So, you’ve done your homework. You’ve decided that WooCommerce is the flexible, dynamic platform you want for your online store. Now the fun begins: How much will it cost to build out?
In each chapter, we’ll break down the WooCommerce RFP (request for proposal) process for you by breaking down the process itself. Who will be using your WooCommerce platform? What are the various products & product types you’ll be selling? What types of extensions & plugins should you consider for WooCommerce? What are the ongoing maintenance costs & fees associated with operating a WooCommerce site? And finally, what should you consider when evaluating a bid from a WordPress or WooCommerce firm?
Let’s start at the beginning.
Chapter 1: Consider and Spec General Goals & Objectives
Sit down and ask yourself, “But what am I going to do with this WooCommerce site?” Yes, it’s elementary. Really it’s a question you should ask before you embark on any great adventure (making pancakes, playing mini golf, etc) — but that’s because it works.
So,
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Make a sitemap & lay out your content.
The best way to begin is to lay it out all out in front of you. Just like packing for a big trip — when you put everything on the bed to see it all at once (rain jacket, toothbrush, t-shirts) — you should start by creating a sitemap & looking broadly at what types of content you’ll be loading into your WooCommerce site.Here are a few examples of WooCommerce sites with great site mapping:
- Barefoot Buttons (Notice: How easy it is to determine which products go where, and how they’re organized.)
- Big Chill Appliances (Notice: Products are consistent & broken down in a logical away across all categories.)
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Talk about users & use-cases.
Just like you need to know what you’re loading into your WooCommerce system, it’s just as important to know who will be using it, and to break down that usage into categories. The folks over at Optimizely put together a list of 7 customer segmentation examples for ecommerce companies that is a great start:
- Visitor Tiers (Logged In vs. Guest Users, VIP Status, Repeat Shoppers vs. First-Time Visitors)
- Users that have (or have not) completed an order in the last 30 days
- Top Purchasers (High Cart Value)
- Location
- Source Type
- Device Types (Desktop, Mobile, Tablet)
- Personalized Data (Gender, Income, Style, Age, etc.)
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Define your product types.
Breaking products down by type & category will help you in the long run. You want to do this before start anything else. In chapter 2, we’ll talk more about how to consider & spec out product types for WooCommerce.
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Research similar ECommerce & WooCommerce sites.
It doesn’t have to be someone in your industry. Think about the most recent digital store you visited, and what your experience was like. A great place to start is to go straight to WooCommerce’s very own showcase, and search for companies doing similar work. Or take a look at FreshySites’ own portfolio:
- Maryland Wine Pass (Passport for Maryland wineries & tastings)
- Russell Farms (Local CSA Produce, Farm Products, Apple Picking)
- The Statements Project (An online business development courses)
In Chapter 2, we’ll dig deeper into product types for WooCommerce, and order volume for WooCommerce, so you can start to get a better idea about pricing & cost for your WooCommerce site.
