Wondering how to create an online store with WooCommerce?
Firstly, it’s worth mentioning that WooCommerce might not be the right fit for you. If you aren’t tech savvy and don’t want to be responsible for software and security updates, Shopify might be a better fit. Check out my article that helps you decide which eCommerce platform is best.
So, now that you are sure WooCommerce is the right fit for your online store, let’s get into it.
Here is how you create an online store with WooCommerce.
- Purchase hosting
The first thing you need to do is purchase hosting. This is where your website files are going to live. I recommend using Cloudways. Make sure you pick a server closest to your location. e.g. if you are in Australia, I recommend choosing a VULTR High Frequency server in Sydney (this is what I use). Click the green ‘Start Free’ button and follow the prompts.
- Install WordPress and WooCommerce
By default, Cloudways installs WordPress when you create a new server. Just ignore this or delete it. Instead we are going to do a fresh WordPress installation that comes with WooCommerce. Click on Applications > Add Application > Select the WooCommerce option > then finally Add Application. This will create your online store using WooCommerce.
- Add products and design your WooCommerce store
The below image shows the dashboard for your newly created online store using WooCommerce. You can view your new online store via the ‘Application URL’. You can also log into your WordPress Dashboard using the ‘Admin Panel’ URL along with the given username and password. The WordPress Dashboard is where you can start designing your site and adding your products.
The above steps are the essentials of creating an online store using WooCommerce. There is obviously a lot more that goes into your online store like designing it and adding your products. But this is the foundation of how you can create an online store using WooCommerce.
The above image shows the blank version of your newly created online store using WooCommerce. As you can see it’s not much to look at. Below you’ll find an example online store where I’ve added a theme and imported demo content.
Example store – https://soap.maxjacobs.com.au/
Would you like to know how this is created? Comment below.