Okay so let’s just be real for a sec. Not too long ago shopping meant actually stepping out of your house walking into a store touching stuff checking sizes waiting in lines y’know the whole vibe. But fast forward a bit and suddenly everyone’s shopping from their couch in sweatpants with their phone halfway dying on 12% battery. It’s not even weird anymore, rather, it’s just life.
And this shift didn’t happen overnight. It was like a slow smooth slide. The internet started creeping into our lives then eBay happened then Amazon started exploding and then boom online shopping became this whole normal everyday thing. People started realizing that they don’t have to leave my house for socks or phone chargers or even like groceries. And after that the whole eCommerce world basically exploded.
Then came the big boom in online stores. Not just huge giants but small shops too. Indie brands influencers side hustlers everyone got their piece of the digital pie. You didn’t need some fancy glass shop window or a mall store anymore. Just a decent website and you were in the game.
That’s where platforms like WooCommerce slid in. Smooth and easy to set up. Okay maybe not easy-easy if you’ve never done this before but still way more doable than building a site from scratch. Plus people started seeing their side projects actually turn into real businesses thanks to selling stuff online. Pretty cool honestly.
What Are Some Platforms People Use For Online Stores?
Alright so you wanna open up shop online. Maybe sell those handmade rings or your cousin’s vintage shirt collection. But now you gotta figure out where to build that store. Like where do you even start. Here’s a quick run-through of the big names people use when building an online shop:
Shopify
This one’s kinda the big name right now. You’ve probably heard it around a lot. Super beginner-friendly. You don’t have to know how to code or anything like that. Just drag and drop kind of stuff. But there’s monthly fees and you don’t own all the control over your store. It’s kinda like renting a room instead of owning the house. Still though people love how easy it is.
Magento
Okay this one’s for the big dogs. Like enterprise-level stores and brands that got dev teams and tech pros. Magento gives you more control, more features, more customization but like you need to really know your stuff or hire someone who does. Definitely not for someone who just wants to try selling cute stickers or custom mugs for fun.
BigCommerce
This one’s kinda like Shopify but a little more flexible in some ways. It’s hosted which means you don’t have to manage servers and stuff. But again you’re on their system. Good for folks who want something that can grow big but without dealing with code stuff.
WooCommerce
Now here’s the star of the show. WooCommerce is actually a plugin that turns your regular ol’ WordPress site into a full-on online store. You don’t have to switch platforms or anything. If you’ve already got a WordPress blog or website you’re halfway there. And guess what you actually own your site. Like fully. No monthly fees to use the platform itself (unless you wanna add some premium tools later on). It’s super flexible, customizable and perfect for people who like a lil more control.
Takes a tiny bit of effort to set up but nothing wild. And there’s loads of tutorials and plugins out there so even if you’re kinda new it’s all figure-out-able.
What Do You Really Need To Know When Running a WooCommerce Store?
Okay let’s say you picked WooCommerce and you’re feeling pumped to get your shop up. So what now? Just upload a few products and wait for the cash to roll in? Mmm not really. There’s stuff you definitely wanna know before getting too deep.
You Gotta Pick the Right Hosting
So yeah WooCommerce is a plugin for WordPress but to run WordPress you need hosting. That’s basically where your site lives online. And not all hosting is made equal. Some are suuuper slow or crash easily. That’s the last thing you want when someone’s trying to checkout and your site goes poof.
Pick a hosting service that actually works well with WooCommerce. There are some hosts made just for WooCommerce shops. Worth checking out tbh.
Your Theme Kinda Matters A Lot
You know when you walk into a store and everything’s just…a mess? Yeah that’s exactly how your online shop can feel if you don’t pick a clean user-friendly theme. People bounce FAST if your site looks like it’s from 2009. WooCommerce works with loads of themes but some are better optimized than others. Just saying.
Don’t go wild with glittery designs or heavy animations. People want to find stuff fast, not get stuck staring at weird spinning graphics. Keep it cute but make sure it works smoothly too.
Plugins Are Your Best Friend (But Don’t Go Plugin-Crazy)
WooCommerce lets you add extra features through plugins. Do you want custom filters? There’s a plugin. You wanna add a wishlist? There’s a plugin. Do you need a shipping calculator or a tax tool or a subscription model? Plugin plugin plugin.
But don’t go adding every single one out there. Too many plugins can slow your site down or make stuff break. Install the essentials and test them before throwing in ten more.
Shipping and Taxes? Yeah You Can’t Ignore Those
This part is where things can feel a little boring but trust me it matters. People hate surprise fees at checkout so make sure your shipping info is clear. Whether it’s free shipping or fixed rates or live rates from a courier service it all needs to make sense to your customer.
Same for taxes. Depending where you live and where your customers are you might need to charge tax. WooCommerce has settings for that but it’s worth spending a little time figuring it out before going live.
Mobile View Is a Big Deal Now
This is actually one of the biggest rookie mistakes. People build their store and it looks amazing on a laptop then forget to check it on mobile. Dude most people are shopping from their phones now. If your site looks bad on mobile you’re legit losing customers. Test everything on your phone before thinking you’re done.
