Your Top 25 WooCommerce Questions Answered | Simplemachine

WordPress plugins and extensions are content management systems that ensure you achieve a customized website. WooCommerce is one such powerful extension that enables individuals to set up online stores.

Below are some commonly asked questions about this extension.

1. What is WordPress?

This is a simple yet powerful content management system (CMS) that helps you develop, share, and manage content on the web. You can either choose to work with WordPress.com (hosted) or WordPress.org (self-hosted). You should, however, note that all themes from Woo only work with WordPress.org. That said, you’ll still get a wide selection of themes to choose from when you use the free WordPress version. This free and open-source content management system is based on MYSQL and PHP. The featured plugins and templates allow you to achieve a personalized website that suits your needs and brand image.

2. What is a Theme?

A theme is a ready-to-use layout that you can activate on your WordPress site. Synonymous to a template, a theme transforms your content into a beautiful layout. With the WordPress customizer, you can have configurable options that allow you to tweak the appearance of your website pages. WooCommerce Themes provide you with control over how you present content on your website. They’re the result of a collection of files working together to provide an underlying unified design for the website.

3. How Can I Customize My Woo Themes?

Woo allows you to customize your site based on what you want to achieve with your theme. You can easily add a background to your WooCommerce theme and upload your logo to achieve a branded website. The Customizer allows you to control the built-in WordPress themes. In case you need to tweak the style and layout of your website theme, you’ll need basic CSS and HTML knowledge. You’ll also find PHP knowledge specific to WordPress useful, and a good place to begin learning is WordPress Codex. When you feel ready to customize one of the WordPress WooCommerce themes, consider beginning with a child theme. Many resources guide you through the creation and modification of child themes.

4. What WooCommerce Themes Are Available?

As you look for the best WooCommerce themes, it will please you to know that there are countless pre-styled themes to choose from. Since this is the most popular e-commerce platform in the world, it’s the best place to find customized themes. Whether yours is a small, medium, or large e-commerce website, you are bound to find a solution that suits you.

5. How Do I Purchase a Product?

Once you find the product you’re interested in, all you need to do is click on the buy button. You can then select the package and subscription that best suits you. Once you make selections, you’ll be directed to the checkout page. You can either log into your existing WooCommerce.com account or register a new account to use your saved information. You’ll receive an email the minute your payment has been approved. The email will have your receipt and login details.

6. Which Payments Are Accepted?

All payments are accepted via the Stripe account. You can use MasterCard, Visa, Discover, JCB, American Express, or Diner’s Club card to make your payments. This is a U.S.-based company, and all the prices are denoted in U.S. dollars. In case of any hiccups, feel free to contact the support team for assistance. If you have purchased a product on behalf of another account, ensure that you provide that information to avoid confusion.

7. Is it Possible to Upgrade My Purchases?

Yes. WooCommerce allows you to upgrade a purchase. All you need to do is go to your account’s dashboard and click on upgrade. You’ll then be directed to the checkout page where you’ll need to pay the difference between the two packages involved. You can also upgrade your plugin or extension by finding your key at My Subscriptions via your WooCommere.com account.

8. Where Do I Download My Purchases?

Once you make your order and complete payments, you’ll need to access your product. WooCommerce will send an email notification that has your product’s download link. You can also visit WooCommerce.com at any time to download purchases. Go to your account and click on the downloads button to find all available products. When you view downloads on WooCommerce.com, you can also use the opportunity to find out the latest versions of your product and the changelog for each update.

9. Does My WooCommerce Theme Purchase Come with a PSD File?

All the developed packages and WooCommerce themed packages offered include the PSD file. PSD files come in handy when making design and structural changes as it saves you from using the code. Design agencies and freelancers can leverage PSD files to tweak the initial site design. You don’t have to learn HTML, PHP, or CSS to have the specific design brief in hand. Lastly, you can also format your theme’s background image. Alternatively, you can recreate background images if you know your way around Photoshop.

10. Can I Test a WooCommerce Theme Before Purchasing It?

Yes. WooCommerce allows you to review WooCommerce theme demos before you make a purchase. Alternatively, you can view each product on the Woo product page. There is even theme documentation featured on the website that you can read to figure out the theme that best suits you. There is also a 30-day money back guarantee that allows you to try a theme and cancel your subscription before the end of 30 days. You can easily get a refund or try another WooCommerce theme if your current one does not suit your website’s needs.

11. How Do I Access the Free WooCommerce Themes?

There is a free theme section on the site where you can access free WooCommerce themes. Once you find the theme ideal for your website, you can download it and add it to your cart. Aside from the free download process, going through the checkout process is also free. The WooCommerce theme you downloaded together with the subscription key will then be added to your account. If you need to access the newly added themes, go to your dashboard and go to the My Subscriptions tab.

12. What are Subscription Keys For?

As you have noticed, all products from WooCommerce come with subscription keys. You are probably wondering what subscription keys are for. Well, the keys together with your active subscription allow you to access support and the latest product updates. WooCommerce offers a single, 5-site, and 25-site package. This simple and powerful license keys manager allows you to add new product types to your WooCommerce and WordPress setup. They can also be used to validate your products.

