Let's start from the premise that if you're selling physical products through your online store (not virtual or downloadable products, of course), you'll need a way to deliver those products to your customers... products don't have legs (at least not yet). And obviously, once the customer adds products to the cart, they'll want to see the price it will cost to receive those products (regardless of whether they are cheaper or more expensive, we won't get into that today). For this purpose, WooCommerce has its own system to configure the shipping costs for the store. Unfortunately, this system is too basic and doesn't allow for creating complex pricing rules that you'll definitely need to implement. This is where WooCommerce shipping plugins come into play.
We're not saying it, your own needs will say it...
Of course, if you don't need to create complex rules, the basic shipping option in WooCommerce is likely sufficient to define your shipping costs. But when you or your customer need to implement shipping costs based on weight, price ranges, volume, or differentiate product types to apply their own shipping costs, things become more complicated and WooCommerce alone is no longer enough. Therefore, the assertion "shipping plugins are essential for WooCommerce" is correct in these cases.
Firstly, when properly configured, these plugins provide customers with a shipping cost estimate at checkout based on a set of predefined rules related to the products they've added to the cart. This is important because it helps prevent customer frustration, ultimately reducing the number of abandoned carts.
Secondly, as you might have guessed, installing and using a shipping plugin offers a wide range of features that can save time and money for businesses. There are plugins that cover practically every aspect of the product's journey once it's been shipped, enhancing the post-purchase experience for users. These features include order tracking, shipping labels, and integration with multiple carriers.
In the case of Super Shipping for WooCommerce, our plugin is designed to help you establish a smooth and hassle-free purchase process for the customer. They'll find detailed information about available shipping methods and their costs, both in the cart and on the checkout page. A customer who doesn't encounter surprises is much more likely to complete an order compared to someone who faces unpleasant surprises halfway through, wouldn't you agree?
But do I really need a shipping plugin?
Like everything in life, nothing is ever truly necessary (well, except for our basic vital needs), but think about all those little (or not so little) gadgets, devices, accessories, software, or similar things that make our lives easier. In this case, it's the same. Sure, we could have an online store with just WooCommerce and nothing else, but surely there will come a time when we need to take a step further because there will be some important requirement we want to implement. Unfortunately, we won't be able to achieve it solely with our e-commerce platform.
And here come WordPress plugins to the rescue. You'll find a multitude of them that will address your concerns: some to add features to products, others to create a customized discount system, a few to expand or streamline the required customer data, and a select few to better manage shipping costs.
Among the latter is Super Shipping for WooCommerce, one of the best shipping plugins with a great support team behind :)
The benefits of using a shipping plugin for WooCommerce
If you already have a WooCommerce store, then you'll know how important it is to have a good shipping plugin, because at some point, you must have needed to establish a solid foundation for implementing fair prices based on specific characteristics (weight, quantity, volume, etc.). The plugin, therefore, would have saved you a lot of time by automating this process. Now, if you've come here looking for information on how to configure shipping rates in WooCommerce but are unsure how to go about it, you've found the solution. And just in case it hasn't been made clear, let me remind you of some of the benefits of using Super Shipping for WooCommerce:
- You'll save time by not having to manually calculate shipping rates.
- You can offer your customers more shipping options, which can lead to increased sales.
- You can calculate shipping costs based on prices, weights, number of items, volume, or a combination of these factors.
- You'll be able to provide shipping costs based on the type of products.
Conclusion
As your e-commerce business (or that of your clients, if you're a company creating online stores) keeps growing, which is no surprise, the need for a reliable shipping solution also grows. While WooCommerce offers some features in this regard, it's not enough for most businesses. This is where Super Shipping for WooCommerce comes in, a plugin that's easy to use but with powerful capabilities, in Spanish and with quick and personalized support.
