CartFlows https://cartflows.com/ Wed, 20 Aug 2025 15:43:44 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://cartflows.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/cropped-cartflows-logo-32x32.png CartFlows https://cartflows.com/ 32 32 WordPress Sales Funnel Guide: Build High-Converting Funnels in 2025 https://cartflows.com/blog/wordpress-sales-funnel-guide/ https://cartflows.com/blog/wordpress-sales-funnel-guide/#respond Mon, 18 Aug 2025 15:17:53 +0000 https://cartflows.com/?p=63263 We already know 96% of website visitors aren’t buying on their first visit. We also know that store owners need to do everything possible to bring that number down. Sales funnel building is a smart way to turn more shoppers into loyal customers.

Sales funnels can help nurture visitors and guide them towards a purchase, without the hard sell.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to build a sales funnel using CartFlows, a fully customizable WordPress sales funnel builder.

First, What is a Sales Funnel?

A sales funnel is a visual representation of the customer journey. It maps out every step a potential buyer takes from first discovering your brand to making a purchase.

It’s called a “funnel” because it starts wide at the top with many prospects and narrows down as people move through each stage and keep dropping off.

This visual framework helps explain where prospects are in their buying process and how you can best interact with them.

Most customers would see your social media or read a blog post to become “aware” of your brand.

If the posts resonate, some of those aware customers will move to the interest stage. They may even visit your website.

Now, if a product on your website seems useful to them, they will start evaluating it. During the evaluation, they will need to decide (intent) if they want to purchase your products or not.

At the end, a few of the customers from the decision phase will take action and buy your product.

So, instead of hoping visitors to buy, a sales funnel systematically addresses their concerns, builds trust, and guides them toward a purchase.

The Psychology Behind Effective Sales Funnels

To make your sales funnel building process smoother, you need to understand what a good funnel is and why it actually works.

Reciprocity Turns WordPress Visitors Into Leads

When someone visits your WooCommerce store and you immediately offer them a free shipping guide or product comparison chart, they feel obligated to give you something back.

That “something” is usually their email address. Once you provide a valuable free resource, buyers feel inclined to return the favor.

This is why lead magnets work better than “Sign up for our newsletter” buttons on WordPress sites.

Social Proof Removes Buying Hesitation

When prospects see other people like them have bought and been happy, their anxiety about making the wrong choice disappears.

Now, customer perception of online reviews has changed.

For instance, in 2020, 79% of users said they trusted online reviews as much as personal recommendations. This number has fallen to 42% in 2025.

So, customers are smarter and will see through made-up reviews or biased review sets.

Scarcity Forces Immediate WordPress Store Decisions

People fear losing something more than they enjoy gaining it. This phenomenon is called loss aversion.

When your potential customers think they might miss out, they stop overthinking and take the leap.

A simple way to integrate scarcity when building a sales funnel is to add a countdown timer showing “Sale ends in 2 hours.”

This can encourage customers to purchase if they’re only waiting for a final nudge, that perfect “sometime later” when they will need the product and come back to buy it.

Authority Makes People Trust Your WordPress Store

When prospects see you as an expert, they trust your recommendations about what to buy. Companies with blogs generate 55% more website traffic than those without.

Write WordPress blog posts solving problems your products fix, then link to those products as solutions.

Consistency Gets Small Yeses Leading to Big Purchases

Prospects who agree to small commitments are more likely to make larger purchases. Progressive steps guide visitors toward buying decisions.

Start by asking them to download a free guide, then join your email list, watch a product demo, buy your lowest-priced item, and then upgrade to premium.

The 6 Essential Stages For Building a Sales Funnel

You need to understand the exact steps in a sales funnel to be able to build it

Here’s a quick overview:

Stage 1: Awareness – Where Your WordPress Sales Funnel Starts

This is where your WordPress sales funnel begins. When potential customers first hear about your brand and visit your WordPress store. But 79% of prospects drop off here.

You need compelling content that keeps your audience engaged.

WordPress blog posts work incredibly well at this stage. But anecdotal data suggests that referral traffic converts between 2% and 30% compared to the 1% average for general traffic.

So, focus on building trust before visitors enter your WordPress store.

Stage 2: Interest – Nurturing WordPress Store Prospects

Once prospects know about your WordPress store, they research your products and compare options.

More than 80% of buyers research online before purchasing, so be there with valuable information when they’re looking.

Email remains the most effective communication channel throughout your entire WordPress funnel. Set up email sequences that deliver helpful content rather than pushy sales messages.

Your goal is to stay top-of-mind while they evaluate options.

Stage 3: Evaluation – When WordPress Prospects Compare Options

Your store prospects are now comparing specific solutions. 75% of consumers expect personalized experiences so that generic content won’t work anymore.

Video increases middle-funnel conversion rates by 66%. Product demonstrations help prospects visualize your solution.

Customer testimonials increase conversions by 34% when placed strategically at this stage.

Stage 4: Decision – Overcoming Final WordPress Store Objections

Your prospects are addressing final objections before buying. 80% of sales require at least five follow-ups, but most WordPress businesses give up after one or two attempts.

39% of shoppers abandon their carts when they encounter unexpected charges.

Percentage of users abandoning their shopping cart.

Source

If you want to prevent these carts from being abandoned, it pays to be transparent about all costs.

Stage 5: Action – Converting WordPress Visitors to Customers

This phase is when prospects become customers in your WordPress store. Pages with single calls to action convert at 13.50% compared to pages with multiple competing options.

Conversion rate based on the number of links on the page.

Source

Order bumps convert at 40% when done well. These small, complementary offers appear during WordPress checkout and significantly increase transaction values.

