20 Must-Have Features Every WooCommerce Store Should Have

Intro

Building a WooCommerce store can sometimes be daunting, especially for those doing it for the first time. Which pages to add, how to write the copy, what pictures to include, how to secure payments – these are the most common questions one may have from the start.

Since eCommerce projects prove to be profit-bringing and convenient, it is vital to approach the task seriously. You should take into account everything from page selection to image quality. Do not neglect small things and details. Be sure to balance out the website design. Most importantly, try and add the sought-after functionality – all to ensure a seamless user experience.

I’ve collected and outlined the 20 most needed eCommerce features to implement on the site. They will surely make online stores more appealing to potential customers content- and feature-wise.

Top 20 WooCommerce Store Features

What makes a WooCommerce store good? Firstly, it’s the ability to find the needed item fast and conveniently. Secondly, it’s quality visuals and descriptive overviews. Thirdly, it’s the ability to make a secure purchase.

Although there are many more desirable and must-have features, a good online store is about fast browsing, safe purchasing, and convenience. Now, I will be sharing my personal top 20 eCommerce features.

Intuitive navigation

The first thing to notice about a website is whether it’s easy to navigate. Poor website navigation kills the vibe – it frustrates users and makes them want to leave the site. Good navigation practices include a well-structured header, concise menu, sitemap in the footer, clear call-to-action, and active links. Sometimes, it won’t hurt to make the header sticky so it always remains visible during scrolling. A mega menu can be another way to organize the menu items and links to the necessary pages.

(Source: Zolden)

Basically, the one thing you want to do as a web store owner is to make the path from the homepage to the checkout as smooth and short as possible.

Breadcrumbs

A breadcrumb trail is another navigation trick to help site visitors find their way around the online store. Using it, it will be a no-sweat to return to the desired product category, brand, and even type.

Search functionality

(Source: Daily Diva)

It’s easy to underestimate the quick search feature; every WooCommerce store must have it. A search bar helps users find the desired items way faster. When building a search bar, remember the following:

• it must be easy to spot, so it’s better to place it in the top left corner;
• add a typical icon to it like the magnifying glass;
• accept commonly used phrases as search terms;
• use autocomplete/search prompts to fasten the process.

Filtering and sorting features

Product search requests are becoming shorter since online shoppers have learned to value their time. You need to make products easy to find, and filters are the best way to help you out. Product sorting and filtering allow users to refine their search to the extent they deem necessary. Thanks to advanced filters, customers can find whatever they need in the shortest time possible.

(Source: OnlyBooks)

Generally, filtering criteria depend on the eCommerce store type. The most common are sorting by price (highest/lowest), date, location, color, category, etc. It’s best to put the most popular filters first, and don’t forget to add a product availability filter. It will help those customers who want to make a purchase right away.

Cart & Checkout pages

A shopping cart is what makes the actual purchase possible. It stores the product details, their quantity, and prices, calculates the total, and redirects to checkout. A checkout page comprises billing data and makes it possible to carry out a transaction.

To build a great cart and checkout pages, you need to remember three things:

• Make the checkout process simple and quick.
• Outline all extra charges and terms right from the start.
• Use autocomplete where possible – e.g., shipping address and billing details.

Payment gateways

You cannot risk losing a paying customer just because there aren’t enough payment options on the checkout. According to Axtrics, having the top 3 most popular payment methods on the website is likely to leverage sales by nearly 71%.

WordPress and WooCommerce make it possible to accept and process payments by bank cards and transfers, checks, and cash. Besides, you can integrate other payment methods such as Stripe, PayPal, Google and Apple Pay, and more.

Wishlist

A gift registry, aka wishlist, is a separate page where users can keep the items/products they like and make it public for sourcing gift ideas. It is a great functionality since users can conveniently locate the items they’ve previously viewed and liked. Wishlists operate as data stores, where data is saved from cookies, server sessions, user metadata, and browser cache. As a business owner, you get to see which products are most liked and will be able to anticipate demand in the future.

(Source: AutoShop)

Contact Us page

Contacting a seller about a certain product should be as casual as possible. As a business owner, make sure to create a dedicated Contact Us page where you indicate all communication methods and channels through which a customer can reach you. Add working hours, valid phone numbers and email addresses, a postal address, and links to social media accounts. The key is to provide as much contact information as possible.

My Account page

It’s not convenient at all to shop online without a personal account. Where would you store login credentials, emails, and personal information?

My Account page comes forward when you want to create a safe and secure spot for every individual user. It will help them manage their account details, reset passwords, update billing information, add profile pictures, view the favorites list, and more.

