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Welcome to our massive WooCommerce self-help guide! In this guide, we’ll show you a ton of different ways that you can improve your store right now.
We’ll cover topics like optimizing your products, improving your checkout process, and boosting your SEO. Check the required field in the Navigation menu. We’ll also give you tips on standing out from the competition.
So whether you’re just getting started with WooCommerce or you’ve been using it for a while, this guide is sure to have something for you. So let’s get started!
Navigation
- Images / Design / Usability
- SEO and traffic
- Offer and sales
- Authority building
- Technical
Images / Design / Usability
1. Use high-quality images of your products
Ensure that the images you use on your product pages are clear and high-quality. It will give potential customers a good idea of what your products look like and help them decide whether to buy them.
Note: Search engines can’t read images, so they rely on the text around them to understand what they’re about. Ensure you include relevant keywords in your image file names and alt text to help search engines index them appropriately. Make sure they are saved in the correct file format and size before uploading them to your site. Large images can slow down your site, so optimize them for web use. You can use a plugin like WP Smush to help with this.
Adding “alt” text to images is important for several reasons. First, it allows visually impaired users to understand what is happening in an image. It also helps search engines understand the content of an image, which can be helpful when someone is trying to find information on a particular topic. Finally, “alt” text can help improve the overall usability of a website.
Adding “alt” text to images in WooCommerce is easy and only takes a few minutes. Here’s how:
- Log in to your WordPress dashboard and go to the “Media” section.
- Find the image to which you want to add “alt” text and click on it.
- In the “Edit Image” window, scroll down to the “Alternative Text” field and add your “alt” text.
- Click “Update” to save your changes.
That’s it!
2. Pick a lightweight theme
It is one of the things you can do to speed up your WooCommerce site. Reduce the amount of code that needs to be loaded on each page. To get the first impression, check the list of great themes to choose the one for your store.
Alternatively, you can hire a developer to help you with this task. Adapting your store’s style is a crucial component for users; if you have resources, you can also choose a more extensive option – to create a theme from scratch.
3. Search functionality
Check that the search functionality is working correctly regularly. It is essential to ensure that customers can easily find the products they’re looking for on your site.
Here are a few different things you can do to test the search functionality on your WooCommerce site:
- Try searching for a few different terms and see if the correct results come up.
- Check that the search results are sorted correctly (e.g., by relevance or price).
- Make sure the search results page is easy to navigate and use.
If you find that the search functionality on your WooCommerce site is not working as it should, then you’ll need to fix it as soon as possible. Thankfully, there are a few different ways to do this.
- Check the WooCommerce Search Settings page and ensure everything is configured correctly.
- If you’re using a custom search plugin, check that it’s compatible with the latest version of WooCommerce.
- Ask your hosting company if they can help you troubleshoot the issue.
The popular search extensions are:
Hopefully, one of these solutions will help you fix the search functionality on your WooCommerce site. You may consider the Elastic Search service for your servers with your developer. But remember, it’s essential to keep testing the search regularly to ensure it continues to work correctly.
4. Test your WooCommerce navigation
Your customer journey has to take up to three steps to pass from the Home page to the required product. First, make sure your WooCommerce navigation is working correctly. Then, test it by adding and removing items from your cart and checking out using various payment methods.
5. Check Filters operation
Adding filters to your WooCommerce store can be a great way to improve the shopping experience for your customers. By allowing them to narrow down their search results, they’ll be able to find the products they’re looking for more easily.
There are a few different ways to add filters to WooCommerce, but we’ll be focusing on the use of plugins. We’ll be using the WooCommerce product filter plugin for our example.
Once you’ve installed and activated the plugin, you’ll need to configure it. Start by going to the WooCommerce product filter settings page.
Overall, filters offer several benefits for both users and businesses alike. By providing a more efficient and organized way to search for and keep track of products, they can save time and money while also helping to keep data safe.
6. Test enabled pop-ups
Switching up your pop-ups is a great way to keep your WooCommerce store fresh and engaging. There are many reasons to do this, including the following:
- To keep things interesting for your customers
- To attract new customers
- To show off new products or services
So why not try something new with your pop-ups today? You might be surprised at the results!
Note: Pop-ups can be a significant source of distraction for users if you place them at every opportunity. Additionally, pop-ups can be used to phish personal information or infect computers with malware. They can interrupt the user’s flow and disrupt their experience. The best advice is to test them when adding, so you can step in your potential client’s shoes and see if popups are appropriate.
7. Make the Checkout process convenient
Indeed, Checkout is a common issue for eCommerce merchants, although it is a flexible tool. Test the checkout process to ensure that it is functioning correctly. Pay particular attention to the shipping and payment methods and the order confirmation process.
If you’re having issues with the checkout process on your WooCommerce site, there are a few things you can check to try and resolve the issue.
First, make sure that all of the fields in the checkout form are filled out correctly. If any of the required fields are empty, this can cause problems with completing the checkout.
