Adding New Products

Lesson Details:

I: Introduction

A: Wordpress is an open source web development platform. Its main purpose is to build dynamic websites. It was created in 2003 by Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little. By using PHP, HTML, and CSS it makes it very easy for anyone to create a website without having to know how to code. Wordpress has themes that can be used to customize your website’s look, layout, colors, fonts, etc. It has templates that you can choose from to help you get started. It also has plugins that are available to extend its functionality.

II: Body

A: Adding new products

To add new products you will need to navigate to the Categories tab at the top of your dashboard. From there you will see all of your categories listed. To add a new product, click on the Add New Product button below the list of categories. A page will open with a form where you can enter all of your product details for your new product list. These details include the product name, description, product code, price, manufacturer, quantity, options, SKU, and any other details that you might want to add. It is recommended that you start with the minimum number of options since it will make your site easier to manage. Once you have entered all of your product information click on the Publish button.

B: Creating new pricing rules

WordPress has the ability to create pricing rules so that when you update or create a new product it will automatically price based on the specific conditions that you set for it. To create a pricing rule, click on the Plugins tab at the top of your dashboard. From there, click on the Add New Plugin link then type “WooCommerce Pricing Rules” into the search box then click on the Install Now button. Once installed click on the Activate Plugin link. This is where you will set up your pricing rules. To do this, scroll down to Products > Pricing Rules, set up a new pricing rule, and then click on the Save Changes button. This will save your settings and apply them to future product additions.

C: Adding a new product using a plugin

WordPress has a variety of free plugins that you can use to help you with different aspects of your site including adding a new product. One such plugin is WooCommerce which is specifically designed for creating ecommerce websites. To install this plugin, go back to the Plugins tab at the top of your dashboard. From there search for WooCommerce and install it. Once installed click on the Activate Plugin link under Plugins. This will enable the plugin and allow you to use it. The first thing you need to do with this plugin is activate a payment gateway. This is a service that connects your WordPress site to a payment processor that will handle transactions made through your site. Once activated you will need to enter your payment gateway information into the settings section of WooCommerce under Settings > Payment Gateways. After doing so you can move onto creating a new product listing by clicking on Products > Add New Product from the left-hand menu bar. You will now have a form where you can enter all of your product details for your new product list. These details include the product name, description, product code, price, manufacturer, quantity, options, SKU, and any other details that you might want to add. It is recommended that you start with the minimum number of options since it will make your site easier to manage. Once you have entered all of your product information click on the Save Product button. Your new product will now be visible in your store’s catalog but will not be available for purchase until you either install or import a sample data file as described in the next paragraph.

D: Importing sample data

In order for customers to be able to purchase your products you will need to import sample data into your store or install a sample data file that comes pre-installed with WooCommerce and WordPress. To import sample data into your store open the dashboard and go to Products > Settings > Import/Export > Upload/Import Products and follow the directions given there for importing your data file. If you would like to use sample data that already exists in WordPress or WooCommerce simply go to Products > All Products from the left-hand menu bar and click on the Import Data button found at the bottom right-hand corner of each product’s details section. After importing your data file your products should now be ready for sale!