9 Best PDF Plugins for WordPress (Viewer, Embed, & Downloads)

Are you looking for the best PDF plugins for WordPress but don’t know where to get started?

By default, WordPress cannot generate or embed PDF files in posts or pages. This is where a PDF plugin comes in handy. You can create, edit, and embed documents with ease using a plugin.

In this article, we will show you the best PDF plugins for WordPress that you can use on your website.

Why Do You Need a PDF Plugin for WordPress?

WordPress does not support PDF embedding, or downloading blog posts as PDF by default.

If you have a PDF document and try to embed it in WordPress, then it will show your file as a downloadable link. This way if someone clicks on the link, they will leave your website.

A WordPress PDF plugin allows you to display your documents on your WordPress site. Your website visitors can then view them in a PDF viewer while staying on your site.

A PDF plugin also helps your users to download any blog post or page as a PDF document. It ensures that the page is neatly formatted, so people can save it or print it with ease.

With that said, let’s look at the best PDF plugins for WordPress.

1. EmbedPress

EmbedPressis a complete plugin that allows you to add and display PDF files in your WordPress posts and pages. It’s easy to use and you can upload your PDF documents through the media library and place them anywhere on your site.

EmbedPress also lets you upload other types of media to your WordPress website. You can use it to add videos from YouTube, Vimeo, or Twitch.

Besides that, EmbedPress lets you upload Google Maps, docs, forms, sheets, Facebook posts, audio files, and much more.

2. E2Pdf

E2Pdf is a clean and simple WordPress PDF plugin that lets you create, edit, and display PDF documents to your visitors.

You can show static or dynamic PDF files to your audience. It lets you create and edit PDF documents and forms without having to leave your WordPress site.

The plugin also lets you auto-generate PDF forms based on your WordPress posts, pages, or web forms.

3. WPForms

WPForms is the most beginner-friendly WordPress contact form plugin used by over 3 million website owners. With WPForms, you can allow users to submit PDF files to your website through a file upload form.

This way you don’t have to give access to your website’s backend to others in order to collect PDF files.

If you want to share your contact form submissions with someone else, then WPForms lets you download them as a PDF document as well.

You can check out our guide on how to create a file upload form in WordPress.

4. PDF & Print by BestWebSoft

PDF & Print by BestWebSoft, as the name suggests, this plugin adds a PDF download and print button to your WordPress posts, pages, and custom post types.

You can add your website title, featured image, custom styles, and fonts. The plugin can also execute shortcodes when generating PDFs or creating a printer friendly version.

5. WooCommerce PDF Invoices & Packing Slips

WooCommerce PDF Invoices and Packing Slips is a PDF plugin for WordPress that allows you to generate, download, and send PDF invoices with order confirmation emails on your WooCommerce store.

You get basic templates with the ability to customize them according to your business needs. The plugin also helps you handle your packing slips and invoices from your WooCommerce admin area.

You can follow our step by step guide on how to start an online store to get started.

6. PDF Poster

PDF Poster is another user-friendly WordPress plugin to embed PDF files on your website.

Using a shortcode, you can add PDF documents in your WordPress posts, pages, widget area, and theme files. Plus, you can add a download button, so people easily get hold of your PDF file.

And when you embed a file, it removes the black viewer frame, so visitors get a clean experience.

7. PDF.js Viewer

PDF.js Viewer lets you show PDF files inside your WordPress posts and pages through a simple shortcode or Gutenberg block.

It uses Mozilla’s PDF.js to display PDF documents in a browser. Users get all the functionality such as scrolling through the document, search, print and download PDF files.

Besides that, the plugin lets you password protect your PDF documents, setup advanced zoom settings, show a loading bar, and display partially loaded PDF documents.

8. PDF Embedder

PDF Embedder is a WordPress plugin that allows you to embed PDF files in WordPress posts and pages.

The plugin uses JavaScript to embed files with a fully functional toolbar allowing users to zoom, navigate, and even download the PDF file. This makes the plugin different from others on our list.

Javascript allows you to have more flexibility on how your PDF documents will appear. The plugin also automatically adjusts the size of your PDF files. You can also enter the width manually and the plugin will automatically calculate the height.

9. MonsterInsights

MonsterInsights is the best WordPress analytics plugin used by over 2 million website owners. It helps you see how people find and use your website.

It comes with a built-in download tracking feature that helps you monitor how many PDF downloads you get from your WordPress site.

Aside from download tracking, it also lets you see how many people are clicking on specific PDF files, links, buttons, or any other element on your site. You also get to see other important items such as real-time analytics, top referral sources, page level analytics, custom dimensions, and more.

The PDF tracking feature is also available in MonsterInsights Lite, which is the free version of the plugin.

Bonus WordPress PDF Plugins

These plugins do not offer a way to generate or embed PDF files. However, if you serve PDF files on your WordPress site, then you may find them helpful.

