WooCommerce is considered one of the most popular WordPress plugins. It adds e-commerce functionality to WordPress websites. WooCommerce is free, open-source software, so it’s a matter of wonder why we need to invest in WooCommerce. Shorty, only because we get the base software free – doesn’t mean that the online store is also free to run. You’ll have to invest in a few essential costs before launching the WooCommerce site. So, the price will depend on different criteria. But the total cost can be $10000-$50000 approximately in USA. You can go through the following content to know why a WoCommerce site costs this amount.
Some Features of WooCommerce:
Before knowing about the cost, it will be good to know about the features of WooCommerce. Because it will help you to understand why you need to invest in your WooCommerce site. Some research shows that Woocommerce holds more than 29% of the market share. As a free plugin, WooCommerce permits priced upgrades that provide robust enterprise-level features. Some important WooCommerce features for an eCommerce store:
- Smooth WordPress Integration
- Seamless Integration with the Marketing Tools
- Open Source Development Platform
- Unprecedented Flexibility
- In-Built Payment Procedure
- Huge Library of Extensions
- Impressive Theme Options
- SEO Advantages
- Easy Managing Orders Policy
- Built-in Feature for Blogging
- In-Depth Documentation
- Local Customization
- Products Sorting & Rating
- List Unlimited Products and Product Photos
These features differentiate WooCommerce from other technologies. Let’s have a more detailed look at WooCommerce features to get a better idea about it.
- Smooth WordPress Integration
WooCommerce is an in-built plugin on WordPress. WordPress is now a demand Content Management System (CMS) worldwide. So, the principles of WordPress also work the same method for WooCommerce. As it’s easy to use, the combination of WordPress and Woocommerce makes the task much easier for a website owner.
- Seamless Integration with the Marketing Tools
WooCommerce provides you with the facility to do online marketing for your business. You can use Google Analytics, Google Shopping, Facebook, Mailchimp, etc., for your business. You can integrate your online store with all these platforms and tools. And thus, you can track and keep the report of the marketing campaigns.
- Open Source Development Platform
WooCommerce is an open-source platform. This means anyone can view, change, and contribute to the code. So by customizing and collaborating, developers can build a robust WooCommerce platform.
- Unprecedented Flexibility
There are various types of e-commerce businesses. Some are working on affiliate/external products. At the same time, some are offering and selling physical products or virtual products. Enterprises can customize WooCommerce easily to sell their products. So, it has become an excellent option for online businesses.
- Built-In Payment Procedure
WooCommerce comes with built-in payment gateways. So it’s easy to process payments through various payment gateways. Even Cash on Delivery facilities is also available and accessible. It’s all about a few clicks, and that’s it!
- Large Library of Extensions
If you’re making an online store, you need more than a website and products. You must set up payment processes, shipping, marketing, accounting, etc. WooCommerce makes it easier as it comes with a large variety of extensions. There are more than 400 extensions in The extensions library.
- Extensive Theme Options
Have you ever noticed two of the same websites with different domains? You haven’t seen it, maybe, right? All around the web, WooCommerce is compatible with WordPress themes. As a result, there must be more than two look-alike e-commerce sites. So it would help if you had an online store that represents your business by its unique design and feels.
- The SEO Advantage
Yes, it’s SEO (Search engine optimization). If you need an SEO strategy to establish a successful e-commerce or online business. One customer channel always presents, which will always have the upper hand. WordPress is considered one of the best platforms for SEO.
As WooCommerce runs on WordPress. As a result, all the professional WooCommerce SEO experts prefer WordPress & WooCommerce more. You’re already taking a step ahead if you want to build your online store on WooCommerce for SEO rankings.
- In-Built Blogging Feature
In WooCommerce, you can sell products and publish your content and blogs. For this, you can showcase your brand to the people. So, you don’t need a separate blog for your business as it’s already there in WordPress.
- Products Sorting & Rating
One of the best things about e-commerce is we can sort and filter products at our convenience. WooCommerce allows customers to sort and filter products according to their preferences. It also shows customer ratings and their feedback on product pages.
- List Unlimited Products and Product Photos
WooCommerce provides you with the facility to add as many products and product photos as you can. It also provides the “add featured images” that allow you to showcase your products in the best possible way.
The Cost to Build a WooCommerce Website:
The starting of Woocommerce is free. But the costs will sprinkle throughout particular functions and features. Each business has specific requirements. So, you need to know the requirements and align those with your online business. We classified the WooCommerce cost into two aspects:
- Mandatory Cost
- Optional Cost
1. Mandatory cost: Considered the following criteria mandatory because of their importance. And also when launching a WooCommerce site that can get online orders. Some of them are:
- Hosting Fees
The very first WooCommerce cost you will encounter is the hosting cost. Because it’s a plugin, not a fully featured e-commerce site. So a WordPress site is required for the plugin access. This means you need hosting for your online store. It would help if you chose the hosting plan keeping in mind the following criteria:
Sites on the server: If the server has fewer sites, the site’s speed will be fast.
