17 Oct 2023
WooCommerce is one of the fastest-growing webshop software on the internet, and a significant reason for this is that WooCommerce runs on WordPress and is available for free download. Additionally, it’s easy to install with just a few mouse clicks.
However, WooCommerce is not entirely free. The trick lies in how the webshop operates. While WooCommerce seems comprehensive at its core, when you want to customize the registration fields or the checkout page, you’ll find that you need extensions. These customization options are not included by default in WooCommerce, and as you might have guessed, you can purchase them separately.
Does this sound familiar? Yes, it’s similar to the free games for phones with in-app purchases.
Nevertheless, there is an advantage:
Your webshop is not overloaded with features by default.
Below is a list of “extensions,” as WooCommerce calls them, that are crucial for a large webshop. Most of them can be purchased from the WooCommerce store, and we have provided links to each extension.
Essential WooCommerce Extensions
Extension 1: Customize Checkout Fields
This extension is necessary if you want to customize the fields that visitors fill in during the checkout process.
Extension 2: Wishlist
Allow visitors to save their favorite products. Without registration, they can save favorites and come back later to purchase them. The favorites are stored for 30 days, and for registered users, favorites can be saved as long as they want. It allows the customer to save for later.
Extension 3: Newsletter Subscription
Customers can subscribe to the newsletter with just one click during checkout. This extension works in conjunction with Mailchimp.
Extension 4: Currency Converter
Visitors from other countries can choose the currency in which they want to see the amount. The currency converter widget uses a general database to display the currency at the current exchange rate.
Extension 5: PDF Invoices
While you might expect WooCommerce to send invoices in PDF format by default, everything is done via emails. This extension ensures that customers also receive a downloadable PDF that can be printed or used for administrative purposes.
Extension 6: Payment Gateways
To receive payments via iDEAL and other methods, you can establish complicated connections with your bank. But this involves a lot of work.
Mollie is a Dutch company that provides payment options and simply deposits the various payments into your account without the need for contracts with your bank.
Extension 7: Multiple Shipping Addresses
By default, you can only enter one shipping address during checkout. But what if you make multiple purchases at once and want them sent to different addresses? This extension allows that.
Extension 8: Product Image Watermark
Prevent others from copying and using your product images by automatically placing your logo on the image with each new upload.
Extension 9: Multilingual Webshop
This is not an official extension of WooCommerce itself but a plugin that works with the webshop to make it multilingual. WPML has a Multilingual E-Commerce module specifically designed for this purpose.
Extension 10: Security
An antivirus for WordPress is not a luxury but a necessity, especially if you use WooCommerce. You want to protect your customers and their data as much as possible, and you can achieve this with this antivirus plugin for WordPress.
Paid Extensions vs. Free Extensions
For the above extensions, you pay a small amount. However, it is recommended to make this investment over free alternatives. These paid extensions can be downloaded from the WooCommerce site, ensuring that there are no hacks or backdoors.
The Sky is the Limit?
Don’t clutter your webshop with too many extensions/plugins. Each plugin loads code, which can slow down your website. Additionally, hackers frequently test plugins for vulnerabilities, and they often find them. In short, every additional plugin is a potential vulnerability.
Try to have your WooCommerce webshop work with a maximum of 5-8 targeted plugins. Less is more when it comes to security.
