How To Save An Order On Woocommerce

How to Save an Order on WooCommerce: A Comprehensive Guide

WooCommerce, the leading e-commerce platform for WordPress, is powerful but doesn’t always make order management intuitive. One common task that can be surprisingly tricky is saving an incomplete order. Whether a customer abandons their cart, or you need to create a draft order for a client, this article will guide you through the various ways to save an order on WooCommerce, why it’s important, and the potential drawbacks of each method.

Why Save an Order on WooCommerce?

Saving an order that’s not yet been finalized can be useful for several reasons:

• Abandoned Cart Recovery: Many customers add items to their cart but don’t complete the checkout process. Saving these abandoned carts allows you to follow up with them, potentially recovering lost sales.
• Draft Orders for Clients: If you’re building an e-commerce site for a client, you might need to create draft orders to demonstrate the order process or pre-populate orders for specific needs.
• Manual Order Creation: Sometimes, customers place orders over the phone or in person. You can manually create these orders in WooCommerce. Saving them as drafts allows you to gather payment information later or manage the order offline.
• Tracking Potential Sales: By saving incomplete orders, you can gain insights into which products are frequently added to carts but not purchased. This can help you identify potential issues with your pricing, shipping options, or checkout process.

Methods for Saving WooCommerce Orders

There are several methods for saving WooCommerce orders, each with its own strengths and weaknesses:

1. Default WooCommerce: Abandoned Cart Recovery (Limited)

WooCommerce, out-of-the-box, has limited support for Check out this post: How To Add Captcha In Woocommerce Registration Form abandoned cart recovery. It will save cart data for a defined period, allowing customers to return and continue where they left off.

How it Works:

• WooCommerce stores cart information (product IDs, quantities) in the customer’s browser cookies or the server session.
• If the customer returns to the site within the specified timeframe (default is 60 minutes), the cart is restored.

Limitations:

• No Order is Saved: This method doesn’t create an actual order in the WooCommerce backend. It only restores the cart.
• No Tracking: You can’t track abandoned carts or follow up with customers directly.
• No Customization: Limited options to customize the recovery process.

2. Using the “Create Order” Feature in WooCommerce

This is the method for manually creating orders, which can then be saved in different states.

How it Works:

1. Go to WooCommerce > Orders in your WordPress dashboard.

2. Click Add Order.

3. Enter the customer’s details (or create a new customer).

4. Add products to the order by searching for them.

5. Set the shipping method and address.

6. Manually calculate taxes and shipping costs (if needed).

7. Important: Before clicking “Create,” select an order status. To save it as a draft:

• Set the order status to Pending Payment. This status signifies that the order is not yet complete. You can manually change it later when payment is received.

Advantages:

• Manual Order Creation: Ideal for orders placed offline.
• Control over Order Details: You have full control over all aspects of the order.
• Basic Draft Functionality: The “Pending Payment” status acts as a basic draft feature.

Disadvantages:

• Manual Process: Can be time-consuming.
• No Automated Reminders: You need to manually follow up with customers.

3. Using WooCommerce Abandoned Cart Recovery Plugins

The best way to truly manage and track incomplete orders is to use a dedicated abandoned cart recovery plugin. There are many plugins available (both free and paid) that offer more robust features. Here’s an example of how they typically work:

• Automated Cart Tracking: The plugin automatically tracks carts that have been abandoned.
• Email Reminders: The plugin sends automated email reminders to customers, encouraging them to complete their purchase. These emails often include a link directly to the abandoned cart.
• Detailed Analytics: The plugin provides reports on abandoned cart rates, recovered sales, and other key metrics.
• Customization Options: You can customize the email templates, reminder schedules, and other settings.

Popular Plugins:

• WooCommerce Abandoned Cart: A free plugin offering basic abandoned cart recovery features.
• YITH WooCommerce Abandoned Cart: A popular paid plugin with advanced features like multiple email templates Read more about How To Connect Zapier With Woocommerce and coupon integration.
• Recapture: A dedicated service for recovering abandoned carts and browsing sessions.

Example Implementation (General Plugin Logic):

 // Example code (conceptual) - This is not functional code. It illustrates the logic. 

// When a user adds a product to the cart:

add_action( ‘woocommerce_add_to_cart’, ‘track_abandoned_cart’ );

function track_abandoned_cart() {

// Store cart data in a database table (customer ID, cart items, timestamp)

$cart_data = WC()->cart->get_cart();

$customer_id = get_current_user_id();

save_cart_data_to_database( $customer_id, $cart_data );

}

// Scheduled task to check for abandoned carts (e.g., after 1 hour):

function check_for_abandoned_carts() {

// Query the database for carts that haven’t been updated for a certain Read more about How To Modify Woocommerce Shop Page period

$abandoned_carts = get_abandoned_carts_from_database();

foreach ($abandoned_carts as $cart) {

// Send an email reminder to the customer.

send_abandoned_cart_reminder_email( $cart[‘customer_id’], $cart[‘cart_data’] );

}

}

// (Placeholder functions – implement these based on your plugin)

function save_cart_data_to_database( $customer_id, $cart_data ) {}

function get_abandoned_carts_from_database() {}

function send_abandoned_cart_reminder_email( $customer_id, $cart_data ) {}

Advantages:

• Automated Recovery: Significantly reduces manual effort.
• Increased Sales: Helps recover a substantial portion of abandoned carts.
• Detailed Analytics: Provides valuable insights into customer behavior.

Disadvantages:

• Plugin Costs: Many plugins require a paid subscription.
• Plugin Compatibility: Ensure the plugin is compatible with your other WooCommerce plugins and theme.

4. Custom Code Solutions

For developers, the most flexible option is to create a custom code solution to save WooCommerce orders. This gives you complete control over the process but requires programming knowledge.

General Approach:

1. Hook into WooCommerce Events: Use WooCommerce hooks (e.g., `woocommerce_checkout_process`) to detect when a customer abandons their cart or starts the checkout process.

2. Save Cart Data: Store the cart data (product IDs, quantities, customer information) in a custom database table or as custom user meta.

3. Retrieve Cart Data: When the customer returns to the site, retrieve the cart data and restore their cart.

4. Create Order: Optionally, create a WooCommerce order with the status “Pending Payment” when a cart is saved.

Advantages:

• Complete Customization: Tailor the solution to your specific needs.
• No Plugin Dependencies: Avoid relying on third-party plugins.

Disadvantages:

• Requires Programming Knowledge: Not suitable for non-developers.
• Development and Maintenance Costs: Requires significant time and effort to develop and maintain.
• Complexity: Can be complex to implement correctly, especially with advanced features.

Conclusion

Saving orders on WooCommerce can significantly improve your sales and customer experience. While the platform’s built-in functionality offers some basic features, using a dedicated abandoned cart recovery plugin is often the most effective approach. Remember to carefully consider the pros and cons of each method before implementing it. A well-configured abandoned cart recovery system, or a solid manual draft order process, can turn potential losses into valuable sales opportunities.