Next, check to see if there are any plugins installed that could be interfering with the checkout process. If there are, try deactivating them once to see if that resolves the issue.
Lastly, ensure that your payment gateway is set up correctly and that all the necessary credentials are entered.
SEO and traffic
8. Write SEO descriptions of your products
Your product descriptions should be clear and concise, giving potential customers all the information they need about your products. Include details such as size, color, materials, and other relevant information.
Ensure you’re using relevant keywords throughout your site, including in your titles, descriptions, and tags. It will help search engines understand your site and rank it accordingly.
WooCommerce is a free eCommerce plugin that allows you to sell anything. The available WooCommerce product types are:
- Simple product
- Grouped product
- Virtual product
- Downloadable product
- External/Affiliate product
- Variable product
- Bundled product
- Subscription product
9. Optimize the store for SEO.
The world of SEO is constantly changing, so staying up to date with the latest news and developments is essential. In addition, it will help you tweak your strategies and ensure you use best practices.
Plenty of plugins and themes are optimized for SEO, but not all live up to the hype. Do your research and choose one that’s been proven to work well. Ensure your blog posts include relevant keywords in the title and description. It will help people find your posts when searching for information on the topic. There are a few different ways to go about finding keywords. One option is to use a keyword research tool like Google AdWords Keyword Planner or Moz Keyword Explorer.
Another option is to use Google search simply. Start by brainstorming a list of potential keywords, then plug them into Google and see what comes up. Look at the results that come up for each keyword and try to identify any common themes.
Offer and sales
10. Offer discounts and coupon codes
If you offer discounts or coupon codes for your products, list them prominently on your product pages. Use an email newsletter to share them. It can help encourage potential customers to buy your products.
For example, the Economist researched the psychology of discounting and admitted that during the experiment, researchers sold 73% more products when offered in a bonus pack than when it carried an equivalent discount. People prefer benefits in price, so you can send the code via email to encourage shopping.
11. Apply referral marketing strategies
Boost your sales by letting your clients refer their friends. Include share buttons on your product pages and ensure that your referral program is prominently displayed on your website. Moreover, suggest to them a discount code or a free product.
Make it easy for customers to track their referrals. Include a referral tracking system on your website so customers can see how many people they’ve referred and how much credit they’ve earned. In addition, you will find plugins to automate your referral program and make it easier to track referrals.
Here are some of the best WooCommerce plugins for referral programs:
2. ViralSweep
3. Refer A Friend for WooCommerce by WPGens
How to choose a plugin?
- Ease of use: You want a plugin that is easy to set up and use. Otherwise, you’ll spend more time figuring out how to use it instead of actually using it.
- Features: Make sure the plugin has all the features you need. For example, some plugins allow customers to earn points for referring friends, while others give customers a discount for referrals. Choose the plugin that offers the features you need.
- Compatibility: You’ll want to ensure the plugin is compatible with the other plugins you use on your WooCommerce store. Otherwise, you could run into conflicts that could cause problems.
Authority building
12. Add ratings and reviews.
Ratings and reviews allow customers to voice their opinions about your products or services. It can help increase customer engagement and loyalty. Besides, you build social proof. When potential customers see that others have had positive experiences with your products or services, they’re more likely to try them out themselves.
13. Use video to showcase your products
If you have product videos, include them on your product pages. Videos are a great way to give potential customers a more in-depth look at your products and how they work.
You can also lead traffic from Youtube since it is a powerful lead-generation tool. It requires some extra work but will pay out soon.
How to find a specialist?
According to Statista, In 2021, the freelancing platform Upwork generated over 502 million U.S. dollars in revenue. The income has been rising since 2016 and keeps doing it. Thus, you can find experienced employees there. Another idea is to visit Fiverr and Freelancer, other significant marketplaces.
14. Consider starting a Blog.
There’s no right or wrong answer regarding whether or not you should have a blog as part of your e-commerce website. It depends on your business and what you hope to achieve with your online presence. Yes, it brings traffic and more attention if you share valuable information like reviews, comparisons, or applications, but it requires an extra job.
That being said, there are some definite benefits to starting a blog for your WooCommerce site. A blog can help you attract more visitors to your site, build a loyal following, and establish yourself as an expert in your field.
Write about topics that are relevant to your products. For example, write about green living and sustainability if you sell eco-friendly cleaning supplies. Your goal is to attract readers interested in what you have to say and who might also be interested in buying your products.
How to determine topics to reveal?
One way to come up with ideas is to create a content plan. This can be as simple as brainstorming a list of potential topics and then narrowing it down to the ones most relevant to your business.
Another approach is to look at what other successful e-commerce blogs are doing. See what topics they’re covering and try to come up with new angles or perspectives that you can offer.
Once you have a few ideas, it’s time to start writing! If you can provide value to your readers, they will keep coming back for more.
15. Keep your blog posts updated.
If you want people to keep coming back to your Blog, you need to keep your content fresh. That means publishing new posts regularly. If you’re unsure how often you should blog, start with once or twice a week and see how it goes.
