Author: Laura

Before we install WooCommerce, there are a few pages we should set up first:

Step 1: Setting Up Relevant Pages

1. About Page: Share your story with your customers. ( see example )
2. Contact Page: Provide a way for customers to reach you. ( see example )

Step 2: Disabling Comments on Pages

In WordPress, pages are for static content like “About Us” or “Contact” pages, which typically remain unchanged over time. Posts, on the other hand, are for dynamic content like blog entries or news updates, which are organized chronologically and can be tagged and categorized. Comments are great for blog posts but don’t always make sense on pages. Let’s turn them off:

1. Go to the Admin Dashboard.
2. Navigate to Pages.
3. Select all your pages.
4. Go to Bulk Actions, choose Edit, and click Apply.
5. Under Comments, select Do not allow.
6. Click Update.

Now, when you revisit your About page and scroll down, you should no longer see the comments box, making it more “page-like”.

Step 3: Setting Up Permalinks

Permalinks in WordPress are the permanent URLs of your posts, pages, categories, and other archive pages on your website. These URLs are designed to be permanent and should not be changed, hence the name “permalink.” They help create a URL structure that is easy for both humans and search engines to understand and share.

Pretty Permalinks: These are SEO-friendly and attractive, usually containing words such as the title of the post or page, post category, or tag name. For example: http://example.com/2012/post-name/

Pretty permalinks are SEO-friendly because they include keywords from the post title or category, making URLs more descriptive and relevant to search engines. This helps improve search engine rankings and provides a better user experience by creating readable and memorable URLs.

To create prettier permalinks:

1. Go to the Admin Dashboard.
2. Navigate to Settings > Permalinks.
3. Choose any option other than Plain (e.g., Day and name, Month and name, Numeric, Post name). Personally, I’m a fan of Day and name.
4. Click Save Changes.

Return to your About page and refresh it to see the updated permalink. This will apply to your About page, Contact page, and future Product pages.

If you’re considering starting an online store, WooCommerce offers a robust and flexible platform to build your business. It is a popular e-commerce plugin for WordPress, and it’s a great choice for several reasons:

1. User-Friendly: It’s relatively easy to set up and use, even if you don’t have a lot of technical expertise.
2. Customizable: It offers a high degree of customization, with a plethora of themes and plugins to tailor your online store to your exact specifications.
3. Cost-Effective: The core plugin is free, and while there are paid extensions available, you can start selling online without significant upfront costs.
4. SEO-Friendly: WooCommerce is built on WordPress, which is known for its strong SEO capabilities, helping your store rank better in search engines.
5. Community Support: There is a large community of developers and users, which means you can find plenty of resources and support if you run into any issues.
6. Secure: Regular updates and a focus on security help protect your online store from potential threats.
7. Integration: It integrates seamlessly with many other services and platforms, including payment gateways, shipping services, and marketing tools.