How to Set Up an Online Store on Your WordPress Website Using WooCommerce

WooCommerce is the plugin most WordPress sites use to turn a regular website into an online store. If your website already runs on WordPress and you want to start selling products or services directly from it, this guide walks you through installing WooCommerce, running its setup wizard, adding your first product, and testing a checkout before you go live.

What You Need Before You Start

• A working WordPress website with admin access.
• A decision on how you'll accept payments. Many Kenyan businesses use M-Pesa for this. If you want to accept M-Pesa payments through your store, set that up as a separate step after WooCommerce is running.
• A rough idea of your shipping approach (flat rate for local delivery, free shipping, pickup only, etc.).

1. Install and Activate the WooCommerce Plugin

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard (wp-admin).
2. Go to Plugins, then click Add New Plugin.
3. Search for "WooCommerce" in the search box.
4. Find the plugin published by Automattic and click Install Now.
5. Once installation finishes, click Activate.

Only install WooCommerce from the official WordPress plugin directory, not from a random third-party download. A modified copy from an untrusted source is a common way malware ends up on a website.

2. Run the WooCommerce Setup Wizard

Activating WooCommerce launches a setup wizard automatically. If you skip it, you can restart it under WooCommerce, then Home, by clicking Setup Wizard.

1. Enter your store's country (Kenya) and address. This sets your default currency to Kenyan Shillings (KES) and your tax settings.
2. Choose your industry and the type of products you'll sell (physical, digital, or both).
3. Answer the business details questions (how many products, whether you're selling elsewhere already).
4. Review the suggested theme and extensions. You can skip any paid extensions and add them later if you decide you need them.

3. Add Your First Product

1. Go to Products, then Add New.
2. Enter the product name and a description.
3. In the Product data box, set the Regular price and, if relevant, a Sale price.
4. Add stock quantity under the Inventory tab if you want WooCommerce to track how many units you have.
5. Set a Product image and any Product gallery images on the right-hand side.
6. Assign a Product category so items are organized on your store.
7. Click Publish.

4. Set Up Shipping and Payment

Go to WooCommerce, then Settings, then the Shipping tab to create a shipping zone for Kenya and add a flat rate or local pickup option.

Under the Payments tab, you'll see WooCommerce's built-in options like direct bank transfer and cash on delivery, which you can enable while you're testing. If you want to accept M-Pesa payments directly on your store, see our guide on adding M-Pesa payments to your WordPress website once the rest of your store is working.

5. Test a Checkout Before Going Live

Don't open your store to customers until you've placed a test order yourself.

1. Visit your store as a regular shopper, add a product to the cart, and go through checkout using cash on delivery or bank transfer.
2. Check that the order appears under WooCommerce, then Orders.
3. Confirm that both you and the test customer email address receive the order confirmation emails. If emails don't arrive, your website's outgoing mail may need attention separately from WooCommerce itself.
4. Once you're confident the order flow works, switch off cash on delivery or bank transfer if you don't actually plan to offer them, and remove any obviously fake test products.

Keeping Your Store Running Smoothly

An online store has more moving parts than a regular website: the WooCommerce plugin, your theme, and any extensions you add all need to stay updated and compatible with each other. Keep WordPress core, your theme, and your plugins updated regularly, and always take a full backup before running a major update. See our guide on updating WordPress core, themes, and plugins safely for the steps.