To understand your website’s performance, Google Analytics is a must. Google Analytics is a must to get a wealth of data and insights that can help you improve your content and reach your target audience more effectively. Knowing which metrics to track is essential to get the most out of this tool.
1. Pageviews – This metric tells you how often a page on your website has been viewed. Tracking pageviews can help you understand which content is most popular with your audience and where they spend the most time.
2. Time on page – This metric measures how long visitors spend on a particular page. If you see that people are spending a lot of time on a specific page, it’s a good indication that they’re finding the content valuable.
3. Bounce rate – This metric measures the percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate can indicate that your content isn’t relevant to what people are looking for or that it’s not engaging enough to keep them on your site.
4. Conversion rate – This metric measures the percentage of visitors who take the desired action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter. Tracking conversions can help you assess the effectiveness of your website in achieving your business goals.
16. Promote your store via different communication channels.
Once you’ve published a new blog post, share it on your social media channels and encourage your followers to check it out. You can also use paid advertising to reach a wider audience.
If you’re just starting with social media, it’s often best to choose one or two platforms you can focus on and do well. Once you’ve established a presence on those channels, you can start branching out to other platforms.
- – consider which platforms your target audience is using most frequently (IG, TikTok, Youtube, Reddit, LinkedIn)
- – decide what kind of content you want to share (e.g., educational, inspiring, promotional)
- – determine how much time and resources you’re willing to invest in social media (hire SMM team, copywriter, share your experience in the modest mode.)
Let people know they can find advantageous offers in your store. Social media can be a great way to promote your WooCommerce store and its content. Make sure you’re using social media tags so your links can be followed back to your site, and post engaging content that encourages people to share it.
Technical
This job must be done on the backend with your developing team. The small steps and corrections may have a powerful impact on your store’s operations. The e-commerce world makes wins the one who pays attention to details!
17. Boost your store speed
Loading speed is an essential component of raising sales. Potential clients may be attracted to your store with the flawless operation or leave it. Visitors are less likely to stick around if your pages take too long to load, so ensure your site is as fast as possible.
You have thought of customer journey, design, and functionality. But what if your site is slow? Here are some tips to help improve your WooCommerce site’s loading speed:
- Choose a fast hosting provider. Your host can affect your site’s loading speed, so choose one with fast speeds and good uptime.
- Use a caching plugin like W3 Total Cache or WP Super Cache. It will cache your pages and posts to load faster for visitors.
- Use a content delivery network (CDN) like Cloudflare or Amazon CloudFront. CDNs can help improve loading times by delivering your content from servers worldwide. Choose the server which is closer to your potential clients.
18. Consider Removing Sold outs.
Removing sold-out products is an excellent start if you want to improve your WooCommerce store. It can make it easier for customers to find what they’re looking for, and it can help boost sales.
To do this, you’ll need to edit your product settings. First, go to the “Inventory” tab and check the “Hide out of stock items from the catalog” box. It will remove sold-out products from your shop page and category pages.
Note: WooLeap developers admit that sometimes showing that something is sold out but giving the ability to get on a waiting list is an excellent way to see if users are interested in this product. You will see how to fulfill your sold products.
If you decide to remove sold-outs, you can also use a plugin to remove sold-out products. The Hide Sold Out Products for WooCommerce plugin is a good option. It lets you hide sold-out products with a single click.
19. Remove unnecessary plugins.
The tip to enhance your WooCommerce with various extensions has another side. Too many plugins can slow down your site. So, even if you installed and disabled a plugin, double-check if it does not hurt your store. If you see a minor inconvenience coming from some extra plugin, remove it. Then, your store will not lose a thing.
To help you out, check to Unload Unused Assets. It is a WordPress plugin that helps you selectively unload assets per page. So, if you have a page that doesn’t use certain assets, you can make sure those assets aren’t loaded on that page. It can help speed up your WooCommerce store significantly.
20. Keep an eye on WooCommerce upgrades.
If you’re running an eCommerce store on WooCommerce, keeping your plugins and WordPress core up to date is essential. Not only will this help ensure that your site is secure, but it can also help improve speed and performance.
To upgrade your plugins, go to the Plugins page in your WordPress admin area and click the link to check for updates. If any are available, you can install them by clicking the Update Plugins button. The task may be tricky because it requires constant attention. Thus, you might need to search for a third party to delegate the maintenance (You are more than welcome!)
To upgrade WordPress, click the Updates link in the sidebar and the Update Now button. WordPress will take care of the rest!
21. Update PHP
If you’re running an older version of PHP, now is the time to upgrade to PHP 8. WooCommerce 3.9 and newer require PHP 8, so upgrading will ensure compatibility with the latest versions of WooCommerce.
Upgrading to PHP 8 is easy – you can find instructions on the WordPress website. Once you’ve upgraded, you’ll need to ensure all your plugins and themes are compatible with the new version of PHP. If they’re not, they may not work correctly or may cause errors on your site.
We wish you all the luck in your endeavors and business!