10. SearchWP

SearchWP is a paid WordPress plugin. It allows you to add a better search experience to your WordPress site.

One of the features of this plugin is the ability to search the text inside PDF files. However, it cannot search PDF files that are encrypted, stored outside the media library, or have images as text. See our guide on how to improve WordPress search with SearchWP

11. OptinMonster

OptinMonster is the best lead generation and conversion optimization plugin for WordPress.

It is a powerful tool that helps you grow your email list. You can convert abandoning visitors into subscribers by using OptinMonster. You can ask users to signup for your email list in exchange for free download PDF resources.

You can also use it to offer content upgrades. See this list of content upgrade ideas to 10X your subscribers.

Which is The Best PDF Plugin for WordPress?

The best WordPress PDF plugin really depends on your needs. If you are looking for a plugin to embed PDF documents and other media files with ease, then we recommend EmbedPress.

If you want to allow users to submit PDF files to your website, then WPForms is the best plugin.

As for creating and editing PDF documents right inside WordPress, then we recommend E2Pdf.

If you want visitors to subscribe in exchange for PDF downloads, then use OptinMonster, and lastly for tracking all PDF analytics, we recommend MonsterInsights.

We hope this article helped you find the best PDF plugins for WordPress. You may also want to see our list of the best WordPress page builder plugins, and our comparison of the best email marketing services.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post 9 Best PDF Plugins for WordPress (Viewer, Embed, & Downloads) appeared first on WPBeginner.

December 25, 2020 at 08:05PM

Beginner’s Guide: What is VoIP and How Does it Work? (Explained)

We are often asked by beginners: what is VoIP and how does VoIP work? If you are a non-techy user, then you may have heard that you could use VoIP to add a business phone number for your website.

VoIP is a more cost-effective way to get a business phone number for your website when compared to a traditional phone line. However before making any decision, you need to fully understand what the technology is all about.

In this beginner’s guide, we will answer what is VoIP, and how does VoIP work behind the scenes. The goal is to help you understand how VoIP can save you money and help you grow your business.

Here is an overview of what we’re going to cover in this guide. You can click on these links to jump straight to different sections.

• What is VoIP?
• How does VoIP work? (Behind the scenes)
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of VoIP?
• Which is the best VoIP phone service?
• How to make a call using VoIP?
• Frequently asked questions about VoIP (FAQs)

What is VoIP?

VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) is a phone technology that allows you to make and receive phone calls using the internet instead of traditional phone lines.

Unlike landline phone systems that are limited to a single desk phone in your office, VoIP lets you make and receive business phone calls from your laptop, tablet, regular smart phone (using an App), and even VoIP compatible office phone sets.

Since all calls are made over the internet, it’s extremely cost-efficient for both domestic and long distance (international) calls. Most business VoIP providers offer unlimited minutes without any extra cost.

Aside from the cost savings, you also get all the advanced phone features like call waiting, call routing, caller tones, auto-attendant, multiple phone numbers, and more.

This is why most small businesses and even enterprise companies are all switching away from traditional phone providers to a business VoIP provider.

At WPBeginner, we use Nextiva, a leading VoIP based business phone system.

How VoIP Actually Works? (Behind the Scenes Look)

To understand how VoIP actually works, we will take a look at what happens when you make or receive a phone call on VoIP phone.

When you make a phone call using VoIP, their business phone number app or VoIP adapter takes the analog audio signal and turn it into digital signal.

This digital voice data is then sent to the business phone service provider using your internet, and then finally the message is routed to your customer’s phone.

This process happens nearly instantly which is why sometimes VoIP sound quality is even better than regular phone calls.

How is VoIP different than Traditional Phone System?

VoIP works differently behind the scenes from a regular landline phone system.

Traditional telephony systems use the circuit switching method for connecting calls. When you make a call through the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), you’re connected to the person on the other end, and they’re connected to you in a circuit.

The ‘Circuit switching’ technology is used for more than a 100 years now. It is reliable and still works, but is not the most efficient or cost-effective.

VoIP uses the ‘packet switching’ method instead. This means that data is only sent when needed. A brief, instant connection is created each time you speak. The connection doesn’t need to go both ways all the time. You and the person you’re talking to will not normally be both speaking at the same time.

Plus, packets of data are sent efficiently. They can use many different paths through the internet. The packages are then put back together when they reach their destination.

The data packets can also be compressed to save space. This lets them travel even more quickly through the internet.

All of this happens very fast. Unless there’s a problem with your internet connection, you will not notice any delay during the call.

While VoIP may sound quite technical and complicated, the main thing to understand is that VoIP is a more efficient method of transferring data during phone calls.

You probably have already used VoIP before without knowing it, through an app like Skype or Google Voice.

VoIP Pros and Cons Compared

Since we’ve been using a VoIP business phone service in our company for years, it’s fair to say that we know a thing or two about the pros and cons.

Here’s our detailed analysis of the pros and cons of VoIP.

