{"id":139376,"date":"2023-01-23T17:08:22","date_gmt":"2023-01-23T23:08:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/?post_type=resource&p=139376"},"modified":"2025-02-27T15:32:46","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T21:32:46","slug":"build-better-woocommerce-2023","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/resources\/build-better-woocommerce-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Build a Better WooCommerce Store in 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There are millions of eCommerce sites<\/a> in the world (a quarter of which are powered by WooCommerce<\/a>), but as hundreds of thousands of new eCommerce sites come online each year, standing out from the crowd can be downright daunting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The constantly growing list of eCommerce platforms hasn\u2019t helped either, as many of these solutions offer the same cookie-cutter site templates and features to everyone, over and over again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those looking to break out of the mold and build a more unique eCommerce experience, WordPress has become a popular choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The widely used<\/a> content management system (CMS) allows eCommerce builders to create and customize their site(s) as they see fit, and build a larger digital presence around their eCommerce store (e.g. media-rich product pages or blog posts with up-to-date, relevant content). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But WordPress eCommerce is hard to explain without also covering the wide eCommerce functionality of WooCommerce<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

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The Wide World of WooCommerce Plugins<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re building an eCommerce site with WordPress, you may already be exploring WooCommerce<\/a> and the different options it makes available for customizing eCommerce stores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WooCommerce isn\u2019t just the most popular WordPress plugin<\/a> for eCommerce, it\u2019s the most widely used eCommerce integration in the world<\/a>. As millions of users have created unique storefronts using WooCommerce, it has grown an ecosystem of its own<\/a>, complete with WooCommerce extensions for every aspect of the customer journey. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With so many options to choose from\u2014across your WordPress site AND your WooCommerce store<\/a>\u2014selecting the best tools and integrations for your site can be time-consuming.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To help you narrow down your search, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best WordPress solutions and WooCommerce extensions you can use to build a high-performing eCommerce store\u2014from setup and design all the way to security and maintenance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s dig in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sprucing up Your Storefront <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou eat first with your eyes,\u201d goes the old Roman proverb\u2014and while the Romans were likely talking about literal food, the adage also rings true for the way customers consume your digital content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ensuring your site is as visually appealing as it is functional is crucial to the overall success of your online store, as customers will form their first impressions<\/a> of your brand and products based on the way they’re displayed on your site. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As noted above, this is an area where WordPress users have an advantage, because they can tap into the vast library of WordPress themes<\/a> available for building great-looking WordPress sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While there are more than 10,000 free (or freemium) themes in the WordPress theme repository<\/a>, there are also thousands of premium themes available, which usually come  with more features and functionality in exchange for a one-time purchasing fee. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For eCommerce sites<\/a>, a premium theme built specifically for digital commerce can often be a helpful starting point. Moreover, other premium themes that aren\u2019t necessarily eCommerce-specific can offer site builders the freedom to build larger websites around a new or existing eCommerce store.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Leveraging Genesis for World-class WordPress Themes <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Genesis Framework<\/a> and Genesis-built themes<\/a> provide an excellent example of the creative freedom you can achieve when using quality WordPress themes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Launched over a decade ago<\/a>, the Genesis Framework serves as the foundation<\/a> for a wide array of premium WordPress themes that allow you to quickly and easily build great-looking, secure, and WooCommerce-ready websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breakthrough Pro<\/a>, for example, is a Genesis theme that can be used for a variety of different websites, while also providing robust eCommerce functionality right out of the box. You can find additional Genesis themes well-suited for eCommerce sites here<\/a>.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At WP Engine, all hosting plans,<\/a> including our WooCommerce hosting plans<\/a>, come with a suite of Genesis WordPress themes and plugins <\/a>included\u2014at no extra cost!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But even if you don\u2019t host your digital store with WP Engine, taking advantage of the Genesis Framework and themes is a great way to spruce up your eCommerce site. In addition to providing you with a great-looking, mobile-responsive theme that\u2019s optimized for search engine optimization (SEO), you\u2019ll also be able to take full advantage of the powerful plugins that integrate with Genesis, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n