WordPress is one of the most widely used blogging platforms\r\non the planet. It’s also widespread in its use for non-blogging sites. Why?\r\nBecause it is as extendable as it is user friendly. And since WordPress has a\r\nlarge community of developers, it should be no surprise that you’ll find an add-on\r\nfor just about everything… including e-commerce.
That’s right, with the help of a few plugins, you can\r\nmonetize that WordPress installation with ease. Even better, WordPress offers\r\nquite a variety of e-commerce plugins. But out of the long list, which should\r\nyou consider? I’ve got my top five right here for you. Maybe one will perfectly\r\nfit your needs.
Note: This gallery is also available as an article.
Add a powerful reporting tool (which tracks earnings and\r\nsales) and you’ve got everything you need, in one simple package, to make the\r\nselling of digital goods a breeze. Easy Digital Downloads is simple to install\r\nand manage, and it won’t overwhelm your WordPress site (with either its size or\r\nits features).
WP eCommerce is a\r\ngreat plug-in if you need to sell just about anything from anywhere. You can\r\nconvert visitors into customers with the help of this beautiful (and fully\r\ncustomizable) online store. It allows you to edit both the HTML and the CSS, so\r\nyou can create your store to perfectly fit your needs.
If the basic WP eCommerce add-on isn’t enough, you can\r\nalways shop its Extensions Marketplace to gain even more power\r\nand flexibility.
WooCommerce is one of the most widely used e-commerce plugins for WordPress,\r\nand with good reason. Not only does it turn WordPress into a powerful online\r\nstore, it also offers tons of additional free plug-ins and themes.
One thing I really like about WooCommerce (outside of its\r\namazing feature set) is that it offers an easy wizard you can use upon\r\ninstallation to make store setup a snap. If that’s not enough to entice you\r\ninto using WooCommerce, consider the fact that the likes of Harley Davidson,\r\nEntrepreneur, and Cosmopolitan use this WordPress add-on.
iThemes Exchange says it can help you sell your stuff in under five\r\nminutes. And it’s right. This solution makes setting up your online store\r\nincredibly easy. With iThemes Exchange, you can sell digital downloads,\r\nphysical products, and more. (Some of the \u201cand more\u201d–such as selling\r\nmemberships–requires a fee.)
If you’re looking for the WordPress e-commerce theme with\r\nthe most user-friendly interface, this is what you want.
Cart66 Lite is a stripped-down version of Cart66 Professional.\r\nWhat has been stripped away? Mostly just the ability to accept credit cards and\r\nuse SSL. So if you’re okay with a PayPal-only e-commerce solution, Cart66 might\r\nbe just right for you.
Cart66 Lite lets you add custom fields to your products,\r\nsell variants of products, and generate customizable email receipts. And you\r\ndon’t have to select between digital or physical products: By default, Cart66\r\nsupports both. The Lite version of Cart66 also includes a powerful tool to help\r\nyou promote your products with sales.
Jack Wallen is an award-winning writer for TechRepublic, The New Stack, and Linux New Media. He's covered a variety of topics for over twenty years and is an avid promoter of open source. For more news about Jack Wallen, visit his website jackwallen.com.
