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How to Start a WooCommerce Store: Step-By-Step Guide (2024)
Looking for a solution that gives you more flexibility and control than Shopify?
WooCommerce might be just what you need!
In fact, as of June 2024, over 14% of the top one million ecommerce sites use WooCommerce.
But where do you start?
In this step-by-step guide for 2024, we’ll show you exactly how to set up your WooCommerce store from start to finish.
How do you start a WooCommerce store? (A 12-step walkthrough)
These are the 12 steps on how to start a WooCommerce store in 2024:
- Come up with your product idea
- Define your ideal target audience
- Choose a fulfillment method
- Find a supplier
- Install WordPress and WooCommerce
- Pick a WooCommerce theme according to your niche
- Add products to your store
- Create your standard online store pages
- Install the right WooCommerce plugins
- Design and brand your WooCommerce store
- Set up your store’s settings and payment gateways
- Choose a marketing method that fits you and start advertising
Let’s take a look at them in some more detail!
1. Come up with your product idea
The first step in starting your WooCommerce store is to clearly define what product(s) you want to sell.
Why?
Your product choice will shape the entire process of building your store. It influences your choice of supplier, the name of your store, and the theme you select.
To get started, look for the following characteristics of a winning product:
If you don’t know where to start, check out these articles to get your creative juices flowing:
Ask yourself these questions to spark product ideas:
- What do you enjoy?
- What are your hobbies?
- What do you wish existed?
- What problems do you want to solve?
- What do you know a lot about?
If you’re still struggling to find product ideas, consider using a product research tool. These tools compile popular products, making it easier to find a winning item.
If you’re not sure which tool to pick, try our product research tool quiz to find one that best suits your needs.
Not a fan of quizzes? Some excellent tools to explore include Sell The Trend, Niche Scraper, and Thieve.co.
Now, you may also want to think about whether you want to start a general, niche, or one-product store:
Type | Short description | Pros | Cons |
General store | A store selling products in various categories. | You can take advantage of different product trends. | Marketing can be difficult. |
Reach more people. | It’s challenging to build a loyal customer base. | ||
Niche store | A store focused on a single niche (e.g., fitness or pet) | You can focus on a specific target audience. | It can be hard to pick a niche and stick to it. |
You can start social media theme pages. | Less freedom. | ||
Upselling is easier. | |||
One-product store | A store selling just one product. | Dedicate your focus to a single product. | It’s crucial to sell a winning product. |
It’s easier to optimize marketing campaigns. | No possibility of upselling or cross-selling. | ||
Easier to improve your conversion rate. |
It’s okay if you’re not entirely sure about the store type right now.
You can start by selecting the products you want to sell, and then choose the most suitable store type based on those decisions.
2. Define your ideal target audience
The next step is to define your target audience—the group of people you want to sell your products to.
They often share similar interests, hobbies, ages, or genders.
Now, why is identifying your target audience important? Philip Kotler, an American marketing expert, puts it this way:
There is only one winning strategy. It is to carefully define the target market and direct a superior offering to that target market.
Philip Kotler
The most common methods to define your target audience are:
- Develop a buyer persona. A buyer persona is a fictional character that represents your ideal customer. Creating a buyer persona helps you understand who your target audience is and what their needs are.
- Analyze your product’s benefits. Look at its key benefits and consider who would find them most valuable.
- Test different audiences. Sometimes, the best way to find your ideal audience is through testing. Run ads targeting different groups and analyze which performs best.
For a detailed step-by-step guide on defining your ideal target audience, check out this article!
3. Choose a fulfillment method
Before starting your WooCommerce store, you need to decide how to fulfill orders.
Here’s an overview of three recommended fulfillment methods, along with their pros and cons:
Fulfillment method | Short description | Pros | Cons |
Dropshipping / Print on demand | Sell products without keeping them in inventory | Quickly test various products. | Less control of the fulfillment process. |
Low start-up costs. | Long shipping times. | ||
Low-risk. | High competition. | ||
Third-party fulfillment | Buy your own inventory and let a third party fulfill your orders. | More control over your inventory and shipping. | More risk (will your product sell?). |
Shorter shipping times. | Higher upfront investment. | ||
You can buy your inventory in bulk, which is cheaper. | |||
In-house fulfillment | Manage the fulfillment of your products yourself. | Full control over the fulfillment process. | It can require more time or money. |
Great opportunity to use custom packaging. | It distorts you from other tasks. | ||
Learn more about the whole fulfillment process of an online store. | You are responsible for everything. |
Let’s take a look at each one in more detail.
Dropshipping / Print on demand
Dropshipping is the most popular and straightforward method of running a WooCommerce store.
When a customer orders a product, you contact your supplier, who then ships the product directly to the customer.
In short, it’s perfect for entrepreneurs looking to start with a low upfront investment!
A similar fulfillment method is print on demand (POD).
While it’s similar to dropshipping, POD focuses on selling custom-printed products like t-shirts, mugs, and phone cases.
This method is perfect for those who want to sell self-designed products without any initial investment or risk.
If you can’t choose between dropshipping and print on demand, take a look at this infographic:
Third-party fulfillment
With third-party fulfillment, you ship your products to a third-party logistics company (3PL) that stores, packs, and ships them for you.
The main advantage of third-party fulfillment is that it gives you more control over your inventory and shipping.
Plus, if you choose a fulfillment warehouse in your customer’s country, shipping times should be way quicker.
However, this method requires a higher upfront investment as you need to purchase inventory in bulk, which comes with more risk if your products don’t sell.
In-house fulfillment
In-house fulfillment involves managing the entire process yourself. This gives you complete control over inventory, packaging, and shipping.
You can even use custom packaging to improve your brand!
However, it can be time-consuming and may distract you from other important tasks like marketing, customer service, and accounting. Plus, it requires an investment in storage space, equipment, and materials.
So, you can choose this fulfillment method if you want full control over your operations and are prepared to dedicate the necessary time and resources.
4. Find a supplier
So, you’ve found the product you want to sell.
Great! But that’s just half the battle.
You’ll also need a reliable supplier who can provide high-quality products at the perfect price range.
Some suppliers specialize in dropshipping, others in in-house fulfillment, and some focus exclusively on print on demand.
Here’s how to identify a good supplier:
Got it? Now, let’s look at some of the best suppliers for different fulfillment methods!
Best suppliers for dropshipping, in-house, or third-party fulfillment stores
We’ve created a table to help you find a supplier for your store.
Click on the supplier’s name to visit their website, or the ‘Read Review’ link to see a detailed review, including pros and cons.