Why do you shop online?
Is it more convenient? Do you get more choices?
Well, regardless of the reasonings, you are not alone. The number of people resorting to eCommerce websites has jumped from 1.32 billion in 2014 to 2.14 billion in 2021.
If those numbers do not depict the influence and effectiveness of eCommerce businesses, we don’t know what will!
WordPress stands out as the most reliable and prominent among several eCommerce platforms. The best examples are Root Science, House of Whiskey, Flwr, etc.
You, too, can build a successful eCommerce business website by integrating the best WordPress plugins. Even if you are a WP beginner, the following blog post will give you all the necessary information about the WordPress plugins list for eCommerce to kickstart your business.
Introduction to WordPress Plugin Development
Had it not been for the plugins, WordPress wouldn’t have reached such heights of success. It is one of the most essential assets that adds an array of features and elements to the website.
With over 50,000 plugins in the WordPress plugin repository, you can select either simple or extensive plugins to cater to the needs of your website.
Some of the key aspects of WordPress plugin development are actions, filters, shortcodes, widgets, classes, etc.
While there are several WordPress plugins for eCommerce available online, you can make one from scratch as well with the following steps:
- By defining the requirements
- By creating a WordPress Plugin Directory Structure
- By configuring your Plugin
- By adding Functionality
- By packaging the Plugin
Let us move forward with the pros and cons of relying on WordPress for eCommerce.
Advantages of Using WordPress for eCommerce Businesses
Before we get started with the best WordPress Plugins for eCommerce, we consider it our duty to explain both sides of the story. Accordingly, let us get started on the reasons why you should choose WordPress for your online business.
1. Easy to Configure and Use:
If building an eCommerce store from scratch sounds cumbersome to you, WordPress will ease those issues. With WordPress, you need not have extensive technical expertise. Everything is quite simple, and if you find yourself stuck, there are several online tutorials to help you out of the maze.
The admin dashboard provided in WordPress helps you check all the options and their functionalities. You can simply add, edit, and upload your content with the help of several plugins. The process is pretty straightforward, thereby allowing non-tech people to use WordPress to create and work on their online store.
2. Secures your Online Store:
If you are running an eCommerce website, the onus is upon you to safeguard important data like login credentials, customer information, payment details, etc. This can be done by several plugins provided by WordPress.
Moreover, since WordPress’ core code is highly protected, you can protect your website from malicious hackers. Lastly, since the setting up of an SSL certificate is quite quick and convenient, you can get ahead with your day without worrying about your online store’s safety.
3. Multitude of Themes and Plugins:
As we mentioned earlier, WordPress offers over 50000 plugins, therefore making WordPress for every type of company and business. You can also use themes to design your website so that your eCommerce business can stand out in terms of functionality, layout, and construction.
4. Works Well with Search Engines:
You can increase the authority and ranking of your website through WordPress.
How?
Well, WordPress provides the option of on-page SEO in the form of title tags, meta descriptions, alt texts, customized URLs, etc. In addition to that, WordPress is mobile-responsive, something that will give you a better ranking of the SERPs.
Disadvantages of Using WordPress for eCommerce Businesses
On the other hand, some people might feel hesitant of using WordPress for their eCommerce business due to the following reasons:
1. Not eCommerce-Specific:
Even though WordPress is a dependable website-building platform for eCommerce companies, it still doesn’t make it eCommerce-centric.
You’ll find several other eCommerce platforms like Shopify, Magento Commerce, or Wix that offer more crucial features and templates.
2. Not Entirely Free:
While WordPress is free and open-source, you’ll have to bear high costs in terms of paid plugins and themes. While such paid additionals are surely going to enhance customer experience, you’ll have to shell out money for the same.
3. Incompatible Plugins:
You cannot expect all WordPress plugins to work with one another. The process will cause roadblocks, which will come off as inconvenient for many.
List of Top 5 Best WordPress Plugins for eCommerce Business Websites
Now that we have covered the benefits and drawbacks of WordPress for eCommerce business websites, it is safe to say that it is not entirely a bad option. Yes, you might have some issues with the plugin configuration, but choosing the right plugins will ease the process.
To help you through the same, we have prepared a list of the 5 best WordPress Plugins for eCommerce to help you build a superlative and highly-functional website:
1. WooCommerce
This WooCommerce plugin is a no-brainer for all those who have minimal information about WordPress and its Plugins for eCommerce.
If we go by the stats itself, approximately 5,106,506 live websites rely on WooCommerce, giving it 28% of the market share, making it one of the best WordPress plugins for eCommerce.
It is a free eCommerce plugin that helps create and maintain an online store with utmost flexibility. But you’ll have to pay for additional extensions.
Top Features:
- Fully open-source and managed by GitHub
- More than 400 extensions, including order tracking, delivery status, built-in payment gateways, marketing, etc.
- Integrated with REST API
- Unlimited products (physical and digital) and galleries
- Automated taxing
- Customer support via email
2. Easy Digital Downloads (EDD)
If your online business focuses mainly on digital products, consider the Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) plugin to be nothing less than a king.
The process of selling digital products is quite fundamental and uncomplicated. Apart from an easy installation, you can use EDD for free.
Top Features:
- Manage customers’ activities
- Monitor sales, download, and API request logs
- Customized checkout
- Third-party extensions for payment
- Discount codes can be applied at checkout
- Translated in several languages for a native experience
3. BigCommerce
BigCommerce is actually a cloud-based eCommerce platform that offers website management features. But it is also available as a WordPress plugin to help build catalogs, facilitate payment, provide detailed analytics, etc.
Top Features:
- Customized designs and checkout
- Drag-and-drop functionality for products
- Extensive payment gateways with multiple payment options
- 24/7 customers suppose through email, chat, and live phone
- Scalable as per the business’s growth
4. MemberPress
If your business involves providing paid membership, you can benefit from MemberPress.
MemberPress allows you to sell premium memberships, online courses, digital downloads, etc., with a reliable payment system. It also helps you create and track membership subscriptions to ensure a smooth-flowing eCommerce website.
Top Features:
- Create coupons and control their expiration dates
- No-coding pricing page
- Build a community of creators
- Easy payment gateways
- WordPress Affiliate plugin
- Customizable checkout
5. Cart66
If the add-ons to the plugins are overwhelming you, we highly recommend Cart66. It works as a one-stop solution for selling physical as well as digital products, in addition to memberships, services, donations, subscriptions, etc.
Top Features:
- Secured digital file storage
- Unlimited coupons
- Tracking of inventory, shipping, and packaging
- Built-in payment gateways
- Customer Portal
- PCI-compliant payment system.
How To Hire WordPress Plugin Developers for Your eCommerce website?
Apart from thousands of plugins rendered by WordPress, you can also create your own plugin from scratch. Since WordPress is an open-source CMS, developers can reuse and modify the codes of obsolete plugins to enhance their eCommerce website.
Sounds a bit technical, doesn’t it? If you do not belong from a technical background, you might have to hire WordPress plugin developers for the same.
Well, you can leave the technicalities to the professional WordPress developers at Creole Studios. Our WordPress development services are top-notch since our WordPress crackerjacks are proficient in PHP, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. This helps them create an optimized WordPress eCommerce website for your business.
Moreover, we have worked on several WordPress website projects, thereby guaranteeing experience as well as expertise.
So, what are you waiting for? Contact us today and let us create your dream eCommerce website for you. Trust us; you will not be left disappointed!
10 min read 