WordPress.com Commerce Review: Better Than the Regular WooCommerce?
Ease of use: 4/5 | Features: 4/5 | Pricing: 3.5/5 | Support: 3.5/5 |
The Pros | The Cons |
The end user doesn’t have to be as tech-savvy. | Accessing human support takes too many clicks. |
You can use a site editor to customize your site – without knowing how to code. | Various extensions can generate hefty costs if you are not careful. |
Plenty of themes and extensibility. | Not necessarily the cheapest eCommerce platform out there. |
What is WordPress.com Commerce?
Before we begin this review, it’s helpful to understand the two different flavors of WordPress: self-hosted and hosted (WordPress.com).
You are responsible for everything in the self-hosted, including finding a web host or regular security patching. But, in the case of WordPress.com, you don’t have to worry about the most technical aspects of running a website; you can mainly focus on content creation.
Like WordPress, WooCommerce also comes in two flavors: self-hosted and hosted.
While the self-hosted version (WooCommerce) is a popular choice for starting an online store, it’s not for everyone, thanks to its technical nature. Fortunately, there is an easier way.
Enter WordPress.com Commerce, a hosted version of WooCommerce. Setting up the store is simpler than with the self-hosted version, and there are fewer technical aspects to take care of.
In addition, the hosted version has many powerful features, including automated backups, 24/7 support, and code-free site editing. These features make running an online store easier.
Getting Started with WordPress.com Commerce
If you have ever used WordPress before, the first glance at WordPress.com Commerce makes you feel like you are coming home. The overall look and feel are the same as with WordPress.
Even if you have never used WordPress, no worries; you can start your store with just a few clicks.
Once you have reviewed the initial setup questions, you’ll land on the WordPress dashboard. The front page has a handy checklist that shows the tasks you should do when setting up your store. Once you have finished a step, it is crossed off your list.
This simple checklist approach keeps you organized, and you know exactly what to do next.
Ease of Use
User Interface and Usability
If you have ever used self-hosted WordPress, using the hosted version is very simple. You’ll only have to learn the eCommerce functionality, which doesn’t exist in a vanilla WordPress installation.
Even if you are inexperienced with WordPress, you can still get going quickly. The main navigation is on the left and may contain additional subitems. Most of the eCommerce-related items are at the top part of the left navigation:
You can access the functionality you want to work on with just a few clicks.
The UI is simple and easy to navigate.
Layout Options and Customization
WordPress.com Commerce uses a block editor to modify content.
If you have used any recent version of WordPress, the blocks approach is already familiar to you. If not, getting used to the block editor may take some time.
There are plenty of generic blocks available that are ready to use. You can also find WooCommerce-specific blocks that help you design your desired store.
If the page editor is too limited, you can design your content using a page builder like Elementor.
Creating Products
Adding new products to your store is straightforward. You can sell many types of products, including digital files, downloads, and physical ones.
You start adding the product by entering the basic details (name, description…, etc.) and then move on to the other important information, like what type of product is in question or its pricing. All the product information is accessible on one page.
Finally, you can organize products with categories and tags. The hosted WooCommerce also supports adding variants to products with attributes.
Store Management and Analytics
The analytics dashboard quickly shows how your store is doing. It gives you a visual representation of your business through numbers and graphs.
If you want to dig deeper into the analytics, the left-side menu gives you plenty of options. For instance, if you hop over to the Revenue section, you’ll see more information regarding your sales, including gross sales, net sales, or returns.
Other Notable Features
Marketing and SEO
Online stores can only thrive with marketing. So, no matter how well-designed your store is or if you have all the products imaginable to sell, they mean nothing without proper exposure.
WordPress.com Commerce comes with a marketing toolset. For instance, you can integrate your store with social media platforms like Facebook, Pinterest, and TikTok.
You also have access to email marketing. With MailPoet, you can create email marketing campaigns or send newsletters to your subscribers.
WordPress.com Commerce provides a wide range of SEO tools. You can improve your store’s visibility by defining page title structure or setting meta descriptions on a page and post level.
Automation with AutomateWoo
Automation simplifies many mundane tasks, and it’s a great time saver. It can also help you grow your business.
In WordPress.com Commerce, a tool called AutomateWoo addresses your automation needs. It helps you create automated workflows by combining triggers, rules, and actions.
For example, you can set up abandoned cart recovery emails, follow-ups, or personalized coupons. You can also create custom automations.
Once you have set up your workflow, you can schedule it based on your demands.
Shipping Tools
WordPress.com Commerce supports various shipping methods, including free, flat-rate, local pickup, or international.
You can also use the shipping calculator on the shopping cart page. In addition, WordPress can show or hide shipping costs until a customer has entered their address.
Finally, the Commerce plan also supports shipping zones. You can then define the shipping methods specific to those zones.
Mobile App
WordPress.com Commerce has a mobile app that helps you to manage your online business on the go.
For instance, you can manage orders and track sales. You can also process orders with the tool.
