WP eCommerce Show

In this podcast, we look at the common perceptions of eCommerce, and more specifically, WooCommerce. When you hear either of those, do you immediately think of selling physical products?

I chat with Zack Stepek from Mindsize about this perceptions surrounding  WooCommerce or entering the eCommerce space. We talk about:

• How most people think of only selling products when they think of  eCommerce.
• The top ways of selling with WooCommerce outside of physical products.
• Some of the least likely things you might consider using WooCommerce for.
• A few uses that fall between the most popular and least likely.
• What we might see in the future related to what people sell online.

Today’s transcript is brought to you by Liquid Web, WooCommerce hosting done the right way.

Bob: Hey, Zach. Welcome to the show.

Zach: Thank you, Bob, it’s good to be here.

Bob: I think that the best way to talk about this is to just dive into it and learn from your  experience because I know that you work with a lot of clients who use WooCommerce at different levels. When you mention WooCommerce to people, do you feel like in their brains right away they’re thinking, “Oh, that’s selling products.” Or do you think that’s changing in the space?

Zach: I think it’s changing a little, but the vast majority of the people that I talk to immediately regarding any e-commerce platform is selling physical products that they have to ship to somebody. I think that most of the time when people are looking at that, they’re thinking, “Okay, people are going to place an order, they’re going to go and we’re going to have to receive that order somehow and warehouse it and pack it into shipping boxes and figure out what to charge for shipping. And figure out how we’re going to ship in the first place, and how we’re going to get the best rates.” And all of these other pieces that go into the lifecycle of a physical product order. You can get started in eCommerce by selling things that don’t require all of those steps. I think that’s the big thing that I’ve been trying to share lately is that eEommerce isn’t just selling physical products, it’s anytime that you’re using a website to perform a transaction where you’re buying a good, whether that be a service or a booking for a website, or for a hotel.

When you book a room at a hotel on a website, that’s e-Commerce. You book a plane ticket, that’s e-Commerce. So, really trying to shift that perspective away from just physical product orders, and physical product fulfillment to e-Commerce within a larger ecosystem that consists of a number of types of businesses.

Bob: I think in one of my posts I actually put the definition of e-Commerce from I think it might’ve been Wikipedia or something like that. And in a nutshell, it was selling anything online. People do get tied into that product thing, and I think a lot of times that’s why they go, “Ooh, I’m not going to be doing that.” And a lot of people don’t even realize they’re doing e-Commerce—or actually have it on their site— until they start to dive into it or hear someone like you actually explain more clearly.

Zach: If we look at the most most people who are in the WordPress space, if you’ve

What is around the corner this coming year in the eCommerce space? I asked some knowledgeable peeps about what they see as trends and predictions for 2019.

In early December, thanks to the generosity of WPMUDEV, I attended WordCamp US in Nashville. It is the national conference for WordPress, where I spend a good two days in conversations with friends and colleagues, old and new.

I asked 23 of the attendees what they see in the future of eCommerce in 2019. Some great new insights here as well,  as a few that were worth repeating.

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In the last show of 2018, I am sharing what you can expect— from this podcast, our other  podcast, and the blog here on BobWP.com.

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In this episode, I am flying solo and talking about one of my favorite topics: monetizing your blog.

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In episode 132, we learn about the exciting news coming out about BigCommerce and their unique integration with WordPress. Developers and store owners alike will want to listen to this show.

I had the chance to chat with Topher DeRosia, WordPress Developer Evangelist for BigCommerce, about their newest integration with WordPress and the eCommerce space when it comes to platforms vs. WordPress plugins. I asked him:

• What led up to the release of this plugin
• What are the top features this brings to WordPress store owners
• What are the advantages for store owners with a platform like BigCommerce
• How BigCommerce stands out from the other eCommerce platforms out there
• What specific comparisons a store owner should pay attention to when deciding between using an eCommerce platform or a single eCommerce plugin

We started with a little history. We often only hear about a plugin after it’s released. Topher gives us the backstory: what inspired the plugin in the first place.

Next he shared the features of this plugin—what it brings to the developer as well as the store owner/user. He tells us some pretty cool stuff that you will be impressed with.

Topher has been in the open-source space with WordPress and is now working with an eCommerce platform. You’ll hear his thinking on why someone would want to consider using WordPress combined with BigCommerce.

Obviously, with the emergence of this new plugin and the integration BigCommerce now has with WordPress, there is an advantage over other eCommerce plugins. We revisited that as well as what else makes BigCommerce stand out in the field of eCommerce platforms.

Lastly, for the potential customer who is wanting their store on WordPress and might have heard something about BigCommerce, I asked Topher how he would go about convincing that person that BigCommerce is the way to go.

You can follow Topher on Twitter and learn more about what BigCommerce has to offer here. 

In episode 131, I am talking with Tareq Hasan about their plugin and using WooCommerce for your online marketplace.

Tareq is the Founder, CTO of weDevs. I chatted with him about Dokan, a multi-vendor marketplace plugin for WooCommerce. We also talked about the online marketplace space and he shared some tips for starting and overcoming challenges you might face. I asked him:

In episode 129, we are talking about what you can do to make sure you are compliant when it comes to your online store and privacy.

I had the chance to chat with Rian Kinney, eCommerce and privacy attorney, author and speaker as we looked at the bigger picture of privacy as it applies to our online stores. Although this is a broad topic, she shared some nuggets of wisdom to help anyone who is running an online store. I asked her:

• How much can we rely on the privacy updates that came with WordPress 4.9?
• Can the do-it-yourselfer handle it themselves?
• What are two of the most overlooked areas of privacy?
• How do you maintain your privacy policy?
• How can developers protect themselves from issues involving client-built sites?
• What else would you like to add to conversation about privacy?

We started out with the privacy options and tools that came out with WordPress 4.9. Although they are a decent start, there is much work to be done for online store owners to be in complete compliance with the GDPR and other privacy laws. From there, I wanted to know if it is realistic for DIY’ers to do this themselves. There is a lot of advice out there and much of it is misinformation. Although there are many things one can do themselves, to make sure you are in complete compliance, you likely will need some help.

I asked Rian what she sees as two of the biggest overlooked pieces in the privacy puzzle. And as with all things WordPress, there is maintenance. With changes in the law, changes in your site, etc., Rian gives some good tips on how to keep your privacy policy in good working order.

For the developers listening in, we talked a bit about how you can protect yourself from any issues that may come up down the road regarding the site and the store owner’s compliance.

I ended it with her tip about how marketing plays into the whole privacy issue.

You can learn more about Rian on her website, kinneyfirm.com or follow her over on Twitter (@TheKinneyFirm )

Okay, I’ll be first to admit that garbage is a harsh word here, but hear me out.

Think of it as stuff you don’t use and is just taking up space. Kind of like your garage. Or maybe your basement or spare room. There is stuff we just don’t need to keep in the WordPress dashboard of our online store if we are not using it.

Let’s look at a few of these.

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Listening to Marcel chat about this new module and what it means to dive into the Multi-Channel sales stream. I asked him:

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In episode 126, we step outside the space of online retail and take a different perspective on eCommerce  by looking at how an affiliate marketer can move into a career as an affiliate manager.

I chat with Dustin Howes, a ten-year veteran of the affiliate industry and founder of Performance Marketing Manager, a video training course that teaches the fundamentals and industry secrets of affiliate program management. I ask Dustin: