Woocommerce How To Show List Of Everything On Sale

WooCommerce: Super Easy Ways to Showcase Your Sale Items! (Even If You’re a Newbie)

So, you’re running a sale on your WooCommerce store! That’s awesome! Now, how do you make sure your customers *actually see* all those tempting discounted items? It’s not enough to just lower the prices; you need to showcase your sale items effectively. This guide will walk you through several straightforward methods, perfect for WooCommerce beginners, to display a list of *everything* on sale. We’ll keep it simple, with real-life examples and explanations so you understand *why* each method works.

Why Showcasing Sale Items is Crucial

Imagine walking into a department store that’s having a massive sale, but there’s no signage, no special displays, nothing to indicate what’s discounted. You’d probably miss most of the deals, right?

It’s the same with your online store. Here’s why highlighting sale items is so important:

• Increased Visibility: A dedicated sales page makes it easy for customers to find bargains.
• Boosted Sales: Seeing discounted prices motivates purchases. It’s a proven psychological trigger!
• Improved User Experience: Customers appreciate a clear path to find what they want, especially when it’s a good deal.
• Reduced Bounce Rate: If visitors can quickly find something they want to buy, they’re less likely to leave your site immediately.
• Better SEO (Potentially): A well-optimized sales page can attract search engine traffic.

Method 1: Using the Built-in WooCommerce “On Sale” Shortcode

WooCommerce comes with a built-in shortcode that makes displaying sale items incredibly easy. A shortcode is essentially a piece of code you can paste into a page or post to display a specific function or content.

Here’s the shortcode: `[sale_products]`

How to Use It:

1. Create a New Page (or Edit an Existing One): In your WordPress dashboard, go to Pages > Add New (or Pages > All Pages and edit an existing page). Let’s say you name it “Sale” or “Clearance.”

2. Add the Shortcode: In the page editor, simply paste the shortcode `[sale_products]` into the content area.

3. Publish/Update the Page: Click the “Publish” or “Update” button to make the changes live.

That’s it! Now, when you visit the “Sale” page, you’ll see a list of all products currently on sale in your store.

Example: If you’re selling clothing, imagine someone landing on your site looking for a new jacket. If you have a “Sale” page prominently linked in your navigation, they can quickly find discounted jackets, potentially leading to an immediate purchase.

Customization:

The `[sale_products]` shortcode has several attributes you can use to customize the output:

• `per_page`: Determines how many products to display per page. Example: `[sale_products per_page=”12″]`
• `columns`: Determines how many columns the products should be displayed in. Example: `[sale_products columns=”4″]`
• `orderby`: Specifies the order in which products are displayed (e.g., price, date, title). Example: `[sale_products orderby=”price”]`
• `order`: Specifies whether to order products in ascending or descending order. Example: `[sale_products orderby=”price” order=”ASC”]` (This will order the sale products from lowest price to highest)

Example with Customization: `[sale_products per_page=”8″ columns=”2″ orderby=”popularity” order=”DESC”]` This shortcode will show 8 sale products per page, in 2 columns, ordered by popularity (most popular first).

Method 2: Using a WooCommerce Widget

WooCommerce includes widgets you can use to highlight sale items in your sidebar or footer. Widgets are small, pre-built blocks of content you can easily drag and drop into designated areas of your website.

How to Use It:

1. Go to Appearance > Widgets: In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Appearance > Widgets.

2. Look for the “WooCommerce On-Sale Products” Widget: Find the widget labeled “WooCommerce On-Sale Products.”

3. Drag and Drop: Drag the widget to the sidebar or footer area where you want to display the sale items.

4. Configure the Widget (Optional): You can usually configure the widget with options like:

• Title: What you want the widget to be called (e.g., “Hot Deals,” “Sale Items”).
• Number of Products to Show: How many sale items to display in the widget.
• Hide Out of Stock Items: A great option to only show products currently in stock.

5. Save: Click “Save” to activate the widget.

Example: Imagine a customer browsing a product category (e.g., “Shoes”). A “Hot Deals” widget in the sidebar could display a few discounted shoes, tempting them to check out the sale items and potentially add more to their cart.

Method 3: Custom Code (For the More Adventurous – Be Careful!)

If you’re comfortable with a bit of PHP code, you can create a custom function to display sale items. Warning: Incorrect code can break your site. Back up your site before making any code changes! It’s usually best to use a child theme for this.

