Do you want to start a WooCommerce store but do not know where to begin? Then you have come to the right place. WooCommerce is the most popular e-commerce platform in the world and is used by more than 5 million online stores. It is free, flexible and runs on WordPress - the CMS that already powers more than 40% of all websites.

In this complete guide we take you step by step through the whole process: from choosing hosting to receiving your first order. Whether you want to sell handmade products, start a dropshipping business or bring your physical store online - after reading this article you have everything you need to start your WooCommerce store.

Why choose WooCommerce for your store?

• Free and open source - WooCommerce itself costs nothing. You only pay for hosting, a domain name and optionally a premium theme or plugins.
• Full control - unlike Shopify or Lightspeed, you own your store. No platform dependency, no monthly licence costs that rise every year.
• An enormous community - thousands of themes, plugins and tutorials. For every problem there is a solution to be found.
• Scalable - from 10 products to 100,000. WooCommerce grows along with your business.
• Dutch payment methods - through Mollie you integrate iDEAL, Bancontact and other local payment methods in minutes.
• SEO-friendly - WordPress is by nature easy to find in Google. With the right plugins and settings you rank high in the search results.

What do you need to get started?

Checklist: what you need for your WooCommerce store

• Web hosting with PHP 8.x and MySQL (from €0.49/mo)
• A domain name (from €9.99/year)
• An SSL certificate (free at most providers)
• WordPress (free, installed automatically)
• The WooCommerce plugin (free)
• A WooCommerce-suitable theme (free or from €50)
• A Mollie account for payments (free to create, transaction fees per payment)
• A Chamber of Commerce number (required for Dutch stores)
• Product photos and descriptions
• Terms and conditions and a privacy statement

Do you have everything ready? Then let us begin with step 1.

Step 1: choose the right hosting for your store

What should WooCommerce hosting meet?

1. PHP 8.x - WooCommerce performs best on the latest PHP version. Avoid providers that still run on PHP 7.4.
2. NVMe SSD storage - WooCommerce does a lot of database queries. NVMe SSD is up to 7x faster than regular SSD when reading data.
3. A LiteSpeed web server - the fastest web server for WordPress and WooCommerce. The built-in cache function automatically optimises your store.
4. At least 10 GB storage - WordPress, WooCommerce, a theme, plugins and product images quickly take up 3-5 GB. With 10 GB you have enough room to grow.
5. Free SSL - mandatory for every store. Without SSL, payment details are not encrypted and the browser shows a warning.

Our recommendation: WooCommerce hosting from Theory7 from €0.49 per month. You get LiteSpeed, NVMe SSD, 10 GB storage, free SSL and phone support. That is everything you need to start your first store.

Do you want to compare more options? Then take a look at our page on WooCommerce hosting for beginners with an extensive comparison.

Choosing hosting: the most important trade-off

It is tempting to choose the very cheapest hosting, but consider this: the difference between €0.49 and €7.95 per month is €89.52 per year. If your store generates even one extra order per month thanks to faster hosting, you have already more than earned back that difference. So do not blindly choose the lowest price, but the best value. LiteSpeed with NVMe SSD is the technology that makes the most difference for WooCommerce - and at Theory7 you get that for the lowest price on the market.

Step 2: register a domain name

Tips for a good domain name

• Keep it short - a maximum of 15 characters is ideal. Short names are easier to remember and type.
• Choose .nl for the Netherlands - a .nl domain inspires trust in Dutch buyers. Consider adding .be if you also sell to Belgian customers.
• Avoid hyphens and numbers - "yourstore.nl" is better than "your-web-store123.nl". Hyphens and numbers look less professional.
• Check availability - check whether your desired name is available as a domain, but also on social media.

You can register a domain name with your hosting provider or with a separate registrar. The advantage of registering with your hosting provider is that the DNS settings are automatically correct - one step less to worry about.

Step 3: install WordPress and WooCommerce

Installing WordPress

1. Log in to your hosting account and go to the control panel (DirectAdmin or cPanel).
2. Look for the option "Install WordPress" or "Softaculous" (an automatic installer).
3. Select your domain name and click install.
4. Choose a username and strong password for your WordPress admin account.
5. After the installation you can log in at yourdomain.nl/wp-admin.

