How to create a WordPress ecommerce website: install WooCommerce, add products, set up categories, payments, shipping & payment gateways

You can turn a WordPress website into an online store with WooCommerce.

You’ll need a domain, web hosting, WordPress, and the WooCommerce plugin. Once WooCommerce is installed, you can add products, create categories, accept payments, and set shipping rates.

What you need to create a WordPress ecommerce website

Before installing WooCommerce, make sure you have:

• A domain name, such as mystore.com
• WordPress hosting
• WordPress installed
• An SSL certificate so your website uses HTTPS

Your hosting provider usually gives you an option to install WordPress automatically.

After installation, log in at:

https://yourdomain.com/wp-admin

How to install WooCommerce

Log in to your WordPress dashboard.

Go to:

Plugins → Add New Plugin

Search for WooCommerce.

Click Install Now, then click Activate.

WooCommerce will open its setup process after activation.

You’ll be asked about basic store details such as your location, currency, product type, and business information.

Enter the details for your store and continue through the setup.

WooCommerce will then add the basic store pages your website needs, such as:

• Shop
• Cart
• Checkout
• My Account

You can edit these pages later from Pages in your WordPress dashboard.

How to add products to WooCommerce

Go to:

Products → Add New Product

Start with the product name.

For example:

Men's Cotton T-Shirt

Add a product description explaining the material, size, color, fit, and anything else a customer needs before buying.

Then enter the price.

Regular price: ₹999
Sale price: ₹799

Upload the main product image under Product image.

You can also add additional photos to the Product gallery.

If the product has different sizes or colors, use Variable product under Product data.

For example:

Size: S, M, L, XL
Color: Black, White

WooCommerce can then create different variations with their own prices, stock levels, and images.

Check the product page before publishing.

Then click Publish.

How to create WooCommerce product categories

Categories help customers find related products.

Go to:

Products → Categories

Enter a category name.

For example:

Men
Women
Shoes
Accessories
T-Shirts

You can also add a description and category image.

Click Add New Category.

When you create or edit a product, you’ll see the Product categories box. Select the category that matches the product.

A T-shirt might go into:

Men → T-Shirts

You can create subcategories when your store has a lot of products.

Keep the structure easy to understand. A customer shouldn’t need a treasure map to find your shoes.

How to set up WooCommerce payments

WooCommerce needs a payment method before customers can complete online purchases.

Go to:

WooCommerce → Settings → Payments

You’ll see the payment methods supported by your current WooCommerce setup.

The options depend on your country and the payment providers you connect.

For an Indian store, you might want to accept methods such as:

• UPI
• Credit cards
• Debit cards
• Net banking
• Wallets

For international customers, cards and other online payment methods are common.

Choose a payment provider that supports the countries and currencies your store uses.

How to add a payment gateway to WordPress

A payment gateway connects your WooCommerce checkout to a payment provider.

For example, if you want to accept payments through Razorpay, you’ll need the appropriate WooCommerce integration.

First, create an account with the payment provider.

Then install its official or trusted WooCommerce plugin.

Go to:

Plugins → Add New Plugin

Search for the payment provider’s WooCommerce plugin.

Install and activate it.

Then open its settings, usually from:

WooCommerce → Settings → Payments

Select the gateway and enter the required account credentials or API keys.

Payment providers usually give you separate test and live credentials.

Use test credentials while you’re testing your checkout.

Switch to live credentials when you’re ready to accept real payments.

How to set up WooCommerce shipping

Go to:

WooCommerce → Settings → Shipping

Click Add shipping zone.

A shipping zone tells WooCommerce where a particular shipping method applies.

For example:

India

You can then add shipping methods such as:

Flat rate
Free shipping
Local pickup

Set a flat shipping rate

Select Flat rate and enter your shipping cost.

For example:

Shipping cost: ₹80

A customer in that shipping zone will see the ₹80 shipping charge during checkout.

Offer free shipping

You can also create free shipping rules.

For example, you could offer free delivery for orders above ₹999.

Go to your shipping zone and add Free shipping.

Set the required condition according to the options shown in your WooCommerce version.

Add local pickup

If customers can collect their orders from your shop or warehouse, add Local pickup.

Enter the pickup details so customers know where and when they can collect their order.

Set up your WooCommerce store settings

Go to:

WooCommerce → Settings

Check each section before opening your store.

Under General, check your store address, selling locations, shipping locations, currency, and tax settings.

Under Accounts & Privacy, choose how customer accounts and guest checkout should work.

Under Emails, check where new order notifications should go.

Under Advanced, check your WooCommerce page assignments and other store settings.

Add taxes to WooCommerce

If your business needs to collect taxes, configure the tax settings before accepting orders.

Go to:

WooCommerce → Settings → Tax

If you don’t see the Tax tab, check whether taxes are enabled under the General settings.

Your tax setup depends on where your business operates and where you sell.

For an Indian business, GST rules can depend on factors such as your registration status, customer location, product type, and turnover.

Use the correct rates for your business and speak with a tax professional if you’re unsure.

Test your WooCommerce checkout

Before sending customers to your store, place a test order.

Add a product to your cart.

Go to checkout.

Enter a customer address.

Check the shipping charge.

Check the tax calculation.

Then test your payment gateway using its test mode if it provides one.

You should also check what happens after the order is placed.

Look at:

WooCommerce → Orders

Make sure the order appears correctly.

Check the customer email and the store notification too.

Add your store to the WordPress menu

Your customers need an easy way to reach your shop.

Go to:

Appearance → Editor → Navigation

If you’re using a classic theme, you may see:

Appearance → Menus

Add pages such as:

Home
Shop
Categories
About
Contact
Cart
My Account

You can also add individual product categories to the menu.

Check your ecommerce website on mobile

Open your store on your phone.

Visit the homepage.

Open a product.

Add it to the cart.

Go to checkout.

Try entering your name, address, and payment details.

Check the buttons and text too.

If the checkout requires you to pinch the screen just to find the Place order button, fix the layout before sending customers there.

Launch your WordPress store

Once your products, categories, payments, shipping, taxes, emails, and checkout have been tested, your WooCommerce store is ready to accept customers.

Keep an eye on your orders after launch.

Check failed payments, shipping charges, stock levels, and customer emails regularly. Small checkout problems can cost you sales very quickly.