Payment Methods
WooPayments is the preferred way to accept payments in the Commerce plan. You can accept payments via credit cards, debit cards, Google Pay, or Apple Pay. You can also offer local currency payment options for international customers.
While the system is free to sign up, there are still costs associated with it. WooPayments uses a pay-as-you-go pricing model, and the exact costs depend on various factors (country, currency…, etc.). For instance, in the United States, the base fee for credit cards is 2.90% + $0.30, while in the UK, it is 1.50% + £0.25.
WooPayments is currently available in 38 countries. If the system is unavailable in your location, you can always use third-party payment gateways with their pricing.
Plugins & Integrations
You can access a large set (50.000+) of plugins for your WordPress.com Commerce store.
Some plugins are free, while others require payment. But remember this when purchasing the premium ones: The more you buy them, the more (recurring) costs you may have on top of your monthly WordPress.com Commerce subscription.
Also, remember that WordPress.com supports only some of the available extensions. In many cases, however, you must seek support from third-party developers.
Want even more integrations?
You can also hook the WordPress.com Commerce site up with Zapier. With this connection, you can build a bridge to other systems like Google tools or email marketing services.
Finally, you can also install plugins outside the WordPress plugin repository. However, WordPress.com does not handle the updates automatically; you must run them yourself.
Themes
Themes are yet another strong point for WordPress.com. There are plenty of themes by WordPress.com and Partners, and third-party themes are also supported.
You can always design your own if you can’t find the one you like.
Finally, you can also let someone else create the store for you. The pricing depends naturally on your project size.
With WordPress.com Commerce, you have more than enough theming options. The theming is clearly one of the platform’s strengths.
Pricing
The price for WordPress.com Commerce is $70 per month. If you choose the annual pricing, the monthly cost drops to $45. However, you must pay a lot upfront ($540).
Although the pricing may be less expensive elsewhere, the monthly fee gives you plenty of features. The WordPress.com Commerce plan contains features of the Personal, Premium, and Business plans. In addition, you get:
- Premium store themes.
- Unlimited products.
- Dynamic product upsells.
- International selling (in 60+ countries).
- Inventory management.
Fortunately, the Commerce plan has a 14-day free trial, so you can test it and see if it’s for you. There is one caveat, though: The trial version doesn’t contain all of the plan’s features. To eliminate these limitations, you should upgrade to the paid plan.
Currently, there is only one WordPress.com eCommerce plan available, but it would be great if there were more. With more variety (and pricing points), the whole WordPress.com eCommerce offering could become more compelling to potential customers.
Customer Service
While WordPress.com’s hosted nature saves you from certain technical headaches, you may still want to seek help from a human being.
WordPress.com Commerce comes with 24/7 support. You can reach the support by email or chat. Other support channels, such as the knowledge base or eCommerce learning section, are also available.
However, getting the actual help from humans should be a bit easier than it is now.
You start the help process by spotting the Help icon (question mark) at the top-right of the screen. You then land on the knowledge base section, where you can browse the knowledge base articles.
If you still need further assistance, click the Still need help? button. The Wapuu chatbot then greets you:
Now, you might be wondering how to actually talk to a human and not to a bot. The trick is to enter phrases like “How do I get support for wordpress.com” or “I want customer support”. With them, you get the following results:
Clicking the “Contact WordPress.com Support” opens the window where you can submit further information regarding your request.
While the support works fine, and you get answers to your questions, there is one caveat: phone support is not available. Whether this is a major or minor one depends on your preferences.
FAQ
WordPress.org is a self-hosted version of WordPress, where you must take care of every aspect of your site, including finding hosting, installing themes and plugins, and running security patches. The self-hosted version is ideal for those who want complete control over their site.
If you are not interested in the technical aspects of setting up and running your WordPress site, the hosted version (.com) could be your choice. It provides hosting and various security measures by default. You also get access to 24/7 customer support.
WooCommerce is free to download and use. However, if you choose the hosted version of WooCommerce (WordPress.com Commerce), you need a paid subscription.
WordPress.com provides many security features to keep your website safe. These measures include HTTPS encryption by default, daily scans for finding security breaches or malware, regular data backups, firewalls, and continuous monitoring.
While WordPress.com offers many ways to secure your site, you also have the responsibility to act securely. For instance, you can enable two-factor authentication with your account or use strong passwords.
When both sides of the security are in place, you can have a genuinely secure website.
WooCommerce is compatible with Elementor (free and pro), and both versions work with WordPress.com (you need a Business or Commerce plan to install plugins).
Conclusion: Is the WordPress.com Commerce Better Than the Regular WooCommerce?
Whether the WordPress.com Commerce is better than its self-hosted counterpart depends on how much control you want.
With a self-hosted WooCommerce, you have more flexibility and control. However, you are also responsible for getting the hosting, applying the security patching, and getting support separately.
With WordPress.com Commerce, you get everything in one package. The platform is ideal for someone unwilling to spend time with technical questions and wants to get the online store up and running as quickly as possible.
If the fewer technical aspects of WooCommerce attract you, then WordPress.com Commerce is your choice for your online store. It can provide plenty of features and extensibility in one package.
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