Woocommerce How To Add Additional Information

WooCommerce: How to Add Additional Information to Your Products (The Beginner’s Guide)

So, you’re selling amazing stuff with WooCommerce, that’s fantastic! But maybe you’re feeling limited by the standard fields like title, description, and price. You want to add extra information to your product pages, something that really highlights your unique selling points and helps customers make informed decisions. This guide is for you! We’ll break down how to add additional information to WooCommerce in a way that’s easy to understand, even if you’re a complete newbie.

Think of it like this: you’re selling handmade soaps. You want to tell customers about the ingredients, the scent profile, and the skin types it’s best suited for. These are details a customer needs to know, beyond just “Lavender Soap – $5”.

Why Add Additional Information to WooCommerce?

Adding extra information is more than just adding fluff. It’s crucial for:

• Improved Customer Experience: Customers get all the details they need, leading to better purchase decisions and fewer returns.
• Increased Conversions: Detailed information can overcome objections and convince customers to buy. For instance, knowing a t-shirt is “100% organic cotton” can be a huge selling point for eco-conscious buyers.
• Better SEO: Adding relevant keywords and phrases in your extra information can help your products rank higher in search results.
• Standing Out from the Competition: Offering unique details that your competitors don’t provides a competitive edge.
• Reduced Customer Service Queries: Providing complete information upfront reduces the need for customers to contact you with questions.

Method 1: Using Product Attributes (The Easiest Way!)

Product attributes are your best friend for simple, structured information. Think of them like tags that describe your product.

Example: Imagine you’re selling shoes. You might want attributes for:

• Color
• Size
• Material
• Heel Height

How to Add Product Attributes:

1. Go to Products > Attributes in your WordPress dashboard.

2. Add a New Attribute: Give it a name (e.g., “Color”) and a slug (leave this blank to auto-generate it). You can also Read more about I Dont Know How To Use Woocommerce enable archives, which creates a page listing all products with that attribute.

3. Add Terms: Click “Configure Terms” under the new attribute. This is where you add the *values* for the attribute (e.g., “Red,” “Blue,” “Green”).

4. Assign Attributes to a Product: When editing a product, go to the “Product data” meta box and select the “Attributes” tab. Choose your attribute from the dropdown, then select the relevant terms for that product.

5. Display on the Front End: By default, attributes are displayed on the product page.

Why it’s great:

• Simple to use
• Organizes information
• Can be used for filtering and sorting
• Native to WooCommerce

Limitations:

• Best for structured data (e.g., size, color)
• Not ideal for long-form descriptions or complex data.

Method 2: Using Custom Fields (For More Flexibility)

Custom fields offer more flexibility if you need to add unique types of data that aren’t well-suited for attributes. They are useful when a lot of text is needed, or when there is other data such as links, images, or other advanced fields.

Example: Let’s say you’re selling digital art prints. You might want custom fields for:

• “Print Edition Number” (a specific number in a limited edition)
• “Frame Recommendation” (a suggestion of a specific frame type)
• “Artist’s Inspiration” (a short paragraph about the artwork)

How to Add Custom Fields:

The easiest way to add custom fields is to use a plugin. Here are a few good options:

• Advanced Custom Fields (ACF): Check out this post: How To Set Up Shipping Rates For Woocommerce A powerful and popular plugin with a free version.
• Meta Box: Another robust option with a clean interface.

For this example, we’ll use Advanced Custom Fields (ACF).

1. Install and Activate ACF: Go to Plugins > Add New and search for “Advanced Custom Fields.” Install and activate it.

2. Create a Field Group: Go to Custom Fields > Add New. Give your field group a name (e.g., “Product Extra Information”).

3. Add Fields: Click “Add Field.” Configure the field based on the type of information you want to store.

• Field Label: The human-readable name (e.g., “Print Edition Number”).
• Field Name: A unique identifier (e.g., `print_edition_number`). ACF will automatically generate this.
• Field Type: Choose the appropriate type (e.g., “Text,” “Number,” “Textarea,” “Image”).

4. Set Location Rules: Under “Location,” specify that this field group should appear on “Product” post type.

5. Save the Field Group.

6. Enter Data on the Product Page: When editing a product, you’ll now see a new meta box with your custom fields. Fill in the data.

7. Display on the Front End: This is where the coding comes in. You’ll need to edit your theme’s `single-product.php` file (or a template override) to display the custom field data.

Here’s an example of how to display a custom field using PHP:

 <?php $print_edition_number = get_field('print_edition_number'); // Get the value of the custom field 

if( $print_edition_number ): // Check if the field has a value

?>

Print Edition Number:

Explanation of the code:

• `get_field(‘print_edition_number’)`: This function from ACF retrieves the value of the custom field with the name `print_edition_number`.
• `$print_edition_number`: This variable stores the retrieved value.
• `if( $print_edition_number )`: This conditional statement checks if the custom field has a value. We only want to display the information if it exists.
• `echo $print_edition_number`: This displays the value of the custom field.

Where to put the code:

• Best practice: Create a child theme so your changes aren’t lost when the theme is updated.
• Copy `woocommerce/templates/single-product.php` from your parent theme to your child theme’s `woocommerce/templates/` folder.
• Edit the copied `single-product.php` file. Look for a suitable place to insert your code, such as after the product description or price.

Why it’s great:

• Highly flexible
• Can handle complex data
• Can display almost any type of information

Limitations:

• Requires coding knowledge (or a willingness to learn)
• Can be more complex to set up

Method 3: Using WooCommerce Product Add-ons (For Options and Personalization)

WooCommerce Product Add-ons (a premium extension or a plugin alternative) let customers customize products with extra options. This is different from attributes. These are add-ons that are *in addition to* the base product.

Example:

• Selling a cake: Add options for frosting flavor, message inscription, and candles.
• Selling a t-shirt: Allow customers to upload a custom image to be printed on the shirt.
• Selling a bicycle: Add optional extras like lights, a lock, or a helmet.

How to Use WooCommerce Product Add-ons:

1. Install and Activate: You’ll need a plugin to add this functionality. Search for “WooCommerce Product Add-ons” in the plugin directory and choose one that suits your needs. WooCommerce offers a premium official extension of the same name. There are many free and premium alternatives.

2. Create Add-ons: The process will vary depending on the plugin, but generally, you’ll create add-ons (either global or specific to a product) and define their options, prices, and input types (e.g., text fields, dropdowns, checkboxes).

3. Assign Add-ons to Products: Associate the add-ons with the relevant products.

Why it’s great:

• Allows customers to personalize products
• Increases average order value by selling add-ons
• Enhances the shopping experience

Limitations:

• Usually requires a premium extension
• Focused on customization rather than static product information

Best Practices for Adding Additional Information:

• Keep it relevant: Only include information that is useful to the customer and helps them make a purchase decision.
• Be concise: Don’t overwhelm customers with too much information. Use clear and concise language.
• Use high-quality images and videos: Visuals can often convey information more effectively than text.
• Optimize for mobile: Ensure your additional information is readable and accessible on mobile devices.
• Test and iterate: Track your sales and customer feedback to see which types of information are most effective.

Conclusion

Adding additional information to your WooCommerce products is a powerful way to improve the customer experience, boost conversions, and stand out from the competition. By using attributes, custom fields, or product add-ons, you can provide customers with the details they need to make informed purchase Learn more about How To Add Amazon Payments To Woocommerce decisions and ultimately drive more sales. Choose the method that best fits your needs and get started today!