals and discounts, subscription advantages.

They also share reviews on the things they buy. Good reviews result in two extra benefits of ecommerce. One is that buyers gain trust in your store based on the number of positive reviews. The other is that it can help you identify your best-selling items.

Sellers can leverage this customer flexibility to build their revenue. They can sell on an online marketplace confidently knowing that there are plenty of buyers.

6. Product and price comparison

In ecommerce, sellers can compare the products using tools or on their own. This gives them a good idea of product alternatives available, the standard rates, if a product need is unfulfilled.

Comparison is faster online and covers many products - It helps to save time when making this comparison, as all details are available on the shopping site. In a physical store, sellers may not be able get access to so many details –they only have better knowledge about their own inventory.

This is one more benefit for the customer too. When people see many items ready for purchase, they feel more confident about spending.

Did You Know - "Shoppers can save time using online marketplaces. They get other benefits like fast delivery, comfort of shopping from home, quick price comparison."

7. No reach limitations

A seller with a physical store may only be able to reach a certain number of buyers. They can deliver to the customers’ homes but there can be distance limitations. Several e-commerce marketplaces have their own logistics and delivery system.

Reaching out to more customers - Sellers that need to expand their reach to find new customers can benefit from this. This applies to online-only sellers and those with a physical store.

Online-only sellers can save on the logistics costs and be rest assured of customers. Sellers with a physical store begin selling their goods to local buyers.

8. Faster response to buyer/market demands

Every interaction is faster when you begin selling online. Ecommerce marketplaces offer you a streamlined logistics or delivery system. What this means is that the buyers order gets delivered efficiently. Product returns management is one more plus point that can be handled quickly – you either refund the payments or give a replacement.

Speedily actions can even be applied when responding to market demands. Think of this ecommerce example - when a buyer sees that an item is out of stock, he can click on the ‘Notify Me’ option. This informs him when that item is available for sale again. It also informs sellers that they need to restock that item so they can get more buyers.

Next comes the trends - Suppose there is demand for voice activated personal assistants, a seller can immediately respond to that demand by stocking these items. He is sure that this product will sell and has seen the same happening with other sellers to.

Merchants can create deals, promotions quickly too. This attracts customers and increase chances of creating more sales. Ecommerce sellers may plan and apply coupons when they like – even customise such offers for their own store.

9. Several payment modes

Buyers like personalisation – the same goes for paying for their orders. Ecommerce marketplaces permit multiple payment modes that include UPI, cash on delivery, card on delivery, net banking, EMIs on credit or debit card and pay-later credit facility.

Cart recovery – This is one huge benefit or ecommerce. Sometimes a buyer reaches the checkout page but doesn’t complete the purchase. Here, you can notify customers via phone messages, email to finish buying.

There is a catch – Customers can only use one type of payment mode per order. This choice is affected by the order value, ease of payment or availability of cash or card. In some cases, payment modes can be merged with a dedicated wallet amount.

What this means for sellers is that they no longer have to lose a potential sale opportunity due to lack of available payment modes.

Top Tips – ‘Many ecommerce sites enable a coupon for discounts or promotions on the checkout page. This makes it easier for the customer as the code is already present with the order.’

Conclusion

Last but not least! Post a lot of reviews and testimonials on your website. People love to read other customers’ experiences before becoming a customer themselves. Post a few negative ones too. This section should not look all made up to suit your business.
Ecommerce has made the world a much smaller place, thanks to the Internet. It is convenient, fast, and easy.
The number of people turning to e-Shopping is only going to rise as time goes by. So make your business go online, choose a good ecommerce wordpress theme and set up a clutter-free and easy-to-use eCommerce website, and see your sales and profits rise.