WOOCOMMERCE WEBSITE DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT
A WordPress store you fully own, built to sell and built to rank
We design and build WooCommerce stores on WordPress, giving you full control over hosting, content and customisation, without a mandatory platform subscription.
WordPress + WooCommerceFull ownership, no lock-inBuilt for content & SEO
WordPress + WooCommerce, explained
WooCommerce isn’t a platform on its own. It’s a free, open-source plugin that adds a full store (products, cart, checkout, orders) on top of WordPress, the software already powering a large share of the web.
That means your store and your content (pages, blog, resources, landing pages) live in one system, managed from one WordPress admin. It’s a natural fit if content, SEO or ownership over your setup matter to your business.
WordPress runs your site: pages, blog, brand content
WooCommerce adds the store: products, cart, checkout, orders
One admin, one login, one place to manage everything
You own the code, the content and the data outright
Who WooCommerce is best suited for
An honest look at when WooCommerce is a strong choice, not a claim that it’s always the right one.
You already have, or want, a WordPress site and want commerce built into it
Content and SEO matter as much as the product catalogue itself
You want full control over hosting, plugins and customisation
You'd rather not pay an ongoing platform subscription fee
You need custom functionality that standard commerce platforms can't offer out of the box
You're comfortable with, or have support for, more hands-on technical management
This may not be the best fit if…
Worth flagging on a discovery call, we’ll always tell you if another approach makes more sense.
You want the simplest possible admin with nothing to host or maintain yourself, Shopify may suit better
You need a highly managed platform with minimal technical involvement
You don't have existing WordPress content and don't plan to build any
Types of stores we can build
The kinds of WooCommerce projects businesses come to us for.
New WooCommerce stores
A first WordPress + WooCommerce store built around your products, content and customers.
Commerce added to an existing site
Adding a store to a WordPress site you already have, without starting from scratch.
Store redesigns & migrations
Replace an underperforming store, or move an existing one onto WooCommerce.
Content-led stores
Stores where blog, resources or brand content sit alongside the shop, not apart from it.
Larger multi-category stores
Bigger catalogues with categories, filtering and structure that scales.
B2B & trade stores
Wholesale pricing, trade accounts and bulk ordering for business customers.
Ask us about B2B storefronts →
Subscription & membership stores
Recurring products, memberships or gated content built on WordPress.
Ask us about subscription plugins →
Store migrations
Moving an existing store onto WooCommerce from another platform.
Part of our Website Migration service →
What’s included in a WooCommerce build
Capabilities available based on your project. Not everything is included automatically, we scope functionality around what your store actually needs.
Storefront & catalogue
Custom storefront designProduct & category managementProduct variationsMobile shopping experience
Checkout & payments
Checkout & payment gatewaysDiscounts & promotionsCustomer accountsShipping & delivery options
Operations & growth
Inventory managementSEO & content flexibilityAnalytics & conversion trackingPlugins & third-party integrationsCustom WooCommerce functionalityPerformance, security & optimisation
What every Sitemate store focuses on
The buying experience fundamentals, on top of WooCommerce’s flexibility.
Clear product discovery
Customers can find the right product quickly, through navigation, filtering and search.
Strong product pages
Images, descriptions, variations, pricing and key purchasing information, easy to understand at a glance.
Mobile-first shopping
The complete buying journey works well on the screen most customers actually shop on.
Simple checkout journeys
Unnecessary friction removed between finding a product and completing a purchase.
Conversion-focused design
Clear hierarchy, trust signals and calls to action throughout the buying journey.
Search-ready store structure
Products, categories and content built on a clean foundation for search visibility.
Why businesses choose WooCommerce
What the platform actually means for how you run your store day to day.
01
Built on WordPress
Content and commerce sit in one system, managed from one familiar WordPress admin.
02
Full ownership, no lock-in
Your hosting, your data, your code, you're never tied to a single vendor's platform.
03
No mandatory platform subscription
WooCommerce itself is free, you only pay for hosting and any premium extensions you choose.
04
A vast plugin ecosystem
Thousands of plugins available to extend the store as specific needs come up.
05
Deep customisation
Theme, checkout and functionality can all be tailored well beyond default settings.
06
Strong SEO & content foundations
WordPress's content tools give WooCommerce stores a real advantage for organic search.
Our design & development process
WooCommerce is the toolkit. Using it isn’t the differentiator, how the store is planned, designed and structured is. That’s where we spend our effort.
Store architecture planned around your products and content strategy
Clean, well-structured product and category taxonomy
Custom storefront design, not an unmodified free theme
Mobile-first design across every page, not just the homepage
A curated plugin stack, not a bloated, conflicting one
Secure, performance-tuned WordPress and WooCommerce setup
A search-friendly structure built for organic growth from day one
Clear documentation and handover for day-to-day management
Content and commerce in one place
Products, pages, blog posts and store settings all live in the same WordPress admin, so your content strategy and your catalogue don’t sit in separate systems.
Products & variations
Inventory levels
Orders & fulfilment
Discounts & promotions
Customer accounts
Blog & content pages
WordPress + WooCommerce admin preview
A recent WooCommerce build
From problem to result.
