The online marketplace always helps you to accelerate your business approach. But, small entrepreneurs face difficulty in creating an online marketplace. Here we are with the Guide of Simple steps to create an online marketplace using WordPress.
What is a WordPress Marketplace?
Most of the WordPress users are aware of the fact that the WordPress can be used for creating an eCommerce store on their site. But they are not aware of the difference between a marketplace and a store.
A marketplace is a collection of stores with many vendors and a store is a vendor selling his own goods and services.
Via creating a marketplace you are providing a platform to the vendors where vendors can make an account to showcase their goods and services.
Basic requirements to create an Online Marketplace using WordPress.
To create a perfect platform you must make sure that you are using the Correct website. As WordPress is available in two types one WordPess.com and WordPress.org.
WordPress.com is limited blog hosting service while WordPress.org is self-hosted WordPress.
We suggesting to select WordPress.org because it gives you the freedom and access all WordPress feature.
To start a Online Marketplace using self-hosted WordPress you must have:
- A domain name.
- Web hosting account and this is where your website’s files are stored
- SSL Certificate to securely accept online payments
- WooCommerce (best WordPress eCommerce addon)
- Online marketplace addon.
Let’s Start the step illustration of creating Online Marketplace using WordPress.
First Step: Setting up Your E-commerce Platform
First, you need to buy a domain name and a web hosting. You need a website hosting and a service that specializes in WooCommerce. For suggestion refer to our Guide How to choose best WordPress Hosting.
After purchasing the hosting you have a WordPress website with WooCommerce installed on it. By default, WooCommerce considers your website as a single vendor website. Means right now it’s not viable for other users to add their own products to your website. Let’s take a step forward to solve this.
Second step: Convert Your WooCommerce Website into an Online Marketplace.
Here you need to install and activate WC vendors plugin.
Once the plugin is activated go to WooCommerce ?WC Vendors page to edit the settings
In setting, you have to set a commision rate that you will pay to each vendor on this screen. The default settings will work for most sites but you can review and change them as your requirement.
To save the changes click on Save General changes.
Now, visit the product page. Here, You can select the item which you want to hide from the vendors when they add a product to this screen.
WC vendors allow you to set vendor capabilities and permissions. For this click on capabilities
The next option is setting is Pages and this option is for page setup. The plugin will automatically create pages for vendor dashboard, order page, and Shop setting. If you want to use a different page that can be done by using Shortcodes Shown on each page.
The Vendors terms page will consist of the terms that a vendor will admit before submitting their application and it is not created by the plugin. So, create a new page add the terms vendor should admit. Once it’s done return back to Page?vendor terms and select the recently created page.
The last setting option is payment. By default, WC Vendors uses PayPal Adaptive payments to pay vendors.
Now You have a link to setup PayPal Adaptive Payments. This You can choose when you want to pay the vendors after you have set it up.
Now, setup WooCommerce for a multi-vendor environment.
Third Step: Enable Account Management in WooCommerce
To Enable Account Management in WooCommerce Visit WooCommerce ” Settings and click on the Account Tab. Check the boxes next to customer registration option. Save the settings and continue.
Fourth step : Set Up Navigation Menu:
Now, your online marketplace set up is completed and it’s time to make an easy way for your user to search your website.
For this Visit Appearance ” Menus page. Now, add your user an account and checkout pages to the navigation menu.
Save the changes done in settings and if you don’t have My Account page then create a new page in WordPress and add the shortcode [woocommerce_my_account] in the post editor.
Fifth Step: Test Your Marketplace Website:
Now test your website by creating account as a vendor. When you click to create My Account, a window will open with login and create new account options.
You will always receive notification on email once the user creates a new account.
You can check new vendor’s application by Visiting on Users ” All Users page. You will see new vendors requests as ‘Pending vendor” and they can log in their account only when you approved the requests.
Once the request of the vendor has approved they can log in and add their products by visiting their vendor dashboard. Here they can also see their orders and sale report.
The vendors required to set up their shop settings by clicking on ‘Store Settings‘ link.
Conclusion:
This five-step guide will definitely help you to start your online marketplace. We wish you a good luck with your online marketplace and have a bright future in the digital world.
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For any query regarding the topic, you can leave us a comment in comment box.
