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Start with WooCommerce in 5 Steps

In this Getting Started guide, we teach you how to set up a website with WooCommerce.

Choose Hosting

You need to be running WordPress on a self-hosted site.

We have partnered with a few hosting companies that offer pre-installs of WordPress, WooCommerce, our Storefront theme and ecommerce-specific features, such as a dedicated IP and SSL certificate to keep your store protected and secure.

Install WordPress

Now you have a space to start building your website. To lay a foundation, use the free WordPress software platform.

Many hosting companies have one-click WordPress installation available, so be sure to look for this option or ask if it’s available. Otherwise, you can download from WordPress.org and then install by following instructions at: Famous 5-Minute Install.

Pick a Theme

Decide on the look of your website/store by selecting a theme. Use a free theme included with WordPress or purchase a premium theme.

We recommend Storefront and its child themes because they are built and optimized for WooCommerce. Storefront is free. If you wish to add functionality, you can purchase Storefront extensions.

If Storefront isn’t for you, there are lots of other themes that work great with WooCommerce.

Activate WooCommerce

With your website up and running, it’s time to install e-commerce functionality with WooCommerce. There are three ways to do this.

  • Create a free account on WooCommerce.com
    • Sign-up for an account on WordPress.com and WooCommerce.com
    • Select from:
      • A pre-installed solution with a trusted host
      • Auto-installing WooCommerce if you have a WordPress site already
      • Download the zip file and do it yourself
  • Download the WooCommerce plugin
    • Download the plugin
    • Go to your website
    • Go to: Dashboard > Plugins > Add New > Upload
    • Select the downloaded plugin
    • Install
    • Activate
  • Search for the WooCommerce plugin from within your website
    • Go to your website
    • Go to: Dashboard > Plugins > Add New > Search Plugins
    • Search for “WooCommerce”
    • Install
    • Activate

Upon activating the plugin, you are prompted with a Setup Wizard. We strongly advise following these steps, as it takes you through initial setup.

Extend WooCommerce

Grow your store by adding functionality with extensions. We sell extensions for nearly everything: Subscriptions, Bookings, Memberships, payment gateways, shipping and much more.

You can start a store/website for free and scale up as your customer base and revenue grow. Each extension is purchased on a subscription that gives you access to support and product updates. A subscription is billed annually.

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