Over the past decade, there has been a rapid switch from the dominance of brick-and-mortar stores to the increased use of eCommerce websites.
Many entrepreneurs have seen the great opportunity that online shopping presents themselves and their customers.
Consumers can buy clothes, furniture, arts and crafts, specialty drinks, and countless other products and services online. Thus, it’s no surprise that along with countless eCommerce website builders and an increased consumer desire for online services, the future of shopping is online.
Building an eCommerce website from scratch is fast, straightforward, and rewarding as you can get a store up and running in just a matter of hours! It’s truly one of the most exciting prospects for a budding entrepreneur who wants a quick way to get their foot in the door.
While starting an eCommerce store is easy, there are several factors that determine their success. One of the most important factors, beyond what you’re selling, is the functionality and user experience your website provides. Your customers will want and need an enjoyable experience shopping on your platform.
It should be easy to search products, filter products, add something to their cart, and pay for it quickly.
To ensure your eCommerce site is functioning as best as possible, consider using the following 7 WordPress plugins.
Table of Contents
1. WooCommerce
A Customizable, Open-Source Ecommerce Platform 🔧
Key Specifications
PROS
CONS
For anyone who has done some digging into eCommerce sites with WordPress, you’re all but guaranteed to have heard of WooCommerce. It’s a giant among the eCommerce plugins and it is among the most popular plugins for eCommerce stores.
The plugin was acquired by Automattic, the same company that currently operates WordPress. Thus, it’s no surprise that this plugin is at the top of this list—it gets the support and regular maintenance to ensure it’s a top-performing plugin. Plus, it works seamlessly with free and premium WordPress themes.
One of the most attractive things about WooCommerce is how quickly you can get your store up and running with it. You can get the store started with just a handful of products while having the ability to easily expand your store when you have more products. What’s more, the plugin is free!
Another advantageous aspect is the WooCommerce store. There are several extensions you can find, for free or a fee. And with the large, active community of developers, more plugins and extensions are always in the works.
All in all, WooCommerce is an easy pick for a beginner or an advanced user thanks to the ease of use and numerous customizations available.
2. Big Commerce
A Reliable Platform Since Launching 🚀
Key Specifications:
PROS
CONS
BigCommerce is another eCommerce platform that is also offering integration into WordPress. Originally, BigCommerce only offered the use of their technology through their platform, and they were recognized as one of the best eCommerce platforms available.
However, the company has quickly realized the advantage of offering a plugin to WordPress to join their technology with the content management power of WordPress. This new plugin has changed the game for WordPress eCommerce site owners.
BigCommerce offers an intuitive and smooth experience for site owners. The plugin provides an attractive dashboard where inventory and sales data exist. Additionally, BigCommerce operates uniquely to several other plugins—it has headless commerce.
The technology allows WordPress resources to be managed on the frontend which increases the payment processing and catalog management speeds.
As BigCommerce is a giant in the industry, it has lucrative partnerships with several processing companies. This allows users to have lower credit and debit card processing fees than other plugins. Lastly, the BigCommerce plugin can also be used on several sites at once allowing owners of multiple sites to use one system for everything.
3. Easy Digital Downloads
Best Solution For Selling Digital Products 🖥️
Key Specifications:
PROS
CONS
EDD is an intuitive plugin that aids in the management and selling of products. It’s important to note that EDD is only used for selling digital products. So, if you’re running an eCommerce site to sell physical goods, you’ll need to look at one of the other plugins. Nonetheless, for users who only sell digital products, this plugin is a great option.
The EDD plugin provides a user-friendly interface that provides site owners with a clean and easy experience. It also provides customers with a great experience. The plugin provides a shopping cart that makes purchasing a product as easy as possible.
Once a site visitor purchases a digital product, they receive an automated email with a download link to their new product.
Another highly attractive aspect of EDD is the fact that the plugin is free. You can download it, add your products, and start selling immediately. For eCommerce site owners who want the full experience, there are also yearly subscription packages that provide additional services like email marketing, customer support, and more.
Altogether, EDD is a great option for those who don’t want to sell physical products. WordPress beginners will have no problem getting the plugin up and running, and advanced users can take advantage of the REST API to customize the plugin to their liking.
