The Best plugins to Help WordPress Online Stores Perform Better

Today’s Internet is home to many online businesses offering various services, such as eBooks and videos, software apps, and websites.

And these businesses make it their top priority to serve their customers well online. So, with the help of quality online advertising and other strategies, they can remain in business for extended periods.

However, while most things are similar, the setup is different for an online store.

That might leave you wondering what the actual setup for an eCommerce website is then.

Well, this article will answer that question and more, especially within the context of WordPress online stores.

This article will also compare some of the most popular options and discuss why each is better for your needs.

You can even try one out to see which one suits your business best. Just be sure to check for user reviews to make the right decision.

WordPress eCommerce Platforms

Suppose your business is still looking for a reliable way to create online products. In that case, the WordPress eCommerce platform is an excellent choice because it is highly customizable.

You can easily customize your WordPress platform with hundreds of payment gateways and even use it to manage your store’s content.

So, choosing WordPress as your eCommerce platform means you get the full power of its CMS.

And that’s not all; you can also use it to sell complex products such as eBooks and other digital products like online courses.

What’s more?

It offers many features to help your business thrive in an increasingly digital world.

But that’s not all.

With the rise of eCommerce businesses worldwide, it probably comes as no surprise that WordPress eCommerce plugins are among the most popular WordPress plugins found today.

While several popular WordPress eCommerce Platforms are not indeed “eCommerce platforms” in the true sense of the term.

These plugins make creating and managing an online store on your WordPress website incredibly easy as a complete eCommerce platform.

But before you can start selling anything, you’ll want to ensure your website is up-to-date and correctly configured for eCommerce functionality.

And up-to-date and adequately configured means meeting the eCommerce guidelines set by the WordPress company.

And just in case you’re wondering why you should look into these eCommerce WordPress plugins.

Well…

Aside from increasing the performance of your online store, it will also allow you to get started with your online store much faster.

You certainly wouldn’t want to wait days just to get started, would you?

I thought so too.

Things To Keep In Mind When Choosing A WordPress eCommerce Plugin for Your Site.

The best WordPress eCommerce Platforms are easy to use, flexible, and manageable.

So, if you’re looking for a good WordPress eCommerce plugin for your site, this is one major thing you need to keep in mind.

And while WooCommerce is probably the most popular option, there are other good options out there as well.

Now in detail…

Your needs and goals are the first things you’ll want to consider when choosing a WordPress eCommerce Plugin.

There are plugins for physical and digital products, some supporting bookings, and some supporting both.

Choose one that offers the necessary functionality and is compatible with your site’s theme. Ideally, the plugin will be free, but you may need to pay a yearly subscription for additional functionality.

Many eCommerce plugins have features for physical and digital products…

So, if you’re selling only digital products, you may opt for a plugin that only sells digital products.

For instance, Easy Digital Downloads is made specifically for digital products.

WP Simple Pay supports payments on your WordPress website and it helps multi-language sales. In addition, it supports multiple payment methods, including credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and ACH debit.

The second thing to consider is the theme you choose for your WordPress shop.

The theme brings the site to life, and it should be easy to change for your customers to create a personalized experience. And to make the most of the features of the WordPress eCommerce platform, you will want to choose the themes specific to your business.

These themes are mostly built with Woocommerce, WordPress’s most popular shopping cart extension.

However, if you’d like to use a different shopping cart, you should look for a separate plugin.

Single themes don’t need plugins, but Jigoshop is an option that works well if you use a multipurpose theme.

Thirdly, ensure the plugin you’re considering integrates with the most popular payment gateways.

For example, the default payment gateway for WordPress is Paypal, while other popular payment gateways include Stripe and Authorize.com.

The more payment gateways the plugin supports, the more likely your site will be to be successful.

And in addition to all that…

Make sure your WordPress eCommerce plugin of choice integrates with popular payment gateways. Easy Digital Downloads is one example of such a plugin.

If you’re looking for a WordPress eCommerce plugin that integrates with MailChimp and Quickbooks, check out HubSpot. It works with most WordPress themes and integrates with popular email marketing services like MailChimp.

All of these are essential to all WordPress e-Commerce sites.

And why’s that?

Simple… they make it easy to set up your store and track sales.

Now, Reviewing The Best Ecommerce Plugins for WordPress

Finally, what you’ve been waiting for.

Especially if you’re not sure which one to choose. Each of these will give you an idea of the performance of each plugin.

WooCommerce

Suppose you are a small business owner looking to expand your online business. In that case, you might be interested in installing the WooCommerce eCommerce plugin for WordPress.

The plugin enables you to upload and sell products in any form, from physical goods to digital downloads.

It features full inventory automation and lets you customize reports to display the current inventory status.

