WordPress has long been considered the go-to platform for anyone looking to build their own eCommerce website, but building a WordPress website isn’t as easy as just selecting a theme and creating a few pages. No, you’ll almost certainly need to use plugins too.
Plugins are little software additions that add different features and functions to your site - and some of them are essential when you’re making an online store. There are thousands of plugins to choose from, but we’ve picked out the 5 we think are the most important, and listed them below.
1. WooCommerce
WooCommerce is the go-to plugin for eCommerce sites built on WordPress. It provides the whole infrastructure needed to run an eCommerce site.
All you have to do is activate the plugin and follow the guided tour to set up your new store in just a few minutes, and it’s even completely customizable so that you can design your store to match your brand.
I’d also recommend using a WooCommerce inventory management tool as an add on to make sure raw materials and finished goods are on track and business operations flow smoothly."
2. Yoast
If search marketing is important to you, the Yoast SEO plugin is absolutely essential. It helps you to optimize your site for search engines, and also provides tips and guidelines on best on-page SEO practices every time you write a new post.
The upshot is that your blog posts and website pages will stand a better chance of ranking in the SERPs, meaning more potential traffic and sales leads.
3. BackupBuddy
Data security is critical to any business operations, and even more so for an eCommerce website. You never know what lies around the corner, so it’s important to prepare for the unexpected.
That’s why backing up your website and customer data is essential; it will help you to recover in the event of a hardware/server failure or website hack. BackupBuddy can automatically backup your data and store it offsite in the cloud so that you can restore your website quickly.
4. OptinMonster
Email marketing still has one of the best ROI of all the marketing channels; it’s one of your best tools for generating sales for your eCommerce site. That’s why building an email list is so important, and OptinMonster can help you to do just that.
It allows you to create pop screens to collect email addresses and convert your website visitors to email subscribers. Once you’ve built up your email list, you can then send out automated email marketing campaigns with promotional deals to drive sales.
5. WPForms
Finally, check out WPForms. This plugin allows you to build custom forms in minutes, which you can then use on your website.
At the very least, this will help you to create your own contact form for your contact page, which is a must for any eCommerce business as it’s important for providing top-quality customer services. You can also use it to create other forms like order forms, email subscription forms, and more.
