How To Build An E-Commerce Website: A Detailed Step-By-Step Instructions 2022
How to Build an E-Commerce Website in 2022
Do you want to have your own e-commerce website? I know that building an e-commerce website to be able to sell online sounds difficult and complicated, especially when you are not a techie, but rest assured, you are not alone. .
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1 What do you need to build an e-commerce website?
2 Step 1: Choose a platform to build an e-commerce website
4 Step 3. Set Up a WooCommerce Store
5 Step 4. Install Online Payment Gateway
6 Step 5. Add products to your e-commerce website
7 Step 6. Choose and customize the WordPress Theme
8 Step 7. Plugins needed to develop your e-commerce website
9 Instructions to create a sales website with woocommerce and wordpress with Video
10 Learn more about WordPress to grow your online business
11 FAQs about building an e-commerce website
After helping many brothers, sisters, friends, aunts, uncles, .. to create a successful sales website, I decided to create the most comprehensive guide on how to build my own e-commerce website. you with WordPress and Woocommerce .
What do you need to build an e-commerce website?
There has never been a better time to start an online business than today. When the pandemic took place and people's shopping behavior completely changed.
Anyone with a computer can get started within minutes without any special skills.
The three things you need to build an e-commerce website are:
Domain idea (this will be your e-commerce website name, mine is wpvie.com)
Web Hosting (this is where your website data is stored on the internet)
Your concentration for 30 minutes 😎.
Too simple, right?.
You can set up your own e-commerce website with WordPress in less than 30 minutes and I do my best to guide you in the easiest and simplest way.
In this tutorial, I will cover the steps of building an e-commerce website:
How to register a domain name for free
How to choose the best WooCommerce Hosting
How to Get a Free SSL Certificate (required to accept Online Payments)
How to install WordPress
How to create a WooCommerce store
How to add products to your e-commerce website
How to choose and customize the look and feel of your Website
Essential Plugins to Grow Your Ecommerce Website
Learn how to dig deeper into WordPress and grow your business
Ready? "Going to work".
Step 1: Choose a platform to build an e-commerce website
The biggest mistake most users make is not choosing the right platform for their e-commerce website.
Fortunately, you found this article of mine, so you won't make that mistake.
There are two popular eCommerce platforms that I recommend: Shopify or WordPress + WooCommerce .
Shopify is a comprehensive eCommerce solution, starting at $29(~667,000vnd)/month (pay monthly or yearly in advance for discounts). Is a simple solution where you just need to log in and start selling. The downside of Shopify is that it's expensive and your payment options are limited unless you pay extra.
This is why most users choose WordPress + WooCommerce because of the flexibility it offers. It does require some setup, but it's well worth it in the long run. WordPress is the most popular website builder and WooCommerce is the largest eCommerce platform in the world (see: Shopify vs WooCommerce Comparison ).
In this tutorial, I will show you how to set up an ecommerce website in WordPress using WooCommerce.
If you are wondering about the cost of WordPress + WooCommerce , then you can check out our analysis on the Cost of Maintaining a Website on WordPress Platform
To set up an eCommerce store, you need a domain name, web hosting (hosting) and a security certificate (SSL ).
A domain name is the address of your website on the internet. It's what users will type into their browser to get to your site (eg google.com or wpvie.com).
Web Hosting: is the place where all your eCommerce site data is located on the internet. It's like the home of your website on the internet. Every website on the internet needs hosting.
Secure Certificate (SSL) : adds a special layer of security to your website, so you can accept sensitive information like credit card numbers and users' personal information. This is required to be able to accept credit card or e-wallet payments, directly on your eCommerce site.
Normally, a domain name costs about 160,000 VND/year (.com) to 450,000 VND/year (.vn) , Web Hosting costs about 100,000 VND/month and SSL certificates are mostly free .
Roughly calculating your cost about 1,360,000 - 1,500,000 VND/year .
Thankfully, Bluehost , a hosting provider recommended by WordPress and WooCommerce itself , has agreed to offer WPVie.com users a free domain name + free SSL security certificate with their Web Hosting purchase ( also on sale).
Basically, you can start with just $2.95/month .
Sign up for Bluehost Hosting now
NOTE: If you sign up with Bluehost using your referral link, you will earn a small commission.
Buy Domain + Hosting + SSL Security
Open Bluehost in a new window and follow my instructions below.
First, you need to click on the dark blue Get Started button.
BlueHost homepage
On the next page, you choose the Basic package ($2.95/Month) by pressing the Select button
Choose the basic package
You will then be asked to enter a domain name for your website. If the domain name is already registered, you need to choose another domain name (Creative :D)
enter the domain name for the website
Enter the domain name for the website
Finally, you need to enter information to create an account, check the service package information you want to buy and enter your credit card information to pay again.
Enter your information
Note: Remember to uncheck all the items as shown in the picture, these items are bundled service packages including: identity security, Mail box, etc. If needed, you can still buy them later.
Enter payment information
Once done, you will receive an email with details on how to login to your web hosting control panel (cPanel). This is where you manage everything from support, email, and more.
