How to sell products on your WordPress site

Do you have a product or service to sell? Offer them to customers on your website, they’ll love the convenience! The beauty of WordPress is that you can think of something, and someone created a plugin to add functionality to your site. As such, there are several options available to add a web shop on your site.

What are you selling?

Selling 1 item only? Easy-peasy when you already have a PayPal account. Have a bunch of products to sell? Set up your web shop (bit more detailed), connect to PayPal or other payment methods and you can turn the virtual “Open” sign on! There truly is a way for anyone to sell online!

Simple or complex?

Here are a few options to chose from, once you made your list of items to sell.

Simple offer: one or two products
Options: PayPal button or Simple PayPal Shopping cart

1. PayPal Button

To use a PayPal button only, you do not need to install a plugin. Just follow these steps:

1. Log into PayPal, Select Tools
2. Create a button (Buy Now) for your site
3. Select button type and add relevant details of your product, including variation (sizes) under “Add drop down menu”.
4. Click on Step 3, where you can indicate that you want PayPal to collect buyer’s shipping address. (Not a default setting)
5. Click on Create button and copy the HTML code.
6. Paste the code on your post or page, but make sure you’re in the Text screen
7.Save as Draft or Publish when ready.

This is great if you only have 1 or 2 products, because you would need to create a button for each product. Do you really have time for that?

2. PayPal Shopping Cart plugin

If you don’t, then this plugin comes to the rescue! WP Simple PayPal Shopping Cart.
You set it up once, learn how to tweak the “code” for products, and you’re good to go!
More details about this plugin can be found at the WP Simple PayPal Shopping Cart founders’ site.

In both cases you’ll create a regular Post/Page, add your product image, description and the button or shopping cart on the post/page.

Something a bit more…

Of course this would be too much work for a shop with many products. For that girlfriend, you need a more robust eCommerce tool.

Complex: many products
Options: WooCommerce or Shopify

My favorite is WooCommerce! Shopify will only work if you have a Shopify account and honestly, if you’re already paying for one, why would you go through the hassle of putting the shop on your blog? Maybe to combine both? You can find details about the Shopify plugin here.

3. My favorite eCommerce tool

That’s why I like WooCommerce, you do everything on your site, for free! Well, up to a point. There are modules you can add, but they’re not cheap. In my experience, you would be just fine with free WooCommerce.

It’s a bit more work to set it up, but you’ll have what looks like a beautiful, professional looking shop. And hey, if you don’t want to do the work you can always hire someone.

Set up shop!

So, there you go! Your options to sell services or products online can be simple, or complex depending on what you have to offer. From a simple PayPal button or shopping cart, to a comprehensive eStore, you don’t have any excuse not to sell online.
Even if you have a brick and mortar shop, enhance your business with a web shop. It’s where the future (hello Amazon, Etsy, et al)  is because many buyers like the convenience of not leaving their home or office to much.

Need help with any of the above? You’re not alone! In the past couple of months, we had several requests to “set up shop” from customers around the world.

So, we’re your (wo)man! We can help you with a simple 1-product page or we can build a web shop to put your products beautifully on display, your choice!
Check out our services page here.

Have any questions? Post them below and get the conversation going.
Thanks for your input!

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