Last updated - April 13, 2023
In today’s digital age, starting an eCommerce business has never been easier! It’s very tempting to start your own company and have a little more extra cash. So, it’s not really surprising that more and more students are looking into this field. As online marketplaces and social media platforms become more and more popular, you can start your business even from your dorm!
There are some easy-to-use website builders like WordPress, which make it very easy to create your own platform without any previous programming knowledge. This tool is extremely popular among bloggers, writers, and young entrepreneurs. You can also look into online tutorials and webinars in case you don’t know where to start!
Learners might even use paper writing services to create high-quality product descriptions, marketing copy, and other written content to promote their online business. Of course, this is not a traditional use of these services, so you might as well order a paper here! With motivation, a little bit of effort, and the right tools, students can turn their dreams into reality!
Why Should you Choose WordPress as your Main Platform?
Overall, creating an eCommerce page on WordPress can be a cost-effective and flexible way to sell your products online. With the right themes and plugins, you can set up a decent-looking webpage that meets the needs of your business and your customers.
Here are some of the benefits of using WordPress as the main platform for your online business:
- Ease of use
- Customizable
- Affordable
- Scalable
- SEO-friendly
- Secure
- Mobile-friendly
Steps of Setting up Your eCommerce Page on WordPress
Now that you already have some sort of plan to create your online store, you might need a tutorial for building a website for it. Of course, these steps that are provided here can only work when you already have an idea for your company. Otherwise, students might have to start over before even getting somewhere. So, here are some tips on using WordPress for your online store!
Choose a Domain Name and Web Hosting
Before you can start building your eCommerce website, you need to choose a domain name and web hosting. In case you don’t know this, a domain name is the web address of your website on the internet. Web hosting is where your website will be stored online. You can buy a domain name and web hosting from a wide range of online suppliers, for example:
Install WordPress
Once you have all you need for your future store, the next thing you need to do is to install WordPress. With the help of this tool, you can easily build and maintain your eCommerce website in the future without programming knowledge. Many web hosting providers suggest a quick installation of WordPress, so this step should be pretty straightforward and won’t take much time.
Choose an eCommerce Plugin
To turn your WordPress website into an online store, you’ll need to choose an eCommerce plugin. WooCommerce is among the easiest and most user-friendly plugins for WordPress. With it, you can customize pretty much everything. There are some other options that you can use, but they are not as great as WooCommerce in terms of usage and payment plans.
Here is a couple of them:
- Easy Digital Downloads
- WP eCommerce
- BigCommerce
- Shopify
- Jigoshop
Install your eCommerce Plugin
As soon as you select your eCommerce plugin, you’ll need to install it on your WordPress website. To do this, go to your WordPress dashboard and select “Plugins” from the menu. Then click on “Add New” and search for your chosen plugin. Click “Install” and then “Activate” to activate the plugin on your website. This is also an easy step that won’t take much time.
Set Up your eCommerce Store
Now it’s time to set up the store of your dreams! With WooCommerce, you can set up your store by going through the setup wizard, which will guide you through the process of setting up payment gateways, shipping options, and tax rates. At this point, students need to know what goods or services they offer, so focus on this step and don’t lose your motivation!
Choose a Theme
To make your eCommerce website look professional and attractive, you’ll need to choose a theme. WordPress offers a wide range of free and paid ready-made compositions that you can use to tailor the overall appearance of your store. You can also use the services of a web developer to create something custom for your website. Of course, this means more expenses.
Add Products or Services
Once your eCommerce store is set up, it’s time to start actually filling it with your services or products. You can do this by going to the “Products” tab in your WordPress dashboard and clicking on “Add New.” Here, you can add product descriptions, prices, and images.
Setup Payment Gateways
To accept payments on your eCommerce website, you’ll need to set up payment options. WooCommerce offers several payment gateway options, for example, PayPal, Stripe, and Square. You can choose the payment gateway that works best for your business. When you present several options to your clients, it increases their loyalty, so they will come back!
Optimize for SEO
To make sure that your online store ranks high in any related Google search. For this, you’ll need to optimize it for SEO. This includes adding meta descriptions, optimizing images, and using keywords in your content. Of course, you can’t forget about generating reports and checking important metrics every once in a while so that you know if you’ve reached your target audience.
Launch your Perfect Website
Finally, it’s time for the most important step! Once your new website is set up and optimized, it’s time to launch it. Make sure to test your website carefully before actually presenting it to the world. This way, students can see if their store is working correctly. You can then promote your new store through social media, ads, and other campaigns that you can brainstorm later.
Takeaway
So there you have it, the basics of setting up your new eCommerce store with the help of WordPress! It might seem complicated at first, but it’s really easier than you think. Students are often busy with their studies, but even they can take some time away to follow their dreams.
