ABOUT WooCommerce
What is WooCommerce?
About WooCommerce
WooCommerce is an open source e-commerce package released in 2011 by Mike Jolly and James Koster in 2011. Since then, it has undergone several changes, and is now managed and operated by the American company Automatic.
The feature of WooCommerce is that it does not function on its own, but is used as a plugin for WordPress, an open source CMS, and has the advantage of being easy to install if you are familiar with WordPress.
Share of WooCommerce
WooCommerce works in tandem with WordPress, the most popular CMS in the world. It is the package that forms the largest group of EC packages with 25% of the market share, because it is easy to install and does not require the cost of switching to a new system for companies that have already built their websites with WordPress.
Source: Research by j-Grab Cross-border EC Lab
The Merits of WooCommerce
-
EC applications that are easy to implement
It works as a plugin for WordPress, so if you are already using WordPress, it is easy to install.
-
Provide stable additional applications
Because it is open source, a variety of related plug-ins are available, numbering over 50,000. Also, since WordPress has been around since 2003 and has a large number of users, developers tend to give priority to managing the system, and if there is a major change in WordPress, the new version of applications will be released as soon as possible, so there are few plug-ins that do not work.
Depending on the combination of these plug-ins, it is possible to build an ideal e-commerce site with both a store screen and an administration screen. It has built-in user reviews, detailed reports, SEO and marketing features. -
Design compatible with mobile phones
Since it relies on WordPress, the site design can use WordPress templates, all of which can be converted to e-commerce. There are some WordPress templates that are suitable for WooCommerce. There are countless templates available, including free and paid ones, most of them are mobile-friendly.
-
Original designs are also available
There are many templates available, but they also work well with builder plug-ins such as Elementor and SiteOrigin, which can be used to create completely original designs.
-
Enhanced SEO functions
Because it runs as part of WordPress, the largest CMS in the market, it uses SEO optimized code and has a high level of SEO. If you are using the blog function of WordPress, it is advantageous for content marketing and frequent updates through SEO measurements. It is evenly matched with Magento, which is said to be the best in terms of SEO ratings. In addition, there are plenty of plugins for SEO enhancement.
The Demerits of WooCommerce
-
Hosting is a hassle
Since it's self-hosted, you need to look up a hosting plan and set up WordPress and WooCommerce. If you are not familiar with WordPress, you will need to learn WordPress as well. Furthermore, if your host does not provide an SSL certificate, you will need to install one.
-
Customization requires knowledge and experience
The degree of freedom for customization is quite high, making it ideal for those who want to be original, but it also requires knowledge of source code and scripts such as HTML, CSS, and PHP.
-
Weak official support system
The official support system of WooCommerce itself is weak, so when facing and dealing with problems, it is necessary to do Q&A in the dedicated community, or investigate and fix the problems by yourself (in English). If these resources are not available, it is necessary to find a partner, such as a company with expertise.
Basic features provided by WooCommerce
The core features of WooCommerce are as follows:
- Multiple payment gateways can be used, including PayPal, BACS, Stripe, Cash On Delivery, bank transfers, etc.
- Free and flat rate shipping can be configured.
- Different tax categories and local taxes can be set.
- A reporting dashboard that allows you to view inputted sales, inventory levels, and other information about your store's performance
- Incorporate user reviews, discounts, cross-selling, and up-selling
- Ability to set up product variants and sell both digital and physical products
The best thing about WooCommerce is that you can add more features with various free and paid plugins for WooCommerce. The following are some of the additional features, although not all of them are listed here.
- Multilingual Settings
- Sales of subscription products
- Bulk price change function
- Store integration with social networking sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter
- Provide more shipping options
- Synchronize customer lists and email lists
- Synchronize orders to your accounting software
- Integration with overseas e-commerce malls such as Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Etsy, Google, Shopee, Lazada, etc. (Also, Taobao can be linked, although it is a one-way connection from the mall side to WooCommerce)
What can j-Grab do for you?
j-Grab is well versed with the construction and production of domestic and international EC carts (platforms) such as WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento and the opening, customer attraction and operation of overseas EC malls such as eBay, Amazon, Shopee, Lazada. and is certified as an "eBay Japan Certified Consultant", which is only 10 companies in Japan. j-Grab is also one of only 10 companies in Japan to be certified as an "eBay Japan Certified Consultant," and our cross-border EC consultants are active as national cross-border EC experts at JETRO and the SME Support Japan, and we can provide companionship support for your opening and operation of cross-border e-commerce site.
We offer a support plan that is only possible because we are familiar with the latest rules and policies regarding overseas sales and trade.
We provide support to set up various setting in WooCommerce, providing know-how for maximizing sales, attracting customers and sales promotion after opening a store, and providing foreign language support in case of problems in operation. We can respond to requests for support from government agencies, municipalities, and financial institutions as well as individual business owners and corporations.
For those who are considering to build or create a cross-border or domestic EC site, for those who already opened an EC site or EC mall but sales are not increasing, for those who are losing to the price competition and sales are unprofitable, or those who would like to link eBay, Amazon, Shopee with your own cross-border EC site and succeed in the main website and sub-site strategy, please feel free to contact j-Grab that has the experience of supporting 2,500 companies in cross-border EC and over 20 years of experience in cross-border EC.
Edit: j-Grab Cross-border EC Lab