It also has customizable labels for products and categories. Its powerful features allow you to track your business operations and keep track of sales and shipments. You can also use it to manage rentals, inventory assets, or point-of-sale purchases.

WooCommerce is a powerful eCommerce solution that’s scalable to fit any size. In addition, it can quickly expand as your product line increases.

And it’s aimed at enabling store managers to operate their online stores without the help of web developers. It has a vibrant community that includes free meetups in 80+ cities worldwide.

As a bonus, you can purchase WooCommerce add-ons and integrate them into your site with just a few clicks.

Easy Digital Downloads

Follow these tips if you are interested in implementing Easy Digital Downloads on your WordPress website.

The plugin has 18 settings pages in its settings area, each allowing you to change various aspects of the checkout process.

In the settings area, you can define your base country for transaction processing and the pages to be redirected to after purchase.

There are also options for creating default checkout pages and assigning payment methods and start/end data to specific pages.

For a digital product, Easy Digital Downloads provides a state-of-the-art checkout system.

The user interface is smooth and intuitive, and each customer has their profile page. Customers can also post discount codes and manage their accounts.

This way, they can track their payments and keep track of their purchases.

Moreover, it’s compatible with responsive themes, and allows users to easily download files without installing additional software.

iThemes Exchange

iThemes Exchange is an eCommerce plugin for WordPress that offers a simple and intuitive user interface. Once installed, it takes you to a setup wizard, where you can easily set up your store.

This plugin also comes with a paid add-on for selling memberships and subscriptions.

The free version offers all the features you need, while the Pro version adds a few more.

The iThemes Exchange eCommerce plugin for your WordPress website can be a great way to add eCommerce functionality to your website.

It offers a variety of features but lacks a few of the other popular eCommerce plugins.

Unfortunately…

One of its most significant drawbacks is its lack of product variations. This feature allows you to sell a single item with multiple options.

This feature is handy for clothing-related products, such as t-shirts.

iThemes Exchange does not allow product variations, and you will need to purchase its Pro Pack for $197 to use this feature.

But then, this price is significantly less than that of Shopify or WooCommerce, and the overall ease of use is awe-inspiring.

Shopp

The Shopp eCommerce plugin is SEO-friendly and combines community and blog functionality with eCommerce functionality.

This enables users to sell physical products without using a separate eCommerce plugin.

The plugin includes multiple currencies, a shipping calculator, and product category’ features.

It is compatible with the most popular web browsers. In addition, it allows users to accept PayPal and sell physical goods through the Shopp eCommerce plugin.

Unfortunately, it does not work with all kinds of payment systems.

Nevertheless, the Shopp eCommerce plugin for WordPress can transform your WordPress site into an eCommerce site in a few simple steps.

The plugin creates a permanent shopping cart that can hold multiple items and allows you to export orders to your accounting software or a CSV file.

Depending on your requirements, the plugin is also very flexible, so you can embed the entire store or just a section.

And the sweetest part… You don’t need coding skills to install it, making it an excellent choice for many online businesses.

Additional Plugins to Consider for Your WordPress Online Store

While WordPress remains the platform of choice for your online store, there are a few additional plugins you should consider to maximize its potential.

Here are some of them.

First in line is Sendinblue, a good choice for e-merchants who want to improve their online store’s conversion rate. This plugin requires WordPress 4.4 or higher.

Next is WSDesk, a premium helpdesk plugin for WordPress that can handle customer queries and suggestions.

Then we have WP All Import. This free WordPress plugin imports products, images, and more.

The plugin works with the most popular payment gateways and integrates with mailing list services.

Another excellent option is Ecwid Ecommerce Shopping Cart. This plugin offers excellent ratings and can transform your WordPress site into an e-commerce website.

That way, you can sell through multiple sales channels, including Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and other social media.

Finally, The Bottom Line

In all, the best online store experience comes from the best online advertising and marketing strategies.

So, the best way to ensure your online store thrives is with the best marketing strategies in the world.

A well-designed website offers a great way to drive traffic to your site, both from the internet and traditional sources.

As such, if you are looking for the best online store, then the WordPress eCommerce platform is the perfect platform for you.

It has many features that will help your business thrive in an increasingly digital age.

Couple that with the best online marketing strategies, and you’ll have a professional and profitable online store.

With all these in mind, you can begin to get your online store off the ground and have it running in a few simple steps.

Additionally…

One last thing to remember is that any business should be willing to invest a small amount of money upfront to get going.

You should also be willing to risk losing some of that money back if something goes wrong with the business.

With the help of an excellent online store, you can be sure to make a small investment that pays off in the long run.

Take this information’s power, and take off better than your peers in your eCommerce business.