VoIP Advantages – Benefits of Using VoIP

Switching from a traditional telephone company’s service to a cloud based VoIP phone system has many benefits.

Lower Monthly Cost

One of the biggest advantage of VoIP is that you have lower monthly cost on both domestic and international calls.

Most VoIP phone providers will often include unlimited domestic calls for free. International calls are normally very cheap, too.

Aside from that, you’ll also save money on repair and maintenance service expenses that you currently pay your landline phone provider.

Take calls from anywhere – Completely Portable

With VoIP, you don’t need to be in an office, on-premise, sitting by your desk phone to take phone calls. You can take incoming calls from wherever you are using an app on your phone, tablet, or laptop computer.

This is a big advantage for teams that are working remotely or out on the field. It is also great if you’re traveling.

Advanced business phone features

VoIP solutions normally include lots of extra business phone features. For instance, you can set up conference calls easily with VoIP.

Plus, most VoIP service providers offer a virtual receptionist, hold music, call waiting, voicemail to email or text, and much more. You can even get advanced telecommunications functionality like video conferencing.

This may also get you additional cost savings because often traditional telephone service providers charge recurring fees for these add-ons.

Improved Scalability and Flexibility

Another advantage of VoIP is higher scalability. Whether you’re hiring more staff or opening a new branch office in a new city, VoIP makes it easy to grow.

Unlike a traditional phone service that would require to spend money on expensive hardware on dedicated line, VoIP lets you add your team members with just a few clicks inside your account dashboard.

Since VoIP works on all smart phones, you can even cut additional equipment cost and free up desk space by having your team members install the app on their personal phone.

VoIP Disadvantages – Drawbacks of Using VoIP

While VoIP is an amazing technology, it may not be perfect for everyone. There are a couple of VoIP disadvantages that you should be aware of.

You need a good internet connection to make telephone calls

As we explained in the how VoIP works section, you need to have an internet connection to make phone calls.

If your internet is slow, then your call quality may be impacted.

The good thing is that VoIP technology doesn’t use as much bandwidth as you might think. A good connection with less than 70ms ping and at least 500 kbps of upload speed is good enough for VoIP calls.

However if you have a lot of team members in your office, then you may need to look at your bandwidth needs for the number of concurrent calls your business will be making at the same time.

You need to account for power outages

Regular phone service works during power outages. But you cannot make VoIP calls if you don’t have power or access to the internet.

Typically, most offices have wireless internet powered by WiFi routers. These routers need electricity, so if your building experiences power outage, then your internet can also go down which will impact your VoIP service.

The way we mitigate this in our office is by using a battery backup system for our internet router. Since our internet is provided by a different company than our electricity, we never have both outages at the same time.

Furthermore, since our team members use the VoIP app on their phone, they can always use their mobile data to make business phone calls.

You will need to retrain your staff on the new system

Switching to a new telephone system means you need to train your staff on how to use it.

Luckily, most VoIP services are designed to be as straightforward and intuitive as possible. This means it should be easy to train team members on how to use the cloud phone systems, even if your employees are working remotely.

Which is the Best VoIP Phone Service?

Here at WPBeginner, we use and recommend Nextiva as the best VoIP phone service. They offer a free local or toll-free number with all of their plans.

Nextiva comes with all the essential features you need including call routing, unlimited domestic voice calls, unlimited business SMS messaging, voicemail to email/text, number porting, caller ID, caller forwarding, custom greetings, auto attendant, hold music, online VoIP fax, phone extension for team members, and more.

They have an easy to use smart phone app for Android / iPhone (iOS), and a softphone app for your computer.

For Enterprise customers, then even let you convert your existing PBX (private branch exchange) system into a cloud phone system using SIP (session initiation protocol) trunking. This means you can easily transfer calls to different department and employees using your existing system and local area network.

Nextiva also has several useful advanced features. For instance, you can connect your VoIP phone system with real-time live chat and with your CRM system to help you create a unified communications system.

Plus, their support team is extremely helpful, making it really easy for you to get started. This is why we use Nextiva for our business.

Other great VoIP alternatives to Nextiva include:

• RingCentral – a big, well-known VoIP company that costs a little more than Nextiva. They have all the features you need, and they offer screen sharing and conferencing tools too.
• Ooma – an easy-to-setup option that offers toll-free numbers plus all the features you’d expect. You get 500 minutes included for free, but need to pay extra for more.
• Grasshopper – another great business phone service for solpreneurs and small businesses that offers all the essential features.
• Phone.com – a good IP telephone for businesses working with Canada and many EU countries, as these locations are covered as local calls.

How to Make a Call Using VoIP

To make a call using VoIP, you first need a VoIP business phone service like Nextiva. You also need an internet connection with good bandwidth. This normally means using a broadband internet connection.