Stage 6: Retention – Building Long-term WordPress Store Value

Your sales funnel building doesn’t end when someone buys. You still need to work on upsells and renewals if you want to maximize revenue.

Set up WordPress email sequences that help customers get maximum value from their purchase and introduce related products.

How to Build a Sales Funnel on WordPress with CartFlows (Complete Guide)

CartFlows is the leading WordPress sales funnel plugin that eliminates complexity while providing enterprise-level functionality.

It integrates seamlessly with WordPress and WooCommerce, allowing you to build sophisticated funnels without monthly subscription fees or technical expertise.

How To Build a Sales Funnel: Prerequisites

Before you begin funnel building, make sure you have:

  • WordPress website with admin access
  • WooCommerce plugin installed and configured
  • SSL certificate installed
  • Basic understanding of your target customers

CartFlows works with all major WordPress page builders, including Spectra, Elementor, Divi, Beaver Builder, and Gutenberg.

This compatibility maintains your preferred design workflow while adding funnel functionality.

Steps for building a WordPress sales funnel:

Get CartFlows from the WordPress plugins dashboard. Install and activate the plugin.

Search for cartflows on the WordPress plugin store and install it.

Complete the setup wizard and pick your preferred page builder integration. You’ll also be asked to pick from the available funnel templates.

Select the page builder in the cartflows plugin.

Choosing the Right WordPress Sales Funnel Template

CartFlows provides a growing library of free and premium templates designed for different WordPress business scenarios.

These templates incorporate proven conversion practices and tested design elements.

Template typeBest forKey features
Lead generationService businessesEmail capture, consultation booking
eCommerceProduct storesProduct showcase, upsells, order bumps
Course/DigitalOnline educatorsVideo previews, testimonials, pricing tiers
ConsultationProfessionalsCalendar integration, application forms

Step 1: Start Funnel Building With a CartFlows Template

Access CartFlows through your WordPress dashboard and select “Create New Funnel.”

Create a new funnel in your cartflows dashboard.

Name your funnel descriptively (e.g., Summer Sale Funnel or Lead Magnet Funnel) and choose an appropriate template.

Select the funnel template from the available options.

Step 2: Customize Your Funnel Structure

Check if the funnel has the exact steps you require for your store.

CartFlows imports all necessary pages automatically:

  • Landing page (where prospects enter)
  • Checkout page (where they buy)
  • Thank-you page (post-purchase experience)
  • Upsell/downsell pages (additional offers)

Step 3: Design Your Sales Funnel Pages

Customize each page by clicking the pencil icon to edit the page.

Edit the steps individually to add your content and images.

Update content, images, and design elements to match your WordPress brand while maintaining the underlying funnel logic.

WordPress editor with the funnel page being edited.

Customizing Your WordPress Sales Funnel With Page Builders

CartFlows can be customized with most page builders, providing flexibility for WordPress businesses with existing design preferences.

Spectra + CartFlows Integration:

  • Access specialized CartFlows widgets
  • Display dynamic product information
  • Add testimonial and conversion elements
  • Maintain responsive design across devices

Sales Funnel Product Setup and Configuration

Product configuration in your WordPress sales funnel extends beyond basic WooCommerce functionality.

Create specific product variations for different funnel stages, set up automatic discounts, and configure conditional logic.

  • Order bump configuration: Order bumps represent CartFlows’ most powerful features. They convert between 10% and 30% in well-designed WordPress funnels.
  • Upsell and downsell setup: Configure secondary offers based on customer decisions. Upsells, similar to order bumps, can convert better than first-time sales. And it makes sense to implement these in your sales funnels.

Testing Your WordPress Sales Funnel Before Launch

CartFlows includes testing functionality, allowing you to preview your WordPress sales funnel before launching.

WordPress sales funnel testing checklist:

  • [ ] All pages load correctly on desktop and mobile
  • [ ] Payment processing works with test transactions
  • [ ] Email sequences trigger properly
  • [ ] Analytics tracking is configured
  • [ ] All links and buttons function correctly

Testing mode simulates the complete customer experience, revealing potential issues before real customers encounter them so it’s well worth doing

Advanced WordPress Sales Funnel Features and Techniques

A/B Testing Your WordPress Sales Funnel

CartFlows Pro includes sophisticated A/B testing capabilities for data-driven WordPress funnel optimization.

What to A/B test in your WordPress sales funnel:

  • Headlines and subheadings
  • Call to action button colors and text
  • Product images and descriptions
  • Pricing presentations
  • Page layouts and designs

Focus testing on single elements rather than multiple simultaneous changes. Make one change, test, make another.

This approach provides clear insights into which changes drive improvements and which don’t.

Dynamic Offers and Personalization

Advanced WordPress sales funnel implementations leverage customer data for personalized offers.

Dynamic offers based on customer segments, purchase history, and behavioral triggers increase relevance and conversion rates.

WordPress sales funnel personalization options:

  • Geographic targeting for currency and shipping
  • Behavioral triggers based on page visits
  • Customer segment-specific offers
  • Previous purchase history recommendations

WordPress Sales Funnel Analytics and Performance Tracking

CartFlows provides comprehensive analytics revealing funnel performance at each stage.

Performance metrics include page views, conversion rates, average order values, and revenue per visitor.

MetricWhat It MeasuresGood Benchmark
Landing page conversionVisitors to leads15-25%
Checkout conversionLeads to customers2-5%
Average order valueRevenue per transactionVaries by industry
Customer lifetime valueTotal customer worth3x acquisition cost

Integration with Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel enables advanced tracking and remarketing capabilities for your WordPress sales funnel.