<?php
/**
Function to display on-sale products
* @param int $number_of_products Number of products to display.
@return string HTML markup for the on-sale products.
*/
function display_on_sale_products( $number_of_products = 4 ) {

$args = array(

‘post_type’ => ‘product’,

‘posts_per_page’ => $number_of_products,

‘meta_query’ => array(

‘relation’ => ‘AND’,

array(

‘key’ => ‘_sale_price’,

‘value’ => 0,

‘compare’ => ‘>’,

‘type’ => ‘NUMERIC’

),

),

);

$loop = new WP_Query( $args );

if ( $loop->have_posts() ) {

echo ‘

‘;

while ( $loop->have_posts() ) {

$loop->the_post();

global $product;

echo ‘

• ‘ . get_the_title() . ‘

‘;

}

echo ‘

‘;

} else {

echo ‘

No products on sale!

‘;

}

wp_reset_postdata();

}

?>

Explanation:

1. The Code: This PHP code creates a function called `display_on_sale_products()`. It queries WooCommerce for products that have a sale price (`_sale_price` meta key) greater than 0. It then loops through those products and displays their titles as links in a list.

2. How to Use It:

• Add this code to your theme’s `functions.php` file (or, preferably, your child theme’s `functions.php` file).
• Then, in any page or post (or even within your theme files), you can call the function like this: “ This will display 4 sale items (the default). You can change the number by passing a different value, e.g., “ to display 8 items.

3. Customize: You can modify the code to change the appearance, add product images, show prices, etc. However, this requires a deeper understanding of PHP and WooCommerce templating.

Important Notes About Code:

* Use a Child Theme: Never directly edit your parent theme’s `functions.php` file. Create a child theme first. This prevents your changes from being overwritten when the theme is updated.

* Backups: Always back up your website before making code changes.

* Testing: Test your code in a staging environment (a copy of your website) before implementing it on your live site.

* Seek Help if Needed: If you’re not comfortable with PHP, consider hiring a WordPress developer to help you.

Method 4: Using a WooCommerce Plugin

Several plugins offer enhanced features for displaying sale items. These plugins often provide more customization options and advanced features.

Examples of Plugins:

• WooCommerce Product Table: This plugin lets you display products in a searchable, filterable table layout, making it easy for customers to find sale items. You can easily add a “On Sale” filter.
• YITH WooCommerce Badge Management: This plugin allows you to add badges (“Sale,” “New,” “Hot”) to product images, visually highlighting sale items.
• WooCommerce Sales Countdown Timer: Creates a sense of urgency with a countdown timer to the end of the sale.

How to Use a Plugin:

1. Install and Activate the Plugin: In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New, search for the plugin, install it, and activate it.

2. Configure the Plugin: The plugin will usually have its own settings page where you can customize its behavior. Follow the plugin’s documentation for specific instructions.

3. Display the Sale Items: Depending on the plugin, you might use shortcodes, widgets, or theme settings to display the sale items.

Reasoning for using a Plugin:

• Ease of Use: Plugins often provide user-friendly interfaces for complex tasks.
• Extra Features: Plugins often offer advanced features like product filtering, search, and custom styling.
• Less Coding: Reduces the need for custom code, which can be error-prone.

Choosing the Right Method

The best method for showcasing your sale items depends on your needs and technical skill level:

• Beginner: The `[sale_products]` shortcode and the “WooCommerce On-Sale Products” widget are the easiest options.
• Intermediate: Customizing the shortcode or the “WooCommerce On-Sale Products” widget offers more flexibility.
• Advanced: Custom code allows for complete control over the display, but requires coding knowledge. Plugins offer a balance between ease of use and advanced features.

Optimizing Your “Sale” Page for SEO

Don’t forget to optimize your “Sale” page for search engines! Here are a few quick tips:

• Page Title: Use a descriptive page title (e.g., “Discounted Products | Our Biggest Sale Ever!”).
• Page URL: Keep the URL short and relevant (e.g., `/sale`).
• Meta Description: Write a compelling meta description that entices users to click (e.g., “Shop our huge sale! Find amazing deals on clothing, electronics, home goods, and more. Limited time offer!”).
• Heading Tags: Use heading tags (H1, H2, H3) to structure your content and highlight important keywords.
• Internal Linking: Link to your “Sale” page from other pages on your website.

Conclusion

Displaying your sale items effectively is essential for driving sales and improving the user experience on your WooCommerce store. Whether you choose the simple shortcode, a convenient widget, custom code, or a feature-rich plugin, these methods will help you showcase your bargains and attract more customers. Remember to choose the method that best suits your technical skills and always back up your site before making any changes. Happy selling!