Homepage
Shop page
Product page
Blog + shop content
WooCommerceIndependent food & drink brand
Marlow & Bell
A speciality food brand needed a store that sat naturally alongside their recipes and brand content, and wanted full ownership of their site rather than renting space on a closed platform.
Result
A WordPress site combining shop and content, organic search traffic up significantly within six months
How a WooCommerce project works
Six steps from first call to a live, manageable store.
STEP 1
Discovery & store planning
Understand your products, customers, catalogue, content and business requirements.
STEP 2
WordPress + WooCommerce setup
Set up a clean, secure WordPress foundation with WooCommerce installed and configured.
STEP 3
Store structure & design
Plan navigation, categories, product templates and the buying journey.
STEP 4
Products, payments & integrations
Configure catalogue structure, payment gateways, shipping and required plugins.
STEP 5
Test & refine
Test mobile shopping, cart, checkout and key store journeys.
STEP 6
Launch & handover
Launch the store and show you how to manage day-to-day operations.
WooCommerce vs Shopify
Both are strong, proven ways to sell online. We recommend the right one for how you need to run your business, not the one we’d rather build on.
YOU’RE HERE
WooCommerce
Best for WordPress-led, content-heavy stores
No core platform subscription required
Full control over hosting and customisation
Large plugin ecosystem to extend functionality
Strong content publishing alongside commerce
More hands-on setup and ongoing maintenance
Shopify
Best for straightforward, proven e-commerce
Monthly subscription required
Managed hosting, nothing to maintain yourself
Large app ecosystem, strong built-in tools
Very easy day-to-day admin
Less flexibility outside Shopify's model
Comparing platforms in detail? See the full e-commerce platform comparison on our pricing page.
When we recommend each platform
A quick way to know which conversation to start with us.
We recommend WooCommerce when…
You want WordPress flexibility and greater control over how your site works
Content, blogging and SEO are core to your growth strategy
You want to avoid an ongoing platform subscription fee
Your requirements call for deep customisation or a specific plugin
Shopify may be better when…
You want the most fully managed, hands-off e-commerce experience
You'd rather not think about hosting, updates or plugin maintenance
You need the simplest possible admin for day-to-day store management
You sell across multiple channels and want native multi-channel tools
Still not sure? Talk to us on a discovery call or explore our Shopify service directly.
What does a WooCommerce website cost?
Cost depends on the scope of the project, every WooCommerce quote is based on what your store actually needs.
WooCommerce Store
£1,000
from · one-off fixed price
A tightly scoped, ready-to-sell WooCommerce store for up to 50 products: WordPress theme customisation, standard payment and shipping setup, mobile-first design and basic SEO, in a 3-4 week turnaround.
No core WooCommerce subscription, hosting billed separately.
Advanced WooCommerce
Custom quote · scoped to your project
For large catalogues, subscriptions, complex plugins, custom checkout, advanced shipping, CRM/ERP integrations, custom WordPress functionality or migrations.
Product catalogue & timeline scoped to your project, with a dedicated project contact.
Pricing is scoped around
Number of productsProduct complexity & variationsDesign requirementsContent & SEO requirementsMigrationsPayment & shipping requirementsPlugins & integrationsCustom functionality
Hosting & Care, handled for you
WooCommerce and WordPress don’t come with hosting or maintenance included, because you own them, you’re free to choose. Sitemate Studio can host, secure and manage your store on your behalf, so plugin, theme and WordPress core updates, backups and monitoring are taken care of.
Related services
Things businesses often need alongside a new WooCommerce store.
E-commerce Website Development
The wider e-commerce service, covering Shopify, WooCommerce and custom builds.
Learn more →
WordPress Website Design
For WordPress sites beyond commerce, content, brochure and business sites.
Learn more →
Hosting & Care
Ongoing hosting, updates, monitoring and support after launch.
Learn more →
Paid Ads Management
Drive paid traffic and sales using Google, Meta and other advertising.
Learn more →
Common questions about WooCommerce
What is WooCommerce?
WooCommerce is a free, open-source plugin that turns a WordPress website into a fully functioning online store, adding products, cart, checkout and order management.
Do I need WordPress experience to manage a WooCommerce store?
No, we build stores with a clear, well-organised admin, and show you how to manage products, orders and content after launch.
Should I choose WooCommerce or Shopify?
WooCommerce suits businesses who want WordPress flexibility, greater control and strong content and SEO capabilities. Shopify suits businesses who want a more fully managed, hands-off platform. We'll help you decide on a discovery call.
Are there ongoing platform fees?
WooCommerce itself has no core subscription fee, you only pay for hosting and any premium plugins you choose to use.
Do I need to arrange my own hosting?
No, our Hosting & Care plans can host, secure and maintain your WooCommerce site for you, or you can arrange your own hosting if you prefer.
Can you migrate my existing store to WooCommerce?
Yes, migrating an existing store's products, customers and order history onto WooCommerce is part of our Website Migration service.
Which payment gateways can I offer?
WooCommerce supports major card payments and popular gateways like Stripe and PayPal, plus additional options through extensions.
Can you build custom functionality that plugins don't cover?
Yes, custom WooCommerce functionality is a common part of Advanced WooCommerce projects, built to your exact requirements.
Ready to own your store?
Tell us what you sell, how your store needs to work and where you are now. We'll help you decide if WooCommerce is the right fit.
Request a quote