How to turn your WordPress blog into a store
Do you have a WordPress blog? If so, did you know that you can use it to sell products or services? In this blog post, we’ll show you how to turn your WordPress blog into a store.
By following the simple steps below, you’ll be able to monetise your blog and start selling in no time!
Choose a theme
If you have a WordPress blog you’ll already have a theme installed so you may be happy sticking with what you already have, however that theme may not be designed for e-commerce so you may want to find a more suitable theme. Selecting the right theme is crucial for creating a successful online store. When choosing a theme, be sure to consider its design, functionality, and price. Once you’ve selected a theme, install it on your WordPress blog.
Install an e-commerce plugin
In order to be able to sell products or services on your WordPress blog, you’ll need to install a plugin that allows you to do so. There are many options out there but for this post, I will focus on WooCommerce. Once you’ve installed the WooCommerce plugin, you’ll need to activate it and configure it in the Woocommerce > Settings page according to your needs. This is where you can set your tax requirements, payment methods, shipping charges, customise your emails sent when a purchase is made and set your Terms and Conditions, account, and cart page. WooCommerce may automatically add a Cart, Checkout, and Account page to your pages list so you’ll need to check the pages section for these before progressing.
Choose a payment processor
In order to take payments online, you’ll need a payment processor. PayPal and Stripe are very popular with e-commerce stores as they have no monthly fees and only take a charge when a purchase is made. They can both be added to your website via a plugin. You can also integrate external merchant services with your WooCommerce website, many of these will have their own integration guides and plugins.
Add your products or services
Now it’s time to add your products or services and really turn your WordPress blog into a store.
Be sure to include high-quality images and descriptions. When adding your products remember to use language that resonates with the reader avoiding industry jargon where possible. Once you’ve added your products or services, test everything to ensure it’s working correctly. When adding products you may like to learn more about product attributes which can add product schema to your site. This helps Search Engines to understand what your site is about and can in the case of products, add your products to Google’s Shopping Tab.
Purchase Your Product SEO Guide Here
Promote your store
The final step is to promote your store! You can do this by writing blog posts about your products or services, adding links to your store on social media, running ads, and by increasing the visibility of your site organically through SEO. By promoting your store, you’ll be able to attract customers and increase sales.
Quick Start Guide To Turn Your WordPress Website Into a Store
1. Install and activate the WooCommerce plugin.
2. Go to WooCommerce > Settings in your WordPress admin panel to configure the basic settings.
3. Set up your products, including product categories, attributes, and tags.
4. Configure your shipping and tax options.
5. Choose a payment gateway and add your payment methods.
6. Set up your WooCommerce pages: Shop, Cart, Checkout, and My Account.
7. Customize the look and feel of your shop with themes and plugins.
8. Use extensions to add additional features to your WooCommerce shop.
9. Use WooCommerce reports to track your sales and customers.
10. Troubleshoot any issues that you may encounter while using WooCommerce
Selling products or services on your WordPress blog is a great way to monetise your blog site. By following the steps above, you can easily turn your WordPress blog into a store!
