I’ve been dedicating my efforts to YouTube lately, and I thought with all the new AI tools out there today, if I was to start from scratch how would I go about building an online store. The interesting part was I’d use a process that I’ve been using for over 10+ years without many of these new tools which would be to build an online store with WordPress.
It’s not fun, sexy or whatever you want to call it. It’s the most cost effective, customizable, professional online store you can create using WordPress and built for real life scenarios.
I created a very lengthy tutorial on YouTube and I’ve condensed that into this article. You can build an online store with WordPress within an hour or less.
Table Of Contents
Registering Your Domain Name
Your site needs a name. Don’t overcomplicate this step. Choose a name and move on.
Go to a domain registrar like Namecheap and pick something short and memorable. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just something that represents your business well.
Some hosting services include free domain registration with their plans, which can save you money. Once your domain is secured, you’re ready to move on.
#1 Recommended Hosting Provider
There are far too many videos and promotions out there directing you to budget friendly hosts without highlighting some of the huge drawbacks that come with these $2.99/month hosting packages.

Yes they look appealing. Who doesn’t want to save money? Remember, budget (shared hosting) negatively impacts your page speed, which impacts your rankings, which in turn will impact your conversion rates that ultimately impacts your business.
Are you even saving money?… I recommend Cloudways for many reasons which are covered in my detailed review below. Read that and make an informed decision.
Click here to see why Cloudways is better for your business.
Installing WordPress
With your hosting set up, the next step is installing WordPress. Most hosting providers offer a quick and automatic WordPress installation feature.
On Cloudways, you simply log in, go to Applications, and add a WordPress application. This should take appoximately two minutes. It’s covered here in my video too.
Once installed, you’ll log in to your new WordPress site using the credentials provided by your host and the admin link provided by your hosting provider. Voila.
Pointing Your Domain to Your Host
This is a technical step.
It involves updating the DNS records of your domain name to point to your Cloudways server’s IP address (or your chosen host).
As confusing as it may sound it’s relatively simple to do. After updating these settings, they say it takes around 24-48 hours for your domain to propagate. It usually works for me in 5 minutes all the time.
You can jump straight to that section of my video by clicking here.
Secure Your Store with an SSL Certificate
An SSL certificate is that little “s” after http in your domain name.
It encrypts data and secures your website. Cloudways offers unlimited free SSL certificate with each application.
Head to the SSL Certificate section in your hosting dashboard, input your email and domain, and install. It’s that easy.
Once done, make sure your site URL includes “https” for that added layer of security.
Jump to the full instructions here.
Installing WooCommerce
WordPress powers your site and WooCommerce transforms it into a full e-commerce platform. Installing WooCommerce is as easy as adding a plugin.

- Log in to WordPress and go to Plugins > Add New.
- Search for “WooCommerce” and hit Install Now and Activate.
- Follow the guided setup wizard to configure basics like store type, location, and product categories (you don’t have to do the guided setup!)
WooCommerce gives your store the ability to handle products, payments, and shipping right out of the box.
Video section of Installing WooCommerce
Exploring WooCommerce Settings, Payments & Features
Use a Premium Theme To Stand Out
First impressions matter in ecommerce. WordPress offers plenty of free themes. Investing in a premium theme like Salient makes your business stand out like no other.

Here’s why premium themes like Salient stand out:
- Pre-built templates save your precious time and they make you look like a professional. The goal is to have customers make purchases on your website. It would make sense for the design to look like an expert was involved. Would you purchase from your own store?
- Customizations are faster and easier with built-in page builders.
- You’ll stand out with professional designs that impress potential buyers.
- All the design features are readily available, why re-invent the wheel and waste time. You core focus needs to be on sales not design.
Salient is just one of the many premium WordPress themes out there.
Next step: Uploaded your theme files, activate the required plugins and import demo content to get everything looking sharp right away.
Watch this part of the video for a visual walkthrough.
Customizing Your Store
After setting up your theme, it’s time to customize. Salient includes WP Bakery Page Builder. It’s safe to say it’s not a beginner friendly builder. Don’t sweat it, it’s not difficult to learn with many tutorials out there.
Start by updating your logo and navigation menu:
- Upload your own logo (preferably in PNG format with a transparent background).
- Adjust your menu by adding relevant categories or simplifying options for easier navigation.
I show you exactly how to do this here. You update the logo in the “Salient” theme options, and the menu is in Appearance > Menus.
For an additional read on page builders here are my Top 5 WordPress Landing Page Builders for Stunning Results.
Adding Products & Resizing Product Images
Interesting fact I used to run a video game reseller store. I had a gigantic catalog of products to work through which became a nightmare to manage. Depending on the size of your product list this is where you are likely to spend the most time. Try and minimize the products and add them as you go. It’ll be easier on your stress levels.
Here are the basics:
- Set a Product Title: Choose something clear and descriptive.
- Add a Product Image: Use consistent dimensions for a clean look (e.g: 361x452px). I go over this here in my video.
- Set Your Prices.
- Organize Categories and Tags: Keep things structured to help customers find items quickly.
- Product Descriptions: Use the short description for quick details and save lengthy explanations for the long description fields.
Uploading images of the same size ensures your pages look cohesive. It’s easy to skip this step to save time. Trust me make sure all images are sized appropriately its a nightmare doing it after the fact.
Configuring WooCommerce Settings
I know there are many ecommerce platforms out there. Shopify is a great example, but when you start adding extra tools to your store in Shopify you’ll see how fast your subscription goes up.
Paying for tools that are completely free in WooCommerce..
Thats why I use WooCommerce every time, there are too many customization options for me to ignore. Plus it saves me a ton of money in subscription fees and I have complete control over my site.
I’m not against Shopify by any means. The problem is you can do everything and then some in WooCommerce and it doesn’t cost you extra!
Here are the core features of WooCommerce aside from the products.
- Payments: Connect payment gateways like Stripe or PayPal to accept credit cards and other methods.
- Shipping: Add flat-rate, free shipping zones and shipping calculators.
- Taxes: Configure taxes based on your country and any legal requirements.
These setup options allow you to create a seamless shopping experience. As mentioned above you can Explore WooCommerce Settings, Payments & Features Here.
Launching Your Online Store
Now, that you’ve customized your store, added new products, configured your settings, you are now ready to launch.
Test everything from browsing products to completing a checkout to ensure the process works smoothly.
Consider exploring tips to boost your store’s performance with our 5 Proven Methods to Increase Your Stores Conversion Rates.
Final Thoughts
I hope you enjoyed this condensed article, I kept it as short as I could as I know people are not a fan of written tutorials.
I highly encourage you to bookmark my video and keep coming back to build your own online store with WordPress.
Setting up a WordPress online store might take some patience, but it’s completely do-able with the right tools. From picking your hosting to designing your store with a premium theme like Salient, you now have the steps to create a professional and functional e-commerce website. There’s no excuse.
Let me know if I can help in any way and good luck!