Getting A Free Online Store From WooCommerce? Read This Review

WooCommerce is a WordPress add-on that is used by more than 30% of online stores. It is the most popular e-commerce platform. You can add WooCommerce plugin to your WordPress website and create a free online store. You can then start selling right away. However, WooCommerce is not for everyone and this is why you need a thorough review before you decide to use WooCommerce to create your online store.

What is Great About WooCommerce 

  • You do not need to pay to get WooCommerce as it is absolutely free. There are some plugins that you can get along with WooCommerce and these do not cost anything either. This can save on costs which you can use in other areas.
  • There is a guide available which enables you to understand how WooCommerce works. It is extremely easy for you to create your free online store because it works in a plug and play manner. You only have to go through a few steps and you are good to go.
  • There are all types of add-ons that you can choose from at WooCommerce. This gives WooCommerce the versatility that is required. You can choose from free add-ons and paid add-ons and it is all entirely up to you.
  • You can set up coupons and this can be integrated into your website effortlessly. You can choose the shipping and tax costs as well. WooCommerce makes this quite easy when compared to other competitors.
  • You can keep your customers updated about their order status. WooCommerce has a section whereby customers can do so easily. You get to customize email templates too whereby customers are aware of their order history and more information.
  • As more customers are buying directly from their mobile phones, it is important that your online store is mobile friendly. WooCommerce is mobile-friendly as it works well when customers are viewing your online store from their mobile phones.

What Are The Pitfalls of Choosing WooCommerce

  • Security can be a big concern when it comes to WooCommerce. Since it is open source like WordPress, hackers can get access to it. You need to be careful about the developer you choose and how you host your website when you create a free online store.
  • When you use more than one plugin, the plugins clash and can cause problems in page loading among other problems. You need to be well-versed in JavaScript, MySQL, jQuery, and PHP in order to resolve the problems that occur. This means you should be careful before you add a plugin.
  • When you want to set up your online store the way you want it, you will have to invest the time to do so. It is not so easy to set it up because it will depend on your WordPress theme. You will need time to create the website as you want.
  • Many customers have noticed that WooCommerce takes up a lot of space. This can impact how rapidly your website opens. Remember that a website that opens slowly can mean a loss in customers right away. This can directly impact your business.
Final Thoughts

Although the ability to create a free online store with WooCommerce sounds perfect, it is far from it. While WooCommerce is great, you will need help from other people and this can add to your cost. For example, if you do not want to get support from any developer then you are setting yourself up for failure. WooCommerce does require for you to invest a lot of time into it and you will need help from others to get the site up and running unless you have a strong software development background yourself. However, if you do not invest in those things, then the problems can get out of hand pretty quickly and you will be more frustrated than ever before.

Different businesses are in need of varying types of plugins. Many businesses do realize that they need a paid plugin which can end up costing them quite a bit. There are a number of add-ons available from WooCommerce that businesses can make use of. While these can help you get the type of website that you have had in mind, they do add to the cost. For example, personalizing products, subscription products etc. require you to buy an add-on license. This can cost up to $500 annually but this depends on the feature that you are after. 

These additional costs of the plugins can mean that you are actually spending and you are not exactly getting a free online store. If it is as good as a paid one, then why not choose a more established paid website builder instead? If you want a smooth experience with an ecommerce website builder, you can choose Shopify which helps you build powerful online stores. You get 24/7 customer support, effortless management, and you can do everything yourself since it is much easier to use. You can get started on setting up your store quickly and there are lots of theme options you can choose from. Start your free 14-day trial