How To Link Products In Woocommerce

How to Link Products in WooCommerce: A Beginner’s Guide to Boosting Sales

So, you’ve got your WooCommerce store up and running! That’s fantastic! But are you making the most of it? One powerful, yet often overlooked feature, is the ability to link your products together. This simple action can dramatically improve the customer experience, increase average order value, and ultimately, boost your sales. Think of it as the “Would you like fries with that?” of the online world.

This guide will walk you through the process of linking products in WooCommerce, even if you’re a complete beginner. We’ll explain why it’s important, the different types of product links, and how to set them up step-by-step.

Why Link Products in WooCommerce?

Linking products might seem like a small thing, but it can have a big impact. Here’s why you should bother:

• Increased Sales: By suggesting related or complementary products, you encourage customers to add more items to their cart. Imagine you’re selling a coffee machine. Linking to coffee beans, filters, and a milk frother is a logical step to increase your sales.
• Improved Customer Experience: Guiding customers to relevant products makes shopping easier and more enjoyable. It saves them time and helps them discover items they might not have found otherwise.
• Reduced Bounce Rate: Keeping visitors engaged on your website is crucial. Linked products provide more browsing options, reducing the likelihood they’ll leave your site after viewing just one item.
• Higher Average Order Value (AOV): More products in the cart equal a higher total spend. This is a key metric for e-commerce success.
• Cross-selling and Up-selling Opportunities: You can use linked products to suggest better versions of what they’re looking at, or complementary products that they might also need. Think “Upgrade to the deluxe model!” or “Complete the set with these accessories!”

Types of Linked Products in WooCommerce

WooCommerce offers three main ways to link products:

1. Upsells: These are products you recommend *instead of* the product the customer is currently viewing. They are usually higher quality, more expensive, or offer more features. Think “Luxury Upgrade”.

2. Cross-sells: These are products you recommend *in addition to* the product the customer is currently viewing. They are complementary items that enhance the customer’s purchase. Think “Customers who bought this also bought…”.

3. Grouped Products: This is a way to create a “bundle” of products that can be purchased together. This is different from a single product with variations, as each product in the group is still a separate item. Think “The ultimate gift set!”

How to Link Products in WooCommerce: A Step-by-Step Guide

Let’s dive into the practical steps!

1. Access the Product Edit Screen:

• Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
• Navigate to Products > All Products.
• Find the product you want to link *from* (the base product) and click Edit. This is the product that will *show* the upsells or cross-sells.

2. Navigate to the Linked Products Tab:

• On the product edit screen, scroll down to the Product data meta box.
• Click on the Linked Products tab.

3. Add Upsells:

• In the Upsells field, start typing the name of the product you want to suggest as an upsell.
• WooCommerce will automatically suggest products that match your search.
• Select the desired product from the list. You can add multiple upsells.

Example: You’re editing a basic “Espresso Machine”. You might add “Premium Espresso Machine with Built-in Grinder” as an upsell.

4. Add Cross-sells:

• In the Cross-sells field, follow the same process as above to search for and select products you want to suggest as cross-sells.

Example: For the “Espresso Machine”, you might add “Coffee Beans”, “Espresso Cups”, and “Milk Frother” as cross-sells.

5. Update the Product:

• Once you’ve added all the desired upsells and cross-sells, click the Update button at the top or bottom of the page.

6. View the Results on the Product Page:

• Navigate to the product page on your WooCommerce store.
• You should now see the upsells displayed on the product page (often near the bottom, after the product description).
• Cross-sells are typically displayed on the cart page, encouraging customers to add more items before checking out.

Grouped Products: Creating Bundles

Grouped products are slightly different. Here’s how to create them:

1. Create the Individual Products:

• Ensure all the products you want to include in the group already exist in your WooCommerce store. These need to be set as “Simple product” type.

2. Create the Grouped Product:

• Go to Products > Add New.
• Enter a title and description for your grouped product (e.g., “The Coffee Lover’s Gift Set”).
• In the Product data dropdown, select Grouped product.

3. Link the Products:

• Navigate to the Linked Products tab.
• In the Grouped products field, search for and add the products you want to include in the group.

4. Set the Product’s Appearance:

• Prices: Note that the grouped product itself *doesn’t have a price*. The price is derived from the prices of the individual products within the group.
• Selling individually: You can choose if individual products can be bought only within the group or outside too

5. Publish the Grouped Product:

• Click Publish.

Now, when a customer views the grouped product, they’ll see a list of all the individual products in the group, along with their individual prices. They can then add the desired quantity of each product to their cart.

// Example of displaying linked products (custom implementation)
function custom_display_linked_products( $product_id ) {
$upsells = wc_get_product( $product_id )->get_upsell_ids();

if ( !empty( $upsells ) ) {

echo ‘

You might also like…

‘;

echo ‘

‘;

foreach ( $upsells as $upsell_id ) {

$upsell_product = wc_get_product( $upsell_id );

if ( $upsell_product ) {

echo ‘

• get_permalink() . ‘”>’ . $upsell_product->get_name() . ‘

‘;

}

}

echo ‘

‘;

}

}

// Call the function to display in your theme’s product page template

// custom_display_linked_products( get_the_ID() );

Note: The standard WooCommerce templates will handle the display of upsells and cross-sells automatically based on your linked products. The code example above is for more advanced customization if you want to display them in a different way. You typically would *not* need this unless you have a custom theme or specific design requirements.

Tips for Success

• Choose Relevant Products: Don’t just link random items. Make sure the linked products make sense in the context of the product being viewed. A good rule of thumb is to think about what accessories or upgrades a customer buying that product might also need or want.
• Use High-Quality Images: Visually appealing images are crucial for enticing customers to click on linked products.
• Write Compelling Descriptions: Briefly explain why the linked products are a good addition to the customer’s purchase.
• Monitor and Adjust: Keep an eye on your sales data to see which linked products are performing well and which aren’t. Adjust your selections accordingly.
• Don’t Overdo It: Too many upsells or cross-sells can be overwhelming. Focus on quality over quantity.
• Consider Bundling for Savings: Grouped products can be made more appealing by offering a discount compared to buying the individual items separately.

By strategically linking your products in WooCommerce, you can create a more engaging shopping experience, boost your sales, and ultimately, grow your business. So, get linking! Good luck!