Installing WooCommerce

1. Log in to WordPress through yourdomain.nl/wp-admin.
2. Go to Plugins > New plugin.
3. Search for "WooCommerce" and click Install now.
4. Click Activate after the installation is complete.
5. WooCommerce automatically starts the setup wizard. This helps you with the basic settings.

Going through the WooCommerce setup wizard

The WooCommerce wizard asks you for the following information:

• Store address - fill in your business address. This is used for tax calculations and shipping rates.
• Industry - select which industry you are active in.
• Product type - physical products, digital downloads or both.
• Business size - how many products you expect to sell.
• Theme - you can choose a theme here or do this later (recommended).

After going through the wizard you have a working WooCommerce installation. Now we are going to set it up.

Basic configuration of WooCommerce

Before you start adding products, it is important to configure the basic settings well. Go to WooCommerce > Settings and go through the following tabs:

• General - set your store address, choose the currency (Euro) and configure where you sell (the Netherlands, Belgium or both).
• Products - set the default weight unit (kg) and dimension unit (cm). Enable reviews if you want to show customer ratings.
• Tax - for the Netherlands you set the standard VAT rate to 21%. Do not forget to add the reduced rate of 9% if you sell products that fall under it (such as food or books). WooCommerce can calculate VAT automatically based on the delivery address.
• Accounts and privacy - decide whether customers have to create an account at checkout. Our advice: make it optional. Mandatory registration leads to more abandoned orders.

Step 4: choose and install a WooCommerce theme

Recommended free WooCommerce themes

• Storefront - the default WooCommerce theme. Lightweight, fast and fully compatible. An excellent choice for beginners.
• Astra - a versatile theme with extensive customisation options through the WordPress Customizer. Good for both blogs and stores.
• GeneratePress - less than 50 KB in size and therefore lightning-fast. Ideal if speed is your priority.

Popular paid WooCommerce themes

• Divi (€59 one-off) - the most popular paid WordPress theme in the world. Extremely customisable with a visual builder.
• Astra Pro (€49 one-off) - a lightweight theme with a focus on speed and design. Works excellently with Elementor.
• Flatsome (€69 one-off) - specially designed for WooCommerce with many built-in store features.

Our tip: start with a free theme and only invest in a paid theme once your store is running and you know exactly what you need.

Step 5: adding products to your store

Product types in WooCommerce

• Simple product - a product without variations (sizes, colours). For example a book or an accessory.
• Variable product - a product with variations. For example a t-shirt in different sizes and colours.
• Grouped product - a collection of related products that are shown together.
• Digital product - a downloadable product such as an e-book, course or software licence.

Adding a product: step by step

1. Go to Products > New product in the WordPress dashboard.
2. Fill in the product title - this is what customers see in the search results and on the product page.
3. Write an extensive product description - at least 150 words for SEO. Describe what the product does, who it is meant for and why the customer should buy it.
4. Fill in the short description - this appears next to the product image. Keep it concise: 2-3 sentences.
5. Set the price - fill in the regular price and optionally a sale price.
6. Upload a product image - use photos of at least 800x800 pixels. Multiple photos from different angles increase conversion.
7. Assign the product to a category - categories help customers navigate and improve your SEO.
8. Add tags - optional, but handy for the search function within your store.
9. Configure stock - set how many units you have in stock and whether you accept back-orders.
10. Configure shipping - fill in the weight and dimensions for a correct shipping cost calculation.
11. Click Publish.

Tips for product pages that convert

• Use professional product photos with a white or neutral background.
• Write product descriptions that emphasise benefits, not only features.
• Add customer reviews (WooCommerce has this built in as standard).
• Show related products and upsells to increase the average order value.
• State delivery times and the return policy on every product page.

Step 6: setting up payments with Mollie

Why Mollie?

• iDEAL - the most-used payment method in the Netherlands (70% of all online payments).
• Bancontact - the most-used payment method in Belgium. Essential if you also sell to Belgian customers.
• Credit card, PayPal, Klarna, Apple Pay - and more than 20 other payment methods.
• No monthly costs - you only pay transaction fees (€0.29 per iDEAL transaction).
• Easy integration - the official WooCommerce plugin is free and installed in minutes.