Mobile Optimization for WordPress Sales Funnels

CartFlows templates prioritize mobile responsiveness with automatic adaptation to different screen sizes.

You get:

  • Responsive design templates
  • Touch-friendly buttons and forms
  • Fast load times
  • Simplified navigation
  • Mobile payment options

CartFlows vs Other WordPress Sales Funnel Builders

CartFlows isn’t the only WordPress sales funnel builder out there, but it definitely has some strengths compared to a lot of the competition.

CartFlows vs ClickFunnels for WordPress

CartFlows offers significant advantages for WordPress businesses compared to external solutions like ClickFunnels:

FeatureCartFlowsClickFunnels
Price$189-299/year$97-297/month
Lifetime option$999 for lifeNot available
WordPress integrationNativeLimited
Page builder choiceMultiple optionsProprietary only
WooCommerce integrationSeamlessBasic
Template exportYesYes

CartFlows allows you to export funnels and continue using them even after licenses expire. ClickFunnels requires ongoing monthly payments and hosts funnels on its servers.

CartFlows integrates with anything that works with WooCommerce, extending compatibility to existing WordPress themes, plugins, and customizations.

CartFlows vs WPFunnels

CartFlows has achieved greater market penetration with over 223,242 users compared to the 8000+ installs of WPFunnels.

This wider adoption means CartFlows has been tried and tested across many more stores to ensure robustness.

CartFlows vs WPFunnels Comparison:

FeatureCartFlowsWPFunnels
WordPress pricing$189-299/year$99-299/year
TemplatesYesLimited
Page builder supportUniversalUniversal
Rules engineAdvancedBasic
Active WordPress users223,242+8000+

Sales Funnel Optimization Best Practices

Alright, you have your funnel ready, but like any marketing technique, you need to keep optimizing it as you learn more about your customers.

Your end goal should be to make your funnel smooth enough that it is never blocking a person from making a purchase.

Key WordPress Sales Funnel Metrics to Track

Monitor specific metrics revealing performance patterns and improvement opportunities in your WordPress sales funnel.

Top-performing companies achieve conversion rates of 5.31% or higher compared to the 2.35% average.

What to look for in your sales funnel performance:

  • Stage-by-stage conversion rates
  • Traffic source quality and conversion
  • Average order value progression
  • Customer lifetime value
  • Mobile vs desktop performance

Track conversion rates at each WordPress sales funnel stage rather than only measuring final purchases.

This granular approach identifies specific bottlenecks where prospects exit prematurely.

Common WordPress Sales Funnel Mistakes to Avoid

  • Mistake #1: Overly complex funnels: Rather than introducing multiple calls to action on a single page, keep a single next step that the user needs to take to avoid confusion.
  • Mistake #2: Slow site performance: It’s a fact that every second added to your load time reduces the conversion percentage, or conversion rate. To avoid that, you need to make sure your sales funnel loads quickly.
  • Mistake #3: Ignoring mobile users: Mobile traffic continues growing, and sales funnels must perform effectively across all devices and screen sizes.
  • Mistake #4: Not testing different elements: A/B testing creates more personalized experiences by aligning funnel elements with audience preferences and reducing friction.

Start Building Your WordPress Sales Funnel Today

You now have everything needed to turn your WordPress store into one that systematically converts visitors into customers.

CartFlows eliminates the technical complexity while giving you the same powerful funnel-building capabilities used by successful businesses worldwide.

Download CartFlows today, choose a template that matches your business, and create the automated system that captures, nurtures, and converts visitors into loyal customers that stay long after their first purchase!

WordPress Sales Funnel Frequently Asked Questions

]]>
https://cartflows.com/blog/wordpress-sales-funnel-guide/feed/ 0
Ultimate Sales Funnel Building Checklist (Step-by-Step for Beginners) https://cartflows.com/blog/sales-funnel-building-checklist/ https://cartflows.com/blog/sales-funnel-building-checklist/#respond Thu, 07 Aug 2025 11:20:43 +0000 https://cartflows.com/?p=63019 Struggling to turn clicks into customers? You’re not alone.

You could be putting in the work, running ads, creating content, driving traffic, but are still not seeing the sales you hoped for.

That’s often because one critical piece is missing: a proper sales funnel.

In this post, we’re going to share a clear, beginner-friendly sales funnel building checklist. We’ll then walk through using it to plan, build, and optimize each stage, step by step.

If you’re using WooCommerce, we’ll also show you how CartFlows can help anyone create a smooth, high-converting funnel quickly and easily.

Let’s break it all down together.

Want to build a funnel that converts? Download your free step-by-step WooCommerce Sales Funnel Checklist PDF now.

Get Your FREE Sales Funnel Building Checklist Now!

Step-by-step guidance to help beginners build high-converting sales funnels without the guesswork.

This field is required.
This field is required.

Sales Funnel Building Checklist

Before getting into design or tools, take a step back and map out the basics.

This is where effective funnel building starts.

1- Set Clear Funnel Goals

Every great funnel starts with a clear goal. Think of it like setting your GPS before a road trip. Without it, you’ll waste time and lose potential customers along the way.

  • Choose one main goal for your funnel: Do you want to collect leads, make sales, or book appointments? Pick one and build everything around it. A focused goal keeps your funnel simple and effective.
  • Understand who you’re trying to reach: Ask yourself, “Who is this for, and what are they struggling with?” Knowing audience pain points helps you craft offers that feel like the perfect solution.
  • Pick an offer that matches your goal: For leads, maybe it’s a free guide. For sales, it could be a discounted product. Make sure your offer feels valuable and relevant.
  • Use the right tools: Funnel building platforms like CartFlows offer readymade templates based on your goals, so you don’t have to start from scratch.