Login to WordPress admin page
Once you are logged into cPanel , you will notice that Bluehost has pre-installed WordPress for you and you just need to click on the ' Login to WordPress ' button.
Login to WordPress
You just have to click on the ' Log in to WordPress ' button and it will take you to your WordPress website admin page. Like this:
WordPress admin page
Congratulations, you have set up the Hosting and Domain sections.
The next step is to set up WordPress and create your own e-commerce website.
Step 2. WordPress Setup
First, you need to visit Settings » Overview page to set up your WordPress site title and description.
Set site title and description
You can use your store name as your website title and provide a slightly appealing description for your website. The description is optional, so if you can't think of something good, you can set it up later.
Set up HTTPS to use SSL
The WordPress Hosting Plan you purchased comes with a free SSL Security Certificate. This certificate is pre-installed for your domain. However, your WordPress site needs to be reconfigured, so it's just http by default.
For example : the default is http://tenmiencuaban.vn , you need to update to https://tenmiencuaban.vn
On the Settings » Overview page , you need to change the WordPress Address and Site Address to use from http to https .
Use HTTP for your WordPress store address
Use HTTPS for your WordPress Website address
Don't forget to scroll to the bottom of the page and click the ' Save Changes ' button to save your settings.
Your basic WordPress setup is complete. Now comes the part you've all been waiting for: creating an e-commerce feature.
Step 3. Set Up a WooCommerce Store
WooCommerce is the best eCommerce website builder on the market. It's built on top of WordPress, giving you the flexibility of WordPress so you're free to sell any type of product you want.
First, you need to install and activate the WooCommerce plugin . If you don't know how to install Plugins, check out our guide on how to install WordPress plugins .
Just go to Plugins » Install and search for WooCommerce . In the search results, click the Install Now button next to WooCommerce Plugin.
Install WooCommerce
WordPress will now find and install the WooCommerce plugin for you. Wait for it and finish downloading the plugin then click the 'Activate' button to continue.
Activate Woocommerce
Upon activation, WooCommerce will launch the setup wizard and you will see the Welcome to WooCommerce screen as shown below. This setup wizard will guide you through important WooCommerce settings.
WooCommerce Wizard
First, you need to provide basic information for your e-commerce website such as address, country, and region. If you're a retailer, you can add your retail location as an address.
Then, click the Continue button to move on to the next step.
Next, you will be asked to select a business line on the store. You can choose an industry closest to the type of store you want to do business in.
Choose your line of business
Click the continue button .
You will then be asked to choose the type of products you will sell on your store.
For example, if your products need shipping, you can choose Physical Products (you can also select multiple product types at once.)
Select product type
After making the selection, click the Continue button .
Next, you will be asked to provide some business details such as how many products you intend to sell and whether you are selling elsewhere. You can select I don't have a product and select ' No ' for another option.
Provide some detailed information about the business
Provide some details about your business
Now you need to switch to the 'Free Features' tab . You will see a preselected option to install the free features.
Tab 'Free Features '
You need to uncheck this option as it will install some other WooCommerce Plugins that you may not need. You can manually install these plugins later if needed.
Click the Continue button to proceed to the next step.
Next, you will be asked to choose a theme for your e-commerce website. Choose whichever interface you like or you can leave it as default.
Select interface
Don't stress about choosing the perfect look in the first place, just get used to it. Again in the next part of this article, I will show you how to choose the best theme for your ecommerce website.
That's it, you have successfully completed the basic WooCommerce setup.
Step 4. Install Online Payment Gateway
Next, you need to set up a payment method to accept online payments on your store. WooCommerce offers a wide range of payment gateways that you can install easily.
Simply visit the WooCommerce Settings » page and switch to the ' Checkout ' tab . By default, you can choose PayPal Standard , Pay on Delivery, or Bank Transfer .
Payment settings
Scroll down below and you will see the option to install Stripe, PayPal Checkout and WooCommerce Payments . I recommend Stripe and PayPal Standard .
Install Stripe for your online store
For each payment gateway, you can click the Setup button and provide the required information.
For example , you can enable Stripe and enter your API Key (you can find this in your Stripe account).
Stripe Settings
Don't forget to click the Save Changes button to save your settings.
Step 5. Add products to your e-commerce website
Ok add the first product to your e-commerce website 😎.
You visit Products » Add New to add new products.
More new products
First, provide a title for your product and then some detailed description.
In the right column you will see a 'Product Category' box. Click on ‘+ Add New Product Category’ to create a category for this product. This allows you and your customers to organize and browse products with ease.
Add product category
Scroll down a bit and you will see the Product Information box. This is where you will provide product related information like pricing, inventory, shipping, and more.
Product information
Below the Product Information section, you'll see a box to add a short description of the product. These product descriptions will be used when the user is viewing multiple products on the same page.
Short description of the product
Finally, on your right hand column, you will see sections for adding the main product image and the product gallery.
Product pictures
When you are satisfied with all the product information you have added, you can click the Publish button to display it on your website.
Repeat the process to add more product as needed.