Setting up Mollie: step by step

1. Create an account at mollie.com. You need a Chamber of Commerce number.
2. Go through the verification - upload your Chamber of Commerce extract and an ID document. This takes 1-2 working days.
3. Install the Mollie for WooCommerce plugin through Plugins > New plugin > search for "Mollie".
4. Go to WooCommerce > Settings > Payments.
5. Click Mollie and fill in your API key (found in your Mollie dashboard under Developers > API keys).
6. Activate the payment methods you want to offer (iDEAL, Bancontact, credit card, etc.).
7. Test an order with the test API key to check that everything works.
8. Switch to the live API key when you are ready to receive real payments.

Important: activate at least iDEAL (for Dutch customers) and Bancontact (for Belgian customers). Credit card and PayPal are a good addition for international orders.

Transaction fees per payment method

Mollie charges transaction fees per successful payment. Below is an overview of the most-used methods:

Payment method	Transaction fee	Popular in
iDEAL	€0.29	Netherlands
Bancontact	€0.39	Belgium
Credit card	1.8% + €0.25	International
PayPal	Variable	International
Klarna (pay later)	€0.99	Netherlands, Belgium
Apple Pay	1.8% + €0.25	International

iDEAL is by far the cheapest and most-used payment method for Dutch stores. About 70% of all online purchases in the Netherlands are paid through iDEAL. Make sure iDEAL is always shown as the first option in your checkout. Klarna (pay later) is more expensive but can increase your conversion, because customers do not have to pay immediately.

Step 7: configuring shipping

Setting up shipping methods

1. Go to WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping.
2. Add a shipping zone - for example "Netherlands" and "Belgium".
3. Choose a shipping method per zone:
   • Flat rate - a fixed amount per order (e.g. €4.95).
   • Free shipping - above a certain amount (e.g. free above €50).
   • Weight-based - a rate based on the total weight.
4. Set up shipping classes if you have products with different shipping costs (e.g. large vs. small parcels).

Popular shipping services for the Netherlands and Belgium

Shipping service	Price from	Delivery time NL	Delivery time BE	Track & trace
PostNL	€4.50	1 working day	1-2 working days	Yes
DHL	€4.25	1 working day	1-2 working days	Yes
DPD	€4.95	1 working day	1-2 working days	Yes
Letterbox parcel (PostNL)	€3.95	1 working day	2-3 working days	Yes

Tip: offer free shipping above a certain amount. Research shows that free shipping can increase conversion by 15-30%. A threshold of €50-75 is common in the Netherlands. State the free shipping threshold clearly on your homepage and product pages - this motivates customers to order more.

Calculating shipping costs: flat rate vs. weight-based

For most starting stores a flat shipping rate is simplest. Choose an amount that covers your actual shipping costs with a small margin. Typical rates for Dutch stores:

• Letterbox parcel - €3.95 (for small, flat products)
• Standard parcel NL - €4.95 to €6.95
• Standard parcel BE - €6.95 to €8.95
• Free shipping - above €50 or €75 order value

If your products vary greatly in size and weight (for example furniture and accessories), then consider weight-based shipping rates. The WooCommerce Table Rate Shipping plugin makes this easy to set up.

WooCommerce shipping plugins

For advanced shipping functionality there are plugins that connect directly with PostNL or DHL:

• PostNL for WooCommerce - automatically print shipping labels, send track & trace emails and show pick-up points in the checkout.
• DHL for WooCommerce - similar functionality to the PostNL plugin, but for DHL.
• WooCommerce Table Rate Shipping - for complex shipping rates based on weight, price, destination or shipping class.

Step 8: installing essential plugins

Must-have plugins

• Mollie for WooCommerce (free) - for iDEAL, Bancontact and other payment methods.
• LiteSpeed Cache (free) - if you host with a LiteSpeed provider, this is the cache plugin. It speeds up your store considerably.
• Yoast SEO (free/premium) - the most popular SEO plugin for WordPress. Helps you optimise product pages for search engines.
• WooCommerce PDF Invoices & Packing Slips (free) - automatically generate invoices and send them with the order confirmation. Legally required in the Netherlands.
• Complianz (free/premium) - cookie consent and privacy policy compliant with the GDPR. Required for every store.

