WordPress is famous for being one of the most versatile platforms out there. While the setup might be a little more involved than Squarespace or Wix, the degree of customization and flexibility is unmatched compared to any other CMS. That being said, WordPress was not always known for its ecommerce capabilities, and only recently has this feature become much more well known and trusted. But this feature doesn’t come as part of native WordPress, in order to give your website ecommerce capabilities you’ll need to add a plugin that will allow you to list your inventory of products and process credit card payments.
What’s The Best Ecommerce Plugin for WordPress?
Although there are more options becoming available all the time, WooCommerce is typically the go-to plugin for WordPress users looking to add ecommerce features as seamlessly as possible. It works with most themes and it even has its own theme called Storefront if you don’t want to worry about any possible compatibility issues.
Do I Need an SSL to Do Ecommerce on WordPress?
An SSL, also known as a security certificate, allows your website to work on HTTPS, the secure version of HTTP. While technically you might be able to get the functions of the online payments to work without an SSL, it’s not advised. Most of your customers will know that doing so can put all of your payment information at risk. You should always make sure that you have an SSL in place before launching your online store.
WordPress VS Shopify for Ecommerce
When it comes to comparing these two platforms, it’s not so much about which one is better as which one is right for your situation. Shopify is a pure e-commerce platform and has plenty of powerful features and some great add-ons as well. On the other hand WordPress has that much higher flexibility, and if you already have a great WordPress site that has other functions then adding this functionality isn’t that difficult. Put simply, Shopify is an e-commerce platform with website feature add-ons and WordPress is a website platform that has e-commerce add-ons. One of the other benefits to WordPress and WooCommerce is that there’s no monthly fee to pay on top of your domain and hosting costs.
Expanding WooCommerce’s Functionality
In addition to the standard features, you can add additional functionality to WooCommerce depending on your needs. WooCommerce Bookings and WooCommerce Subscriptions are great for anyone who is selling a service or a digital product, respectively. There are also options that assist with taxes and other aspects of accounting for your online business.
Contact Boston Web Marketing
Are you looking to set up an online business on WordPress or Shopify? We offer a wide range of web marketing services, including SEO, web design, and e-commerce setup. Give us a call at 857-526-0096 or contact us here.