How to Create a Dynamic WooCommerce Sidebar Widget in Divi
Introduction:
Divi is a powerful and versatile WordPress theme known for its drag-and-drop builder and extensive customization options. When building an e-commerce website with WooCommerce on Divi, a well-designed sidebar can significantly improve user experience and boost sales. It allows you to showcase important product categories, featured products, recent reviews, and other valuable information. However, Divi doesn’t always Read more about Woocommerce Genesis How To Increase Catalog Image Size offer the most straightforward way to create fully customized WooCommerce sidebars. This article guides you through creating a dynamic WooCommerce sidebar widget in Divi, maximizing your online store’s potential. We’ll explore the best methods, from using the default WooCommerce widgets within Divi’s Theme Builder to utilizing custom code snippets for more advanced functionality.
Main Part:
Understanding the Importance of WooCommerce Sidebars
Before diving into the “how-to,” let’s briefly discuss why a compelling WooCommerce sidebar is crucial:
- Improved Navigation: Help customers easily browse product categories and find what they’re looking for.
- Increased Product Visibility: Highlight specific products or promotional offers.
- Enhanced User Engagement: Encourage interaction with reviews, recent blog posts (if relevant), and other engaging content.
- Boosting Sales: Strategically placed calls to action can directly increase conversions.
- Add a row with two columns. This will create the main content area and the sidebar.
- In the larger column, add a “WooCommerce Products” module to display your products. Configure the module to display the desired products (e.g., featured, recent, on sale).
- In the smaller column (sidebar), add a “Sidebar” module.
- *WooCommerce Product Categories*
- *WooCommerce Product Search*
- *WooCommerce Product Tags*
- *WooCommerce Products* (for displaying specific products)
- *WooCommerce Recently Viewed Products*
- *WooCommerce Product Filter*
Method 1: Utilizing WooCommerce Widgets and the Divi Theme Builder
The simplest approach involves using the built-in WooCommerce widgets alongside Divi’s powerful Theme Builder. This method requires no coding knowledge and is suitable for most users.
1. Access the Divi Theme Builder: Navigate to *Divi* -> *Theme Builder* in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Create a New Template: Click “Add New Template” and assign it to *All Product Pages*.
3. Build Your Custom Body: Click “Add Custom Body” and then “Build Custom Body.” Choose “Build From Scratch.”
4. Structure Your Layout:
5. Add WooCommerce Widgets to the Sidebar Area: Go to *Appearance* -> *Widgets*. You’ll see the sidebar area you created in the Divi Theme Builder. Drag and drop WooCommerce widgets into this area. Here are some commonly used widgets:
6. Customize Your Widgets: Configure each widget to match your design preferences. For example, you can specify the number of products to display in the “WooCommerce Products” widget or choose Read more about How To Send A Confirmation Email In Woocommerce Booking whether to show product counts in the “WooCommerce Product Categories” widget.
7. Styling with Divi: Use Divi’s styling options within the Sidebar module and individual WooCommerce widgets to customize fonts, colors, spacing, and other visual elements. Consistent branding is key!
8. Save and Activate: Save your layout in the Divi Theme Builder and ensure the template is active for all product pages.
Method 2: Creating a Custom WooCommerce Sidebar Widget with PHP
For more advanced customization and dynamic content, you can create a custom WooCommerce sidebar widget using PHP. This method requires some coding knowledge but provides greater control over the widget’s functionality and appearance.
1. Create a Custom Plugin (Recommended): It’s best practice to create a custom plugin to house your custom code. This prevents your customizations from being overwritten when the theme updates. Create a new folder in the `wp-content/plugins/` directory (e.g., `my-woocommerce-sidebar`). Inside this folder, create a PHP file (e.g., `my-woocommerce-sidebar.php`).