2- Plan Your Funnel Stages

Think of your funnel like a guided tour. You don’t ask someone to buy right away, you walk them through a journey.

Funnel building works best when you guide people step by step.

  • Awareness (top of funnel): How will people find you? Awareness is where strangers become visitors. Use blog posts, social media, or ads to introduce your brand and spark interest. You’re just getting on their radar here.
  • Interest/Consideration (middle): How will you keep people interested? Now they know you exist, give them a reason to stick around. Share helpful content like how-to guides, case studies, or free tools that show you understand their problems.
  • Decision/Action (bottom): How will you get people to take action? This is where you ask for the sale. Use clear calls to action like “Buy Now” or “Book a Demo,” and sweeten the deal with discounts, free trials, or limited-time offers.

3- Choose a Funnel Type

Not every funnel fits every goal. The right type depends on what you’re offering and how you want people to engage.

Here’s a quick breakdown to help you choose the best fit for your funnel building:

  • Lead generation funnel: Want to grow your email list? Offer something helpful for free, like a checklist, mini-course, or template, in exchange for their email. Great for coaches, bloggers, or anyone building a warm audience.
  • Sales funnel (single or multi-step): Selling a product? This funnel walks people through key steps, landing page, checkout, upsell. It’s common in eCommerce and works well whether you’re selling one item or a bundle.
  • Webinar or consultation funnel: Use this if you run live training or 1-on-1 calls. Visitors sign up for the event and, after delivering value, you pitch your product or service.
  • Free trial or freemium funnel: It’s perfect for SaaS. Let people use your tool for free first. Once they see value, they’re more likely to upgrade.
  • Application funnel: Ideal for high value offers or services. People apply, and you review them before booking a call or making an offer.
  • Tripwire funnel: Start with a low cost, high value offer. Think $7 for a template pack. Then upsell with related products.

4- Create Your Lead Magnet (if applicable)

If your goal is to collect leads, you’ll need a reason for people to share their info. That’s where a lead magnet comes in.

It’s a free, useful resource that solves a small problem for your audience.

  • Decide what to offer: Think about what your audience wants right now. A checklist, cheat sheet, discount, or short guide can work well if it feels instantly helpful.
  • Build the actual asset: Keep it focused and valuable. A 2-page PDF that solves one pain point is often better than a 30-page eBook no one finishes.
  • Design a simple opt-in page: Use a short, clear form. Explain what they’ll get and why it’s worth it.

This is where CartFlows can help with landing page templates built to convert.

5- Build Funnel Pages

Your funnel needs a few key pages to guide visitors smoothly from interest to purchase. Think of it like a mini journey where each step should feel natural and easy to follow.

  • Landing page (first impressions count): This is where someone first sees your offer. Keep it simple, focused, and clear. One headline, one call to action, and no distractions. If you’re offering a free guide, make that the only focus.
  • Sales page (build trust and interest): This is where you explain what you’re selling. Talk about the benefits, not just features. Add testimonials, answer common questions, and use a strong, clear CTA like “Buy Now” or “Start Free Trial.”
  • Checkout page (make it friction-free): Keep forms short. Offer multiple payment options. Show trust signals like secure badges. A clean checkout experience can seriously reduce drop-offs.
  • Upsell/Downsell pages (optional, but smart): After checkout, offer a relevant upgrade or bonus. Example: “Want the full bundle for 20% off?”
  • Order confirmation page: Let the customer know their order went through. A simple “You’re all set!” goes a long way.
  • Thank you page: Use this page to thank them, share next steps, or even offer a referral bonus.

Get Your FREE Sales Funnel Building Checklist Now!

Step-by-step guidance to help beginners build high-converting sales funnels without the guesswork.

This field is required.
This field is required.

6- Set Up Email Sequences

Email is a powerful part of funnel building. Once someone signs up or shows interest, your emails should guide them toward becoming a customer.

  • Welcome email (immediately after signup): Introduce yourself. Let them know what to expect. It’s like greeting someone at the door.
  • Nurture sequence (helpful, not pushy): Share tips, how-tos, or case studies. Show that you understand their problem and can help, even before you pitch anything.
  • Sales sequence (offer with urgency): Make your offer clear. Add urgency with limited-time deals and include reviews so they trust you more.
  • Abandoned cart emails (if you sell products): Someone added something to their cart but didn’t check out? Remind them. A gentle nudge or small discount often brings them back.

Tools like CartFlows can connect with your email platform and automate all of this behind the scenes.

7- Add Tracking and Analytics

Once your funnel is live, you need to know what’s working and what’s not. Tracking helps you spot bottlenecks and improve results over time.

  • Install Google Analytics (GA4): This shows how people move through your funnel. Are they dropping off at checkout? Are they spending time on your landing page? GA4 helps you see the story behind the clicks.
  • Set up conversion goals: Decide what success looks like. Is it a form submission? A product sale? Setting these up helps you measure real results.
  • Add Facebook Pixel or ad tracking: If you’re running ads, this helps track how well they perform. You’ll know which ads are bringing in leads or sales.
  • Use UTM parameters for link tracking: UTMs tell you where traffic is coming from, like whether a visitor came from your newsletter or a specific Instagram post.

CartFlows supports all these tools so you can keep everything connected.

8- Integrate Tools

To keep your funnel building smooth and automated, you’ll need a few key tools working together behind the scenes.

