Traditionally WordPress has been used for blogs. Over the last few years it has evolved into a system that can be used as a full Content Management System for your website. It still contains all the features that have made it popular but now you can manage page content as well through an easy WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor much like a Word document. You can upload images, create links and even manage media files.

Because WordPress is Open Source there are tonnes of extra “Plug-ins” and “Themes” you can download for free. Plug-ins are extensions that can make your website do just about anything. Themes are free website templates that style your site. These add-ons are customizable as well so the possibilities are endless.

Here are a couple of our favorite plug-ins:

WP E-Commerce – Use WordPress as an e-commerce website! Believe it or not this plug-in works quite well and really is useful.
Contact Form 7 – Develop custom forms to use on your website. This plug-in is great for contact forms and even gathering customer feedback.
Simple Newsletter – A very easy to use plug in for customer newsletters with opt-in and opt-out functions.

There are thousands of themes available for download. Some of these are free while others are premium WordPress themes. Almost all are easy to install and use.

Contact JSS Marketing today for a free no obligation consultation on your website needs. We can install and host a WordPress website and customize it for you and give you control over your website content!

At first you’ll probably be a little skeptical that WordPress can handle such an important role. If you want to have a relatively small online store then this is probably the solution for you. Best of all, it’s free!

There are a few steps involved to make this happen:

1. Download and install WordPress: The first step is of course to set up the latest version of WordPress on your website hosting account. There are several great articles that explain how to do this. Check out the official WordPress Installation Guide.
2. Install a theme: Choosing the right look and feel for your new e-commerce store is important. You’ll want a website that reflects your products and conveys a message of professionalism. There are literally hundreds of themes available for free. You can also have a professional website designer customize a theme for you!
3. Download and install the WP E-Commerce Plugin: The next step is to install an e-commerce plugin. One of the best and the easiest to use is the WP E-Commerce Plugin. Download the file & unzip it, upload the whole directory to the plugins folder, log into the admin section of WordPress and activate the plugin.
4. Setup a payment gateway: The easiest way to receive payments for your products is to use PayPal for business. It’s free to set up and quite inexpensive. You’ll be able to accept payments by Visa, MC, American Express, Discover, Bank Transfer & PayPal accounts!

The rest is up to you. Of course choosing the right line of products to sell is arguably the most important step of all. You’ll also want to consider some form of Online Marketing or Search Engine Optimization to get some traffic to your site.

For more information about WordPress or to have a custom website designed for you, contact JSS Marketing today!