Security: Keep attention to automatic backup, manual reboot, spam checker, malware avoidance, etc.
Customer Service: The provider should have a maintenance and support facility. And always be available to respond if your site captures any issues.
Scalability: You need to be able to upgrade the hosting plan by following your business plan.
So many hosting providers are available according to your plans. From small businesses to dedicated ones, they will look after your site. Thus, the cost relies on the hosting plan that you take. To give a clear idea, hosting plans can start at $1 to $2 and go up to $1000 per month in USA. Of course, You can choose the plan by your preference and budget.
- Domain Name Cost
After hosting, the next element in WooCommerce costing is a domain name. Because it is the identity of your online store, with an address, online customers can find your e-commerce site on the internet. It is a must.
Generally, the hosting package includes domain names, which is a very cost-effective way. Some hosting providers provide a free domain name in the first year. But after one year, you have to renew the domain yearly with a price ranging from $9 to $20 per year. The price depends on the domain name’s extension, for example, .com or .org.
- Design and Themes
You may have the desire that your e-commerce site will look attractive as well as outstanding. In general, many people may be mistaken about “themes”. Themes are more than designs and layouts. We will mention some facts that can help you to choose an appropriate theme that suits your new store:
Good in quality and attractive design
Fast loading time: Keep engaging customers with a page that loads no more than 2 seconds
Regular updates: Ensure to get theme update information. Because you need to merge it with the latest versions of plugins, or else you can drop back when competing with other businesses.
Easy to use: Themes should not need codes and are easy-installed.
Mobile friendly: More than 50% of world wide web traffic comes from mobile devices. So ensure that your website remains mobile-friendly.
Available support: Ensure you can contact theme developers anytime via emails, forms, etc.
There is a long list of WooCommerce themes for you to select. In USA the charge starts from $0 to $79 annually. You can select to extend the license to use your selected themes; the cost can be thousands of dollars.
- Payments Gateway’s Cost
You’ll need a payment gateway for your online store. The program processes customer payments with bank cards or transactions. Keep in mind the following factors when selecting payment gateways:
Secure Transactions: The payment gateways should follow all the standard security protocols. Choose what is required for security and a great user experience. You may also have to decide whether to use a direct or indirect gateway.
Fees per transaction and other charges: Payment Gateways have some charges per transaction. It would help if you also estimated the costs, such as maintenance or cash withdrawal charges.
In WooCommerce, all prime payment gateways are available. This means your online business can receive payments via various references. Most payment extensions can have extra fees with extra functions such as sending invoices or printing labels. So, you may need to spend 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.
- Security Cost
Another vital WooCommerce pricing criteria refers to security. For any business, security is a must. Here are three features for your websites:
Firewall: It manages your site traffic. Also, it finds the sensitive bots before they approach the store server.
Malware Scanner: You must scan your site to discover malware and other risks.
Malware Cleanup: It eliminates and adjusts malware in case your website gets attacked.
You need an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate for security purposes. It encrypts the data which flows between customers’ devices and your website. In most cases, you may get SSL certificates in your hosting plans. If not, the cost may vary from $8 and $60 annually. Moreover, you should add several ongoing security suites to the website.
- Hiring Developers:
It depends on your requirements and whether the site is tiny, medium or large. You must need a developer to add a new feature or help with any technical issues. Also, developers will handle the nitty-gritty tech stuff of your Woocommerce site so that your site goes to the next level with unique design and functionality. You can hire developers on an hourly or monthly basis. Developers can charge between $10 to $100+ per hour in USA.
2. Optional cost: As per the business’ customization perspective, the optional cost we considered:
- Marketing & Customer Experience
For the growth of your business, you may spend more on your WooCommerce store. This is an optional cost. For marketing and better customer experience, you may spend on the following:
Social media marketing tools: Many social media plugins are free. But if you want a more interactive sales and marketing strategy, you must invest in tools. This strategy will help to grow your online presence.
Professional marketing services: You can hire someone or help from any agency to run a successful marketing campaign. Depending on your requirements, this cost will vary. But in USA it may cost $8-$20 per day.
Customer service support: If you have many products to sell and many customers. If you can’t handle it, you need people to help with customer service. That means you will invest in staff running your contact centres for you. You can also invest in chatbots for 24/7 help. These will cost about $7-$20 per day.
Although WooCommerce is a free plugin, not only small businesses. It’s possible to establish a professional online store by using it. This e-commerce plugin is full of rich features and unique tools to use. After covering the basic requirements, then it’s your choice how you want to spend money on your WooCommerce site. There is enough flexibility to estimate your budget by following your needs.