2. Plugin Header: Add the following code to the top of your PHP file:
<?php /**
// Prevent direct access
if ( ! defined( ‘ABSPATH’ ) ) {
exit;
}
3. Widget Class: Define your custom widget class. This class will extend the `WP_Widget` class and handle the widget’s functionality.
class My_WooCommerce_Sidebar_Widget extends WP_Widget {
function __construct() {
parent::__construct(
‘my_woocommerce_sidebar_widget’, // Base ID
__( ‘My WooCommerce Sidebar Widget’, ‘textdomain’ ), // Name
array( ‘description’ => __( ‘A custom WooCommerce sidebar widget.’, ‘textdomain’ ) ) // Args
);
}
// Widget frontend display
public function widget( $args, $instance ) {
$title = apply_filters( ‘widget_title’, $instance[‘title’] );
echo $args[‘before_widget’];
if ( ! empty( $title ) ) {
echo $args[‘before_title’] . $title . $args[‘after_title’];
}
// — START DISPLAY CODE —
// Example: Displaying recently viewed products
$recently_viewed_products = wc_get_products( array(
‘limit’ => 5,
‘orderby’ => ‘date’,
‘order’ => ‘DESC’,
‘status’ => ‘publish’,
‘visibility’ => ‘visible’,
‘return’ => ‘ids’,
‘meta_key’ => ‘_thumbnail_id’
) );
if ($recently_viewed_products) {
echo ‘
Recently Viewed
‘;
echo ‘
- ‘;
- get_permalink() . ‘”>’ . $product->get_name() . ‘
foreach ($recently_viewed_products as $product_id) {
$product = wc_get_product( $product_id );
echo ‘
‘;
}
echo ‘
‘;
}
// — END DISPLAY CODE —
echo $args[‘after_widget’];
}
// Widget backend form
public function form( $instance ) {
$title = ! empty( $instance[‘title’] ) ? $instance[‘title’] : __( ‘New title’, ‘textdomain’ );
?>
<label for="get_field_id( ‘title’ ); ?>”>
<input class="widefat" id="get_field_id( ‘title’ ); ?>” name=”get_field_name( ‘title’ ); ?>” type=”text” value=””>
<?php
}
// Sanitize widget form values as they are saved
public function update( $new_instance, $old_instance ) {
$instance = array();
$instance[‘title’] = ( ! empty( $new_instance[‘title’] ) ) ? strip_tags( $new_instance[‘title’] ) : ”;
return $instance;
}
}
4. Register the Widget: Add the following code to your plugin file to register the widget.
function register_my_woocommerce_sidebar_widget() { register_widget( 'My_WooCommerce_Sidebar_Widget' ); } add_action( 'widgets_init', 'register_my_woocommerce_sidebar_widget' );
5. Activate the Plugin: Go to the *Plugins* page in your WordPress dashboard and activate your new plugin.
6. Add the Widget to the Sidebar: Go to *Appearance* -> *Widgets*. You should see your new custom widget in the list. Drag and drop it into the sidebar area you created in the Divi Theme Builder.
7. Customize the Widget: Use the widget Discover insights on How To Charge State And City Taxes In Woocommerce settings to configure its title and any other options you defined in the `form()` function.
Important Considerations for PHP Method:
- WooCommerce Functions: Leverage WooCommerce’s extensive API for accessing product data, categories, and other relevant information. Refer to the official WooCommerce documentation.
- Security: Always sanitize and validate user input to prevent security vulnerabilities.
- Performance: Optimize your code to ensure that the widget doesn’t slow down your website.
- HTML Structure: Make sure your HTML output is valid and well-structured for proper rendering.
- CSS Styling: Use CSS to style the widget’s appearance to match your website’s design. You can add custom CSS directly to your theme’s stylesheet or enqueue a separate stylesheet from your plugin.
Method 3: Using a Third-Party Plugin
There are several third-party plugins specifically designed to enhance WooCommerce sidebars within Divi. These plugins often offer advanced features like dynamic content, targeting rules, and A/B testing. Research the plugin’s features and reviews before making a decision. Examples include:
- WooCommerce Sidebars: Creates custom sidebars specifically for WooCommerce pages.
- Widget Options: Provides conditional logic for displaying widgets based on various criteria.
- Advanced Sidebar Menu: Enhances the standard navigation menu widget.
Conslusion:
Creating an effective WooCommerce sidebar in Divi is essential for improving user experience and boosting sales. Whether you choose to leverage the default WooCommerce widgets within the Divi Theme Builder, create a custom widget with PHP, or use a third-party plugin, the key is to carefully plan your sidebar’s content and design to match your website’s goals. Remember to test your changes thoroughly to ensure everything is working correctly. By strategically implementing a well-designed sidebar, you can create a more engaging and profitable online store. Prioritize a mobile-friendly design to cater to the growing number of users accessing websites on their smartphones.
