Earlier, we talked about how to install WooCommerce in 5 easy steps. But how do you personalize your WordPress ecommerce site and make it your own?

One of the best parts about WordPress is in how flexible and customizable it is. But if you’re a beginner to WordPress — and even sometimes if you’re an expert — the interface can seem intimidating and confusing. We wanted to write this guide to teach you how WordPress works and how to customize a WooCommerce site.

Today, we’re going to explain how to get your hands dirty to create the online store that you want, in the way you want it.

1. Open the Customization Editor

In the navigation menu on the left side of the dashboard, you’ll see a section for Appearance, represented with a paint brush icon. You can click directly on Appearance > Customize if you have already activated your chosen theme. If you downloaded multiple themes, just click Appearance > Themes to choose the one you want (but you have to activate it before customizing).

2. Enter Your Site Identity

The Site Identity tab in the Customization Editor allows you to choose your Site Title and Tagline; for ecommerce, this is your site’s storefront, so make it catchy. The visuals, placement, and typography of your Title and Tagline will depend on the theme. Also, some themes allow you to choose your header image. If you’re not satisfied with your header, you may need to find a new theme.

3. Configure Your Menu

Many shoppers rely on menus as a main source of navigation, so plan yours with care. We all know how frustrating shopping is when you can’t find what you’re looking for.

First click on the Menu tab, then Add a Menu. Give it a quick name for your personal reference, and then click Create Menu. You’ll notice a new tab has been created for that menu.

Click on the new tab to customize the menu itself. Here, you can add which pages the menu links to (i.e., “Home,” “Contact Us,” “Men’s Shirts,” “Checkout,” etc.). You can also choose where the menu is displayed, depending on the theme and layout. For example, you could place it at the top, bottom, or sides of the screen.

You can even create multiple menus. Maybe you want one menu for main navigation and one for company pages. Maybe you want to test the performance of different menu styles and choose the best one. This tab is where you can handle all these.

4. Select Your Front Page

Quickly before moving on, select the Static Front Page tab. Since you’re opening an ecommerce site with WooCommerce, it doesn’t make sense to have your front page be your latest posts. Select the “A Static Page” option and choose which page you want as your opener. You can use a customized home page, or visitors can go directly to the Shop page.

5. Add Your Products

Now comes the slightly tedious but necessary part where you enter in all your different products as their own product pages. Return to the main WordPress dashboard (make sure you save and exit the Customization Editor first) and go to the Products entry. This is where you can personalize all the information about products, product pages, categories, etc. You can even add product tags to help your shoppers find what they need.

Next Steps…

You should never stop improving your WooCommerce ecommerce site. WordPress offers an extensive library of plugins and WooCommerce extensions that allow you keep perfecting your pages. See what works and what doesn’t, and then find the right plugins to optimize your site to the preferences of your unique shoppers.

Questions? Suggestions? We want to hear your thoughts, so share your opinions below in the comments section now!