Learn all about the latest features of the #1 e-commerce plugin for the self-hosted version of WordPress. This is the slideshow presentation for a Lightning Talk I'm giving at WordCamp Sacramento on Sunday, October 23rd, 2016.
2. What is WooCommerce?
it’s a free, open-source e-commerce plugin for
self-hosted WordPress websites that...
was launched in 2011- see Wikipedia article for complete history
now runs on 30% of e-commerce sites and has millions of active installs
is owned and operated by Automattic, Inc., the owners of WordPress
comes “out of the box” with product variations, virtual, downloadable &
affiliate products, inventory management, shipping, coupons & reporting
has premium add-ons which come with a 30-day money back guarantee
support can be accessed via a free member account (ticketed), online
technical documentation and/or video tutorials
Visit WooCommerce.com for more info: https://woocommerce.com/
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3. WooCommerce
is constantly evolving and needs to be kept up-to-date,
just like all WordPress plugins, themes and core software.
Make sure you backup before you update!
I use BackupBuddy.
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4. Themes
WooCommerce (WC) integrates with
many Wordpress themes.
Check with your theme developer to make sure!
You can use Storefront made by the Woo team
which also offers child themes for variations in style and
extensions for added functionality.
I use iThemes Builder which integrates nicely with WC.
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5. Hosting
Make sure your hosting plan is adequate to support
your e-commerce traffic needs and...
you have an SSL certificate installed on your domain.
Let’s Encrypt is a free SSL service that comes
with most hosting accounts.
I use SiteGround for hosting all my sites.
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6. Payment Gateways
“Out of the box,” WC comes with:
PayPal standard, BACS (bank transfer)
Cash on Delivery and/or Check &
with the latest “Zipping Zebra” release, also PayPal
(Braintree) and Stripe!
Visit this article for more information on gateway options:
https://docs.woocommerce.com/document/premium-
payment-gateway-extensions/
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7. Premium Add-ons
There are many to choose from. A popular add-on is
Subscriptions, which allows you to sell products
and services with recurring payments.
WC also integrates with Square for real-time store
inventory tracking.
Visit this article for a complete listing of add-ons:
https://docs.woocommerce.com/documentation/plugins/
woocommerce/woocommerce-extensions/
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8. Zapier
Zapier is a premium add-on that allows you connect store
with other platforms (such as your email marketing service).
You can create “zaps” which, when properly setup and
activated, will be triggered by a sale and automatically &
securely send the information, such as a customer email
address to your pre-defined email list.
See all the WC-Zapier integrations here: https://
woocommerce.com/products/woocommerce-zapier/
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9. Shipping Zones
WC comes with default shipping options: flat rate, local
pickup, local delivery & free shipping.With the latest release,
WC now offers shipping zones.
Read more here: https://woocommerce.com/2016/06/
woocommerce-26-zipping-zebra/
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10. Installing WooCommerce
Watch a video on Installing WooCommerce
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The installation process is quick and easy.
The built-in onboarding wizard
guides you through it step by step!
11. Developers
Here’s what’s new for developers in the latest Zipping
Zebra (v2.6) release:
•A new payment token API: a way to store, manipulate, and
retrieve payment info in a standardized way. More here.
•Moving to an API based on the WP REST API: Details
here.
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13. Network with other Users
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WooCommerce Meetups:
San Francisco WooCommerce Meetup
Worldwide WooCommerce Meetups
Connect on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/woocommerce/
Connect on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/WooCommerce
https://twitter.com/hashtag/woocommerce
https://twitter.com/developwc
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I invite you to take my series of e-courses on how
to build your own self-hosted WordPress website:
Level 1 (free) - the basics & getting started with WP
Level 2 (on sale) - iThemes Builder and more
Level 3 (on sale) - WooCommerce and more
Want to learn more from me?