How to Highlight Your Best Sellers: Setting Featured Products in WooCommerce
So, you’ve got a killer WooCommerce store packed with awesome products. But how do you make sure your best sellers and newest arrivals get the attention they deserve? That’s where featured products come in! They’re like the star attractions in your online shop, designed to grab attention and drive sales. This guide will show you exactly how to set featured products in WooCommerce, even if you’re a complete beginner.
Think of it like this: Imagine you walk into a real-life store. The things they want you to buy *immediately* are usually right at the front, displayed nicely. Featured products in your WooCommerce store serve the same purpose – guiding customers toward items you want to promote.
Why Use Featured Products?
Featured products are crucial for a well-optimized WooCommerce store. Here’s why:
- Increased Visibility: They appear in prominent locations like your homepage, drawing immediate attention.
- Boosted Sales: Highlighting specific products can significantly increase their sales.
- Promotion of New Arrivals: Showcase your latest additions and get them moving quickly.
- Highlight Special Offers: Feature products that are on sale or part of a promotion.
- Improved User Experience: Guide customers to relevant products, simplifying their shopping experience. For instance, if you sell hiking gear and it’s winter, you might feature warm winter coats, snow boots, and thermal layers.
- Check the “Featured” box. This marks the product as a featured item.
- Click the “Update” button.
- Scroll down to the “Product data” meta box (usually located below the main product description).
- In the “Publish” meta box (typically on the right side of the screen), you’ll find the “Catalog visibility” option. Click “Edit” next to this. (Note: The location of this option may vary slightly depending on your WooCommerce theme).
- In some themes, the “Featured” setting will directly appear within the “Product data” meta box instead of through the “Catalog visibility” option.
- Once you find the “Featured” option (whether directly in “Product data” or through “Catalog visibility”), check the “This is a featured product” box.
- Click the “Update” button (typically on the right side of the screen).
- Theme Options: Many themes have a section in their customizer or theme settings dedicated to displaying featured products. Look for options like “Homepage Featured Products,” “Featured Product Slider,” or similar terms.
- WooCommerce Shortcodes: WooCommerce provides several shortcodes you can use to display products. The `[featured_products]` shortcode is specifically designed for showing featured products. You can add this shortcode to any page or post where you want to display them.
How to Set Featured Products in WooCommerce: The Step-by-Step Guide
Here’s a simple, step-by-step guide to make your products shine:
1. Accessing the WooCommerce Products Section:
First, log into your WordPress dashboard. On the left-hand menu, find Products and click it. This will take you to a list of all your products.
2. Choosing a Product to Feature:
Browse through your product list and identify the product you want to feature. Hover your mouse over the product’s name. You’ll see several options appear, including “Quick Edit”.
3. Using Quick Edit (The Easiest Method):
Click on Quick Edit. This opens a streamlined editor right on the product list page. Look for the “Featured” checkbox.
That’s it! You’ve successfully set the product as featured.
4. Using the Full Product Edit Page:
Alternatively, you can click on the product’s name or the “Edit” option to access the full product edit page.
This method provides more control over other product details while marking it as featured.
5. Verify Your Featured Product Status:
Go back to your product list (Products in the WordPress dashboard). You should see a star icon next to the product you just marked as featured. This confirms that the product is now correctly flagged.
Displaying Featured Products on Your Storefront
Setting the featured product flag is only half the battle. Now, you need to display them on your site. How you do this depends on your chosen WooCommerce theme. Most themes offer built-in options for displaying featured products on the homepage or in dedicated sections. Here are a few common methods:
For example, you might add this to your homepage:
[featured_products columns="4" limit="4"]
This code displays 4 featured products in 4 columns. You can adjust the `columns` and `limit` attributes to control the layout and number of products displayed.
- WooCommerce Blocks (Gutenberg): If you’re using the Gutenberg editor, look for the “Featured Product” block or the “Products” block and filter it to only show featured items.
- WooCommerce Widgets: Check your theme for WooCommerce-specific widgets, such as a “Featured Products” widget. You can drag and drop these widgets into your sidebar or other widget areas.
Example:
Let’s say you’re selling handmade candles. You recently launched a new scent called “Lavender Serenity”. To promote it, you mark it as a featured product and then add the `[featured_products columns=”3″ limit=”1″]` shortcode to your homepage. This will prominently display the “Lavender Serenity” candle right when visitors arrive, increasing the chances of them adding it to their cart.
Tips for Choosing Featured Products
- Highlight Best Sellers: Promote your most popular products to maximize sales.
- Showcase New Arrivals: Generate buzz around your latest additions.
- Promote Seasonal Items: Feature products relevant to the current season or holidays.
- Clearance Items: Use featured products to clear out old stock by highlighting discounted items.
- Consider Your Target Audience: Think about what your customers are looking for and feature products that meet their needs.
Conclusion
Setting featured products in WooCommerce is a simple yet powerful way to drive sales and improve the user experience on your online store. By strategically choosing which products to feature and displaying them prominently, you can guide customers toward your most important items and ultimately boost your revenue. Experiment with different display methods and monitor your sales to see what works best for your store! Happy selling!
