If you’re setting up an eCommerce website, there’s a wide range of plug-ins and extensions that can optimise the selling experience for you while making your site more user-friendly for your customers.
Whether you’re setting up a traditional eCommerce store or looking into the sale of digital products, there’s a plugin for every eCommerce need – and we’re going to cover them here.
In this helpful guide, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the best plugins for your eCommerce website, how to use them, and how they can help your business grow. Let’s dive in!
What is a plugin?
A plugin is a form of software that you can install on your website, either as a way of including additional features, or to simply improve the overall functionality of the site. When it comes to creating an Commerce store, there are a number of essential plugins you’ll need to get your shop up and running.
Do I need plugins for my website?
While most website building platforms will come with some basic features for selling, SEO optimisation, and marketing, it’s a good idea to install professional plugins that are easy to use, simple to navigate, and – most importantly – help streamline the buying process for both you and the customer.
5 Best plugins for your ecommerce website
So, what are the best plugins for an ecommerce site in 2022? Here are just a few of the most popular and frequently used plugins that can help your eCommerce store get up and running:
Woocommerce
Woocommerce is an open-source eCommerce plug-in that allows you to sell products directly from your website. Woocommerce supports the sale of both physical and digital products, so it’s ideal no matter what kind of eCommerce business you’re running.
Woocommerce is the most popular eCommerce plugin used on the net, not least for its wide variety of features: with Woocommerce, you can integrate an all-in-one SEO plan for your product pages, sell products via affiliate links, and can even help you optimise your sales funnel.
If you’re looking for a free, easy-to-use plugin that’s trusted by the biggest online retailers, woocommerce is the way to go.
Memberpress
If your eCommerce website is built around selling subscription services, memberpress is an essential plugin that will allow you to streamline the subscription process. With Memberpress, you’ll be able to create restricted web pages that are accessible to members only, integrate an affiliate marketing programme, and even build and sell courses. The only downside to Memberpress is that the plugin isn’t free: with no options for monthly payments, you’ll need to pay an annual membership fee upfront.
Easy Digital Downloads
Digitally downloadable products are the latest in online commerce: with little to no upfront costs, selling digitally downloadable products offers the potential for unlimited passive earning. If you’re looking into digital eCommerce but not sure where to begin, Easy Digital Downloads is an easy-to-use plugin that can be integrated into any WordPress site.
Easy Digital Downloads allows you to sell downloadable products (such as digital planners, eBooks, and more) while offering various themes and extensions to customise the experience for the seller. The only downside to this plugin is that it doesn’t cover the sale of physical products; if you want to expand your store and offer physical goods, you’ll need to add another plugin, such as Woocommerce.
Big Commerce
If you’re looking to scale your business, a plugin like Big Commerce is essential. Big Commerce can help you manage the logistical side of your eCommerce business, in turn enhancing your business’ scalability. The plugin allows you to manage your catalogue, handle various logistical issues, and handle all payment processing from one single plugin.
What’s great about Big Commerce is that it allows you to sell from various channels, marketplaces and eCommerce platforms while managing all your logistics in the one place. Big Commerce can also be easily integrated with WordPress, allowing you to run your business via your original site while taking advantage of a number of its useful features.
An SEO plugin
A strong SEO strategy is an absolute must-have for any eCommerce site, especially if you don’t have a large advertising budget. If you want to boost your website with SEO optimised content, plugins like Yoast can be easily integrated into your WordPress site. While an SEO plugin isn’t a fully comprehensive strategy in and of itself, these plugins can help guide you through the process of creating SEO-friendly landing pages and on-site content.
However, don’t forget that SEO is multi-faceted; not only does your onsite content need to be opitimised, but you also need to put effort into your offsite content to help build strong domain authority. Alongside using a plugin, consider using an eCommerce SEO agency to help rank your site and bring in organic traffic.