Recommended extra plugins

• ShortPixel Image Optimizer (freemium) - automatically compress product images for faster load times.
• WPForms Lite (free) - for contact forms and customer service.
• UpdraftPlus (free) - an extra backup plugin on top of the backups of your hosting provider.
• MonsterInsights (free) - Google Analytics integration to keep track of your visitor statistics.

Important: do not install more plugins than necessary. Every plugin slows down your store a little. Keep it to 15-25 active plugins for the best performance.

Plugins you should NOT install

Just as important as knowing which plugins to install is knowing which ones to avoid:

• All-in-one security plugins with a firewall - these consume a lot of server resources and often conflict with WooCommerce. Your hosting provider should handle server security, not a WordPress plugin.
• Multiple cache plugins at the same time - use one (LiteSpeed Cache if you host on LiteSpeed). Two cache plugins cause conflicts and actually make your store slower.
• Heavy page builders for product pages - Elementor or Divi are fine for your homepage, but do not use them for individual product pages. The standard WooCommerce editor is faster and lighter.
• Social media feed plugins - these load external content and slow down your pages. Instead, use regular links to your social media profiles.

Step 9: setting up SEO for your store

SEO checklist for WooCommerce

1. Install Yoast SEO - this plugin helps you optimise every page and every product.
2. Set up permalinks - go to Settings > Permalinks and choose "Post name". This ensures readable URLs such as yourstore.nl/product/blue-t-shirt instead of yourstore.nl/?p=123.
3. Optimise product titles - use the most important keyword at the beginning of the title. Example: "Blue cotton t-shirt - size S to XXL" instead of "T-shirt model 4521-B".
4. Write unique product descriptions - never copy the manufacturer's text. Google punishes duplicate content. Write a unique description of at least 150 words for every product.
5. Optimise images - use descriptive file names (blue-cotton-tshirt.jpg) and fill in the alt text.
6. Create category pages - add a description to every product category. This helps Google understand what the category is about.
7. Set up Google Search Console - register your store with Google Search Console and submit your sitemap (by default at yourstore.nl/sitemap_index.xml).
8. Install an SSL certificate - you already did this in step 1, but check whether all pages load over HTTPS. An SSL certificate is a ranking factor in Google.

Technical SEO for WooCommerce

• Load speed - Google uses speed as a ranking factor. Use caching (LiteSpeed Cache), optimise images and choose fast hosting. This is where good WooCommerce hosting makes the difference.
• Mobile optimisation - more than 60% of store traffic comes from mobile devices. Make sure your theme is responsive and test your store on your phone.
• Structured data - WooCommerce automatically adds product schema (price, availability, reviews). This helps Google to show rich snippets in the search results.
• Internal links - link from product descriptions to related products and categories. This helps Google index your store and improves the user experience.

Step 10: launch and first orders

Checklist for launch

• Test the ordering process - place a test order yourself with the Mollie test API key. Check that the order confirmation is correct.
• Check on mobile - view your store on your phone. Is everything readable? Does the checkout work?
• Check the pages - are the terms and conditions, privacy statement, return policy and contact page present and correct?
• Check the shipping costs - test with different addresses and weights whether the shipping costs are correct.
• Check emails - are the order confirmation, shipping confirmation and invoice correctly formatted?
• SSL check - does your entire store load over HTTPS? Check this with an SSL checker.
• Speed test - test your store with Google PageSpeed Insights. Do you score at least 80 on mobile?
• Enable the live API - replace the Mollie test API key with the live key.

Generating your first traffic

After the launch you want to attract visitors to your store. Here are the most effective methods for a starting store:

1. Google Shopping - register for free with Google Merchant Center and show your products in Google Shopping. This is the fastest way to become visible to ready-to-buy searchers.
2. Social media - share your products on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Visual products perform particularly well on these platforms.
3. Ask for reviews - after their purchase, send customers an email with a request to leave a review. Reviews increase trust and your SEO.
4. Content marketing - write blog articles about topics related to your products. This attracts organic traffic through Google.
5. Email marketing - collect email addresses and send newsletters with offers and new products. Mailchimp integrates for free with WooCommerce.
6. Google Ads - for direct results you can advertise through Google Ads. Target specific product names and purchase-intent keywords. Start with a small budget of €5-10 per day and optimise based on the results.