Then, you can make a call using VoIP with any of the following devices:

• Your existing phone handset. This can be connected to the VoIP system using an ATA (analog telephone adapter) which gives it an IP address. Essentially, you just plug your phone into the ATA instead of straight into your wall socket.
• A special IP phone. This looks and works like a normal phone. It has a handset with buttons that slots into a charging cradle. However, instead of the a RJ-11 phone connector, the IP phone has an RJ-45 connector. This means it plugs into an ethernet port on your router, not into a phone connector. Depending on the season, some VoIP companies may give you a free phone handset.
• Your computer. You will need an app that lets you make calls over VoIP. This is sometimes called a ‘softphone’. Of course, you will also need a sound card plus a headset, or a microphone and speakers. You will also need internet connectivity, either by ethernet or wifi. Most well-known VoIP companies have apps for both Windows and Mac.
• Your mobile phone. Again, you will need the right app and a wifi connection. You can also use a mobile data plan with 4G or higher speeds. Most VoIP apps will work on all smart phone such as Android mobile devices and Apple iPhone (iOS).

Frequently Asked Questions about VoIP Phone (VoIP FAQs)

There are lots of different business VoIP providers, and it can be hard to know which one is the best for your needs.

Over the years we have helped thousands of beginners choose the best VoIP phone platform. We have heard almost every possible question about VoIP that you can think of.

Following are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about VoIP (Voice over IP).

How much do domestic vs international calls cost on VoIP?

Most VoIP services will include unlimited domestic calls for no extra charge. However, some cheaper VoIP services charge based on the number of minutes you use.

The international rates will vary depending on the VoIP provider you use, but these rates will almost always be more affordable than traditional landline rates for international calls.

Can you keep your existing phone number on VoIP?

Yes, when switching from traditional landline phone to business VoIP phone, you can ask for number porting which lets you keep your existing business phone number.

Most good VoIP services let you do this, but please check with them before signing up.

Is there a VoIP backup if your internet connection goes down?

Some VoIP services have a backup in case your broadband connection is down or your power goes out. For instance, Nextiva can automatically forward calls to a cell phone.

Does VoIP offer call routing or extensions for team members?

Yes, most good VoIP phone service providers include call routing, phone extensions, call queue, and auto attendant at no additional cost.

We hope this article helped answer the questions of what is VoIP and how does it work behind the scenes. You might also like our comparison of the best website builder platforms, and best email marketing services to grow your business.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post Beginner’s Guide: What is VoIP and How Does it Work? (Explained) appeared first on WPBeginner.

December 24, 2020 at 06:00PM

How to Add Additional User Profile Fields in WordPress Registration

Do you want the ability to add new profile fields when users register on your WordPress site?

Maybe you want to allow users to submit their social media profiles. Or you might want to have them submit their business phone number when registering. This can all be done by adding additional profile fields.

In this article, we will show how to add additional user profile fields in WordPress registration.

Method 1. Add Custom User Profile Fields using Advanced Custom Fields Plugin

The best way to add extra user profile fields in WordPress is to use the Advanced Custom Fields plugin.

First, you need to install and activate the Advanced Custom Fields plugin. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

After you’ve installed and activated it, go to Custom Fields » Add New and give your new field a name.

We’re calling this example ‘Twitter Handle’ since we’re setting up a custom field to add a Twitter username. However, you can name it anything you want.

Next, click the ‘Add Field’ button, and you’ll see it open up to configure your new field. Here’s our example customization.

The ‘Field Label’ is the name of your field, which helps you organize your fields.

The ‘Field Name’ is auto-populated based on the name you give your field, but you can change this to be whatever you want.

The ‘Field Type’ is where you can select what type of information you want to be submitted.

You can choose many options such as email, number, text area, url, password, and more.

The ‘Required?’ area can be turned on or off. If you want to require anyone who registers to fill out this field, then you’ll need to toggle the required button to where it says ‘Yes.’

Lastly, the ‘Placeholder Text’ is what you’ll put in the field to show as an example for your users when they register. We used ‘@sample_username.’

The next step is to set the location for this profile field.

You’ll need to scroll down to the ‘Location’ area and make sure you select ‘User Role’ in the dropdown menu.

To the very right, the ‘All’ option simply means all users who register.

But if you wanted to make this rule only apply to certain user roles such as Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor, or Subscriber, then you can make that selection there.

Next, scroll down to the settings box. Make sure the ‘Active’ field is set to ‘Yes’ and then click ‘Publish’ in the upper right corner to save this field.

In the Style section, make sure you select ‘Seamless (no metabox)’ to prevent the name of this field appearing on your registration page.

Since we’ve already given instructions to submit the Twitter handle, you don’t want it appearing multiple times in the field as it makes it look cluttered.

Lastly, you can see all your fields by going to Custom Fields » Field Groups.

Now it’s time to check out how this is displayed on your registration page. The default url for registration is located at ‘yoursite.com/wp-login.php?action=register.’

Our example looks like this:

If you’d like to create a custom user registration form in WordPress, then you can do so by using the WPForms plugin and following our tutorial on how to create a custom user registration form in WordPress.

