Unleash the Power of Visual Composer on Your WooCommerce Pages
WooCommerce is fantastic for selling online, but sometimes the default page layouts feel…well, basic. That’s where Visual Composer (now known as WPBakery Page Builder) comes in! It allows you to drag-and-drop your way to stunning, conversion-focused product pages, category pages, and more. This guide is designed for beginners, showing you exactly how to use Visual Composer (we’ll keep calling it that for familiarity!) on your WooCommerce pages to create an online store that truly stands out.
Why Use Visual Composer with WooCommerce?
Think of your WooCommerce store like a real-life shop. Would you just pile everything on shelves haphazardly? No! You’d carefully arrange items, create attractive displays, and highlight key products to encourage browsing and sales. Visual Composer lets you do the same thing online.
Here’s why it’s a game-changer:
- No Coding Required: Forget complex CSS or PHP edits. Drag and drop elements to build your pages. This saves you time and money by avoiding the need for a developer for every minor change.
- Customizable Layouts: Break free from the standard WooCommerce templates. Create unique product descriptions, highlight customer reviews, and add eye-catching calls to action. Imagine you’re selling handmade soaps. Instead of just a basic description, you could add a gallery showcasing the ingredients, customer testimonials about the scents, and a video demonstrating the lather.
- Enhanced User Experience: Improve engagement and conversions by crafting a user-friendly and visually appealing shopping experience. A well-organized page keeps customers on your site longer and makes it easier for them to find what they’re looking for, leading to more sales. Think about how Amazon highlights related products – Visual Composer lets you do the same!
- Responsive Design: Visual Composer ensures your pages look great on all devices – desktops, tablets, and smartphones. Mobile users are a huge part of online shopping, so this is crucial.
- `page`
- `product`
- `product_cat` (product categories)
- `product_tag` (product tags)
- Add Element: Click the “+” button to add elements to your page.
- Templates: Click the “Template” icon to load a pre-designed template (a great way to get started).
- Text Blocks: Add formatted text.
- Images: Insert images.
- Buttons: Create clickable buttons for calls to action (e.g., “Add to Cart”).
- Headings: Add titles and subtitles.
- Separators: Create Learn more about How To Apply Discount Code In Woocommerce visual breaks.
- WooCommerce Elements: These are special elements designed for WooCommerce, such as:
- Product Title: Displays the product’s name.
- Product Price: Shows the price.
- Product Image: Displays the featured image.
- Product Short Description: Shows a brief description.
- Add to Cart Button: Allows customers to add the product to their cart.
- Product Meta: Displays categories, tags, and SKU.
- Related Products: Shows related products.
- Product Data Tabs: These show Description, Additional Information, and Reviews
- Add a large image of the coffee beans at the top.
- Use a text block to describe the flavor profile and origin.
- Insert the “Product Price” element to display the price.
- Add an “Add to Cart Button” to encourage immediate purchase.
- Include “Related Products” to cross-sell other blends.
- Edit: Opens the element’s settings panel.
- Clone: Duplicates the element.
- Delete: Removes the element.
- Category Description: Displays the category description (make sure to fill this out in the category settings!).
- Images: Add a banner image or images of popular products in the category.
- Call to Action: Add a button that leads to a specific product or collection.
- Add a banner image showcasing your best-selling t-shirts.
- Display the category description, highlighting Read more about How To Export And Import Woocommerce Orders the unique styles you offer.
- Include a call to action button that links to a new arrivals collection.
- Keep it Simple: Don’t overcrowd your pages with too many elements. Focus on creating a clean and user-friendly design. Less is often more.
- Use High-Quality Images: Professional-looking images are essential for showcasing your products.
- Optimize for Mobile: Always preview your pages on different devices to ensure they look great on mobile phones and tablets.
- Test and Iterate: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different layouts and elements. Monitor your website analytics to see what works best Learn more about How To Use Authorize.Net With Woocommerce for your customers.
- Leverage WooCommerce Shortcodes (if needed): While Visual Composer offers many elements, sometimes you might need a specific WooCommerce feature not directly available. In these cases, use WooCommerce shortcodes within a Visual Composer text block. For example, to display a specific product (with ID 123), you can use the following shortcode:
Enabling Visual Composer on WooCommerce Pages
First, ensure you have Visual Composer (WPBakery Page Builder) installed and activated on your WordPress site. Then follow those steps:
1. Enable the Post Types: Go to *Visual Composer > Role Manager* in your WordPress admin dashboard.
2. Choose Post Types: In the “Post Types” section, select “Custom” from the dropdown menu.
3. Check WooCommerce Post Types: Make sure the following WooCommerce post types are checked:
This tells Visual Composer that you want to use it on these specific WooCommerce page types.
4. Save Changes: Scroll down and click “Save Changes.”
Why do this? By default, Visual Composer might not be enabled for WooCommerce product pages or category archives. These steps ensure it is.
Using Visual Composer on a WooCommerce Product Page
Now for the fun part – building!
1. Edit a Product: Go to *Products > All Products* and click “Edit” on the product you want to customize.
2. Switch to Visual Composer: You should now see a “Backend Editor” button above the regular WordPress editor. Click it to switch to the Visual Composer interface.
3. Start Building: You’ll now see the Visual Composer canvas. You have two main ways to start:
4. Adding Elements: When you click “+”, you’ll see a popup with all the available elements. Visual Composer comes with a wide range of elements, including:
Example: Let’s say you want to create a product page for a new coffee blend. You could:
5. Drag and Drop: Once you’ve added an element, you can drag and drop it to reposition it on the page.
6. Editing Elements: Hover over an element, and you’ll see a set of icons:
The edit panel allows you to customize the element’s appearance, content, and behavior. For example, you could change the button’s color, text, and link.
7. Save and Preview: Click “Update” to save your changes. Then click “Preview Changes” to see how your product page looks on the front end.
Using Visual Composer on WooCommerce Category Pages
Customizing category pages is just as important! It helps customers quickly find the products they’re interested in.
1. Edit a Category: Go to *Products > Categories* and click “Edit” on the category you want to customize.
2. Switch to Visual Composer: Similar to product pages, you’ll see the “Backend Editor” button. Click it.
3. Add Elements: Here, you can add elements to create a more visually appealing category page. Some useful elements for category pages include:
Example: Let’s say you have a “T-Shirts” category. You could:
Tips for Success
Check out this post: How To Customize Woocommerce Side Cart Plugin
[product id="123"]
You can find a full list of WooCommerce shortcodes in the official WooCommerce documentation.
By following these steps, you can use Visual Composer to create visually stunning and high-converting WooCommerce pages that will help you boost sales and grow your online business. Happy building!
