If you’ve ever thought about starting an online store but weren’t sure where to begin, you’re not alone. Many beginners want to sell their products or services online, but the technical side often feels overwhelming.
The good news is, if you already have a WordPress website— or plan to build one—there’s a tool called WooCommerce that can help you launch your store easily, even if you’re not a developer.
We’ll explain what WooCommerce is, why it’s a great choice for small businesses and startups, and how you can set it up step by step. We’ll also help you understand how to make smart choices early on, including which type of hosting can help your WooCommerce store perform well.
Let’s get started from the very beginning.
What is WooCommerce, and Why Do People Use It?
WooCommerce is a free plugin that works with WordPress. You can think of WordPress as the engine of your website, and WooCommerce as the part that turns that website into an online store. Once you install it, you can list products, accept payments, manage orders, and handle shipping—all from your website’s dashboard.
The reason so many people choose WooCommerce is simple: it’s flexible, free to use, and gives you full control over your store.
You’re not locked into monthly fees or platform rules, and you can customize it however you like. Whether you want to sell physical items like clothes or digital downloads like eBooks, WooCommerce can handle it.
What Do You Need to Start a WooCommerce Store?
Before you can install WooCommerce, you need two basic things: a domain name (which is your store’s web address) and web hosting (which is where your site’s files live). Most people go for WordPress hosting that supports WooCommerce.
While many hosting companies claim to support online stores, WooCommerce works best on WooCommerce optimized hosting that offers good speed, security, and automatic backups. It’s not just about keeping the site live—it’s about making sure customers have a smooth shopping experience. If the store is slow or goes down often, it could affect both your sales and search engine rankings.
At this early stage, you don’t need something expensive or complex. What you need is a host that’s beginner-friendly, reliable, and understands how WooCommerce works behind the scenes.
Some hosts—like Exabytes, for example—have hosting plans that are tailored specifically for WooCommerce users. These come with pre-installed WordPress, store-optimized performance, and useful tools that simplify setup. This kind of hosting can save a lot of time and reduce technical headaches, especially if you’re launching your first store. Here is a detail Exabytes review to more learn more about them.
Here is a Step-by-step Guide to Start a WooCommerce Store:
Step 1: Get a Domain and Hosting
Before installing WooCommerce, you need a place to build your site. This means:
- A domain name (like yourstore.com)
- A web hosting plan that supports WordPress and WooCommerce. It should be reliable, fast, affordable, and specially optimized for WooCommerce stores. Plus, it includes LiteSpeed servers, SSD storage, and daily backups.
Once you choose a hosting provider like Exabytes, you can register your domain and install WordPress in one click.
Step 2: Install WordPress
Most WooCommerce hosting plans (like Exabytes) offer 1-click WordPress installation.
If your host uses cPanel or a similar control panel, look for an icon that says “WordPress” or “Softaculous Apps Installer.” Click it and follow the simple steps.
After that, your site is ready and live!
Step 3: Install the WooCommerce Plugin
Now it’s time to turn your WordPress site into an online store.
Here’s how:
- Log in to your WordPress dashboard
- Go to Plugins > Add New
- In the search bar, type WooCommerce
- Click Install Now and then Activate
Once activated, WooCommerce will start a setup wizard.
Step 4: Set Up Your Store with the WooCommerce Wizard
The wizard will guide you through:
- Store Details: Address, currency, etc.
- Industry: What kind of products you sell
- Product Type: Physical, digital, or both
- Business Details: Store size, services
- Theme: Choose a free or premium WooCommerce theme
You can also skip or change these settings later.
Step 5: Add Products
To start selling, you need to add products.
Go to Products > Add New in your dashboard.
For each product:
- Add a title and description
- Upload images
- Set a price
- Define categories or tags
- Set inventory and shipping details
You can create simple products (like one-size T-shirts) or variable products (like sizes, colors, etc.)
Step 6: Choose Payment Methods
WooCommerce supports multiple payment options.