Method 2. Add Additional User Profile Fields with Profile Extra Fields

This method allows you to easily add extra fields to user profiles and user registration form in WordPress. It is a little less flexible, but it gets the job done.

First, you need to install and activate the Profile Extra Fields plugin. If you’re unsure of how to do this, check out our full guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Once the plugin is activated, it’s time to create some additional user profile fields to use on your registration forms.

We’re going to create a phone number field as an example, but you can create as many of these fields as you want.

First, go to your Profile Extra Fields » Add New page. We’re creating a field for users to submit their phone number.

You’ll see that we’ve named the field ‘Phone Number’ and selected ‘Phone number’ in the dropdown menu.

In the Field Properties, we’re checking all the boxes for the ‘Author’ user level because we want to display this field when someone registers as an Author.

Lastly, check the box to make the field required if you want them to fill out their phone number when registering.

Scroll down until you’ll this:

Make sure that box is checked so the field shows in your registration form. Don’t forget to click the ‘Save Changes’ button at the bottom before going further.

When you create these fields, you can see them when you go to your Profile Extra Fields » Add New page:

Now, you’ll want to go into your WordPress dashboard to change some settings for new registrations.

Go to Settings » General page in your WordPress admin area and then check the membership box so anyone can register.

You will need to make sure that the default role is set to the role which you have added extra fields for.

This way, you can control the level of access new users have, and this will force the registration form to show the fields you selected earlier in this tutorial.

Here’s what the default registration form looks like:

Pro Tip: You can always create a custom WordPress user registration form by following our tutorial.

We’re using ‘AuthorJon’ as a test profile to show you how this new user registration will show up in the dashboard.

To see the extra fields in action, go to Users » All Users and then click on ‘edit’ for the profile you want to see.

We are looking at the user we just created, AuthorJon. When you scroll to the bottom of their profile, you’ll see the following:

As you can see, their phone number was created in their profile when they registered their account. This goes for any other field you want to use as well.

We hope this tutorial helped you learn how to add additional user profile fields in WordPress registration. You might also want to see our guide on how to create a custom WordPress login page, and our comparison of the best WordPress membership plugins to create & sell courses.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Add Additional User Profile Fields in WordPress Registration appeared first on WPBeginner.

December 23, 2020 at 05:30PM

How to Start an Online Boutique Shop that Drives Sales (2021)

Do you want to run your own online boutique shop but not sure how to get started?

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need any technical skills to start an online boutique. Often people prefer to buy from small / personal businesses, and your online boutique store could be the next success story.

In this article, we’ll show you how to easily start an online boutique shop that drives sales.

What Do You Need to Start an Online Boutique Shop?

Starting your online store is a lot simpler than you might think. To start an online boutique shop, you need:

• A domain name (a name for your website)
• A web hosting account (this is where your website files live on the internet)
• Your undivided attention for 30 minutes.

Yes, you read that right. You can build an online boutique shop website from scratch in less than 30 minutes, and you don’t need any technical skills.

We will show you everything you need to know, step by step.

Simply follow our step by step checklist for starting a successful online boutique shop that drives sales. We will cover:

1. Choosing and Setting Up Your Online Boutique Shop Platform
2. Set Up WordPress and WooCommerce on Your Website
3. Add Products to Your Online Boutique Shop
4. Change or Customize Your WordPress Theme
5. Add Plugins to Extend Your Online Shop and Drive Sales
6. Learn More About WordPress
7. FAQs About Setting Up an Online Boutique Shop

Tip: You can use the links in the checklist to jump straight to the relevant section of our online boutique shop tutorial.

1. Choosing the Best Online Boutique Shop Platform

The biggest mistake that new store owners make is choosing the wrong eCommerce platform for their online shop.

This could be a costly mistake because not only will it mean you’ll have to re-do all the work, but it could also mean losing money.

Thankfully you’re here, so we can help you avoid making that mistake.

When it comes to eCommerce platforms for boutique shops, we recommend only two platforms: Shopify or WooCommerce (built on WordPress).

Shopify is a fully hosted solution that lets you get started quickly. The big drawback is the pricing which starts at $29/month and goes up to $299 per month for features not including third-party extensions. Also, you’re limited to using their payment system otherwise they charge you additional transaction fees. This is a lot to spend for small business owners.

This is why most small business owners choose WordPress + WooCommerce. It’s cost efficient, has all the features, flexibility, and it’s easy to setup. You can setup in less than 30 minutes which is well worth it in the long run. WooCommerce is also the world’s most popular eCommerce platform.

For more about these platforms, check out our side by side comparison of Shopify vs WooCommerce.

In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through how to start an online boutique shop using WooCommerce.

To start an online shop, you need to have three things: a domain name, web hosting, and a SSL certificate.

A domain name is your website’s address on the internet. This is what users type in their browsers to reach your website (for example: google.com or wpbeginner.com).

