Woocommerce Pros and Cons
- July 25, 2019
- Posted by: TOLS Multimedia
- Categories: Blog, Wordpress
WooCommerce is a popular eCommerce tool that has been adopted by professionals all around the worldsince its establishment in 2011. It is a WordPress plugin that effectively turns websites into online stores. It’s been so successful that it has become more popular than Spotify, with 30% of all existing eCommerce stores using it. This being said, there are bound to be downfalls alongside benefits. In this guide, we’re covering both the pros and cons to help you make an informed decision.
WooCommerce Pros
An extensive app store
WooCommerce comes with a seemingly endless extension and plugin options. The dedicated app store offers over 300 different extensions, apps, and plugins that can be used in tandem with WooCommerce. With the available extensions, you’re able to create your subscription service, list your products on eBay and Amazon, and much more.
Modest price
By itself, WooCommerce is completely free to use. There are no fees for signing up. This being said, some of its plugins and extensions do come with small but affordable fees. Whether you need these pay to use extensions depends on your intention with WooCommerce. Generally, these fees range from $5-$300 for yearly subscriptions.
So, although some of the add-ons can be costly, WooCommerce is relatively affordable. It’s free to use and many of the crucial extensions and plugins are cost-free.
Allows users to generate discount and coupon codes
Shoppers love discounts – who doesn’t? The most successful shops and sellers make use of discounts and coupon codes as part of their marketing strategy. WooCommerce gives users the ability to generate unique codes for potential customers to use at their store. This not only gives buyers great deals but also helps shop owners to build a loyal customer base.
Flexibility
Unlike many plugins and extensions that are restricted to use with certain store niches, WooCommerce boasts incredible flexibility. It’s compatible with sellers who operate some different stores and sell a range of products.
It’s also versatile in terms of media. By this, we mean that WooCommerce can be set up to support the sales of virtual, physical, or downloadable products.
Security
It can be nerve-wrecking to trust a third party with the security of your store. Thankfully, WooCommerce considers this andreleases regular cybersecurity updates and regulations.
In terms of payment security, WooCommerce uses secure payment portals like Paypal, Stripe, and WePay so that you can rest assured that your money is received, sent, and otherwise handled as it should be.
WooCommerce Cons
Can be overwhelming
WooCommerce gives users great power and an unprecedented amount of control over their website and store. This is great. However, for those new to the scene or new to using WooCommerce, this power can be overwhelming.
Not only do you have to make all of the decisions regarding style, technicalities, and sales, but you’re also responsible for arming your store against product theft and security breaches. In some cases, you may even be responsible for creating the products you sell, which further adds to your workload.
Lack of central support
WooCommerce, despite having a worldwide network of users, can lack support. Each available plugin or extension offered in the WooCommerce store has a different support team. This means that there is no central support and that, one app’s support may be great, whereas another may have the worst support possible.
It can also mean that wait times for ticket response can vary greatly.
Negative reviews
Despite its popularity, WooCommerce has a surprisingly high number of negative reviews online. Most commonly, users report a variety of annoying bugs and glitches that are left unaddressed by administrators. They also mention the steep incline of costs and poor customer support.
In conclusion, WooCommerce truly is a fantastic platform. From its low price, extensive app selection, high-security, and usage flexibility, it boasts a good variety of benefits that prove to be useful to almost every user. However, it also has its minor drawbacks – customer support and glitching, for example.
When choosing between WooCommerece and any other plugin, be sure to contrast and compare to find the best fit for you.