WooCommerce turns a WordPress website into a fully working online store, where you can sell physical products, digital downloads, or services. If you already have Pakalfa hosting, you can set up a basic store in a few steps.

Step 1: Install WordPress

First, install WordPress on your Pakalfa hosting. See our tutorial “How to Install WordPress on Pakalfa Hosting with Softaculous” for the full step-by-step installation: log in to your Pakalfa client area at billing.pakalfa.com, open cPanel, use Softaculous to install WordPress, and log in at yourdomain.com/wp-admin. This guide starts from a working WordPress site, so it does not repeat that installation in full.

Step 2: Install the WooCommerce plugin

Log in to your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins, then Add Plugin, and search for WooCommerce. Click Install Now, then Activate. WooCommerce will add Products, Orders, and store settings to your dashboard.

Step 3: Run the setup wizard

After activation, WooCommerce opens its setup wizard. Work through it in order: enter your store details, such as store address and the type of products you plan to sell; choose a payment method, so customers can pay you; and set up shipping, including shipping zones and rates that fit how you will deliver orders. Take your time here, because these settings control how checkout works.

Step 4: Add a first product

Go to Products, then Add New. Enter a product name and description, set a price, add a product image, and choose a category. Click Publish. Then visit your store page and check that the product looks right and can be added to the cart.

Step 5: Make sure the site has SSL before taking payments

Before you take payments, make sure your site has SSL, so your store address starts with https and shows a padlock in the browser. Free SSL is included with Pakalfa hosting plans. Check that your site loads over https, fix any mixed-content warnings by making sure images and links use https, and only then start accepting real payments. Test an order yourself first, from adding a product to the cart through to checkout, to confirm the whole process works.

If you need help, contact Pakalfa support at https://pakalfa.com/contact/.