For aspiring entrepreneurs, having a robust online business presence is more than just an advantage—it's a necessity for success. Launching an online business might seem daunting, but it’s easy with the right tools and support.
This is where Hostinger's WooCommerce hosting comes in as a solution. Designed with simplicity and efficiency in mind, Hostinger offers a seamless path to transform your business idea into a live online store.
In this article, we’ll dive into the steps of launching your online business with Hostinger.
Unlike standard hosting options, this managed solution is optimised for WooCommerce, ensuring your online store benefits from enhanced performance, security, and scalability right from the start.
This focus on WooCommerce-specific optimisations means your store can handle higher traffic volumes, process transactions more securely, and provide a better user experience compared to generic hosting services.
Here are the key features of the managed WooCommerce hosting:
One-click WooCommerce installation: Get your store up and running instantly with a simple one-click setup, allowing you to dive straight into customising your store without any technical hurdles.
Performance optimisation: With features like LiteSpeed Cache and advanced CDN options, your store's loading times are significantly reduced, offering a smoother experience for your customers.
Enhanced security: Robust security measures, including regular malware scans, free SSL certificates, and DDoS protection, safeguard your store against online threats, ensuring the security of your data and customer information.
Daily backups: Automatic daily backups give you peace of mind, knowing that your store's data is always safe and can be restored at any moment.
Dedicated support: 24/7 access to WooCommerce experts to assist you with any queries or issues, ensuring minimal downtime for your store.
Hostinger’s Managed WooCommerce Hosting offers a variety of pricing plans to suit different business sizes and needs. The price ranges from ₹269 and up to ₹2,499 per month.
Let’s get into the steps of setting up and launching your online store with Hostinger.
There are a total of four Hostinger WooCommerce hosting plans. We recommend choosing the plan based on your budget and online store size. Here is the breakdown of each plan:
Business ‒ ₹269 per month, best for basic WooCommerce stores.
Cloud Startup ‒ ₹699 per month, suitable for standard WooCommerce stores.
Cloud Professional ‒ ₹999 per month, optimised for advanced WooCommerce stores.
Cloud Enterprise ‒ ₹2,499 per month, best for maximum WooCommerce performance.
Upon checkout, be sure to apply the discount code EXPRESS7 and enjoy 7% off on your purchase.
Once you have chosen your plan, you will be prompted to complete the setup process.
First, you need to create a WordPress account where you need to add your website language, email, and password.
After that, choose Online store as your website type.
Then, choose either a pre-built or standard theme. For a quick online store launch, we recommend the pre-built theme option.
Here are some of our recommended themes to help you get started:
Astra ‒ A high-quality, lightweight theme with numerous customisation choices.
OceanWP ‒ one of the fastest WordPress themes, suitable for a variety of business niches.
Zigcy Lite ‒ a free, SEO-ready theme with seamless integration for WooCommerce at a deep level.
WooCommerce Storefront ‒ a WooCommerce-developed theme that comes with various extensions at no cost.
The next setup process allows you to pick the template and pre-install essential plugins, such as AIOSEO, WPForms, and many more.
Alternatively, you can generate your online store with AI. To do this, simply add your brand name and description.
Finish up the setup process by choosing a domain name and target audience location.
After completing the setup process, you will be able to access Hostinger’s control panel, hPanel. It allows you to manage your hosting account and online store.
On the hPanel homepage, click the WordPress Admin Panel button to go to your website. Here, you will be able to install WooCommerce for your store.
The next part is to create your profile, choose your level of expertise with WooCommerce, and pick the business industry. However, you can skip this guided setup if you’ve entered all the information in the previous step.
Customising your website theme is an important step in creating a cohesive and professional-looking online store. With WooCommerce, you can fully customise your website's theme to match your branding and style.
On the WordPress admin panel, go to Appearance → Themes to start customising your online store’s current theme. After that, you’ll be taken to the theme customiser page. For example, here’s what it looks like using the Astra theme.
Feel free to adjust the online store based on the sidebar category from Global to Additional CSS.
Take some time to experiment with different combinations until you are satisfied with how your online store looks. Remember to keep your branding consistent throughout all aspects of your website.
Once you have set up your website and chosen a theme, it's time to add your products. This is the core of your online store, so make sure to dedicate enough time and effort to this step.
Be sure to include all relevant information, such as product name, description, images, pricing, and any variations or options available. You can also utilise WooCommerce's built-in inventory management system to keep track of your stock levels.
Additionally, consider using product categories and tags to help customers easily navigate through your store and find what they're looking for. This will also aid in improving the overall user experience on your website.
Remember to include high-quality product images that showcase your products in the best possible light. These visuals will play a crucial role in convincing customers to make a purchase.
Finally, feel free to experiment with different product layouts or designs. A visually appealing and easy-to-navigate store can make all the difference in attracting and retaining customers.
Choosing the payment gateway is crucial as it affects how you handle customer payments. Picking the correct gateway guarantees a smooth and safe checkout experience, so it's vital to integrate it correctly.
WooPayments, known for handling debit, credit cards, and local payment options, is a popular choice for WooCommerce users. It's easy to set up and integrates smoothly.
WooCommerce also works well with other payment methods like Stripe, PayPal, and Apple Pay. You can add these to your store by getting their extensions or plugins from the WooCommerce Marketplace.
When choosing a payment gateway for your store, it's crucial to consider factors such as transaction fees, security measures, and customer support.
You want to ensure that your customers' sensitive information is protected and that any potential issues are resolved promptly.
Additionally, the type of products or services you offer may also play a role in determining which payment gateway is best for your store.
For example, recurring billing options are required if you sell digital products or subscriptions. On the other hand, if you have a global customer base, offering multiple currency options could be beneficial.
Before publishing your online store, it’s important to optimise your website for search engines including Google, Bing, and Yahoo.
This involves using relevant keywords throughout your website content, creating high-quality and shareable content, and improving your website's loading speed. To start optimising, you can use the pre-installed SEO plugin AIOSEO.
The plugin will take you on a setup process to cover all the SEO essentials, such as choosing an online story category as well as generating page titles and meta descriptions.
By implementing these tactics, your website will have a better chance of ranking higher on search engine results pages, making it easier for potential customers to find you.
Before launching, ensure thorough testing of your website’s functionalities, such as the navigation, payment, and checkout processes. It’s also important to preview your website on different devices and browsers to ensure a consistent user experience.
Once you’re satisfied with the functionality and design, it’s time to officially launch your store. Don’t forget to announce your website launch through various marketing channels to attract your first customers.
Starting an online store with WooCommerce is a smart move. It's easy to use yet powerful enough to handle all your e-commerce needs.
Hostinger's WooCommerce hosting is the right choice for this. It gives you everything you need to make sure your store runs smoothly and securely. There are four pricing plans to choose from, ranging from ₹269 and up to ₹2,499 per month.
To recap, here are the steps to creating your online store with Hostinger:
Choose your plan.
Finish the setup process.
Install WooCommerce.
Customise the website theme.
Add your products.
Set up payment and shipping options.
Optimise the website for search engines.
Launch your store.
In short, going online with your store opens up a whole new world of opportunities. Hostinger makes it easy, helping you reach more people and grow your business. Start now and see where it can take you.
Disclaimer: This content is part of a marketing initiative. No TNIE Group journalists were involved in the creation of this content.