Product reviews

Social proof is what drives eCommerce. Since it’s impossible to touch and feel the product before making a purchase in the online store, customers have to consider other shoppers’ reviews and ratings. Product reviews are beneficial for businesses and potential customers. Firstly, they help to build trust and increase sales; secondly, they can validate information about products and help to make a purchasing decision.

As a business owner, make sure the reviews section is placed strategically. A single product page and a homepage would both be fine.

(Source: BrowBoss)

Product images and videos

Quality pictures and videos are the most important feature of a WooCommerce store. They help to advertise the product, showcase it from different angles, and point out its characteristic features. Make sure the photos are well-lit, styled, and aesthetically detailed. Add the ability to zoom the picture in and out. As to featured videos, they must be optimized to load quickly and be light on the page loading time.

(Source: Zolden)

Order tracking

Sometimes, a great shopping experience is one feature away, and the feature name is order tracking. By giving customers the opportunity to oversee the delivery cycle, you keep them in the know and ensure a satisfactory order journey. Besides, as a shop owner, you will benefit from more website visits.

Security features

Never underestimate protection features. A good online storefront must be secure for signing up, logging in, and making purchases. Implementing a login/logout functionality, make sure to add a 2FA (two-factor authentication) feature so that scammers won’t be able to access and steal sensitive data. VPN can be another option to protect access points from possible breaches. For secure payment operations, it’s best to employ SSL encryption.

Chatbot

Why are chatbots helpful? Because they can induce a sales boost. Around 25% of consumers trust a chatbot enough to purchase something it recommends. In addition, chatbots and live chats are a means to establish long-lasting relationships between the brand and the customer. They make it easy to address his/her concerns, suggest the most suitable product, and answer purchase-related questions – all no matter the time zone.

(Source: Voices)

Responsive design

Mobile phones generated about 63% of online shopping orders in 2022 and became the most traffic-bringing source. For that matter, it is best to make a WooCommerce store responsive, meaning "adaptable to different devices and screen sizes."

Responsive design will ensure a seamless browsing experience for customers and site visitors. Another way to become mobile-friendly is to develop a downloadable application and make shopping from portable devices even more convenient.

Related Products

Such a section is usually placed at the bottom of the single product page and can be handy in the following ways:

• suggests products that customers might be interested in;
• helps a customer make up their mind if they aren’t sure what they want to buy;
• upsells certain products that might go well with the customer’s primary purchase.

Related Products is a powerful eCommerce tool, so make sure to design it accordingly. Add quality images, clear-cut buttons, ratings, and product names to the grid.

(Source: Dia’s Handmade)

Speed optimization

Online shoppers prefer fast-performing websites because they make the shopping experience smoother. In fact, they ought to leave a website if its load time exceeds three seconds. To prevent such a drastic bounce rate, you need to optimize website speed and constantly monitor SERP rankings.

Try the following to make the storefront load faster:

• compress too big image files;
• pick a top-rated hosting provider;
• consider a CDN (content delivery network) to offer a website version from a local server.

Newsletter

(Source: The Bastard)

Asking a customer to join the newsletter list can be profitable for lead generation and email marketing campaigns. You can present the email opt-in request as a form on the page or fit it into a pop-up to save space.

Shipping/return/refund policy

The best way to eliminate pre-purchase doubts is to provide a comprehensive exchange & refund policy. Think about all questions a potential customer might have and provide answers as clearly as possible. Next, place the links to policies where it will be easy to spot them. A footer and FAQ section remains the most popular placement options.

As to the shipping policy, it should cover the available shipping methods, shipping costs, packaging, insurance, shipment tracking, and other related questions.

SEO-friendly titles and descriptions

Product names and descriptions are a way for customers to find you organically. Make sure to add descriptive product names and informative descriptions to their pages, and don’t forget to include relevant keywords. It is important not to go overboard, as Google will think you’re a spammer and won’t rank the store. Additionally, try adding keywords to the page meta title and description.

Bottom Line

Building a great online store is impossible without the right features. You need to implement both basic and advanced functionality if you wish to attract and retain customers. Among the must-have WooCommerce features are a cart, checkout, and account pages, intuitive navigation, convenient search and filtering, a wishlist, quality product images, reviews & ratings, order tracking, and more. Besides, a successful eCommerce storefront must be mobile-responsive and secure.

Follow the guidelines shared above, and you will manage to create a well-performing online store, which is liked, often visited, and – most importantly – shopped at.