To set them up:
- Go to WooCommerce > Settings > Payments
- Enable payment gateways like:
- Cash on Delivery
- Direct Bank Transfer
- PayPal
- Stripe (for credit/debit cards)
Each option will ask for account details. You can always add more later.
Step 7: Set Up Shipping
Next, define how you’ll ship your products.
Go to WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping
You can create different shipping zones, like:
- India (Flat ₹50 shipping fee)
- International (₹200 or more)
Add weight-based or location-based shipping rules. You can also offer free shipping or local pickup.
Step 8: Customize Your Store
You can now tweak how your store looks using:
- WordPress Theme (free WooCommerce-compatible themes are available)
- Homepage customizer to add banners, sliders, product sections
- Widgets like “Featured Products” or “Top Rated Products”
You don’t need to know coding — just use the visual editor.
Step 9: Test Your Checkout
Before going live, place a test order yourself.
Check:
- Product pages load correctly
- Cart and checkout process is smooth
- Emails are sent for order confirmation
- Payments are processed properly
If all looks good — you’re ready to launch!
Choosing Hosting That Supports Growth
Your hosting plays a major role not just in your website’s speed, but also in how secure and scalable your store is. When your business grows, you’ll need features like daily backups, malware scanning, and quick support in case something breaks.
This is why it helps to choose WooCommerce-specific hosting from the start. It may not seem important on day one, but later—when you’re getting more visitors and orders—it can be the difference between a store that runs smoothly and one that keeps going offline.
Some hosting companies include beginner-friendly features like 1-click WooCommerce setup, automatic updates, and LiteSpeed caching, which can speed up your store without much effort. Exabytes, for example, offers WooCommerce hosting plans that come with these tools built in. It’s not just about the technical features—it’s the fact that they’re packaged for people who want to focus on running their store, not managing servers.
Understand That Support is a Lifeline, Not a Bonus
At 2 AM, when a customer emails you saying the checkout is broken, who are you going to call? This is when you’ll truly appreciate the difference between mediocre support and great support.
For an eCommerce store, you don’t just need support; you need expert, WooCommerce-trained support. You need a team that understands the difference between a simple plugin conflict and a critical payment gateway issue. Their ability to solve problems quickly can directly save you from losing sales.
Test them out! Before committing, send a pre-sales question to the host’s live chat. Ask something specific like, “How do you handle caching for WooCommerce cart and checkout pages?” Their response time and the quality of their answer will tell you everything you need to know about the level of expertise you can expect. 24/7 availability is a must.
What Happens After Launch?
Your store is live. Products are listed. Orders might start trickling in. What’s next?
Now you’ll want to think about improving visibility. That’s where SEO, performance optimization, and email marketing come into play—but that can be step two.
Right now, focus on keeping the experience smooth: respond to orders quickly, make sure payments and shipping work as expected, and add new products regularly. WooCommerce gives you plenty of tools to scale. You can install extensions later for things like subscriptions, bookings, affiliate programs, or connecting your store to marketplaces like Amazon or Facebook.
The best part? You can grow at your own pace. WooCommerce doesn’t lock you into a specific way of doing things. You’re in control of your store, your data, and your future.
Ready to find your perfect match? Head over to our Comprehensive WooCommerce Hosting Comparison Page to see a detailed breakdown of the best options available today!
FAQs About WooCommerce
It’s a free tool that lets you turn your WordPress site into an online shop. You can sell products, take payments, and manage orders from your dashboard.
Yes. WooCommerce is designed for beginners. If you know how to use WordPress, you can learn WooCommerce easily.
The core plugin is completely free. You may spend later on premium themes or extensions, but you can start a working store without paying anything upfront.
You can sell physical items, digital downloads, services, or even event bookings. It’s very flexible.
It’s recommended. Regular hosting might not be optimized for eCommerce traffic. Hosts that offer WooCommerce-ready plans—like those with Exabytes—are designed for performance, security, and reliability.
