How to Showcase Product Subcategories on a WooCommerce Page: A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction

WooCommerce is a powerful e-commerce platform, but sometimes the default shop page just doesn’t cut it. You might want to create a custom landing page that highlights specific product subcategories to improve navigation, increase conversion rates, and provide a more visually appealing experience for your customers. This article will guide you through various methods to display product subcategories on a WooCommerce page, ensuring your users can easily find what they’re looking for. We’ll explore code-based solutions, plugin options, and even shortcode approaches, allowing you to choose the method that best suits your technical skill and specific needs. Let’s dive in and transform your WooCommerce store!

Understanding Your Options: Methods for Displaying Subcategories

There are several ways to achieve this, each with its own set of pros and cons. We’ll cover three primary methods:

* Coding Solutions (PHP): This gives you the most control but requires some familiarity with PHP and WooCommerce’s template structure.

* Plugins: Plugins offer a simpler, often code-free, approach but can sometimes add unnecessary bloat to your website.

* Shortcodes (Often Plugin-Related): Provide a quick and easy way to insert subcategories into a page without directly modifying theme files.

Coding Solution: Using PHP in Your WooCommerce Template

This method involves modifying your theme’s template files (child theme recommended!). It gives you maximum flexibility but demands PHP knowledge.

1. Create a Custom Page Template:

First, create a new PHP file in your theme’s folder (ideally a child theme for update safety). For example, `woocommerce-subcategory-page.php`. Add the following code to the beginning of the file:

<?php
/**
Template Name: WooCommerce Subcategory Page
*/
get_header();
?>

2. Fetch and Display Subcategories:

Within the `woocommerce-subcategory-page.php` file, add the following PHP code to retrieve and display your product subcategories. Adjust the code based on your desired layout and styling:

Our Product Categories

<?php
$taxonomy     = 'product_cat';
$orderby      = 'name';
$show_count   = 0;      // 1 for yes, 0 for no
$pad_counts   = 0;      // 1 for yes, 0 for no
$hierarchical = 1;      // 1 for yes, 0 for no
$title          = '';
$empty        = 0;

$args = array(

‘taxonomy’ => $taxonomy,

‘orderby’ => $orderby,

‘show_count’ => $show_count,

‘pad_counts’ => $pad_counts,

‘hierarchical’ => $hierarchical,

‘title_li’ => $title,

‘hide_empty’ => $empty,

‘parent’ => 0 // Only show top-level categories

);

$all_categories = get_categories( $args );

foreach ($all_categories as $cat) {

if($cat->category_parent == 0) {

$category_id = $cat->term_id;

?>

<?php

}

}

?>