WordPress, as a CMS, needs no introduction. It empowers around 43% of all websites available on the Internet, as per stats. But when it is about considering WordPress plugins for e-commerce businesses, WooCommerce stands in the top three spots with a market share of 23.43%.
Source: Statista
WooCommerce is amongst the most popular WordPress plugins that come with their own updates every year. It is quite flexible and offers numerous extensions, which is one reason behind the changing WooCommerce trends every year.
Wondering what’s in store for you in the form of WooCommerce trends for 2023? Continue reading.
Top WooCommerce Trends for 2023
Enhanced Mobile Shopping Experience
Mobile commerce sales have grown at an unprecedented rate across the globe, from 52.4% in 2016 to 72.9% in 2021. To make it continue the growth trajectory, the next big thing is to ensure responsiveness of WooCommerce stores across all types of devices.
Amongst various other WooCommerce trends for 2023, there will be a very significant focus on improving the mobile shopping experience of buyers. If you run a WooCommerce store, make sure you manage and maintain a smooth accessibility of your website across all devices. Luckily, this trend is expected to linger for long.
Improved Product Pages
The emerging trends for videos, 360-degree visual content, and virtual reality have been quite popular amongst the masses. What makes this type of content a part of WooCommerce trends for 2023 is its seamless combination with WooCommerce product pages to deliver an enhanced real-life shopping experience.
Newer technology and the availability of high-speed Internet have made it easier for business owners to include these content types on the product pages. It simply means you can adapt to a better way to showcase your product in action. It is expected that AR/VR startups will focus on e-commerce. Hence, you can expect more such features to be included in WooCommerce in 2023.Â
Better Interfaces for Customer Service
With the amalgamation of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, e-commerce businesses have started to do wonders in the form of chatbots. These advanced interfaces for customer interactions are available round-the-clock to take on simple questions from customers. Since end-user satisfaction lies at the bottom of all trends and updates, WooCommerce is no different. In fact, it is already ahead in the game with several chatbot plugins available for use.
For example – We have Facebook Messenger for WooCommerce as a popular choice for chatbots on WooCommerce stores. Similarly, we have WooWBot – a standalone chatbot that can work independently.
Security Advancements
Lastly, WooCommerce security does hold a vital role in becoming a part of WooCommerce trends for 2023. It is because the risk of e-commerce stores being attacked has increased over time. With the availability of suitable WooCommerce security plugins, you need not worry about the possible eventualities. Such plugins will safeguard the websites from common DDoS attacks and similar other cyber-threats.
New Requirement for WooCommerce 6.5
Before you pave your way to follow WooCommerce trends for 2023, you should also know about the new requirement for WooCommerce. Starting with its version 6.5 that is scheduled for May 2022 release, WooCommerce will require PHP 7.2 or newer. Before this latest requirement, the minimum PHP version was bumped to 7.0 in 2019.
The reason behind upgrading the PHP requirement for WooCommerce is that PHP 8.0 and 8.1 are the only versions that are actively maintained. Even WordPress recommends using PHP 7.4 at least for security and performance benefits.Â
Another reason behind selecting PHP 7.2 version is that various third-party packages that integrated with WooCommerce have dropped support for older PHP versions.
Plugins and More to Make WooCommerce More Exciting for 2023 and Beyond
Metorik
Metorik is a WooCommerce plugin that adds a powerful real-time dashboard to your store. Using its dashboard, you can access reports, automate emails, check customer profiles, and more. In other words, it will help you understand data to make informed decisions for your business.
Given below are some of the key features of Metorik:
- Advanced segmenting and filtering
- Customer service integration with Zendesk, Freshdesk, and more
- Easy to export segmented data
- Multi-currency support
- Unlimited team members and stores under subscription
- Other third-party integrations with Google Analytics, Slack, Facebook Ads, etc.
