How To Setup Woocommerce 2016

Setting Up WooCommerce in 2016: A Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction:

In 2016, WooCommerce was rapidly becoming the go-to eCommerce platform for WordPress users. Its flexibility, open-source nature, and extensive plugin ecosystem made it an attractive option for businesses of all sizes looking to sell online. While updates and new features have been introduced since then, the core setup principles remain relevant. This guide provides a comprehensive walkthrough on how to set up WooCommerce in 2016, focusing on the foundational steps needed to get your online store up and running. We’ll cover everything from installation to basic configuration, enabling you to start selling your products quickly and efficiently. This knowledge provides a valuable historical perspective on the platform’s evolution and a solid basis for understanding current versions.

Main Part: Setting Up Your WooCommerce Store

1. Installing WooCommerce

The first step is installing the WooCommerce plugin itself. You’ll need a WordPress website already set up.

Log in to your WordPress Admin Dashboard.
Navigate to Plugins > Add New.
In the search bar, type “WooCommerce.”
Locate the “WooCommerce” plugin (usually the first result) and click “Install Now.”
Once installed, click “Activate Plugin.”

Activating WooCommerce will trigger the WooCommerce Setup Wizard, which we will cover next.

2. Running the WooCommerce Setup Wizard

The Setup Wizard guides you through the essential configuration steps for your store.

Store Setup: This includes specifying your store’s location (country, address), currency, and what type of industry your business falls under. Choosing the correct currency is crucial!
Product Type: Choose the type of products you’ll be selling (physical products, digital downloads, services, etc.). This will determine certain plugin suggestions and settings defaults.
Payments: Select your preferred payment gateways. In 2016, PayPal Standard and Stripe were popular and readily available options. You might need to install payment gateway extensions to activate other providers.
Shipping: Configure your shipping zones and methods. You can set up flat rates, free shipping, or real-time carrier calculations.
Recommended: WooCommerce often suggests installing other plugins and themes to enhance your store. While some are useful, carefully consider each recommendation before installing, as too many plugins can impact site performance.
Activate: Activate the Jetpack plugin, that provide additional features to improve security.

3. Configuring WooCommerce Settings

Even after running the Setup Wizard, you’ll need to fine-tune your WooCommerce settings.

Navigate to WooCommerce > Settings in your WordPress dashboard.

Here you’ll find several tabs, each dedicated to a specific area of configuration:

General:
Store address, selling location(s), default customer Check out this post: How To Create A Woocommerce Payment Url location.
Currency options (currency, symbol position, decimal separator, thousands separator).
Products:
Shop page setup (defining which page is your shop).
Product display options (e.g., showing product Learn more about How To Create Custom Product Category Page In Woocommerce images, enabling product ratings).
Inventory management (enable/disable stock management, low stock threshold). Enable stock management if you’re selling tangible goods!
Downloadable products (if you’re selling digital products).
Shipping:
Shipping zones (grouping locations with similar shipping rates).
Shipping options (enable/disable shipping calculator on the cart page).
Shipping classes (grouping products with similar shipping requirements).
Checkout:
Payment gateways (manage available payment methods).
Checkout process (enable/disable guest checkout, force secure checkout).
Account and privacy settings.
Accounts: Enable guest checkout, customer registration, account deletion request.
Email: Customize the emails sent to customers and administrators for various events (e.g., order confirmation, order processing).
API: Enable the WooCommerce REST API, which allows external Learn more about How To Remove Woocommerce Extensions applications to interact with your store.
Webhooks: Enable the Webhooks, which allow external services to receive notifications about events in your store.

4. Adding Your First Products

Once the basic settings are configured, you can start adding products to your store.

Navigate to Products > Add New.
Product Title: Enter the name of your product.
Product Description: Write a detailed and engaging description of your product. Use headings and formatting to make it readable.
Product Data: This is where you define the specific details of your product:
Product Type: Simple, Grouped, Variable, External/Affiliate. Variable products are crucial for items with sizes, colors, etc.
General: Price, Sale Price, Tax Status, Tax Class.
Inventory: SKU (Stock Keeping Unit), Manage Stock, Stock Quantity, Allow Backorders.
Shipping: Weight, Dimensions, Shipping Class.
Linked Products: Upsells and Cross-sells (related products).
Attributes: Define specific attributes for variable products (e.g., Color, Size).
Advanced: Purchase Note, Menu Order, Enable Reviews.
Product Short Description: A brief summary of your product that appears near the product title.
Product Image: Upload a high-quality image of your product.
Product Gallery: Add multiple images to showcase your product from different angles.
Product Categories: Assign your product to relevant categories.
Product Tags: Add keywords to help customers find your product through search.

Click “Publish” to make your product live on your store.

5. Choosing a Theme

Your theme controls the visual appearance of your online store. While WooCommerce is compatible with many WordPress themes, some are specifically designed for eCommerce and offer enhanced integration and features. Popular options in 2016 included Storefront (the official WooCommerce theme), Astra, and Divi.

Navigate to Appearance > Themes in your WordPress dashboard.
You can search for themes in the WordPress theme directory or upload a theme you purchased elsewhere.
Activate your chosen theme.
Customize the theme to match your brand (colors, fonts, logo, etc.).

6. Testing Your Store

Before you officially launch your store, thoroughly test every aspect of it.

Browse your products: Make sure the product pages look correct and all information is accurate.
Add products to the cart: Verify that the cart page functions properly.
Proceed to checkout: Test the checkout process with different payment methods.
Review order confirmation emails: Ensure the emails are formatted correctly and contain the right information.
Place a test order: Go through the entire order process to ensure everything works smoothly. You may want to refund this test order immediately after.

 // Example: Displaying a product's price in PHP using WooCommerce functions if ( function_exists( 'wc_get_product' ) ) { $product = wc_get_product( $product_id ); // Replace $product_id with the actual product ID if ( $product ) { $price = $product->get_price_html(); echo 'Price: ' . $price . '
'; } else { echo 'Product not found.
'; } }

Conclusion:

Setting up WooCommerce in 2016 was a crucial step for many aspiring online entrepreneurs. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you could create a functional and visually appealing online store. While 2016 might seem like a while ago in terms of technology, the core principles of WooCommerce setup remain the same. The key takeaway is that thorough planning and testing are essential for a successful online store. Understanding these foundational steps provides valuable insight into the evolution of the platform and a solid base for working with more recent versions of WooCommerce. Remember to regularly update your plugins and themes to ensure security and compatibility, Learn more about How To Develop Woocommerce Plugin and always adapt your store to meet the evolving needs of your customers.