Here’s what to connect:

  • Email marketing platform (like Mailchimp or ConvertKit): Handle follow-ups, welcome emails, and offers, all on autopilot.
  • Payment gateway (like Stripe or PayPal): Makes it easy for people to pay you. Set it up right and checkout becomes seamless and secure.
  • CRM or lead tracking tool: Helps you keep track of who signed up, who bought, and who needs a follow-up.
  • Funnel builder (like CartFlows): Lets you create the whole journey, from landing page to checkout, without coding.
  • Cart abandonment recovery: Someone left your checkout halfway? Use CartFlows to send an automatic reminder and win them back.

When everything connects, your funnel runs smoother, and you save time.

9- Test the Funnel

Before you hit publish, make sure your funnel actually works. Think of it like checking your storefront before opening the doors.

  • Click every link and button: Make sure nothing’s broken. Each click should lead exactly where it’s supposed to.
  • Go through the funnel like a customer: Start from the landing page and complete the full journey. Is anything confusing or missing?
  • Check how it looks on mobile: A big chunk of your visitors will be using a phone. Make sure the layout, buttons, and forms work well on smaller screens.
  • Test all automated emails: Sign up with a test email and confirm each message fires off at the right moment.

Tools like CartFlows make this easy by letting you preview your funnel in real time.

10- Launch and Promote

Your funnel is ready, now it’s time to send people to it. Think of this as flipping the sign from “closed” to “open.”

  • Announce it everywhere: Email your list. Post on your socials. Add a banner or popup on your site. Let people know where to go and what to expect.
  • Run ads if your budget allows: Paid traffic can give your funnel building a fast start. Even a small budget can help test what’s working.
  • Watch performance daily (especially in week one): Check your analytics. Are people dropping off? Tweak early and often.

11- Optimize and Improve

Just launching your funnel isn’t the finish line. Funnel building is an ongoing process.

The real growth comes from tweaking what’s not working and doubling down on what is.

  • Find out where people drop off: Use analytics to see where visitors exit. If many leave at checkout, something might need fixing.
  • Test different messages, designs, or offers: Try changing your headline, product image, or call to action. Small tweaks can lead to big improvements.
  • A/B test landing and checkout pages: Run side-by-side comparisons. See which version performs better, then make that your default.
  • Keep in touch with leads: Share helpful content even after they subscribe or buy. It keeps your brand top of mind and brings people back.

CartFlows makes it easier to track, test, and optimize without needing to be a tech pro.

Unlock the Ultimate WooCommerce Store Guide!

Want to build a successful WooCommerce store in 2025? Get our FREE, exclusive step-by-step video course created by the CartFlows team.

See what really works (and what to avoid)
Learn actionable strategies, not just theory
Optimize your checkout, sales funnels, and more
Perfect for beginners and pros alike

Ultimate WooCommerce Store Guide!

Want to build a successful WooCommerce store in 2025? Get our exclusive, step-by-step video course.

This field is required.
This field is required.

Build a WooCommerce Sales Funnel That Actually Converts

A strong funnel doesn’t happen by luck. It takes planning, the right tools, and a bit of fine-tuning as you go.

If you’ve followed this funnel building checklist, you now have the framework to guide visitors from “just looking” to “ready to buy.”

Keep testing. Watch where people drop off. Tweak your messaging or layout when needed.

And remember, even small improvements can lead to big results over time.

If you’re using WooCommerce, tools like CartFlows can help you build, test, and grow without needing to code a thing.

Ready to build a funnel that converts?

Get Your FREE Sales Funnel Building Checklist Now!

Step-by-step guidance to help beginners build high-converting sales funnels without the guesswork.

This field is required.
This field is required.

FAQs – Sales Funnel Building Checklist

]]>
https://cartflows.com/blog/sales-funnel-building-checklist/feed/ 0
Best Sales Funnel Builders for WordPress (Free & Paid) https://cartflows.com/blog/sales-funnel-builders/ https://cartflows.com/blog/sales-funnel-builders/#respond Thu, 31 Jul 2025 17:17:14 +0000 https://cartflows.com/?p=62888 Over 70% of online shoppers abandon their carts before checkout. If you run an online store, that number should not be just a missed opportunity but a signal that something needs fixing.

To convert more browsers into buyers, you need more than just a good product.

You need a smooth, intentional sales journey. One that takes shoppers from “just looking” to “checkout complete.”

That’s where WordPress funnel builders come in.

We tested 9 of the best tools available, each designed to solve a specific problem in the customer journey.

In this post, you’ll learn what each one does, the friction it removes, and who it’s best suited for.

Quick Summary: Which Tool Fixes Your Problem?

  • Checkout confuses customers: CartFlows replaces WooCommerce’s multi-page checkout
  • Can’t see your funnel flow: CartFlows and WPFunnels shows everything as a visual flowchart
  • Need email automation: FunnelKit Pro bundles CRM and marketing tools
  • Have zero budget: The free version of CartFlows optimizes checkout at zero cost
  • Only want post-purchase upsells: The one click upsell funnel does exactly that

What Problems Do Sales Funnels Solve?

WooCommerce does a pretty decent job of processing orders, but the defaults aren’t good enough anymore.

Customers expect Amazon-style checkout experiences that keep them in the shopping flow longer and encourage them to buy more.

Sales funnel builders help with that.

They create smooth paths from product pages to upsells to completed purchases. You also get additional features WooCommerce doesn’t have.

Free WordPress Funnel Builders

If you’re looking to increase sales and decrease abandonment rates, here are some tools that can help.

1. CartFlows (Free Version)

CartFlows

CartFlows replaces the standard WooCommerce checkout with something that actually works.

