4.1E-commerce with WooCommerce
The essentials in 30 seconds
- WooCommerce turns WordPress into a shop: products, cart, orders, payments, shipping, taxes.
- A simple product has no variants; a variable product manages variations (size, colour) with their own price and stock.
- A shop adds requirements: secure payment, VAT, terms of sale and legal notice, performance, backups and protection of customer data.
Running mini-case — opening the workshop shop
Hassan wants to sell part of his production online. Samir installs WooCommerce, creates a few simple products and one variable product (bowl sizes), sets up a payment method in test mode and a shipping zone for Morocco. Before opening, he checks the terms of sale, VAT and legal notice. He places an end-to-end test order to validate the journey.
Sequel to case 3.5 — the contact form works, now we open for sales.
1. Installing and building the catalogue
WooCommerce is the reference e-commerce plugin for WordPress. After installation, a wizard configures the country, currency, product type, payments and shipping. The shop is added to the existing site: the Shop, Cart, Checkout and My Account pages are created automatically.
The simple product suits a one-off piece or a model with no options. The variable product manages attributes and variations, each with its own price, stock and possibly image. Samir takes care over the product pages: clear title, optimised photos, useful description, product category and stock.
2. Payment, shipping, compliance
Payment goes through a secure gateway (Stripe, PayPal): the bank transaction is handled by the provider and is never stored in plain text on the site. We start in test mode to validate the journey without taking real money. Shipping is configured by zones and rates; taxes depend on the country and tax status.
An online shop requires legal notice, terms of sale, a privacy policy and rigorous management of customer data. Samir also checks performance and backups: a lost cart or order is expensive. He tests a complete order before opening.
🔎 Concrete example — Opening the workshop shop (Samir's case)
Country: Morocco · Currency: MAD.
Products: bowls (variable S/M/L), vases (simple), gift box (simple).
Payment: Stripe in test mode.
Shipping: Casablanca 30 MAD, rest of Morocco 60 MAD.
Pages: terms of sale, legal notice, privacy policy checked.
→ Test order: cart → payment → confirmation → email.Result: a complete, verified purchase journey.
Lesson: we test like a customer before opening.
Section vocabulary
- WooCommerce
- The WordPress e-commerce plugin: products, cart, orders, payments, shipping, taxes.
Simple example: the workshop shop runs on WooCommerce.
What it is not: confusing WooCommerce with a shop theme.
Reflex: WordPress shop = WooCommerce.
- Simple / variable product
- Simple: no variants; variable: variations with their own price and stock.
Simple example: bowls in sizes S, M and L.
What it is not: creating one product per size instead of a variable product.
Reflex: variants = variable product.
- Payment gateway
- A secure service that processes the transaction (Stripe, PayPal).
Simple example: Stripe in test mode before opening.
What it is not: storing card numbers on the site.
Reflex: payment is processed by the provider.
- Shipping zone & taxes
- Settings that define where and at what price you ship, and how VAT applies.
Simple example: 30 MAD in Casablanca, 60 MAD elsewhere.
What it is not: leaving a single worldwide shipping rate as the default.
Reflex: zones and taxes are set according to the market.
- WooCommerce extensions
- Add-ons for payment, shipping, subscriptions or bookings, to be added in moderation.
Simple example: a local invoicing extension.
What it is not: stacking ten shop extensions.
Reflex: one extension per real need.
In practice — Setting up a basic shop
- Install WooCommerce and follow the wizard (country, currency, payment, shipping).
- Create a simple product: name, price, description, image, stock.
- Create a variable product with attributes and variations.
- Configure a test payment method and a shipping zone, then place a test order.
Ready-to-use script — framing the shop (30s)
"Your shop will be integrated into your site: you keep control of the products and the customers. We start with a few pieces, with secure payment and clear shipping costs. Before opening, we test a complete order together."
Talk about compliance (terms, data) without jargon: it protects the customer.
Copy-paste template — shop opening
COUNTRY / CURRENCY: _______________
PRODUCTS (simple / variable): _______________
PAYMENT GATEWAY: _______________
SHIPPING ZONES AND RATES: _______________
TAXES: _______________
TERMS / LEGAL NOTICE / PRIVACY: up to date / to do
TEST ORDER VALIDATED: yes / noCrafts
Limited stock, careful photos, local and national shipping.
Digital products
Delivery by download, no shipping costs.
Subscriptions
A dedicated extension and management of recurring payments.
International market
Multiple currencies, taxes by country, suitable carriers.
✓ Best practices
- Test a complete order before opening.
- Start in test payment mode.
- Check the terms of sale, legal notice and data protection.
✗ Common pitfalls
- Opening without an end-to-end test.
- Neglecting shipping costs and taxes.
- Multiplying shop extensions.
Key takeaways
- WooCommerce turns WordPress into a full shop.
- Simple or variable products depending on variants.
- Secure payment, shipping and taxes are configured and tested.
- A shop adds legal and security obligations.
48h Challenge — apply tomorrow
Create a simple product and a variable product, configure a test payment method and a shipping zone, then place a test order through to confirmation. Note any blockers. 40 minutes.
- I install and configure WooCommerce.
- I create simple and variable products.
- I test a complete order before opening.
Frequently asked questions
Is WooCommerce free?
The core of WooCommerce is free. Some advanced features (subscriptions, bookings, specific gateways) require paid extensions. The real cost depends on the shop's needs.
Do I need a special theme for WooCommerce?
No, but a compatible, lightweight theme improves how the shop, cart and checkout pages display. Check compatibility before choosing, and test the purchase journey on mobile.
How do I handle VAT and legal notice?
The rules differ depending on the country of sale and the seller's status. You configure taxes in WooCommerce, draft suitable terms of sale and legal notice, and have the framework validated by a professional if necessary.
Hassan wants to sell his ceramics online. What must Samir check before opening the shop?