Step 6. Choose and Customize the WordPress Theme
Appearance is how your WordPress site looks to users when they visit. For a WooCommerce store, the theme also controls how your products are displayed.
There are thousands of free and paid WordPress Themes available to help you get the beautiful e-commerce site you want.
However, not all WordPress Themes are designed with eCommerce stores in mind.
If you need help choosing a theme, then refer to our guide on the factors you should consider when choosing a suitable WordPress theme.
Once you have selected and installed the WooCommerce Theme, you can customize its look and feel as you wish.
Just go to Appearance » Customize Page. This will launch the theme customizer, where you can change various theme settings.
Customize your WordPress theme
Most of the latest WooCommerce themes these days come with various customization options and work well with desktop as well as mobile devices.
Step 7. Necessary Plugins to Grow Your E-Commerce Website
Now that your store is almost ready, you may want to add more features to create a successful ecommerce website.
For example, you can add a customer support form or promote your new e-commerce site on social media to get your first order.
This is where plugins come into play.
Both WooCommerce and WordPress allow you to easily add new features to your website using Plugins.
Plugins are like apps for your WordPress site. There are thousands of Plugins that you can use, both free and premium. The WordPress.org plugins library alone has more than 58,000 plugins.
However, this rich selection also makes it difficult for beginners to choose the right plugins. How do you know which plugin to use?
Here are some of my recommendations for essential plugins that every e-commerce website should install:
1. OptinMonster makes it easy to convert website visitors into customers. It comes with tools like pop-up ads, fixed banners in the header and footer, countdown timer, sweepstakes, and more.
All those features help improve your conversion rate, increase sales, grow your email list.
Note: You can download the free version of OptinMonster from the OptinMonster WordPress plugin page.
2. Contact Form 7 is the best free form builder plugin for WordPress. It allows you to easily create any type of form for your store including contact forms, surveys, login forms, order forms, and more.
Note: Contact Form 7 has free version only
3. Yoast SEO is the best free SEO plugin for WooCommerce and the most used by many people. It allows you to easily optimize your ecommerce website without any SEO skills.
Yoast comes with full support for an eCommerce site: sitemaps, breadcrumbs, and more. This helps bring more traffic to your e-commerce website. For details, check out our basic SEO guide and tips for SEO for your e-commerce website for beginners.
4. MonsterInsights is the best Google Analytics plugin for WordPress. It helps you know where your customers are coming from and what they do on your website.
MonsterInsights comes with WooCommerce tracking so you can see sales and conversion data on your e-commerce website. This helps you align your small business growth and marketing strategy with data-driven decisions.
In addition, I have an article about plugins that every wordpress website needs, you can refer to more if you want.
Instructions to create a sales website with woocommerce and wordpress with Video
Instructions to create a sales website with woocommerce and wordpress with Video
Learn more about WordPress to grow your online business
WordPress is extremely powerful and flexible, but sometimes it can be difficult for beginners to set it up the way they want.
At WPVie, our main goal is to provide useful WordPress tutorials that are easy to understand even for non-tech-savvy WordPress website owners.
WPVie is the largest free WordPress resource site for beginners, which offers a variety of resources including: Creating a WordPress website, basic SEO tutorials, and more.
Frequently asked questions about building an e-commerce website
Many WPVie users regularly contact me with questions about starting their online business with an e-commerce website. I have tried to answer some of the most frequently asked questions below:
1. Where do I find products to sell on my store?
There are different ways for store owners to source products. Some of you sell products like software, digital art, music, and other downloadable products.
Others source products from local or foreign suppliers using online marketplaces like Tabao, Alibaba or AliExpress. If you don't want to handle your own inventory or shipping, then you can also consider building a POD or Dropshipping store.
2.Can I start an e-commerce website for free?
Some eCommerce platforms offer limited free trials but then you will have to pay a fee. While WooCommerce itself is free, you will need a Domain Name and a Hosting to host your website.
3.How much does it cost to start an Ecommerce Website?
It depends on your business plan and budget. You can use Bluehost for only 90,000 VND per month and use free plugins and themes to limit your costs. I recommend building a small business at the start and then spending more money as your business grows.
For a detailed breakdown of costs, see my article on the cost of building and maintaining an eCommerce Web site. .
4. Can I create an e-commerce website without shipping products?
Yes you can. For example, you can create an e-commerce website with the dropshipping plugin, create an Amazon or eBay affiliate store, Printfull if you want to sell POD T-shirts.
You can also use the same e-commerce website to sell external products as well as your own products.
6. How do I manage shipping and taxes for my e-commerce website?
Depending on your region, you may be required to add sales tax, VAT or other taxes. WooCommerce allows you to charge additional taxes by enabling them in Settings » WooCommerce page.
Enable Tax in WooCommerce
Enable tax calculation in WooCommerce
From here, you can also switch to the Shipping tab and create different shipping zones, add shipping, set a flat shipping rate, and more.
I hope this guide helped you learn how to build an e-commerce website. Thank you for reading this far, wish you success with your own e-commerce website.
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