4. WP EasyCart
Great Selection of Features ⚙️
Key Specifications:
PROS
CONS
WP EasyCart is a lesser-known and lesser-used plugin for eCommerce sites. Despite its low-key nature, it’s a quality option for many site owners. The plugin is marketed towards small business owners who don’t care to dive into the complexity of eCommerce tools.
Instead, WP EasyCart provides a simple pathway for online business owners to get their stores together. The configuration is quick and easy, and it produces an attractive online store without all the fuss experienced like with more complex plugins.
Sit owners who use WP EasyCart can also sell anything from digital products to physical goods. You can even send out invoices and create donation campaigns. Plus, the free version has numerous advanced tools like shipping calculators and support on unlimited products.
Online store owners can also subscribe to a premium package where they get additional services like Quickbooks integration and more. Regardless of the chosen package, users will have access to great tutorials, forums, documentation, and customer support.
5. Shopify
One of the Most Popular Ecommerce Platforms 👓
Key Specifications:
PROS
CONS
As another large name in the eCommerce industry, Shopify is a top competitor for WooCommerce. Shopify is a website builder and an eCommerce site on its own.
However, it also has a plugin available for WordPress users. This plugin provides WordPress users with a simple means to sell their products. Site visitors can purchase with just a few steps thanks to the Shopify Buy Button.
Many WordPress users choose Shopify for this simplicity. Shopify integrates perfectly with WordPress by handling several payment methods, managing shipping, and other logistics. What’s more, Shopify allows eCommerce site owners to sell digital and physical goods.
Similar to WooCommerce, Shopify has a large community of users and developers. You can rest assured that you’ll have support, forums, and documentation that can help you fix any issues that may arise with the plugin.
6. Ecwid
Ecwid Ecommerce Shopping Cart Is Fast and Easy to Use 🪶
Key Specifications:
PROS
CONS
The Ecwid shopping cart plugin is an attractive plugin that is comparable to the most used plugin, WooCommerce. However, unlike WooCommerce, Ecwid can be used on virtually any website or platform you want, including Facebook, Tumblr, and more.
The plugin is free to download and use, and it comes with great features such as a responsive shopping cart, usage on multiple sites, and support for up to ten products. If you’re an eCommerce site owner who has more than 10 products, which is quite likely, you’ll need to upgrade to one of the paid subscription models.
The paid models do offer several other advanced features like mobile point of sale, social media tools, automatic tax calculations, and more.
Ecwid is also attractive for users who want to get their site running and do not want to provide consistent maintenance. Plugin upgrades automatically upgrade, and data can be easily synced through different websites. Even if you have a WordPress eCommerce store and a Wix eCommerce store, your data can be shared seamlessly.
7. Cart Recovery
Recovery and Tracking to For Your WordPress Store 🛒
Key Specifications:
PROS
CONS
WP EasyCart is a lesser-known and lesser-used plugin for eCommerce sites. Despite its low-key nature, it’s a quality option for many site owners. The plugin is marketed towards small business owners who don’t care to dive into the complexity of eCommerce tools.
Instead, WP EasyCart provides a simple pathway for online business owners to get their stores together. The configuration is quick and easy, and it produces an attractive online store without all the fuss experienced like with more complex plugins. Sit owners who use WP EasyCart can also sell anything from digital products to physical goods.
You can even send out invoices and create donation campaigns. Plus, the free version has numerous advanced tools like shipping calculators and support on unlimited products.
Online store owners can also subscribe to a premium package where they get additional services like Quickbooks integration and more. Regardless of the chosen package, users will have access to great tutorials, forums, documentation, and customer support.
Summary - What is the Best WordPress eCommerce Plugin?
WordPress is the most used content management system and blogging platform available. Furthermore, it’s heavily used as an eCommerce site for online store owners. To get a WordPress site functioning well for eCommerce, plugins are necessary.
The above 7 plugins are some of the best available for users whether you’re a complete WordPress beginner or an advanced developer. What’s more, some of the plugins can be used together to create a truly great eCommerce experience for you and your customers.
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