There are so many options when creating a multi-vendor marketplace, but how should you create yours? In this blog, we’ll explore the best option for your multi-vendor marketplace: WordPress and Pressable. If you’re just now jumping in, you’ll want to take a look at part 1 of our series on how to create a multi-vendor marketplace using WordPress.
Why Should You Use WordPress to Create Your Multi-vendor Marketplace?
There are many reasons to prefer WordPress as your business platform. Not only is WordPress free; so are its tools. WordPress is the most popular Content Management System (CMS) out there and currently powers more than 33% of websites online today.
Being a CMS, WordPress will allow you to build your marketplace in minutes. WordPress is also open source and customizable. Plus, there is a giant community of WordPress professionals out there to help you if you need it.
Things You Need to Kick off
In order to create a multi-vendor marketplace, you’ll need the following:
- Your Domain and Hosting
- WordPress (Free)
- WordPress Plugins (Free)
- WordPress Themes (Free)
Domain
Before creating a marketplace with WordPress, buy a domain name that works for your business. You should buy a domain name after checking whether there is a free Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn page available or not to maintain a consistent brand.
Hosting
A web host is there to ensure your website is up and running 24/7. If you are on the lookout for a reliable hosting service, try Managed WooCommerce Hosting which provides special tools to help eCommerce marketplaces succeed, like SSL certificates, free Jetpack Security Daily, and much more.
Installing WordPress
Next comes the adventure of installing WordPress on your host. You can either install WordPress from wordpress.org/download or if you use a managed host like Pressable, WordPress gets automatically installed when you launch your website.
Installing WordPress Plugins
Now install your WordPress plugins. You will need to install two plugins to make your WordPress site multi-vendor store:
WooCommerce
First, install WooCommerce (which is completely free). We will be using WooCommerce because it has taken over 93.02% of total eCommerce market share compared to other major solutions:
Source: https://barn2.co.uk/woocommerce-stats/
Dokan
Unfortunately, WooCommerce alone doesn’t let you add multi-seller functionality to your eCommerce store. For this you’ll need to install Dokan to unlock WooCommerce’s multi-vendor functionality.
To learn how to install and set up Dokan, go through this documentation.
As an admin, you can earn a handsome amount of revenue from your vendors in Dokan. To learn more about the features of Dokan you can visit this page.
WooCommerce & Dokan Compatible Themes
After installing Dokan you will need to install a WooCommerce theme. Dokan will provide you with free themes. You can get the Dokan official free theme from github and install it on your site. There are also a number of Dokan compatible themes that you can use.
Bonus Tips: Track Your WooCommerce Marketplace Conversions
Once your WooCommerce store gets up and running, you may want to know the number of conversions occurring.
You can see these numbers with this great too: WooCommerce Conversion Tracking.
Over to You
If you already have a WordPress site, it’ll only take a few minutes to create your own multi-vendor marketplace. With WordPress, WooCommerce, and Dokan on your side, there will be no stopping you!
If you’re still on the fence about creating your marketplace using WordPress, rest assured that it is highly customizable with tons of free themes and plugins. With this handy guide, you’ve got everything you’ll need to create your own multi-vendor marketplace using Dokan.
WeDevs
weDevs is a Singapore originated software development company based in Bangladesh that specializes in creating WordPress plugins and web-based solutions for business and productivity. It is renowned for its popular products like Dokan Multivendor E-commerce solution, WP ERP, WP User Frontend, WP Project Manager, and more.
