How to Showcase Your Best: Displaying Featured Products in WooCommerce

Introduction:

In the bustling marketplace of online retail, capturing your customers’ attention immediately is paramount. WooCommerce provides powerful tools to help you do just that, and one of the most effective is highlighting your featured products. By strategically showcasing these items, you can guide customers toward your most popular, profitable, or strategically important offerings. This article will walk you through several methods for displaying featured products in your WooCommerce store, from simple built-in options to more customized solutions. We’ll explore how to leverage these features to boost sales and improve the overall shopping experience.

Understanding Featured Products in WooCommerce

Before diving into the “how,” let’s understand the “what.” In WooCommerce, a “featured product” is simply a product that you’ve designated as special or noteworthy. This designation allows you to filter and display these products independently from the rest of your catalog, creating targeted promotions and dedicated sections on your store. Think of them as your best-sellers, new arrivals, or items on promotion.

Main Part:

There are several ways to display featured products in WooCommerce. We’ll explore a few popular methods, starting with the simplest:

Method 1: Using the WooCommerce Shortcode

WooCommerce provides a built-in shortcode specifically for displaying featured products. This is a quick and easy way to add them to any page or post.

• Shortcode Syntax: `[products limit=”number” columns=”number” visibility=”featured”]`
• Explanation:
• `limit=”number”`: Sets the number of featured products to display. For example, `limit=”4″` will display four featured products.
• `columns=”number”`: Defines the number of columns to display the products in. `columns=”2″` will display two products per row.
• `visibility=”featured”`: This is the crucial part! It tells WooCommerce to only display products marked as “featured.”
• How to use it:

1. Go to the page or post where you want to display featured products.

2. Add a new block (using the “+” icon) and search for the “Shortcode” block.

3. Paste the shortcode into the block, adjusting the `limit` and `columns` attributes to your preference. For example: `[products limit=”8″ columns=”4″ visibility=”featured”]`

4. Update or publish the page and preview the results.

Method 2: Using WooCommerce Blocks (Gutenberg)

If you’re using the Gutenberg editor (WordPress’s default block editor), you can use WooCommerce blocks to display featured products with more visual control.

• How to use it:

1. On your page or post, add a new block and search for “Products by Category” or “All Products.”

2. In the block settings on the right sidebar, look for the “Filter by” option.

3. Choose “Featured Products” from the dropdown.

4. Adjust other settings like the number of products to display, column layout, and sorting options.

Method 3: Creating a Custom WooCommerce Template (Advanced)

For more advanced customization and control over the appearance of your featured products, you can create a custom WooCommerce template. This requires some coding knowledge.

• Steps:

1. Create a child theme to avoid overwriting changes when WooCommerce updates.

2. Create a new PHP file (e.g., `featured-products.php`) in your child theme’s folder.

3. Add the following code (or adapt it to your specific needs):

<?php
/**
Template Name: Featured Products
*/

get_header();

?>

Featured Products

<?php

$args = array(

‘post_type’ => ‘product’,

‘posts_per_page’ => 8, // Number of products to display

‘tax_query’ => array(

array(

‘taxonomy’ => ‘product_visibility’,

‘field’ => ‘term_id’,

‘terms’ => ‘featured’,

),

),

);

$loop = new WP_Query( $args );

if ( $loop->have_posts() ) {

echo ‘

‘;

while ( $loop->have_posts() ) {

$loop->the_post();

wc_get_template_part( ‘content’, ‘product’ );

}

echo ‘

‘;

} else {

echo ‘

No featured products found.

‘;

}

wp_reset_postdata();

?>

<?php

get_sidebar();

get_footer();

?>

4. This code creates a new WordPress page template that queries for featured products and displays them using the standard WooCommerce product template (`content-product.php`).

5. Create a new page in WordPress and select the “Featured Products” template you just created.

6. Publish the page.

Method 4: Using a Plugin

Several plugins can simplify the process of displaying featured products and offer additional features. Some popular options include:

• WooCommerce Featured Products: A dedicated plugin designed specifically for managing and displaying featured products.
• Product Slider Plugins: Many product slider plugins allow you to filter products by “featured” status.
• Page Builders (e.g., Elementor, Beaver Builder): These visual builders often have WooCommerce widgets that let you filter and display featured products with drag-and-drop ease.

Using a plugin is often the best balance between ease of use and flexibility, especially for users without coding experience. Research and choose a plugin that suits your specific needs and integrates well with your existing theme.

Conclusion:

Displaying featured products is a fundamental tactic for enhancing the visibility of key items in your WooCommerce store. Whether you opt for the simplicity of shortcodes, the visual control of WooCommerce blocks, the advanced customization of custom templates, or the convenience of plugins, the goal remains the same: to draw attention to your most valuable products and drive sales. Experiment with different methods to find the approach that best suits your technical skills, design preferences, and ultimately, your business objectives. Remember to track the performance of your featured product sections to see what works best for your audience.