The first-ever WooSesh took place on October 18-19, 2018. A virtual conference sponsored by WooCommerce (making participation free!), the two-day event featured 16 speakers and a variety of eCommerce topics for both WooCommerce store builders and developers. At one point, attendance exceeded 2800 participants from around the globe. The amount of knowledge presented was beyond impressive. Here are a few of the WooCommerce lessons and tips from WooSesh that made a big impact on us. As the holidays approach, we think any and every WooCommerce and eCommerce owner or developer will benefit from these highlights.
- WooCommerce stores are growing and there doesn’t seem to be a decline in that growth.
- Users are from all over the world, with most coming from Europe and the second most coming from North America.
- Established business owners are the most common WooCommerce users. New business owners are the second most common.
- Chris Lema, Vice President of Product at Liquid Web, advises that before a host, developer, or agency provides a quote for a WooCommerce build or redesign, they should first “marinate in the problem” of the business. Apply psychology and project management techniques during the discovery phase. Scope creep happens when you are not clear with a WooCommece client. Don’t just focus on what you WILL do for them but also clarify and define what you WILL NOT do for them (such as shipping products on their behalf).
- The cost of downtime for an enterprise level eCommece site for one hour is approximately $686,000. This is why it’s so important to keep a WooCommerce healthy and well-maintained.
- When planning for SEO, keep in mind that nowadays, 50% of consumer searches consist of four words or more. Think outside the box. Research the best keyword and phrases for your WooCommerce website. Presenter Rebecca Gill recommended the tool KWFinder to assist with your research. Rebecca also says that your category pages should have actual content on them. Set a description for your category pages so search engines better understand what products and content can be found at your WooCommerce store. One more tip from her: “Internal links are the super hero of SEO.”
- Product descriptions are important. Address the five Ws and H in each description and optimize for readability. Reading experience is a part of overall user experience. Don’t neglect it. Make it easy for your WooCommerce customers to find the information they seek.
- Speed matters. Consumers expect a page to load within two seconds. Anything slower than that will cause them to experience frustration and make them bounce.
- Never underestimate the power of testing. Test your coupon codes. Test the checkout process. Test EVERYTHING!
- WooCommerce subscription websites are recurring magic. Automatic billing benefits you and your customer.
- One way to build a better user experience that is often overlooked is to customize your error messages. It better indicates to your user what went wrong and strengthens your brand voice and personality.
It’s clear. WooCommerce is a huge asset to both WordPress and the eCommerce industry. There is still so much potential for growth and success. Are you thinking about launching a WooCommerce website? Contact us for assistance. We would love to partner with you and make great things happen.