Web hosting is where your website files live on the internet. Think of it as your website’s house on the internet. Every website on the internet needs web hosting.

Last but not least, you need a SSL certificate. This adds a special security layer on your website, so you can accept credit cards and other personal information.

Note: Normally if bought separately, a domain name costs around $14.99/year, web hosting costs around $8.99/month, and an SSL certificate costs around $69.99/year.

That’s a lot of startup cost.

Thankfully, Bluehost, an official WordPress and WooCommerce recommended hosting provider, has agreed to offer our users a free domain name, free SSL certificate, and a discount on web hosting.

Basically, you can get started for as low as $2.75 / month.

This will help you keep the costs of building a WordPress site to an absolute minimum.

However, Bluehost also has a dedicated WooCommerce hosting plan that comes with over $1,000 worth of premium WordPress and WooCommerce extensions which is totally worth it.

This costs $24.95 per month, but it includes security & backup features, premium WooCommerce extensions like subscriptions, bookings, etc.

Click Here to Claim this Exclusive Bluehost Deal »

Note: At WPBeginner we believe in transparency. If you sign up with Bluehost using our referral link, we will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you (in fact, you will save money and get a free domain). We would get this commission for recommending just about any WordPress hosting company, but we only recommend products that we believe will add value to our readers.

If you’re looking for a Bluehost alternative, then we recommend trying out SiteGround WooCommerce hosting which is another officially recommended WordPress hosting provider.

With that said, let’s go ahead and get your store domain name, web hosting, and SSL certificate.

You need to start by opening up Bluehost WooCommerce website in a new window and click the ‘Start Your Store’ button.

Next, you’ll be asked to choose a hosting plan. Their premium plan, which costs $24.95 per month, comes with over $1,000 worth of premium WordPress and WooCommerce extensions.

It’s a great deal because the WooCommerce subscription and bookings extension alone cost more than the annual subscription of Bluehost.

Note: if you’re looking for the $2.75 per month plan, click this link.

You need to click on the ‘Select’ button below a plan to continue.

Next, you’ll be prompted to enter or choose a domain name. Remember, you get a free domain name with Bluehost.

If you need help picking a domain name for your store, you can use our free business name generator tool.

On the next screen, you need to enter your account details such as your name and address.

Below this, you need to confirm the package you’ve chosen is correct.

Tip: You get the biggest saving by signing up for a 36-month plan.

You can uncheck the package extras because you don’t need them right now. You can always add them later if you like, and we’ll show you how to get some of the similar features for free later in the article.

After entering your payment details and purchasing your hosting, Bluehost will prompt you to create your account. Once you have done so, you will be able to log in.

2. Set Up WordPress and WooCommerce on Your Website

The good part about Bluehost WooCommerce plan is that it comes with an automated wizard that guides you through the entire setup.

First, it will ask you how much help you need building your site. Simply click the ‘No Help Needed’ button, as you have this tutorial to help you.

On the next screen, select ‘Online Store’ for your website type and simply continue following the website creation wizard.

At the final step, Bluehost will ask you to enter a name and a tagline for your website. You can change this later so don’t worry if you haven’t decided yet.

Bluehost will now offer you some WordPress themes to choose from. If you are unsure, then you can start with the Storefront theme. You can change the WordPress theme later on.

After this, Bluehost will install both WordPress and WooCommerce for you.

Once the screen refreshes, you’ll see your Bluehost dashboard with the option to log in to WordPress.

Your WordPress site will open in a new window, and you will see your WordPress admin area.

Bluehost gives you a free SSL Certificate. This certificate is pre-installed for your domain. However, your WordPress site needs to be configured, so that it loads using HTTPS vs HTTP.

Go to the Settings » General page and change your WordPress Address and Site Address to use https instead of http.

Don’t forget to scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the ‘Save Changes’ button to store your changes.

Now, you can go ahead and set up your online store.

Simply click on the WooCommerce link on the left-hand side of your screen, then follow the WooCommerce setup wizard to set up your online store with your address, industry, product types, and business details.

After completing the setup wizard, you need to add payment methods to accept online payments on your boutique shop.

WooCommerce integrates with a number of popular payment gateways. The most popular are PayPal and Stripe (credit cards).

To connect WooCommerce to a payment gateway, go to the WooCommmerce » Settings page and switch to the Payments tab.

Here, you simply need to click the toggle in the ‘Enabled’ column for the payment method you want to use. We’re going to use PayPal Standard for our online store.

After switching on a payment method, click the ‘Set Up’ button to the right of it. For the PayPal Standard method, this will then take you to a page where you need to enter your PayPal email address.

Once you’re done with the configuration, don’t forget to scroll down and click the Save Changes button at the bottom of the screen.

You can switch to the Payments tab again and add other payment methods.

Tip: We recommend switching on check payments and/or cash on delivery while setting up your online store. This makes it easy to create test orders without spending any money.