Instead of bouncing customers between multiple pages, everything happens in one place.

Fields are organized logically. Validation happens instantly. And you can track exactly where people abandon your checkout so you can begin optimizing the steps.

The free version is surprisingly complete. You get professional checkout layouts without spending a dime. Setup takes just 2-5 minutes if you use their templates.

Features:

  • One-page checkout that reduces abandonment
  • Tons of free funnel templates
  • Multi-step option for long forms with progress tracking
  • Custom thank-you pages instead of WooCommerce’s boring default
  • Google address autocomplete to speed things up
  • Facebook pixel tracking for your ads

Pros:

  • Gets to work immediately after installation
  • Keeps your existing payment and tax settings
  • Works with any page builder
  • No limits on transactions or revenue
  • Great tutorials and documentation

Cons:

  • No order bumps or one-click upsells in the free version
  • Some of the best-performing templates are paid

Price: Free

Who should use it:

  • Stores losing customers at checkout
  • Anyone wanting to test if optimization helps their specific situation
  • Shop owners who want solid features before paying for advanced tools

2. WPFunnels (Free Version)

WPFunnels (Free Version)

WPFunnels is the only WordPress funnel builder with a visual canvas.

Instead of managing funnels through boring lists, you see your entire customer journey as a flowchart. You can spot problems immediately and fix them visually.

The interface makes the process of building funnels easy. Drag and drop to build, click to connect steps and see the whole flow at once.

Features:

  • The visual canvas shows your funnel as connected steps
  • Up to 3 complete funnels (each with unlimited steps)
  • 8 different order bump styles that work in the free version
  • Lead generation funnels without needing WooCommerce
  • Conditional logic to show different offers
  • Basic email automation (upgrade for advanced features)

Pros:

  • The visual interface reveals flow problems instantly
  • Built-in integration with learning management systems
  • Templates designed for specific businesses

Cons:

  • Limited to 3 funnels
  • Much smaller template library than competitors
  • Some features feel half-finished

Price: Free for 3 funnels

Who should use it:

  • Course creators using WordPress LMS plugins
  • Visual thinkers who need to see the big picture
  • Small businesses that only need a few funnels
  • Anyone frustrated with traditional funnel management

3. One-Click Upsell Funnel

One-Click Upsell Funnel

This plugin does one thing really well, it enables you to offer post-purchase upsells.

Instead of trying to be everything to everyone, it focuses on showing relevant offers immediately after someone buys. That’s when people are most likely to say yes to additional products.

Setup is dead simple. Install and configure your offers to begin generating more revenue from existing customers.

Features:

  • Smart upgrades that automatically offer premium versions of products
  • Global rules that apply to entire product categories
  • Full support for WooCommerce product variations
  • Exit-intent popups for special offers
  • Skip links so customers can decline gracefully
  • Sandbox mode for testing without affecting real customers

Pros:

  • Add upsells to any store in less than 30 minutes
  • Global rules work across hundreds of products
  • Works alongside other funnel builders
  • Simple enough for non-technical users

Cons:

  • Only handles upsells, not complete funnels
  • Template designs look outdated compared to more modern plugins
  • Customization requires basic HTML knowledge

Price: Free forever

Who should use it:

  • Stores with working checkouts that just need upsells
  • WooCommerce sites testing if upsells boost revenue
  • Businesses using page builders for design but needing upsell logic
  • Anyone preferring focused tools over complex all-in-one solutions

Paid WordPress Funnel Builders

If those free tools don’t have the features you need, perhaps these premium options will.

4. CartFlows Pro

CartFlows Pro adds the money-making features to CartFlows Free. We’re talking one-click upsells, order bumps, and split testing.

It’s the safest choice because thousands of stores already use it successfully to boost conversions and increase profit.

Features:

  • One-click upsells without re-entering payment information
  • A/B split testing with statistical confidence
  • Visual canvas for mapping complex funnels
  • Revenue analytics showing exactly what works
  • WooCommerce subscription support
  • Multiple checkout styles, including Shopify-inspired layouts

Pros:

  • Stable funnel builder with 5+ years of development
  • The support team knows WooCommerce inside and out
  • Visual canvas adds modern building without losing reliability
  • The Pro license covers 30 sites for great value

Cons:

  • Support limited to email only
  • Modern features like SMS need additional plugins

Price:

  • Plus: $189/year (10 sites)
  • Pro: $299/year (30 sites)

Who should use it:

  • Established WooCommerce stores wanting proven stability
  • Agencies managing multiple client sites
  • Businesses with complex payment requirements
  • Store owners who value extensive documentation and community support

5. WPFunnels Pro

getwpfunnels

WPFunnels Pro gives you advanced conditional logic, detailed analytics, and integrated email marketing.

The bundle with Mail Mint creates a complete marketing system that allows for automated emails and more.

It offers conditional logic building in the funnel builder, which helps you show different offers based on what someone bought before and even create personalized paths through your funnel automatically.

Features:

  • Unlimited visual funnels with no restrictions
  • Advanced conditional logic with unlimited rules
  • Heat map analytics showing clicks and scrolling
  • Dynamic offers based on purchase history
  • A full email marketing platform included in the bundle
  • Automatic course enrollment and content delivery

Pros:

  • Visual canvas makes complex funnels manageable
  • Bundle pricing beats funnel builder plus email service separately
  • Analytics show complete customer journey
  • Monthly feature updates based on user feedback

Cons:

  • Per-site pricing gets expensive fast
  • The visual builder slows down with complex funnels
  • Support response can take up to 72 hours

Price:

  • $97-$237/year depending on sites
  • $239.99-$626.99/year with Mail Mint

Who should use it:

  • Digital product sellers needing funnel plus email plus course delivery
  • Visual thinkers building complex multi-path funnels
  • Businesses wanting to eliminate monthly email marketing fees
  • Coaches and consultants with sophisticated nurture sequences

7. FunnelKit Pro

Funnelkit Pro dashboard.