13. How Many Sites Can I Use My Subscription Key On?

One valid active subscription key can be used on an active site and a developing site. You can test your extensions in a live environment simultaneously without having to deactivate and reactivate. With a 5-site subscription, you can use your active subscription key on 5 active and 5 test sites. With a 25-site subscription, on the other hand, you get access to 25 active and 25 developing sites. Each site is classified as an active URL where you have sub-domains, sub-directory sites, and protocols as separate sites.

14. How Do Subscription Keys Work?

Keys are used for activating subscriptions. Since the keys are unique, it ensures that everyone with a WooCommerce and WordPress setup has an easy time accessing their account. Furthermore, this feature allows you to run more than one site as long as each one has its unique subscription key. Whenever you need to access support, the subscription keys allow you to do so easily. Since all themes come with unlimited domain use, you can easily activate and reactivate your subscription key at will.

15. How Do I Renew My Subscription?

All you need to do to renew your subscription is to enable auto-renew and your subscriptions will auto-renew on the due date. Once your card is charged for the renewal, you’ll get an email notification with the receipt to show that you’ve successfully paid for another year. In addition, WooCommerce sends renewal reminders at a specified interval before the subscriptions’ expiration date. More information about renewal can be found on My Subscriptions page. Remember that subscriptions are usually billed annually at 100% of the purchase price. Even though there are coupon codes and other promotional discounts, they do not apply to subscription renewals.

16. What Do I Receive When I Renew My Subscription?

When you renew your subscription, you are entitled to support as well as product updates. Updates ensure that your site is compatible with the latest WooCommerce and WordPress versions. Other enhancements you will benefit from include bug fixes and security patches.

17. What Happens When My Subscription Expires?

If your subscription did not auto-renew on the due date, you can still access services. However, you will not be in a position to access product updates, receive support, or use your downloaded files. Consider downloading your products and have them on file before the due date if you know you won’t be able to renew your subscription.

18. How Do Keys Work With a Multisite Network?

As previously mentioned, it’s possible for one individual to have multiple WordPress and WooCommerce setups. The uniqueness of the activation keys allows you to access each account without any problem. On a WordPress multisite, all your plugins are stored in one location. Management of your multisite network is easy because when you make a change in the network admin, it cuts across all accounts. Having a subscription key for each site enables you to get assistance for support where the extension is activated.

19. Can I Transfer My Activation Key to Another Site?

Yes. A single subscription key can be transferred if the recipient account is also a WooCommerce setup. WooCommerce offers elaborate instructions on how to do the same to avoid hiccups. You can request for 5 or 25 subscription keys to be transferred to a single account. Alternatively, you can open a ticket and let the support team assist you in completing the process. The recipient can also easily open a new account and purchase subscription keys.

20. Do I Need to Renew Free Products as Well?

Renewal does not apply with free products because the user does not pay a premium. Free products are usually automatically renewed to ensure you can access support and that the key keeps working. The automatic renewal also gives you access to product updates and downloadable products.

21. What’s the Difference Between a Product License and a Subscription?

The main difference is that licenses are manually renewed every year while subscriptions are automatically renewed. In case you don’t want a subscription, you can easily cancel. That said, the two work more or less the same way. Besides, WooCommerce invests in an ongoing relationship rather than a one-time purchase to ensure you have a personalized experience interacting with the platform and its products.

22. Can I Store More Than One Payment Method?

No. You can only store one payment method per account. The payment methods accepted include MasterCard, Discover, Visa, Diner’s Club, JCB,  and American Express. The company is U.S.-based, so all prices are quoted in U.S. dollars. Even if you have a developer working on your account, it’s recommended that you own your subscription.

23. What are the distinctions between WooCommerce Extension and a WordPress plugin?

WooCommerce extensions are the same as WordPress plugins. The plugins enhance the functionality of WooCommerce. They are usually managed and installed the same way as WordPress plugins. WooCommerce is a free or premium WordPress plugin that allows customers to create online stores. It requires base and plugin to function on your WordPress website. The WooCommerce extension is built separately with only the necessary features to ensure running it does not slow down your site. It’s called an extension instead of a plugin because of the evidence dependency of WordPress on their features and functionalities.

24. What Browsers and Operating Systems Are Supported?

All the latest themes are supported by Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and Chrome. Each theme is tested on all the above-operating systems to ensure they can be supported. When you work with a proper WordPress installation, you can be assured that the themes can be supported on these operating systems. You should note that older versions of Internet Explorer are not supported. For optimal performance, you should consider upgrading your operating system to the latest version. Alternatively, you can switch to a different browser that’s already been updated.

25. How Do I Update My WooCommerce Theme?

First off, every theme package comes with a changelog.txt that includes changes for every version. The changelog is usually also available on the download page on the documentation of each WooCommerce theme. It’s recommended that you stay updated to boost the overall performance of your site. Customers appreciate a website with a WooCommerce theme that’s easy on the eyes. Aside from working on content creation, you also need to ensure your site is aesthetically appealing. With a good HTML editor, you can easily compare updated files against previous modifications.

The answers to these commonly asked questions ensure that you have a better understanding of every detail of this extension. Building an aesthetically appealing and functional website not only ensures that your site does not slow down, but it also increases your click-through rate.