Review: How to Use WordPress for E-Commerce Training Video by Infinite Skills

21st Jun 2013 | Posted by Eko S. | No Comments

Since WordPress is a free, open source platform with a wide ecosystem of functionality-extend plug-ins, it can be a great launching point for E-Commerce. With this in mind, the training company InfiniteSkills and author George Plumley have prepared a new training video course. We recently were able to take a look at what the 14-hour series has to offer.

George Plumley has worked as website developer and designer for businesses websites for fifteen years, and he has written multiple books and guides on web design and WordPress, including WordPress 24-hour Trainer and the popular 100 Questions to Ask Before Building a Website. His experience definitely shows in the approach he takes in the InfiniteSkills course.

There are a few different options available on the market that cover WordPress E-Commerce, but this How To Use WordPress for E-Commerce Video Tutorial emphasizes basic concepts first and guides the users though a complete design process. As opposed to some of the free resources out there, this video tutorial is presented in a professional way, and instructions given in it are quite understandable for beginners.

Main Features

Before getting into the details, I would like to mention few prerequisites the instructor has brings up to potential viewers of the training course.

Prerequisites:
Before starting the How To Use WordPress for E-Commerce video training course, author George Plumley recommends:

• Users know about the different versions of WordPress, such as the hosted version of WordPress(available on wordpress.com) and the self-hosted version (available on wordpress.org). The training is targeted mainly for self-hosted version of WordPress because of limitations on checkout options with the hosted version.
• You can already choose and install WordPress plug-ins.
• You understand the basics of online payment systems like PayPal etc.

Starting off, Plumley introduces a few different important plug-ins and concepts for E-Commerce:

• Enhanced PayPal Short Codes Plug-in
  

  This is PayPal button plug-in; this plug-in is mainly used on sites having any type of PayPal Button, such as “Buy Now” or a subscription option. The short codes allow you to quickly create different PayPal buttons within WordPress.

• Setting Up a Basic Store in WordPress
  In this section of the video tutorial, the trainer explains setting up basic storefront using WordPress posts. He also shows how to:
  # Distinctively split the store and blog interfaces on a site without negatively affecting underlying code.
  #Add functional menu and submenu items to the store to serve as product categories.
  #Use galleries to showcase products.
• Light Box Plus Plug-in
  This plug-in used to handle submenu picture galleries. Essentially, it automatically creates user-friendly pop-ups of images to provide alternate product views.
• WordPress Simple Shopping Card Plug-in
  This plug-in allows adding variations (like colors) or options in particular product. It also has features for styling different pages such as check-in and check-out pages. Plumley shows how to set up the plug-in and navigate its documentation.
• Easy Digital Downloads Plug-in For WordPress
  

  This plug-in basically facilitates the sale of digital products (like pdf files) safely and securely by adding constraints. It can also be used for app and software sales.

• Shoop Plug-in
  The WordPress training goes further into the Shoop plug-in, which is one of the better paid options on net. It has payment options beyond PayPal like Google Checkout and 2cc Ckeck-out, whereas most the free plug-ins do not offer these.
• LShopper Plus Plug-in and Cart 66 Plug-in
  The course goes into the Shopper Plus plug-in, which is paid. It also offers a highly extensive feature set.
  Cart 66 is a paid plug-in that offers a category-leading feature set and also comes with one year of support.
• WP-Ecommerce Plug-in
  In this part of the video, you see how to create buttons and configure a cart using this popular plug-in. The trainer also goes into variation settings, coupons, check out settings, catalog customization options and image resizing.
• Jigoshop Plug-in and WooCommerce
  Jigoshop offers a full WordPress shopping cart, and it also has many add-ons. It is free for all basic shopping cart capabilities, but its add-on options are paid. It’s highly customizable, and the InfiniteSkills training goes through a few different configurations.
  WooCommerce is also full service shopping cart plug-in. It’s from a company called “Woo themes,” and to fully use the plug-in one has to have a “woo theme” installed. It has lot of similarity with Jigoshop.
• Understanding Free vs Paid WordPress Shopping Plug-ins
  

  In this section, the trainer goes through some of the different paid and free options and what you should take into consideration. He goes through:

  1. Development Cost
     One has to incur development cost whether with free or paid plug-ins, because almost every site requires some technical customization.
  2. Ongoing Cost
     If your site requires continuous updates or customization you will incur some level of ongoing cost, whether with free or paid plug-ins. Some paid templates involve paid service and support.
  3. Features
     Obviously paid plug-ins will have more features compared to free plug-ins, but generally the author emphasizes that almost all paid and free plug-ins have the same core features.
  4. Support
     Paid plug-ins provide better support than free plug-ins, but with free plug-ins, one has to look into what individual resources are available.

And the training goes through many of its options and features, including its extensive shipping capabilities.

The Best Features

Here are the best features I liked in the WordPress for e-Commerce Training Video Tutorial from InfiniteSkills:

• The tutorial is very well planned and presented. The instructor is experienced, and he provides practical examples in a comprehensive and understandable way.
• His section on prerequisites and assumptions helps you figure out whether you are ready to proceed.
• The trainer explains and explores a wide range of plug-ins, from basic ways of extending WordPress to make it better suited for sales to complete cart systems. He not only explains the differences between competing plug-ins but actively goes through configuration and implementation.
• Lastly, I would like to mention the way the course handles variation options. I have always had difficulty in handling variations for my website, and Plumley shows very clearly how to implement variations in product pages and within various plug-ins.

Drawbacks

Here are drawbacks in the course and WordPress E-Commerce more broadly:

• This video tutorial series often goes into technical details some users may not be comfortable with: HTML, CSS and PHP.
• Many of the plug-ins involve some degree of coding or technical configuration.
• Minor complaint: the PayPal button used in plug-ins featured is a “.Gif” type, which by default always has pixelation issues, regarding size.
• Money matters. When selecting plug-ins, you must also consider their various add-on options and upkeep as most of them are paid. As George says in one lesson, “You pay, but you keep on paying.”

Verdict

This WordPress training video series is ideal for understanding the basics of E-Commerce on WordPress. The trainer has explicit prerequisites, and starts from basic settings like initially setting up PayPal button. He shoes how to set up products pages, add menus and product categories, and continues with a step by step approach by explaining basic and advanced plugins that are essential to anyone looking to sell products online through the WordPress platform.

Conclusion

It’s a fact that WordPress was not initially developed for E-Commerce, but over time it has evolved into a viable solution. As a free, open source platform, WordPress has always appealed to me for quickly building blogs and sites. As an entrepreneur, I always want to take my business to the next level, and fortunately the WordPress for E-Commerce Training Video Tutorial offers a useful place to start selling digital and physical products online. It has helped me a lot in terms of understanding the fundamentals of E-commerce more broadly and has also offered the keys to optimizing my sites for success.