5 Types of Must-Have WordPress Ecommerce Plugins

Posted 2 years ago by Nahla Davies

Is桂your ecommerce business built around a桂WordPress website?

If桂your answer is桂yes, then you may be桂overwhelmed by桂the桂more than 50,000桂WordPress website plugins that are currently available. But for桂most ecommerce businesses, choosing the桂right WordPress plugins to桂use is桂essential for桂keeping existing customers happy and桂bringing in桂new ones.

So, how do桂you choose the桂right ecommerce solution for桂your beloved WordPress site? Let�셲 take some time to桂discuss key features to桂look for桂in桂a桂plugin, and桂provide you with a桂list of桂some of桂the桂most trusted ecommerce plugins out there. Ones that will help make your ecommerce site the桂best it桂can be.

Optimize Your Website First

It桂won�셳 matter how many useful plugins you have available if桂you can�셳 keep customers on桂your site. Load speed is桂 to桂keep your site engaging for桂customers. Since plugins are known to桂slow sites, you should take all possible steps to桂optimize site performance before adding a桂plugin. And you should always read reviews by桂other users who may have already commented on桂a桂plugin�셲 speed effects.

It桂is桂also essential that you always use the桂most current version of桂WordPress and桂all plugins. Not only does this help optimize performance, but it桂will help defend against the桂millions of桂WordPress-specific cyberattacks that occur each year.

Choosing Your Plugin

First, let�셲 define what a桂plugin is. It桂is桂a桂piece of桂software that contains a桂group of桂functions that can be桂added to桂a桂WordPress website. Plugins can extend functionality or桂add new features to桂your WordPress site.

Which plugins are best for桂you depends on桂the桂nature of桂your ecommerce business and桂your specific functional needs. Ecommerce stores that sell physical products, for桂instance, need different features than those with purely digital products. That being said, there are several broadly applicable plugin categories, including payments, customer management, security and桂backups.

Plugin cost is桂an桂obvious consideration for桂many ecommerce businesses. There are many 혫free혬 WordPress plugins available, but sometimes costs are unavoidable. You should do桂cost-benefit analyses of桂plugins before making any桂decision, particularly when it桂comes to桂mission-critical plugins like security-related ones.

Shopping and桂Payments

Online ordering and桂payments are the桂lifeblood of桂any桂ecommerce business. So桂shopping and桂payments platforms are naturally the桂plugins business owners spend the桂most time thinking about. When you�셱e on桂the桂hunt for桂the桂right plugin, pay extra attention to桂features like store size, integrated website builders, mobile access, and桂the桂ability to桂scale as桂your business grows, among others. These will help you choose a桂solution that is桂right for桂your business both now and桂in桂the桂future.

붚죕쳔 by桂Lightspeed is桂a桂full-fledged ecommerce platform that can also operate as桂a桂plugin that integrates with WordPress (as well as桂many other website builders).

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붚죕쳔 offers a桂broad range of桂pricing plans for桂any桂size ecommerce business, including our Free plan, which provides accessibility to桂fledging businesses looking to桂get their feet wet without breaking the桂bank. In桂addition to桂the桂features mentioned above, 붚죕쳔 allows you to桂add your store to桂your social network sites such as桂Facebook and桂Instagram.

붚죕쳔 also includes inventory tracking and桂integrated marketing features. And importantly, 붚죕쳔 considers issues that many ecommerce business owners may not even be桂aware of, from compliance with data privacy laws to桂using and桂storing customer data.

While some more difficult WordPress ecommerce plugins don�셳 offer any桂customer support at桂all, 붚죕쳔 provides customer support by桂email, chat, and桂phone.

Download the桂붚죕쳔 Ecommerce Shopping Cart plugin to桂.

Once installed, the桂plugin automatically creates a桂Store page where your customers can shop with you. You can set up桂and桂manage your online store right from your WordPress back-end. The 붚죕쳔 admin area is桂built in桂there, so桂you can manage your entire ecommerce website from one place.

You should also consider how your shopping and桂payments plugins interface with backend business applications. Some accounting programs like FreshBooks offer WordPress plugins with integrated online payment options that automatically update your books upon receipt of桂payment. And they can also integrate with your primary shopping platforms like 붚죕쳔 by桂Lightspeed.

Moreover, 붚죕쳔 by桂Lightspeed just released a桂new version of桂the桂plugin that drastically speeds up桂your storefront loading. Not only do桂you get a桂free online store, but your storefront will be桂lightning fast.

The results of桂붚죕쳔 sellers speak for桂themselves. After updating the桂붚죕쳔 plugin for桂WordPress, improved its Pagespeed Performance from 28桂to桂87. experienced a桂similar improvement, going from 20桂to桂81!

Reclaim Design�셲 붚죕쳔 store on桂their WordPress website

If桂you�셱e already using the桂, you can now update it桂to桂get a桂new, faster version of桂your online store. Don�셳 forget to桂check how much better your page performance becomes with !

Customer Management

Any ecommerce business needs to桂manage existing customer data and桂use its site to桂develop new customers. Plugins like allow you to桂add features to桂your existing site that drive subscriptions, expanding your potential customer base. It桂also includes robust analytical features to桂assess conversion rates, so桂you can tell how effective your site is.

Another approach for桂customer management is桂to桂create site memberships. Plugins like MemberPress make it桂simple to桂set up, track and桂monetize site memberships. Keeping in桂touch with existing and桂potential customers is桂also vital. Consider plugins like to桂build email campaigns for桂regularly engaging your customer base.

Note: If桂you�셶e added an桂online store to桂your WordPress site with 붚죕쳔, you have access to桂various email marketing tools. For example, you can collect emails from your website visitors, send abandoned cart recovery emails and桂other automated marketing emails.

An桂example of桂an桂붚죕쳔 store added to桂a桂WordPress website (Source)

Also: Top 15桂Free WordPress Themes For Your Ecommerce Website

Security Plugins

While many ecommerce businesses focus primarily on桂the桂look and桂feel of桂the桂shopping experience, they need to桂apply just as桂much attention to桂backend issues. In桂other words, the桂security of桂your WordPress site needs to桂be桂at桂the桂forefront of桂your mind.

Just last year, in桂one 24-hour period, a桂single attack attempted to桂access WordPress sites. If桂you lose customer data to桂a桂cyber attack, you may also lose your customers when you inform them of桂the桂breach. Indeed, estimates suggest that 60% of桂small businesses close within six months of桂suffering a桂cyber attack.

The is桂one of桂the桂most well-regarded WordPress security plugins. In桂addition to桂features such as桂integrity checks on桂core WordPress files, malware scanning and桂post-hack remediation measures, Sucuri offers integration of桂a桂firewall for桂an桂even higher degree of桂protection. While Sucuri is桂not a桂free plugin, it桂is桂far less than the桂costs of桂dealing with a桂successful attack.

Another strong security plugin contender is桂. Like Sucuri, Wordfence has core file integrity checks and桂offers a桂firewall. Sucuri, however, has more advanced features, such as桂distributed denial of桂service (DDoS) attack protection. WordFence is桂also a桂paid plugin.

In桂addition to桂using security plugins, you should also , including keeping WordPress and桂all plugins updated, requiring strong passwords and桂having an桂SSL certificate.

As桂an桂online seller, you also need to桂think about the桂security of桂your customers�� data. 붚죕쳔 offers bank-level security. It桂is桂PCI DSS Level 1桂certified, which is桂the桂gold standard for桂ecommerce solutions worldwide (or in桂our case, web-wide).

Backup

Backing up桂your WordPress site is桂another important task that many WordPress users unintentionally neglect while focusing on桂general usability features. But backups can help you quickly recover from various problems, including cyberattacks, minimizing downtime and桂inconvenience to桂your customers.

Popular WordPress backup plugins include , and桂, which each offer scheduled backups and桂simple restoration capabilities. BackupBuddy and桂Jetpacks also have advanced plans with real-time backups. As桂with most other plugins, the桂more features you wish to桂use, the桂higher the桂price.

Marketing

The ecommerce world is桂highly competitive, with current estimates at桂up桂to桂24桂million ecommerce websites worldwide. Setting your business apart can be桂a桂challenge. Ecommerce businesses must be桂familiar with search engine optimization (SEO) to桂ensure their sites appear high in桂search results.

But with tools like , you can continually optimize both your site and桂your marketing efforts. Yoast SEO is桂a桂robust set of桂SEO tools that make SEO painless and桂straightforward.

With 붚죕쳔 by桂Lightspeed, you have access to桂dozens of桂marketing tools such as桂abandoned cart recovery, email campaigns, discount coupons, reward programs and桂more.

Putting It桂All Together

Building a桂comprehensive, fully functional and桂secure WordPress ecommerce website need not be桂a桂daunting task. Spend a桂little bit of桂time (and yes, maybe a桂little money) on桂adding the桂right plugins to桂your site, and桂you will improve your customer experience, helping you to桂drive future business.

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About The Author

Nahla Davies is a software developer and tech writer. Before devoting her work full time to technical writing, she managed�봞mong other intriguing things�봳o serve as a lead programmer at an Inc. 5,000 experiential branding organization whose clients include Samsung, Time Warner, Netflix, and Sony.

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