The first 30 days: a realistic plan

Do not expect your store to receive dozens of orders on day one. Organic traffic through Google takes months to build up. Here is a realistic plan for your first month:

• Week 1 - launch your store, share the news on social media and with your network. Ask friends and family to place your first orders and give honest feedback.
• Week 2 - register with Google Merchant Center for Google Shopping. Write your first two blog articles about topics related to your products.
• Week 3 - start with email marketing. Create a welcome email for new subscribers with a discount code. Start collecting reviews.
• Week 4 - analyse your first data in Google Analytics. Which products are viewed the most? Where do visitors drop off? Optimise your store based on these insights.

Common mistakes when starting a WooCommerce store

1. Choosing slow hosting

The number-one mistake is choosing cheap hosting that is not suitable for WooCommerce. A store that takes 4 seconds to load loses more than 50% of its visitors. Invest in good WordPress hosting with LiteSpeed and NVMe SSD - that does not have to be expensive.

2. Installing too many plugins

It is tempting to install dozens of plugins, but every plugin slows down your store. Limit yourself to the essential plugins and remove everything you do not actively use.

3. Copying product descriptions from the manufacturer

Google punishes duplicate content. If 50 other stores use the same text, why would Google show your store? Always write unique product descriptions.

4. No SSL certificate

Without SSL the browser shows a "Not secure" warning. That is deadly for your customers' trust. Fortunately SSL is free at most hosting providers.

5. No backup strategy

Imagine your store crashes and you lose all your products, orders and customer data. Always ensure daily backups - through your hosting provider and through a plugin like UpdraftPlus.

6. Forgetting legal pages

A Dutch store is legally required to show terms and conditions, a privacy statement, a return policy (14-day cooling-off period) and Chamber of Commerce details. If you forget this, you risk fines from the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets.

Legal requirements for a Dutch store

Mandatory information on your website

• Business name and Chamber of Commerce number - must be visible on your website, usually in the footer.
• VAT number - required if you are liable for VAT.
• Business address - a physical address (not a PO box) is required.
• Contact details - at least an email address and phone number.
• Prices - all prices must be shown including VAT to consumers.

Mandatory pages

• Terms and conditions - describe the rules of your store. Use the model terms of the Thuiswinkel Waarborg as a basis.
• Privacy statement - required under the GDPR. Describe which data you collect, why and how long you keep it. The Complianz plugin can generate this automatically.
• Return policy - consumers legally have a 14-day cooling-off period. State this clearly and explain how the return process works.
• Cookie statement - if you place cookies (and every WooCommerce store does), you have to report this and ask for consent.

Take these obligations seriously. The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets actively checks and can impose fines of up to tens of thousands of euros for violations.

Summary: your WooCommerce store in 10 steps

1. Choose hosting - LiteSpeed + NVMe SSD, from €0.49/mo at Theory7.
2. Register a domain name - short, memorable, .nl extension.
3. Install WordPress and WooCommerce - through the automatic installer.
4. Choose a theme - start free, upgrade later if needed.
5. Add products - with unique descriptions and good photos.
6. Set up payments - Mollie for iDEAL, Bancontact and more.
7. Configure shipping - PostNL or DHL, free above €50.
8. Install plugins - only the essential ones, a maximum of 20-25.
9. Set up SEO - Yoast SEO, product optimisation, Google Search Console.
10. Launch and promote - test everything, go live, generate traffic.

Starting a WooCommerce store is not rocket science. With the right hosting, a bit of patience and this guide, you can have your first store live within a weekend. And the best part? It hardly has to cost anything. With WooCommerce hosting from Theory7 you start from just €0.49 per month.

Good luck with your store. And if you get stuck somewhere - feel free to call us. At Theory7 you have phone support, even on the cheapest plan. We are happy to help you on your way.

Looking for the best hosting for your budget? Then also take a look at our comparison of affordable WooCommerce hosting providers to find the best deal for your situation.

Sources and references

• Google PageSpeed Insights (pagespeed.web.dev)
• WooCommerce - Official documentation (woocommerce.com)
• Thuiswinkel Waarborg - Quality mark for online stores (thuiswinkel.org)
• ACM - Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (acm.nl)
• Dutch Data Protection Authority - GDPR information (autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl)
• Netherlands Chamber of Commerce (kvk.nl)