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An eCommerce website refers to any website that allows you to purchase and sell physical or digital goods online. The term eCommerce is short for electronic commerce. These types of websites usually allow the business to add, edit, and delete products, update orders, set shipping prices, and accept payments.

A typical eCommerce website will perform three tasks. The server is responsible for the functionality of the website. This includes things like displaying products. The website itself will process transactions ( this is usually done through a 3rd party plugin like Stripe or Paypal ) and finally, the database keeps track of your inventory, content, images, users etc.

It’s recommended that all websites have an SSL certificate to protect the data transferring through the website; such as login details. This is especially true for eCommerce websites because the data can sometimes involve credit cards and other highly sensitive information like mailing addresses and phone numbers.

An eCommerce website that’s utilising WooCommerce is extremely easy to run, maintain, and update. WooCommerce has been purpose-built for WordPress and is super simple to operate for any experience level. You also have the benefit of being able to update your website from anywhere via the WooCommerce mobile app or web app. WooCommerce runs on all modern browsers and smart devices.

One thing to be aware of is where your eCommerce site is hosted. Depending on the platform, how many products you sell, and how many visitors your website gets, you may need a specific type of website hosting. For small stores, most shared website hosting plans should be fine, but big stores usually require dedicated hosting to run smoothly.

Ecommerce websites provide the ultimate convenience for consumers. They are available 24/7 and also require little to no effort to use. Store owners can easily reach new customers, cater to niche markets, and make sales without lifting a finger.

Ecommerce stores aren’t just restricted to selling physical goods, they can also be used to sell digital goods. You can sell online subscriptions, memberships, vouchers, courses, and more!

Existing brick and mortar businesses can even synchronise their stock levels, orders, and users to achieve a full circle selling strategy. This is just one of many examples of the benefits of having an online store.

WooCommerce is the most recommended platform for WordPress. Beginners can learn how to use it very easily. It’s also the most popular WordPress eCommerce plugin because it boasts a variety of seamless integrations. This includes stock management, digital marketing, payments, customer service, and shipping options.

WooCommerce was made specifically for WordPress and is one of their most recommended plugins on the plugin store. WooCommerce is also completely free and is used by millions of websites on the internet. This includes Sony ( Playstation ), Time Magazine, CNN, Disney, Spotify, and many more!

The reason why so many popular websites use WordPress is that it’s free, easy to update, developer-friendly, scaleable, and customisable. Unlike other website builder platforms like Shopify and Wix, you own anything built on WordPress and you can easily take it with you if you decide to change website hosting or website developer.

eCommerce websites can cost between $1,000 to $100,000. It all depends on how or what framework it’s built on, the functionality your business needs, and the popularity of the coding language used.

Some frameworks charge a monthly fee to use them while others are completely free. WordPress for example is open source, meaning they don’t charge for developers to use their framework. Other frameworks like Wix for example, charge a monthly fee to their users. Both frameworks provide a user-friendly backend that allows you to easily make updates to your website.

The functionality required is another thing to consider. Freelancers might only need a basic eCommerce website, while established businesses may require something more complicated. Shopify for example usually charges businesses a monthly fee for each additional function or app that’s installed. On the contrary, WordPress provides millions of free plugins that can add extra functionality to anyone’s online store.

The last thing to think about is how the website is coded. Some websites are coded from scratch using a variety of coding languages, while others work off a framework. Some coding languages become less popular over time, so the price of maintaining an eCommerce website with legacy code like ASP, for example, can increase greatly and get quite expensive because there are fewer programmers trained in or doing that type of coding. On the other hand, some coding languages like PHP have remained popular for decades and is almost universally used by most modern websites these days.

WooCommerce comes out of the box with everything you need in most cases. This includes account creation, shipping rules, email notifications, product landing pages, and much more. Additional functionality can be added easily via free or premium plugins. Or you can hire a web developer to get a plugin for your specific needs. Because WooCommerce runs on common coding languages like PHP and Javascript; this can be relatively inexpensive.

WooCommerce is also developer-friendly and has been built with a REST API. This means it can virtually integrate with any online platform fairly easily. Some basic integration examples include Stripe, PayPal, Xero, MailChimp, Google Ads, Facebook and more! But as mentioned WooCommerce is limitless in regards to integrations.

A successful eCommerce website is made up of many different things. Basic things like having product descriptions and categorising your products is a good start. Organic SEO, social, and paid marketing is also beneficial to get your products in front of potential buyers.

The look and feel of your website is also very important. Things like colour, font, and images are used to convince users that your business is trustworthy and worth buying from. Your eCommerce design should appeal to your target market, be easy to navigate and provide a overall positive experience for your users.

Another thing to consider is the load time. Nobody likes to wait for a website to load and this can result in a high number of users leaving your website immediately. This all comes down to having your website hosted on the right server that’s designed for your framework.

Adding a search bar to your website can also be beneficial. Reducing the number of steps your user has to take to achieve their goal will increase the likelihood they’ll purchase your product. Allowing your users to checkout as a guest speeds things up and is generally recommended for most online shops.