3. Add Products to Your Online Boutique Shop

Now that you’ve set up payment methods, it’s time to add products to your online store. If you haven’t done any product sourcing yet, check out our comprehensive guide on choosing the best products to sell online.

To add a product, go to the Products » Add New page in your WordPress admin area.

First, you need to enter product title and then provide a detailed description. This not only helps to drive sales by giving potential customers the details they need, but it also helps your product page to rank in search engines.

Next, scroll down to the ‘Product Data’ section below the description box. You need to decide on your pricing and enter the Regular Price of your product. If it’s on sale, then you can set a Sale Price too.

Under the Product Data box, you can optionally enter a short description of your product. This appears in areas where the long description will not fit.

Next, click on the ‘Set Product Image’ link in the right-hand side of the screen and upload product images.

Tip: we highly recommend that you optimize your images for web to ensure that your website is always blazing fast.

Above the product photo upload area, you can also set your product categories and tags. We recommend giving your product at least one category.

Once you’ve entered all the details for your product, simply click on the Publish button to put it live on your website.

Repeat the same process to add more products if needed.

Once you’ve added your products, you can visit your site to see them listed on your Shop page.

4. Change or Customize Your WordPress Theme

Themes control the design template of your website. There are thousands of free and paid WordPress themes that you can choose from, and most of them are compatible with WooCommerce.

However, not all of them are ideal for a WooCommerce boutique shop.

By default, Bluehost may install the Storefront theme for you, or you may be using some other default theme right now.

You can change your website design by installing a different WordPress theme. Not sure which theme to choose, see our handpicked list of the best WooCommerce WordPress themes.

Once you have found the theme you like, you can download and install it. For help with installing WordPress themes, check out our beginner’s guide to installing a WordPress theme.

Most WordPress themes are highly customizable. For instance, you can change fonts, colors, header styles, background, and more.

Simply go to the Appearance » Customize page to launch theme customizer. You’ll see a live preview of your site with customization options in the left column.

You can use the tabs down the left-hand side to change various aspects of your site. The WooCommerce options let you control how your store displays.

For instance, you can go to WooCommerce » Product Catalog to change how your Shop page looks. Here, we’ve set our shop page to have 4 images per row instead of 3 per row.

As soon as you make a change, you will see a live preview of your customization. Make sure you check that you are happy with all your pages, including functional ones such as the cart and checkout pages.

Once you’ve finished making changes using the theme customizer, you just need to click the Publish button on the top left. This saves your changes and makes them live on your website.

Pro Tip: If you want to further customize your WooCommerce store, you can use one of the drag & drop page builders, or use a styling plugin like CSS Hero to create custom styles without any code.

5. Add Plugins to Extend Your Online Shop and Drive Sales

Plugins are like apps for your WordPress site. They allow you to add new features to your online store. Some WordPress plugins are essential that all WooCommerce stores may need and some you can choose to add specific features.

The best part about WordPress is that there are over 58,000 plugins that you can use to add new features to your site without hiring a developer.

You can follow our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin to install any of the plugins below.

Here are our recommendations for some of the most essential plugins for your online shop:

• MonsterInsights – leading WordPress analytics plugin helps you track visitor stats (free version available).
• WPForms – #1 form builder for WordPress, trusted by 4 million websites. You can use it to build contact forms, surveys, polls, etc. (free version available).
• AIOSEO – leading WordPress SEO plugin that will help your store rank higher in Google and other search engines (free version available).
• UpdraftPlus – leading WordPress backup plugin that will help you make automated backups in case of an emergency.
• OptinMonster – #1 conversion optimization toolkit that will help you get more subscribers and sales (free version available).
• Sucuri – free website malware scanner plugin for WordPress.
• WP Mail SMTP – helps improve email deliverability of your website, so customers get their receipt, login information, etc. (free version available).

Aside from these, we have our complete list of the best WooCommerce plugins that you may want to checkout for additional features.

Here are some of our other recommended WooCommerce plugins and tools that can help you make more sales.

1. Advanced Coupons

Advanced Coupons plugin allows you to create smart coupons. These let you go far beyond WooCommerce’s default coupon functionality. They can help you attract more customers and boost your sales and revenue.

2. TrustPulse

TrustPulse is another great plugin to help you drive more sales. It lets you show real-time notifications of product sales to leverage FOMO and increase conversions.

3. AliDropship

AliDropship is the best dropshipping plugin for WordPress. it lets you import products directly from AliExpress into your WooCommerce store.

This allows you to create a dropshipping online boutique without actually storing the products, managing inventory, or worry about shipping products.

Bonus tip: Another popular online shopping business model is to create an Amazon affiliate store. This allows you to promote third-party products on your boutique store and send them customers for a commission. You can check out our guide to building an Amazon affiliate store using WordPress.

4. LiveChat and ChatBot

LiveChat is one of the best live chat software in the market.