You’ll Need Some Basic SEO Knowledge
Look you don’t need to become a Google expert but you should at least know how to set up titles and descriptions and categories the right way. WooCommerce gives you some good SEO settings but pairing it with an SEO plugin like RankMath or Yoast helps too.
Your store won’t magically appear on Google if you don’t give it a lil help. And no one’s gonna buy stuff they can’t even find.
Product Photos and Descriptions Are Kinda Everything
Like this is the actual stuff people are buying. If your product photo is blurry or your description is literally just “nice shirt” they’re bouncing. Take clear pics from multiple angles. Write like an actual person. Describe what they’re getting, what size it is, who it’s for what it feels like. You get the idea.
So What Kind of Stores Can You Actually Run with WooCommerce?
Honestly the better question is what can’t you run. Like WooCommerce is super open. If it can be sold online it can pretty much be sold with WooCommerce. It’s not picky. Wanna sell digital stuff like eBooks or courses or maybe chill beats for study playlists? You’re good. Physical stuff like candles or hoodies or handmade bracelets? Totally doable. Wanna offer services like tarot readings or custom art or virtual tutoring? Yup still works.
Some people even set up membership stuff with it like private clubs or secret content sections. And let’s not forget the whole request-based thing. Like if your business is more about quoting custom jobs or stuff where prices depend on what people need there’s literally something called request for quote that adds that option. So instead of “Buy Now” you let people ask for a price and you send them something back. Works well for stuff like bulk orders or made-on-demand kinda things.
So yeah WooCommerce isn’t just for one type of seller. It’s like a super chill platform that just goes with whatever vibe your business has. You make it what you want it to be.
How Much Cash Do You Actually Need To Start a Store?
Okay so here’s the tea. Starting a WooCommerce store can be cheap but it’s not totally free unless you’re cool with absolute bare bones. Like there’s stuff you still need to pay for unless you already have some of it.
First you need a domain. That’s your website name. Costs about 10 to 15 bucks a year. Then you need hosting. If you go with decent hosting that won’t crash if two people visit at once it’s gonna be like 5 to 15 bucks a month to start. There’s free themes out there but the prettier or more pro ones usually cost like 40 to 80 one-time.
Plugins? Well there are free ones and they’re actually decent. But if you want the premium features for email marketing or shipping calculators or subscriptions or the whole request for quote thing then you might be looking at paying 30 to 100 for each depending on what you need.
So overall like a ballpark you can totally start small with around 100 to 200 bucks if you just want something decent and working. Not like Gucci level fancy but definitely not trash either.
Compare that to a physical store and the numbers start looking real cute real fast.
What’s Actually Better: A Physical Store or a WooCommerce One?
Okay so imagine this. You wanna sell custom t-shirts right. You can either rent out a store, pay for furniture signage, hire someone to sit there all day worrying about walk-ins, foot traffic zoning all that OR you could just sit in your room in your PJ’s, upload your designs and let people order from anywhere.
Like straight up not hating on physical stores. They got their vibe. Some things feel better in person like jewelry or makeup or trying on sneakers. But the reality is a lot of new biz owners don’t have 10k just lying around to open up a shop. And even if they did like what if people stop walking in or there’s a snowstorm or something.
With an online store like WooCommerce you can reach anyone. You could be chilling in your bedroom in Texas and someone from Germany orders a hoodie from you at 2am while you’re asleep. That’s kinda wild if you think about it.
Plus your store is open all day every day. No closing times. No need to clean up before locking the door. And if you ever wanna expand or sell different stuff just click a few things and boom you’re good.
Also people these days like shopping online. It’s not just a trend, it’s like a full lifestyle now. Even brands that have physical stores still open online ones because why would they not.
So What’s The Final Word On WooCommerce Stores?
Look, the internet’s not slowing down. Like at all. Every day more people are buying stuff online and more brands are showing up online. If you’re thinking of starting something WooCommerce is legit one of the best tools out there to do it. It’s flexible, not locked into one vibe, can sell anything from candles to digital prints and has plugins for days like even weird specific stuff like woocommerce request a quote plugin.
You don’t need a whole business degree or millions of dollars to get started. You need a little patience, a few clicks and some wifi. That’s basically it.
Physical stores are still around but let’s be real if you’re starting out and want reach and freedom and that stay-in-your-room-and-work kinda energy then online is the move. And WooCommerce gives you that without being all stuffy and corporate.
So yeah whether you wanna turn your hobby into something bigger or finally get serious about selling that thing people always ask you about WooCommerce is a pretty chill way to start. You make the rules, you build your vibe and you get to run your store exactly how you want it.
Now go build that store already. Or at least start thinking about it. The Internet’s waiting.
Hey, I’m Phineas Arlet. I’m originally from France but currently living in Canada. I’ve been writing content for over 6 years now, mostly focused on WooCommerce stuff. I work with the awesome team at Extendons where we build plugins that make WooCommerce stores way easier to run. I like keeping things real when I write—no fluff, just the kind of info I’d want to read myself.