FunnelKit Pro aims to replace your entire marketing stack. Built-in CRM, marketing automation, detailed analytics.

It’s like getting enterprise-level features at WordPress prices.

The feature set is honestly overwhelming. But if you’re ready to consolidate multiple tools, this could save you hundreds monthly while providing deeper integration.

Features:

  • 16+ order bump conditions with complex rules
  • Built-in CRM tracking every customer interaction
  • Visual automation builder for multi-channel sequences
  • Revenue attribution for every email and campaign
  • One-click checkout for returning customers
  • Advanced cart recovery via email, SMS, and web push

Pros:

  • Replaces $200+ monthly in various SaaS tools
  • Support provides strategy advice, not just tech help
  • White-label options for agencies
  • Optimized for high-traffic stores handling 1000+ orders daily

Cons:

  • Overwhelming feature set requires significant learning
  • Some features over-engineered for simple stores
  • Initial setup can take days
  • Resource intensive, requiring good hosting

Price:

  • Basic: $129/year (1 site)
  • Plus: $249/year (3 sites)
  • Professional: $399/year (10 sites)
  • Enterprise: $599/year (25 sites)

Who should use it:

  • Businesses ready to consolidate their marketing stack
  • Agencies needing white-label solutions
  • Stores doing $50k+ monthly who can utilize advanced features
  • Marketers wanting enterprise capabilities without enterprise pricing

8. SeedProd

SeedProd

SeedProd is primarily a landing page builder that includes basic funnel features. While not a true funnel builder, many people consider it because it creates beautiful pages quickly.

Great for coming soon pages and simple lead generation. But don’t expect real funnel functionality.

Features:

  • 300+ professional templates for landing pages
  • Coming soon and maintenance modes
  • Complete theme builder for headers and footers
  • Basic WooCommerce blocks (not optimized checkout)
  • Custom domain mapping for landing pages
  • Built-in access control and password protection

Pros:

  • Fastest way to create beautiful landing pages
  • Templates follow conversion best practices
  • Excellent for pre-launch lead capture
  • Page loads in under 2 seconds
  • Zero coding knowledge required

Cons:

  • No checkout optimization, upsell or order bump features
  • Can’t create multi-step funnels
  • No A/B testing for conversions

Price:

  • Basic: $39.50/year (1 site)
  • Plus: $99.50/year (3 sites)
  • Pro: $199.50/year (5 sites)
  • Elite: $239.60/year (unlimited sites)

Who should use it:

  • Businesses needing beautiful coming soon pages
  • Marketers creating standalone landing pages for ads
  • Agencies building simple lead generation pages
  • Anyone prioritizing design over funnel functionality

9. OptinMonster

OptinMonster

OptinMonster specializes in reducing abandonment through exit-intent popups.

It captures emails from visitors who aren’t ready to buy yet using some incredibly sophisticated targeting rules.

This product isn’t a funnel builder. It’s a popup and lead capture tool. But it works alongside any funnel builder to recover abandoning visitors.

Features:

  • Exit-intent technology detecting when visitors leave
  • 700+ campaign templates from subtle to full-screen
  • WooCommerce cart abandonment detection
  • MonsterLinks converting any link to two-step opt-in
  • Advanced segmentation by location, device, behavior
  • Multi-step campaigns adapting based on answers

Pros:

  • Most sophisticated targeting available in WordPress
  • Proven to reduce abandonment by 10-35%
  • Works with any WordPress setup
  • A/B testing built into every campaign
  • Integrates with 30+ email services

Cons:

  • Expensive renewals jump dramatically after intro pricing
  • Cannot create landing pages or checkout pages
  • No funnel building or management features

Price:

  • Basic: $84/year intro (renews at $348)
  • Plus: $174/year intro (renews at $696)
  • Pro: $414/year intro (renews at $1,656)
  • Growth: $1,470/year (custom quote)

Who should use it:

  • High-traffic sites where small improvements justify the cost
  • Businesses using other funnel builders but needing better popups
  • eCommerce stores focusing on cart abandonment recovery
  • Sites with 10,000+ monthly visitors

Key Features To Look For

Not all funnel builders are created equal. Some focus on checkout optimization while others try to replace your entire marketing stack. Here’s what actually matters when choosing a tool.

Essential Features

These are the must-haves. Any funnel builder worth considering should include these basics:

  • Visual funnel canvas: This is where you plan your customer journey. Instead of guessing how people move through your funnel, you see it as a flowchart. You can spot bottlenecks immediately and fix them before they cost sales.
  • Checkout optimization: Your default WooCommerce checkout is probably losing customers. Custom checkout pages let you remove distractions, reorganize fields logically, and add trust elements. This alone can boost conversions by 15-25%.
  • Order bumps: These are small checkbox offers that appear during checkout. “Add gift wrapping for $5?” That kind of thing. They’re incredibly effective because customers are already in buying mode. Good order bumps increase average order value by 20-30%.
  • Upsells/Downsells: After someone buys, they’re most likely to buy again. Upsells offer premium versions or complementary products. Downsells offer cheaper alternatives if they decline the upsell. This is where the real money is made.
  • A/B testing: Without testing, you’re just guessing what works. Good funnel builders let you test headlines, prices, layouts, and entire funnel sequences. Then they show you which version actually makes more money.
  • Analytics: You need to know where people drop off in your funnel. Basic analytics show conversion rates for each step. Advanced analytics show revenue attribution so you know which elements actually drive profits.

