Woocommerce How To Highlight New Items

WooCommerce: Showcasing Your Shiny New Products! (A Newbie-Friendly Guide)

So, you’ve just added some fantastic new products to your WooCommerce store! That’s awesome! But how do you make sure your customers *notice* them? Simply adding them to your catalog might not be enough. You need to highlight them, make them POP, and get those sales rolling. Think of it like this: you wouldn’t hide a brand-new car in the back of a parking lot, would you? You’d put it right at the entrance with a big “NEW!” sign!

This article will walk you through several easy-to-implement strategies to highlight your new WooCommerce products, even if you’re a complete beginner.

Why Highlight New Products?

Before we dive into the “how,” let’s quickly cover the “why.” Highlighting new products is crucial for:

• Increasing visibility: New products can easily get lost in a sea of existing items. Highlighting them ensures they get noticed.
• Driving traffic: When customers see “NEW,” it piques their curiosity and encourages them to browse.
• Boosting sales: People are often eager to try new things. Highlighting new products capitalizes on this desire.
• Creating excitement: Regularly introducing and promoting new products keeps your store fresh and exciting. Imagine a clothing store that *never* gets new stock – pretty boring, right?

Method 1: The “New” Badge with WooCommerce Hooks (Simple Code)

This method involves adding a simple “New!” badge to your product thumbnails. We’ll use WooCommerce hooks, which are like pre-defined connection points in the code that allow us to add our own functionality without directly editing core WooCommerce files (that’s a big NO-NO!). This approach is relatively easy and doesn’t require any plugins.

Here’s the code snippet you’ll add to your theme’s `functions.php` file (or, even better, to a custom plugin for easier maintenance):

 /** 
Add a "New" badge to products added within the last X days.
 */ add_action( 'woocommerce_before_shop_loop_item_title', 'add_new_badge_woocommerce' ); 

function add_new_badge_woocommerce() {

global $product;

$newness_days = 30; // Number of days the product is considered “new”

$created = strtotime( $product->get_date_created() );

$today = time();

if ( ( $today – $created ) < ( 60 * 60 * 24 * $newness_days ) ) {

echo ‘New!‘;

}

}

/

* Add some basic CSS to style the badge.

*/

add_action( ‘wp_head’, ‘add_new_badge_css’ );

function add_new_badge_css() {

echo ‘

.new-badge {

background-color: red;

color: white;

padding: 5px 10px;

position: absolute;

top: 10px;

left: 10px;

z-index: 99; /* Ensure it’s on top */

}

‘;

}

Explanation:

1. `add_action( ‘woocommerce_before_shop_loop_item_title’, ‘add_new_badge_woocommerce’ );`: This line tells WooCommerce to run our `add_new_badge_woocommerce` function *before* the product title is displayed in the shop loop (e.g., your shop page, category pages).

2. `function add_new_badge_woocommerce() { … }`: This is our function that actually adds the “New!” badge.

• `$newness_days = 30;`: This sets how many days a product is considered “new” (30 days in this case). Change this number as needed! Maybe 7 days is enough for fast-moving products.
• The code then gets the product’s creation date and compares it to the current date.
• If the product is newer than `$newness_days`, it displays the `` with Discover insights on How To Display My Store Woocommerce the “New!” text.

3. `add_action( ‘wp_head’, ‘add_new_badge_css’ );`: This line tells WordPress to run our `add_new_badge_css` function in the “ section of the page.

4. `function add_new_badge_css() { … }`: This function adds some simple CSS to style the “New!” badge. You can customize the colors, fonts, and position to match your store’s design.

How to Implement:

1. Backup your site! Before making *any* code changes, back up your website. This is crucial in case something goes wrong.

2. Access `functions.php`: Go to your WordPress dashboard, then `Appearance > Theme File Editor` (or `Theme Editor` depending on your theme). In the right sidebar, look for `functions.php`.

3. Add the code: Paste the code snippet at the *end* of the `functions.php` file.

4. Save changes: Click the “Update File” button.

5. Test: Visit your shop page to see if the “New!” badges appear on recently added products.

6. Customize: Adjust the `$newness_days` variable and the CSS to suit your needs.

Important: Modifying `functions.php` directly can be risky. A safer and recommended approach is to create a custom plugin or use a code snippets plugin. This keeps your customizations separate from your theme and makes updates easier.

Method 2: Creating a “New Arrivals” Category

This is a simpler method for less code-savvy users.

1. Create a new category: In your WordPress dashboard, go to `Products > Categories`. Create a new category called “New Arrivals” (or something similar).

2. Assign new products: When adding a new product, simply assign it to the “New Arrivals” category *in addition* to its regular category.

3. Create a menu item: Go to `Appearance > Menus`. Add the “New Arrivals” category to your navigation menu. This gives customers a direct link to all your new products.

4. Optional: Remove from category after a while: As the products age, remember to remove them from the “New Arrivals” category. This keeps the category fresh and relevant.

Advantages:

• Very easy to implement.
• No coding required.
• Allows customers to easily browse all new items.

Disadvantages:

• Requires manual management (removing products from the category).
• Doesn’t automatically highlight new products on regular category pages.

Method 3: Using WooCommerce Plugins

Several plugins can help you highlight new products, often with more advanced features and customization options. Here are a few examples (always do your research and read reviews before installing a plugin!):

• WooCommerce Product Badge Manager: Allows you to create custom badges (like “New,” “Sale,” “Hot”) and apply them to products based on various criteria.
• YITH WooCommerce Badge Management: Similar to the above, but from YITH, a reputable WooCommerce plugin developer.
• WooCommerce New Products: This plugin is specifically designed to highlight new products, often with options to define the “newness” period and display a “New” ribbon.

Advantages:

• More advanced features and customization options.
• Can automate the process of highlighting new products.

Disadvantages:

• Can be more expensive (premium plugins).
• Plugin compatibility issues (always test!).
• Can add extra bloat to your site if not carefully chosen.

Method 4: Homepage Product Carousels or Sliders

Consider creating a dedicated section on your homepage to showcase new arrivals. A product carousel or slider works great for this. Many themes offer built-in functionality for this, or you can use a plugin like:

• Slider Revolution: A powerful and versatile slider plugin (not just for products).
• WooCommerce Product Carousel Slider: Specifically designed for WooCommerce product carousels.

Key Considerations:

• Visual Appeal: Use high-quality product images.
• Mobile Responsiveness: Ensure the carousel looks good on all devices.
• Speed: Don’t overcrowd the carousel; keep it loading quickly.