WordPress Plugins for Ecom Brands
Ecommerce Plugins that Help Grow Brands
WordPress plugins are add-ons or extensions that can be installed on your WordPress website to add additional functionality. E-commerce plugins are specifically designed to help you sell products or services on your website. There are a number of different e-commerce plugins available for WordPress, but some of the most popular ones include Themes and builders, WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, and Shopify Buy Button.
When you install an e-commerce plugin on your WordPress site, it will typically add new functionality and features to your site that allow you to create and manage products, process payments, and handle shipping and taxes. Here are some of the key features you can expect from most e-commerce plugins:
- Product Management: E-commerce plugins allow you to create and manage products that you want to sell on your website. You can add product descriptions, images, pricing, and more.
- Shopping Cart: E-commerce plugins include a shopping cart feature that allows customers to add products to their cart and then check out when they’re ready to make a purchase.
- Payment Processing: E-commerce plugins integrate with payment gateways to allow you to accept payments from customers. Some of the most popular payment gateways include PayPal, Stripe, and Square.
- Shipping and Tax Calculation: E-commerce plugins include features that allow you to calculate shipping costs and taxes based on customer location and product weight. Read previous guide.
- Reporting and Analytics: E-commerce plugins often include reporting and analytics features that allow you to track sales, inventory levels, and other key metrics.
I think that if you’re starting an e-commerce brand, installing ecom specific plugins on your WordPress site will really open up the functionality of WordPress to you. With the right plugin, you can easily create and manage your products, accept payments, and handle shipping and taxes. Just be sure to choose an e-commerce plugin that meets your specific needs and is compatible with your WordPress theme and other plugins.
WordPress Plugin Categories
As a store owner, I am always looking for ways to do more faster and cheaper, and WordPress’s open source community is a treasure chest of features for your ecom brand. You just need to know what you are looking for. There are millions and millions of plugins on the WordPress plugin repository.
If you want to extend your store’s functionality then you want to explore the plugins in the e-commerce category.
Here are some of the key benefits and possibilities that you can expect when using an e-commerce plugin on your WordPress site:
Easy Product Management: E-commerce plugins make it easy to manage your products, including adding new products, updating prices, and editing descriptions. You can also organize your products into categories and tags to make it easier for customers to find what they’re looking for. A well organized inventory can make or break your brand if your marketing efforts go viral.
Multiple Payment Options: With an e-commerce plugin, you can offer multiple payment options to your customers, including credit card payments, PayPal, and other payment gateways. I think this is a key part of the puzzle and Im all for PayPal and Apple pay as standard rollout when launching a new store.
Customizable Checkout Process: You can customize the checkout process to meet your specific needs and requirements. This includes options like guest checkout, custom checkout fields, and more.
Mobile-Friendly Design: Many e-commerce plugins come with mobile-friendly designs and responsive layouts, so your store will look great on any device. You have to have a sexy mobile store.
SEO Optimization: E-commerce plugins are designed to be SEO-friendly, meaning they can help improve your store’s visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). Instead of paying for ads use SEO to get free sales. Im a big fan of SEO Framework a free plugin or Xagio as my go to for this.
Integrations with other services: Many e-commerce plugins integrate with other services, such as email marketing tools, social media platforms, and shipping carriers. This can help streamline your operations and make it easier to manage your store. Im a big fan of MailPoet and Thrive Themes for some gems in the other category.
Analytics and Reporting: E-commerce plugins provide detailed analytics and reporting on your store’s performance, including sales, traffic, and conversion rates. This can help you make informed decisions about your store and improve your overall performance.
My two cents on the use case, using an e-commerce plugins on your WordPress site will fast track your progress and allow you extensive customization for your brand store.
The possibilities are endless, and the right plugin can help you achieve your e-commerce goals.
Adding Print on Demand to your Store
Now I’ll share a tip I use to extend the product offering in some of my stores that never fails to add a revenue stream. It’s called print-on-demand or POD. Basically, you can custom print t-shirts with your logos, or relevant statements about your products onto clothing.
Adding a print-on-demand plugin to your e-commerce brand can be a great way to extend your product offerings without having to invest in inventory or equipment upfront.
Follow these steps and you can have a POD plugin setup and running on your brand store in less than 10 minutes:
Choosing a print-on-demand provider: There are hundreds of POD providers to choose from, such as Printful, Printify, and Gooten. Do your own research and compare providers to find the one that offers the products you want to sell, as well as competitive pricing and quality. I like using both Printiful and Printify as well as a local print store locally where I can send orders FAST! I also suggest everyone use a local provider as well.
Install a print-on-demand plugin: Most print-on-demand providers offer a plugin or integration for popular e-commerce platforms, including
WooCommerce, which is a popular WordPress e-commerce plugin. Install the plugin and follow the provider’s instructions to set up the integration.
Design your products: Use the print-on-demand provider’s design tool to create your product designs. You can upload your designs or use their design templates to create unique products.
Publish your products: Once your designs are ready, publish them to your e-commerce site through the print-on-demand plugin. This will automatically sync your products with your provider, so they can fulfil orders as they come in.
Test and optimize: Test your products and optimize them as needed to improve sales and customer satisfaction. You should be using analytics and reporting tools within your e-commerce platform and print-on-demand providers to gain insights into your sales and customer behaviour.
Key Takeaways
I swear by adding a print-on-demand plugin to my e-commerce brands. Now for you, this can offer a wider range of products to your customers without the need to invest in inventory or equipment upfront. With the right provider and plugin, you can create unique and high-quality products that can help you grow your business and reach new customers
My recommended POD suppliers are:
Next
Read the next article in the series:
Ecommerce Marketing & Advertising Guide
Read the previous guide:
