Robb Digital has extensive experience in WordPress web design for small- to medium-sized businesses. Many of our clients need eCommerce tools for their website so we decided to put together a list of the top free eCommerce WordPress plugins.
What began as a blogging platform has blossomed into a full-fledged website content management system that is used for all types of sites from news magazines to eCommerce sites. Thanks to plugins it is possible to start selling products and/or services on your WordPress website rather quickly. Keep reading for our favorite WordPress eCommerce plugins.
WooCommerce:
WooCommerce is from the great team at WooThemes and is the gold standard of eCommerce solutions on WordPress. Key features include PayPal integration, extensive reports, a variety of shipping options, a coupon system, and easy inventory management. So many themes are designed to work with WooCommerce that it makes designing a website with your store in mind a piece of cake. Roughly 18% of WordPress eCommerce stores use WooCommerce, so they must be doing something right!
WP eCommerce:
WP eCommerce is the second most popular eCommerce plugin with over 2.9 million downloads. One of the cool features of this plugin is that you have full control over the look of the store because it allows you to customize HTML and CSS. Another unique feature is that it offers a streamlined checkout process that will increase your store’s conversion rate. The plugin also integrates with many of the top payment processors and shippers.
MarketPress:
MarketPress offers a sleek design, is easy to customize, and is chock full of great features. The plugin is from the team at WPMU DEV and gives shoppers an enjoyable shopping experience. This is in part to the included themes that are easy to customize without having to know how to code. MarketPress is fully compatible with BuddyPress and Multisite, so you can quickly set up a network of online stores.
Shopify:
Shopify powers over 165,000 businesses. You are able to easily turn your website into a full-blown store with Shopify Buy Button. The Shopify Buy Button creates a standalone mini-storefront on your WordPress blog or website and connects directly with Shopify’s secure shopping cart platform. There are some fantastic features that include design customization, unlimited products, 70+ payment gateways, sales tracking, order and shipping integration, global tax currency support, and a secure and responsive checkout experience. The only drawback for Shopify is that it costs $9 a month whereas the plugins above are free for the base versions. But that is still pretty affordable for most businesses.
Did your plugin make the list? If not, let us know your favorite eCommerce plugin in the comments below.