How to Showcase WooCommerce Products on Your Home Page (Even if You’re a Beginner!)
So, you’ve set up your WooCommerce store, you’ve got fantastic products to sell, and now you want to put them *right where everyone will see them* – your home page! Great idea! Making your products visible front and center significantly increases your chances of making a sale. Think of it like the window display of a brick-and-mortar shop; you want to entice people inside.
This guide will walk you through several easy ways to display your WooCommerce products on your home page. We’ll break it down step-by-step, so even if you’re brand new to WordPress and WooCommerce, you’ll be able to follow along and create a stunning home page that converts visitors into customers.
Why Show Products on Your Home Page?
Before we dive in, let’s quickly recap why showcasing your products on the home page is a smart move:
- Increased Visibility: Your home page is usually the first page visitors see. Putting products there guarantees they’ll get a glimpse of what you’re selling.
- Improved Conversion Rates: Direct access to products means fewer clicks to purchase. Less friction = more sales! Think of it like this: imagine walking into a store and immediately seeing a display of “best sellers” – you’re more likely to be tempted to grab something!
- Enhanced User Experience: Makes it easier for customers to find what they’re looking for quickly. A streamlined experience leads to happier customers.
- Highlights Special Offers: You can easily showcase sales, promotions, and new arrivals to attract attention.
- `[products limit=”8″ columns=”4″]`: Displays 8 products in 4 columns. *Limit* controls how many products are displayed. *Columns* controls how many products across.
- `[recent_products limit=”4″ columns=”2″]`: Displays the 4 most recent products in 2 columns. Great for new arrivals!
- `[sale_products limit=”4″ columns=”4″]`: Displays 4 products currently on sale in 4 columns. Attract attention with discounted items!
- `[best_selling_products limit=”4″ columns=”4″]`: Displays the 4 best-selling products in 4 columns. Showcase your popular items!
- `[product_category category=”clothing” limit=”4″ columns=”4″]`: Displays 4 products from the “clothing” category in 4 columns. Replace “clothing” with the name of your actual product category!
- `[products ids=”22, 26, 30″]`: Displays products with the IDs 22, 26, and 30. (You’ll need to find the product IDs in your WooCommerce product list). Very targeted!
- Products: A general widget for displaying products based on various criteria (recent, featured, category, etc.).
- Product Grid: Displays products in a grid layout.
- Product Carousel: Displays products in a rotating carousel.
Methods to Display WooCommerce Products on Your Home Page
There are several ways to get your products onto your home page, each with varying levels of complexity. We’ll start with the simplest methods and then explore a more advanced (but still beginner-friendly!) option.
#### 1. Using the WooCommerce Shortcodes
WooCommerce comes with a set of shortcodes – simple codes you can add to any page or post to display specific product information. They are your easiest option!
How to Use Shortcodes:
1. Edit your Home Page: Go to your WordPress dashboard, navigate to “Pages,” and select the home page you want to edit.
2. Add a Block (Gutenberg Editor): If you’re using the Gutenberg editor (the default WordPress editor), click the “+” button to add a new block.
3. Choose the “Shortcode” Block: Search for “Shortcode” and select the shortcode block.
4. Enter the WooCommerce Shortcode: Now, this is where the magic happens. You’ll enter one of the WooCommerce shortcodes. Here are a few popular ones:
5. Update and View: Click the “Update” button to save your changes and then view your home page to see the products displayed!
Example Scenario:
Let’s say you want to showcase your best-selling products on your home page. You would use the shortcode `[best_selling_products limit=”4″ columns=”2″]`. This will display 4 of your best-selling products in a layout with 2 products per row.
Reasoning: Shortcodes are the simplest, quickest way to get products onto your home page. They require no coding knowledge. The limitation is you don’t have total design control.
#### 2. Using Your Theme’s WooCommerce Integration (if available)
Many modern WordPress themes designed for e-commerce have built-in WooCommerce integration, which may include pre-designed sections for displaying products on the home page.
How to Check for Theme Integration:
1. Customize Your Theme: Go to your WordPress dashboard, navigate to “Appearance” and click “Customize.”
2. Look for WooCommerce Options: Check if there are options specifically related to WooCommerce, such as “Homepage Settings” or “Product Display.”
3. Explore Available Sections: Your theme might offer sections that you can enable or disable to display products.
Example Scenario:
Your theme might have a “Featured Products” section on the home page customizer. You can simply enable this section and then select the category of products you want to feature.
Reasoning: Theme-specific integrations often provide a more visually appealing and seamless integration with your website’s design. They are generally easier to configure than custom coding. However, customization options are usually limited to what the theme provides.
