The writing is on the wall: Brick and mortar stores are on their way out, and the e-commerce site is the way of the future. In this guide, not only will you learn why you should create your e-commerce site with WordPress, but you’ll also learn a powerful new secret you can use to enhance everything that’s great about WordPress. (You’ll love this trick, whether you’re a tech newbie, a developer, or part of an agency.)
Let’s jump right in.
Why WordPress rocks your e-commerce site
1. The themes!
WordPress has lots of themes that will make your e-commerce site look like it was designed by a professional. There are so many WordPress themes that it’s rare to see two identical WordPress sites, even though millions of websites run on WordPress.
2. WordPress takes security seriously
WordPress has a large and dedicated community that spends millions of hours making sure everything’s running smoothly. The core software is so secure that WordPress is trusted to run official government websites, university admissions pages, and of course, huge e-commerce sites.
3. Plugins that do everything you can think of
WordPress already comes equipped with a range of impressive features, but it’s the plugins that really make the platform shine.
Plugins are add-on software that give your website special features and functions. For instance, you can add plugins that make your website more secure, plugins that back up your website, and even plugins that give you all the bells and whistles you need to turn your regular WordPress website into a real e-commerce site.
4. The massive community is helpful and friendly
The WordPress community has been around for decades, and it’s filled with passionate, enthusiastic people who are always willing to help out people who are new to the platform. And if social interaction isn’t your thing, you don’t even have to talk to anyone! The body of WordPress knowledge is so vast that you can find just about any information you’re looking for somewhere on the Internet.
But it’s not all sunshine and roses…
Most people who use WordPress for their e-commerce site adore it for all the reasons we just talked about. They love how fast it is, they love the security, and they love that the platform itself is really easy to use. But there are some things they don’t love:
- WordPress can get expensive when your e-commerce site grows.
- WordPress websites are some of the most frequently hacked.
- Too many plugins will slow your loading time to a crawl.
So, here’s the secret ingredient that gives you everything you love about WordPress while saving you from everything that’s kind of a pain in the neck:
FLATsite makes your e-commerce site faster, cheaper, and more secure
FLATsite is an innovation that’s so fresh that it’s still flying under the radar of massive e-commerce sites. This is great news, because it gives you the rare chance to outpace people who’ve been in the e-commerce business for years!
What is FLATsite?
FLATsite is a static site generator and WordPress manager. This means that it takes dynamic sites (like the ones you make using WordPress) and turns them into static websites. A static website has no database, instead users get your static HTML site instead of the website files and code. In fact, FLATsite securely stores all your webpages and give you the tools to easily manage and update your sites in a flash.
This is amazing for your e-commerce site. Learn more about FLATsite here:
Why FLATsite takes your e-commerce site to the next level?
1. Your e-commerce site will be more secure
Hackers target the databases of websites they want to hack, but static sites have no database to hack. Using FLATsite will turn your website into a fortress.
2. Your website will be unbelievably fast
Because static sites store webpages as flat HTML files, your e-commerce site will be lightning fast when you use FLATsite. Unlike dynamic sites, your website won’t have to query a database so it can combine all the files that make up your webpage before finally showing the webpage to the visitor. A static website simply retrieves the stored HTML page and shows it to the visitor. One step. It’s so fast you need to see it to believe it.
3. You’ll save buckets of cash on hosting
You can probably tell from the way we’re describing them that static sites are incredibly lightweight. They don’t have a lot of the things that weight down other websites. This means they take up fewer server resources, which makes them cheaper to host, which increases your profit margins!
Which plugins work well with FLATsite?
FLATsite is compatible with lots of plugins. (Here’s a list of some of our favorites!) But there’s one particular plugin that will make your e-commerce site soar:
Ecwid + WordPress + FLATsite = A match made in heaven
Ecwid stands for “Ecommerce widget”, and it has everything you could ever want from an e-commerce plugin. You can create your store with ease, add a virtual shopping cart, and get quick support if you ever run into trouble. You can also add “Buy” buttons, a store homepage, a Search and Filters option, a categories menu, and a whole host of other functions that will make your e-commerce site look like it was designed by a crack team of tech professionals.
Combine that with the functionality of WordPress and the speed, security, and low hosting cost you get with FLATsite, and your e-commerce site will be a thing of beauty.
Discover all the must-have features to create a profitable eCommerce website here on our blog.
Wrapping up
WordPress is great for e-commerce beginners, but if you really want to take your site to the next level, use FLATsite to make your website faster, cheaper, and more secure!