- 30-day free trial and then $50 per month (for up to 500 orders)
To know more about Metorik, click here:Â
WooLentor
It is a WooCommerce add-on for Elementor page builder using which you can create an impressive online store. It is trusted by more than 70,000 businesses across 120 countries. It is also equipped with the basic WooCommerce template builder.
Some of WooLentor’s amazing features in its free version are as follows:
- WooCommerce page builder to create shop, checkout, and other WooCommerce pages
- Product Grid and Product Slider
- Unlimited color and font variations
- Custom product template builder
- Horizontal and vertical filter, and many others
Its premium version comes with features like custom cart page builder, template library, five premium WooCommerce themes, and premium support.
To get more information about WooLentor, click here.Â
AfterShip
AfterShip is a WooCommerce order tracking plugin using which you can automatically add a courier field and tracking number to the admin panel. Using this plugin, you can get current tracking information about all your shipments in one place irrespective of the shipping providers.
Some of its primary features are:
- Easy shipment visibility for faster resolution for delivery incidents
- Shipment notifications for customers to maintain post-purchase communications
- Delivery date predictions
- Order look-up widget to allow customers to track their shipments using their tracking numbers
- Branded order tracking page
- Easy connect with 900+ shipping providers
- Free plan supports 50 shipments per month
Read more about AfterShip here.
WooCommerce Stripe Payment Gateway
Using this plugin, you can start accepting payments made via VISA, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, and various other payment methods. If you haven’t zeroed in on a payment solution for your WooCommerce store, look no further than Stripe and start accepting payments online using this plugin.
Here’re a few reasons why you should choose Stripe Payment Gateway:
- No setup fees or monthly fees (only per-transaction fees involved)
- Easy settlement to your bank account on a seven-day rolling basis
- Supports WooCommerce Subscriptions extension
- Includes Apple Pay support
For more details, click here.
Mautic
Mautic is a marketing automation plugin using which you can send your store’s customer data for better segmentation. Integrating this plugin creates more than 20 custom fields to receive your customer data, which can then be segmented and used for improved targeting of audience for marketing campaigns.
Here’re a few features that are included in its free version:
- Real-time data syncing
- Contact segments
- Custom fields
- OAuth 2 authentication
Premium version features include 70+ Mautic custom fields, tags based on user activities, one-click sync of historical data, to name a few. Read more about it here.Â
Blocksy WooCommerce
Blocksy is a lightweight WooCommerce theme built using Gutenberg editor to help you create any type of website you want. It is compatible with most of the WordPress page builders, including Elementor, Visual Composers, and many others. The best part – it is available in both free and premium versions.
Some of the top features of Blocksy Pro are:
- Enhanced header and footer builder
- Header Pro and Footer Pro elements
- Advanced hooks system
- White labeling supported
- Easy integration with Adobe Typekit
- Floating cart, and more
For more details about its pricing and licenses for professional use, click here.
Xendit
Xendit is yet another payment gateway you can integrate to start accepting online payments. It is the leading payment solution provider in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Southeast Asia. Some of its primary features are:
- Ease of accepting payments via credit cards, e-wallets, PayLater, etc.
- Easy to send money to your vendors and customersÂ
- Payment links to accept on-demand or recurring payments via Xendit payment page
Xendit integration with WooCommerce requires:Â
- WooCommerce 3.1.2 or above
- PHP 7.0 or above
- Xendit plugin for WooCommerce
For more details, click here.
Google Product Feed for WooCommerce Google ShoppingÂ
Using this extension, you can create a real-time feed to share your product information to Google Merchant Center and set up Product Ads. It comes with an extensive list of supported fields to maximize campaign performance.
Other features include:
- Full control over the ad spend and setup
- Full control over mappings
- Supports 50+ feed attributes
- Easy integration with many WooCommerce extensions, including Product Bundles, Brands, etc.
Know more about Google Product Feed here.
Conclusion
The latest updates and WooCommerce trends for 2023 signify the potential to grow your e-commerce business online. By following the right trends and integrating suitable add-ons, you can pave the way for a brighter future. What are you waiting for?