#### 3. Using a Page Builder Plugin (Elementor, Beaver Builder, etc.)
Page builders like Elementor or Beaver Builder offer more visual and flexible ways to design your home page, including displaying WooCommerce products. Most page builders have dedicated WooCommerce widgets.
How to Use a Page Builder Plugin:
1. Install and Activate: Install and activate your chosen page builder plugin (e.g., Elementor).
2. Edit with Page Builder: Edit your home page and choose the option to “Edit with Elementor” (or the equivalent for your page builder).
3. Find WooCommerce Widgets: Search for WooCommerce widgets in the page builder’s element library. Common widgets include:
4. Drag and Drop & Configure: Drag the desired widget onto your home page and configure its settings. You can usually set the number of products to display, the number of columns, the sorting order, and the categories to include.
Example Scenario:
Using Elementor, you can drag the “Products” widget onto your home page and then set the query to “Best Selling” and the number of columns to “3.” This will create a visually appealing section showcasing your best-selling products in a three-column layout.
Reasoning: Page builders offer much more control over the layout and design of your product displays. They are visual, drag-and-drop interfaces, making it easy to create custom home pages without coding.
#### 4. Custom Code (For More Advanced Users – but still beginner *friendly*!)
If you want *absolute* control over how your products are displayed, you can use custom code. Warning: Back up your website before editing any code. Small mistakes can break your site.
How to Use Custom Code:
1. Child Theme (Important!): Create a child theme. Never edit the core theme files directly! If you modify the core theme and it gets updated, your changes will be lost. A child theme inherits the styling and functionality of the parent theme but allows you to make changes without affecting the original files.
2. Edit `functions.php` (Child Theme): Open the `functions.php` file of your child theme.
3. Add the Code: Add the following code snippet to your `functions.php` file:
function display_featured_products() {
// Define the arguments for the WooCommerce product query
$args = array(
'post_type' => 'product',
'posts_per_page' => 4, // Number of products to display
'tax_query' => array(
array(
'taxonomy' => 'product_visibility',
'field' => 'term_id',
'terms' => 'featured', // Display only featured products
),
),
);
// Perform the query
$loop = new WP_Query( $args );
// Check if there are any products
if ( $loop->have_posts() ) {
echo ‘
while ( $loop->have_posts() ) : $loop->the_post();
global $product;
?>
<a href="”>
get_price_html(); ?>
<?php
endwhile;
echo ‘
‘; // Closing wrapper
wp_reset_postdata();
} else {
echo ‘
No featured products found.
‘;
}
}
// Add the function to the home page (replace ‘homepage’ with your actual home page ID/slug)
function add_featured_products_to_homepage() {
if ( is_front_page() ) { // Check if it’s the home page
display_featured_products();
}
}
add_action( ‘wp_head’, ‘add_featured_products_to_homepage’ );
4. Customize the Code:
- `posts_per_page`: Change the value to the number of products you want to display.
- `taxonomy` and `terms`: Adjust these to filter products based on category, tag, or other attributes. For example, instead of `’terms’ => ‘featured’`, you could have `’terms’ => ‘clothing’` to display products from the “clothing” category. You would also need to remove the entire tax_query array to show all product types.
- CSS Styling: You’ll likely need to add CSS to your child theme’s `style.css` file to style the `.featured-products` and `.product` classes to match your website’s design.
5. Set Products as “Featured”: Go to your WooCommerce product list and mark the products you want to display as “Featured.” You’ll see a star icon in the product list that you can toggle. If you modified the taxonomy or terms, you should change the featured products to be within that term to correctly show the products.
Example Scenario:
The above code will display 4 featured products on your home page. You’ll need to add CSS to make it look visually appealing.
Reasoning: Custom code gives you the ultimate flexibility. You can precisely control the layout, styling, and filtering of your products. However, it requires some coding knowledge.
Important Tips for Success
- Mobile Responsiveness: Make sure your product displays look good on all devices (desktop, tablet, mobile). Most themes and page builders are responsive by default, but double-check.
- High-Quality Images: Use clear, attractive product images. Blurry or poorly lit images will deter customers.
- Call to Action: Include clear calls to action (e.g., “Shop Now,” “View Details”) to encourage clicks.
- Page Speed: Don’t overload your home page with too many products. Too many images and scripts can slow down your page load time, which can negatively impact your SEO and user experience. Optimize your images for the web.
- Test and Iterate: Experiment with different layouts, product selections, and calls to action to see what works best for your audience. Use analytics to track your results.
Conclusion
Displaying WooCommerce products on your home page is a crucial step in creating a successful online store. Whether you choose to use WooCommerce shortcodes, your theme’s built-in integration, a page builder plugin, or custom code, the key is to create a visually appealing and user-friendly experience that encourages visitors to explore your products and make a purchase. Good luck!
