WordPress is fast becoming a major player in the field of eCommerce over the past few years. Nobody even tried to use WordPress for a professional shop two years ago, today there are plenty of successful plugins available. What are the differences and how do they compare to dedicated eCommerce software like Magento? This talk covers that and much more, bringing you the State of WordPress eCommerce in 2012.

1. State of WordPress &
eCommerce in 2012
WordCamp Edinburgh 2012
Coen Jacobs
@coenjacobs

2. About me
•Coen Jacobs
•twitter.com/coenjacobs
•facebook.com/coenjacobs
•coen@woothemes.com
@coenjacobs

3. State of WordPress &
eCommerce in 2012
@coenjacobs

4. Let’s go way back in
time
Hop in the time machine...
@coenjacobs

5. eCommerce pioneers
• WP e-Commerce
• First commit: 07/07/2007
• http://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/14981/wp-e-
commerce
@coenjacobs

6. This is what they
were working with
WordPress 2.2.1 @coenjacobs

7. 2010
"Again, eCommerce is something that WordPress was
not intended to provide. There are a couple of plugins,
that are pretty basic and offer no functionality what so
ever, relative to the other software. For instance,
osCommerce, Magento, Zen Cart, Drupal with Ubercart
are very advanced software when it comes to
eCommerce.
[...]
Also, when your website has a lot of dynamic content,
a blog, a forum, and when you wish to add a store to
you site, Drupal with Ubercart is a perfect solution."
@coenjacobs
http://ezinearticles.com/?Is-WordPress-the-Best-Solution-For-You?&id=4871525

8. Historically WordPress was not the
best platform for a professional
shop
“eCommerce is something that WordPress
was not intended to provide”
@coenjacobs

9. Fast forwarding...
Present day
@coenjacobs

10. ‘eCommerce’
Google trends search
volume
‘WordPress eCommerce’
2004 2008 2012
Today, WordPress is fast
becoming a major player
in the field of eCommerce
@coenjacobs

11. There are many successful
eCommerce plugins available, all
with unique strengths / weaknesses
• Since release of WordPress 3.0
• Transition to a full CMS
• Custom Post Types
• Custom Taxonomies
@coenjacobs

12. Lightweight Full Store
Cart66 Free Paid
EasyDigitalDownloads WooCommerce MarketPress
WP e-Commerce Shopp
Jigoshop
External/integrated
eShop
ecwid
TheCartPress
Foxycart
@coenjacobs

13. What are the differences
amongst full store
eCommerce plugins?
• Release regularity
• Available extensions
• Community and contributors
@coenjacobs

14. How do we compare to
dedicated eCommerce
software like Magento?
• Plugins benefit of being a WordPress
solution
• Magento currently better for large stores
• WordPress is fun to use, Magento not so
much
@coenjacobs

15. Benefits of a WordPress
solution
•Fully powered, easy to use CMS
•Familiarity with WordPress = better
learning curve
•No need to learn an entirely different
system
@coenjacobs

16. All the stuff that makes
WordPress successful
•Community
•Plugins for extra functionality
•Themes
•Open Source
@coenjacobs

17. Theming
You want your store to look good, right?
@coenjacobs

18. Theme integration
• Most eCommerce plugins work with any
theme
• Overwrite template files in your theme
• Plugin specific themes available
• Actions and filters in place
@coenjacobs

19. ThemeForest and other
theme shops jumping on
the eCommerce bandwagon
• ThemeForest has 1752 themes
available
• 194 themes in eCommerce category
@coenjacobs

20. Extending your
store
@coenjacobs

21. Extensions
• Adding new features
• Extending eCommerce plugins as all
other plugins do with WordPress
@coenjacobs

22. Payment gateways
@coenjacobs

23. Shipping methods
@coenjacobs

24. Facebook store
@coenjacobs

25. Gravity Forms
integration
@coenjacobs

26. Security and
hosting
The stuff that really matters
@coenjacobs

27. Security
• WordPress specific security companies
• Security is taken very serious nowadays
@coenjacobs

28. Hosting
• WordPress specific hosting available
• Easy to setup WordPress install
• Easy to install plugins
• More memory usage
• Nothing like Magento hosting
requirements
@coenjacobs

29. Showcase
What is actually powered by WordPress right now?
@coenjacobs

30. Icon Dock
http://icondock.com/
@coenjacobs

31. Kartell
http://kartellstorela.com/ @coenjacobs

32. Dealotto
http://dealotto.com/
@coenjacobs

33. Mt. Borah
http://mtborah.com/ @coenjacobs

34. YoYoBESTBUY
http://yoyobestbuy.com/ @coenjacobs

35. Chopper
http://www.chopperskate.com/ @coenjacobs

36. Future
What is changing in the world of eCommerce?
@coenjacobs

37. World domination
• WordPress powers over 15% of all
websites
• Should WordPress power 15% of all
eCommerce?
@coenjacobs

38. Contribute to your
plugin
• Show us what you are working on
• Contribute on GitHub
• Achieve world domination
@coenjacobs

39. Mobile
Try the mobile checkout in a random store
@coenjacobs

40. Mobile purchases
• Make the checkout as simple as
possible
• What about payment?
• Is it secure?
@coenjacobs

41. Unique mobile
features
@coenjacobs

42. Improve the
checkout sales
And it will increase your
@coenjacobs

43. User accounts
• Recognize your
customers
• Register first or last?
@coenjacobs

44. Allow easy
purchases
• Offer multiple ways to the actual
purchase
@coenjacobs

45. Do it the WordPress
way
• Up to us to make this possible with
WordPress
• eCommerce is changing every single
second
@coenjacobs

46. Thanks!
•Questions?
•Later:
• twitter.com/coenjacobs
• facebook.com/coenjacobs
• coen@woothemes.com
Coen Jacobs
@coenjacobs