Launching an online business is no longer something exclusive to big companies. Nowadays, freelancers, content creators, entrepreneurs, and others can sell online professionally without spending a fortune. How is this possible? With applications like WooCommerce.
Haven’t heard of WooCommerce or don’t know how it works? Discover it here and learn how to create your free WordPress online store.
It’s a free WordPress plugin capable of turning any website into a fully functional online store. Today, it’s one of the most popular e-commerce platforms due to its flexibility and wide range of extensions.
If you're already working as a freelancer but want to expand your business and generate income from your own site, you can do it without intermediaries. Plus, with the chance to have your own digital storefront, for both products and services, without complicating things with external platforms.
When you install the plugin, it integrates natively with WordPress. This way, it enables e-commerce functions within the same control panel.
Essentially, here’s how it works:
You install WooCommerce from the WordPress dashboard and set up the basics (currency, location, payment and shipping methods). Once active, you add the products/services you want to sell and customers buy directly from your site.
Everything is managed from the WordPress dashboard.
Creating an online store with WordPress and WooCommerce is ideal if you're looking for full control and a scalable solution. Moreover, being open-source, it adapts to any business needs—from small entrepreneurs and solopreneurs to large custom e-commerce stores.
One of the biggest advantages of creating your free WordPress online store with this plugin is that you can sell almost anything.
WooCommerce allows you to sell:
Physical products, whether with your own stock or made-to-order.
Digital products, for example, templates, music, photos, ebooks, or downloadable software.
Professional services, from private lessons, design packages and consulting to event bookings and online sessions.
Customizable products, with options for size, color, or configuration.
Affiliate products, linking to other sites (like Amazon) and earning commissions.
Dropshipping, selling products without your own inventory, using suppliers or specialized platforms.
Products by volume or measurement, such as packages by weight, quantity, or units.
Subscriptions or memberships, perfect if you offer exclusive content or regular courses.
Overselling, that is, listing marketplace products and redirecting traffic from your store.
In short, you can monetize your freelance work in multiple ways—especially if you specialize as a designer, consultant, developer, or content creator.
Creating your online store with WordPress and WooCommerce is a simple and professional way to make money online. It offers many real advantages so you can start without hassle and grow at your own pace.
Here are some of them:
You can build anything from a simple store to a fully-featured e-commerce site. As your business grows, WooCommerce grows with you. Plus, you can add extensions based on your needs without switching platforms.
If you want to improve your visibility in search engines, WooCommerce works with plugins like Rank Math. This allows you to rank your products, pages, and categories without being an SEO expert.
While WooCommerce isn’t natively a multi-store solution, you can use WordPress Multisite to manage several e-commerces from a single dashboard.
Likewise, you can use tools like Veeqo if you handle sales on other channels. The software lets you sync inventory and orders in a centralized way.
The entire process is managed from the same panel you use for your website. Therefore, it’s much easier to perform tasks and update products/services, create content, or check orders without leaving the environment.
Thousands of developers and users around the world support WooCommerce. Around 3.7 million people have launched their online stores through this platform, according to its website.
It’s worth mentioning that finding help, tutorials, or specific plugins is easier than on other platforms.
WooCommerce can give you reports on sales, orders, revenue, and more. And if you link it to digital marketing tools like Google Analytics, you’ll get deeper insights into your customers.
While having your own online store with WordPress and WooCommerce is an attractive option, it has its downsides:
You don’t need to be a programmer, but you should be familiar with WordPress. Setting up extensions, managing updates, or fixing errors may take some time and learning.
WooCommerce is not a standalone plugin—it depends on the WordPress ecosystem. So, if you're not willing to work with this CMS, it won’t be the best option.
Although it’s true that you can set up a free WordPress online store, there are certain expenses you should expect. For instance, to get started, you need hosting and a domain.
Want your business to be modern and professional? You’ll need to invest in features, premium or third-party plugins, as well as in courses and specialized services. All of this has a cost.
Before installing WooCommerce, you need a solid foundation: a domain (your store’s web address) and a reliable hosting service.
Fortunately, there are many options and you can choose one that fits your budget. Just make sure the hosting is compatible with this CMS to ensure speed, security, and full compatibility.
Once your hosting is active, you can install WordPress from the provider’s control panel. Many hosting providers offer automatic installers that configure WordPress in seconds.
Go to the dashboard and navigate to Plugins > Add New.
Search for “WooCommerce,” install it and activate it.
Once activated, a setup wizard will launch to guide you step-by-step.
From there, you can:
Choose your seller profile.
Enter the type and name of the products you’ll sell.
Indicate your location, currency, and contact email.
Set up basic options for shipping, taxes, and payment gateways.
From this point on, your website becomes an online store with WordPress and WooCommerce.
WooCommerce offers ready-to-use themes, many of which are free and tailored to different niches.
To do this, go to WordPress Dashboard > Appearance > Themes > Add New.
Filter by features > E-commerce, choose one that matches your style, and apply the change.
You can also customize colors, fonts, and layouts without knowing how to code.
Some popular options are OceanWP and Zigcy Lite.
Accepting payments easily and securely is key for any online store.
WooCommerce supports options like:
Debit and credit cards
PayPal
Stripe
Apple Pay
You just need to go to:
The Settings > Payments section in the WooCommerce panel and install the option you prefer, then click “Connect your store.”
If prompted, enter your email address to verify and connect your store to WooPayments, its payment platform.
The process is quick, and once configured, you’ll be able to receive payments in your account with no hassle.
If you receive payments in dollars, you can send those funds to DolarApp to keep them in USDc and avoid losses due to exchange rates. It’s a useful solution if you work as a freelancer in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, or Colombia and want to preserve the value of your earnings.
Once your store is ready, you can start publishing what you offer from the WordPress dashboard:
Go to Products > Add New.
Enter the name, description, price, images, and other details.
Remember that WooCommerce allows you to sell physical products, digital downloads, services, bookings, memberships, and more from one place.
You can also organize your products/services by categories, add tags, and schedule their publication.
Before clicking “Publish,” there’s a preview button to view everything.
If possible, you can expand its features with plugins according to your store’s needs. From automating billing to improving SEO or integrating social media, there are thousands of options available.
It’s not mandatory to start, but it can definitely make a big difference if you want to scale or improve your customer experience.
After launching your online store with WordPress and WooCommerce, you need to do everything possible to grow it sustainably.
That’s why we recommend:
Regularly updating WordPress, WooCommerce, your themes, and plugins to enhance performance. It will also help protect your store from potential vulnerabilities.
Creating a blog with tips, experiences, or recommendations related to your products or services. This can help you become a reference in your field and generate qualified traffic.
Applying SEO best practices to optimize titles, descriptions, categories, and products.
Optimizing loading speed and improving the user experience as much as possible.
Promoting your products and launching exclusive campaigns.
Actions like these will help you scale your business with more confidence and professionalism.
Os países têm fronteiras. Suas finanças, não mais.
Freelancer tips If you’re looking for options to build your professional path, discover what self-employment or working independently means. It might be exactly what you need.
Freelancer tips O cadastro no FlexJobs, tanto em português quanto em inglês, não é gratuito. Você precisa assinar para visualizar todas as ofertas de trabalho, se candidatar e utilizar os recursos disponíveis na plataforma.
Freelancer tips Descubra o que é o WhatsApp Web e como ele funciona, para aproveitar ao máximo. Também abordaremos os prós e contras do WhatsApp Web.
Leia o código e participe do movimento global
