How to Mark a Product as Featured in WooCommerce (And Why You Should!)
So, you’ve got a WooCommerce store buzzing with products. Great! But how do you shine a spotlight on your *star players*, those products you really want customers to see and buy first? That’s where the “Featured Product” designation comes in. Think of it as your online equivalent of a prime shelf spot in a physical store. This article will guide you through the process step-by-step, even if you’re a WooCommerce newbie.
What Are Featured Products and Why Are They Important?
Featured products are, quite simply, products you’ve chosen to highlight within your WooCommerce store. They’re promoted above the rest, drawing attention and encouraging sales.
Here’s why marking products as featured is a smart move:
* Increased Visibility: Featured products often appear in prominent locations like your homepage, sidebar widgets, or custom product showcases. This increased exposure means more eyes on your chosen items.
* Boost Sales: By strategically featuring products, you can nudge customers towards items you *want* them to buy. This could be anything from new arrivals to bestsellers or products with high profit margins.
* Promote New Products: Launching a new item? Marking it as featured is a fantastic way to get the word out and generate initial sales. Think of it as a product launch party, right on your website.
* Clear Out Old Stock: Need to move some inventory? Featuring discounted items can be an excellent way to clear out older stock and make room for the new. It’s like a virtual “clearance” rack.
* Highlight Bestsellers: Showing off your most popular products builds trust and encourages new customers to try what’s already a hit. “If everyone else is buying it, it must be good!”
* Showcase Seasonal Items: As seasons change, feature items accordingly. Around Christmas, for example, you could feature holiday-themed products. This keeps your store relevant and engaging.
Step-by-Step Guide to Marking Products as Featured in WooCommerce
The process is straightforward. Let’s walk through it:
Method 1: From the Product Edit Screen
This is the most common and straightforward way to mark a product as featured.
1. Log in to your WordPress Dashboard. This is your control center for your website.
2. Navigate to Products > All Products. This will display a list of all the products in your WooCommerce store.
3. Find the Product You Want to Feature. You can use the search bar or scroll through the list.
4. Click “Edit” under the product title. This will open the product edit screen.
5. Look for the “Publish” meta box on the right side of the screen. (If you are using Block editor the “Publish” box will be on top.)
6. Check the “Featured product” box. You may need to expand the “Product visibility” options to see it.
7. Click “Update” at the top or bottom of the screen to save your changes.
That’s it! The product is now marked as featured.
Method 2: From the Quick Edit Screen
This method is slightly faster if you’re already looking at the list of products.
1. Go to Products > All Products in your WordPress Dashboard.
2. Hover over the product you want to feature.
3. Click “Quick Edit”. This will open a simplified edit panel.
4. Check the “Featured” box. It’s typically located near the middle of the panel.
5. Click “Update” to save your changes.
Method 3: Using the WooCommerce REST API (For Developers)
If you’re a developer or using a script to manage your products, you can use the WooCommerce REST API to mark products as featured.
<?php
// Replace with your store URL and authentication credentials
$url = ‘https://yourstore.com/wp-json/wc/v3/products/123’; // Replace 123 with the product ID
$consumer_key = ‘YOUR_CONSUMER_KEY’;
$consumer_secret = ‘YOUR_CONSUMER_SECRET’;
$data = array(
‘featured’ => true,
);
$ch = curl_init();
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, $url);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, array(‘Content-Type: application/json’));
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_USERPWD, $consumer_key . “:” . $consumer_secret);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST, “PUT”);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, json_encode($data));
$result = curl_exec($ch);
curl_close($ch);
echo $result;
?>
Important Considerations for Developers:
* Authentication: You’ll need valid consumer key and secret from your WooCommerce settings. Make sure REST API access is enabled.
* Product ID: Replace `123` with the actual ID of the product you want to update.
* Error Handling: In a real-world application, you’d want to add error handling to your script to gracefully handle any issues with the API request.
Displaying Your Featured Products
Now that you’ve marked your products as featured, how do you actually *show* them off? This depends on your theme and any plugins you’re using.
* WooCommerce Shortcodes: WooCommerce provides shortcodes you can use within pages or posts. For example, `[featured_products]` will display your featured products. Check WooCommerce documentation for options like `per_page` (number of products to show) and `columns`.
* WooCommerce Blocks (Gutenberg Editor): If you’re using the Gutenberg editor, WooCommerce provides a “Featured Product” and “Featured Category” block. These make it easy to add featured products to your pages.
* Theme Options: Many themes offer built-in sections or widgets specifically designed to display featured products on your homepage or in sidebars. Check your theme’s documentation or settings for these options.
* Plugins: There are numerous plugins available that provide advanced featured product display options. Some popular choices include product sliders, carousels, and grid layouts.
Best Practices for Selecting Featured Products
Choosing the right products to feature is crucial for maximizing your results. Here are some tips:
* Rotate Your Featured Products: Don’t stick with the same products forever. Keep things fresh by regularly updating your featured items. This ensures that customers are always seeing something new and exciting.
* Analyze Your Data: Use WooCommerce analytics (or Google Analytics) to track the performance of your featured products. Which ones are generating the most sales? Which ones aren’t performing as well? Use this data to refine your selection.
* Consider Your Target Audience: What are your customers interested in? What are they searching for? Choose featured products that are relevant to their needs and interests.
* Highlight Seasonal and Promotional Items: Use featured products to promote sales, discounts, and seasonal items. This is a great way to drive traffic and increase conversions.
By strategically using the “Featured Product” designation in WooCommerce, you can significantly boost your sales and improve the overall shopping experience for your customers. So go ahead, give it a try, and watch your highlighted products shine!