It lets you offer real-time support to your customers from your laptop, tablet, and mobile devices. You can add your team members to speed up replies.

They also have a second product called ChatBot which helps you build smart workflows to automatically answer customer’s questions and boost sales.

5. Constant Contact

Constant Contact is one of the best email marketing services in the market.

They let you connect with your customers via email, so you can send them product updates, new offers, and get them to buy more.

Constant Contact comes with all the powerful features such as autoresponders, A/B testing, WooCommerce integration, personalized email automation, and more.

Alternative: if you’re looking for a Constant Contact alternative, then we recommend Drip for Pro users, and Sendinblue as a general good alternative.

6. Learn More About WordPress to Grow Your Store

WPBeginner is the largest free WordPress resource site for beginners. Our main goal is to provide helpful and easy to follow WordPress tutorials for small business owners, bloggers, and non-techy WordPress site creators. You can find out more about us here.

To learn more about WordPress, we recommend starting with the:

• WPBeginner Dictionary – The best place to look up WordPress terms. We explain everything in a beginner-friendly way.
• WPBeginner Videos – New to WordPress? Watch our videos to master WordPress.
• WPBeginner Blog – The central place for all our WordPress tutorials.

We also have a guide to show users how to make the most out of WPBeginner’s free resources.

Many of our users type their question in Google and just add wpbeginner at the end of it. This shows them the most helpful answer for their question.

For further help and support, we recommend joining our free Facebook group WPBeginner Engage. It has 65,000+ members and focuses on helping beginners and non-techy users go further with WordPress.

You can also subscribe to the WPBeginner YouTube Channel. We regularly share helpful WordPress video tutorials.

7. FAQs About Creating an Online Boutique Shop

Having helped thousands of people start their online shop, we have answered quite a lot of questions. Below are the answers to the most frequently asked questions about creating an eCommerce website.

Do I need a business plan or business license to sell online?

No you don’t need a business license to sell online. You can start as a sole-proprietorship which is what most people do.

Once your business starts to take off, you can register an official LLC, corporation, or private limited company based on your country / legal jurisdiction.

Reducing these upfront cost and barriers can let you get started faster.

How do I choose the best products for my online store?

All boutique owners need to think about their target audience because it will have a huge impact on your overall success.

For instance, an online clothing store aimed at 20-somethings might sell geeky t-shirts. An online clothing boutique for retired boomers might focus on practical but stylish leisurewear.

We have a detailed guide on how to choose the best products to sell online.

Also, you can take a play out of dropshippers playbook and expand your product collection by using a dropshipping plugin. This lets you sell products without the inventory hassle.

How can I make more sales?

You can make more sales from your eCommerce website by building an email list, growing your social media following, or even partnering with influencers.

You could also use more advanced marketing strategies like retargeting visitors who leave products in their shopping cart.

Like any retailer, you need to pay attention to measure marketing efforts and track what works. Remember, your online business is competing against many other online stores like eBay and wholesalers, so you need to consider how to make your shop stand out.

Do I need to charge sales tax?

You may need to charge sales tax, depending on where you live. You should check your local government’s website for details on this.

There are WooCommerce plugins that can handle sales tax for you.

Can I charge for shipping separately?

Yes, you can absolutely add shipping costs in your WooCommerce checkout. There are plugins that can automatically calculate the shipping rates based on user’s address.

You can also use the Advanced Coupons plugin that we mentioned above to offer free shipping on orders above a certain $ amount to encourage higher purchases.

Can I sell my products in bulk / wholesale?

Yes, you can absolutely sell your products in bulk at lower prices. While WooCommerce doesn’t have this functionality by default, you can use the Wholesale Suite for WooCommerce plugin to sell your products in bulk.

For example, if you have an online clothing business, you can offer wholesale suppliers a separate login, bulk price discounts, and separate order form, so they can place large orders at once.

How do I get started with my online boutique?

Starting a new business can feel daunting, but you just need to work through our guide step by step.

Begin by thinking about your ideal customer, and then registering a domain name and hosting account.

We strongly recommend using Bluehost’s WooCommerce hosting to keep your startup costs as low as possible. The setup process is straightforward and won’t take more than 30 minutes.

Plus, WordPress + WooCommerce is the best website builder for your online store.

Start Your Online Boutique Shop Today »

Are there other eCommerce platforms for boutique shops?

Yes, aside from WooCommerce, there are several other eCommerce platforms that you can use such as Shopify, BigCommerce, Wix, etc.

We have done a detailed comparison of the best eCommerce platforms.

Although, we always recommend users to use WooCommerce because of it’s flexibility, affordability, and ease of use.

We hope this article helped you learn how to start an online boutique shop that drives sales. You might also like our articles on how to grow your online business and how to track WooCommerce conversions to make more sales.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Start an Online Boutique Shop that Drives Sales (2021) appeared first on WPBeginner.

December 22, 2020 at 05:00PM