Advanced Features

Advanced features separate good tools from great ones. You might not need all of them, but they’re worth considering:

  • Email automation: Instead of using separate email software, some funnel builders include built-in automation. This creates seamless experiences where funnel actions trigger specific email sequences. It’s more integrated but less flexible than dedicated email platforms.
  • Multi-step checkout: For complex purchases, breaking checkout into steps with progress indicators reduces abandonment. People feel more committed as they progress through each step. Best for high-ticket items or complicated shipping scenarios.
  • Conditional logic: This shows different content based on previous choices. “If a customer bought Product A, show Upsell B.” It makes funnels feel personalized without manual work. Essential for complex product catalogs or multiple customer types.
  • CRM integration: Connects funnel data with customer management systems like HubSpot or Salesforce. Important for B2B businesses or stores with complex sales processes that extend beyond the initial purchase.
  • Mobile optimization: Over 60% of traffic comes from phones so your funnels must work perfectly on mobile. This means responsive design, touch-friendly buttons, and fast load times. Non-negotiable in 2025.

Use Case Recommendations

Here’s a simple list of use-cases and what product might fit you best.

  • Beginners: Start with WPFunnels Free or CartFlows Free. Both give you solid checkout optimization without overwhelming features. You can prove the concept works before investing money. WPFunnels is better if you’re visual. CartFlows is better if you want maximum stability.
  • Small businesses: CartFlows fixes your biggest problem—customers abandoning their carts. It replaces WooCommerce’s broken multi-page checkout with a smooth, one-page experience that actually converts. The free version works immediately and doesn’t eat into your margins with monthly fees. WPFunnels is another option if you prefer visual funnel management, but CartFlows delivers proven results without the complexity.
  • Agencies: CartFlows Pro or FunnelKit Pro are your best bets. CartFlows Pro has the best agency licensing with 30 sites for $269/year. FunnelKit Pro offers white-label options so you can brand it as your own solution. Both have the reliability you need for client work.
  • Lead Generation Focus: OptinMonster or SeedProd depending on your needs. OptinMonster excels at capturing emails from existing traffic through sophisticated popups and exit-intent technology. SeedProd is better for creating beautiful standalone landing pages for ad campaigns.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Choosing features over usability: The most feature-rich tool is worthless if you don’t actually use it. Pick based on what you’ll implement, not what’s possible.
  • Ignoring mobile experience: As most traffic comes from phones, every funnel element must work perfectly on mobile. Test on real devices, not just browser tools.
  • Making funnels too complex: Start simple. Checkout → thank you → one upsell. Add complexity only after proving the basics work for your audience.
  • Forgetting email follow-up: Real profit comes from repeat customers. Every funnel needs post-purchase automation to maximize lifetime value.
  • Tracking wrong metrics: Revenue per visitor matters more than conversion rate. Track complete customer value, not just initial purchases.

Struggling to Get Sales? Use This Proven Funnel Building Checklist

Clicks but no customers? You might be missing the most important piece: a proper sales funnel.
Our FREE step-by-step Sales Funnel Building Checklist helps you plan, build, and optimize each stage, even if you’re a beginner.

Get Your FREE Sales Funnel Building Checklist Now!

Step-by-step guidance to help beginners build high-converting sales funnels without the guesswork.

This field is required.
This field is required.

CartFlows Installation and Setup

Here’s how to get CartFlows running in under an hour. We’re using CartFlows as an example because it’s the most beginner-friendly option.

1. Install CartFlows

Download CartFlows from the WordPress repository or upload the zip file.

Activate it like any other plugin. You’ll see a new CartFlows menu in your WordPress dashboard.

2. Configure Basic Settings

Go to CartFlows > Settings. Connect your page builder (Elementor, Beaver Builder, or Gutenberg).

Set your default currency and basic styling preferences.

Don’t overthink this step since all the settings can be customized later. This is just to get your baseline setup ready.

3. Choose a Funnel Template

Click the Funnels tab and Create New Funnel.

You’ll be presented with the template library depending on what page builder you picked in the previous step.

Pick something close to your business model so you can work on the rest of the customization. You can preview the funnels and import the one you like best.

If you don’t already have WooCommerce installed, CartFlows will prompt you to install it before you import a template.

4. Customize Pages and Offers

Edit each page in your funnel using your page builder.

Change headlines, images, and copy to match your brand. Add your products to the checkout page. Keep it simple for your first funnel.

5. Set Up Payment Integration

CartFlows uses your existing WooCommerce payment settings so this won’t take long.

Make sure Stripe, PayPal, or your preferred gateway is configured in WooCommerce. Test with a small purchase to ensure everything works.

6. Configure Analytics

Add your Google Analytics code if you use it. Enable Facebook Pixel tracking if you run ads.

CartFlows has built-in analytics too, but external tracking gives you more data to work with.

7. Test Funnel Flow

Go through your entire funnel as a customer would. For Stripe, you can make test purchases using their demo credit card details.

Check that any confirmation and abandonment emails are sent correctly. Verify that thank you pages display properly.

Fix any issues before launching.

8. Launch and Monitor Performance

Make your funnel live by updating any links to point to your funnel.

Now, all that’s left to do is wait for your customers to go through the funnel, and for you to monitor how it all goes!

The whole process takes less than 30 minutes if you follow these steps. By the end you’ll have a conversion-optimized funnel that works to get more people to buy more of your products!

Unlock the Ultimate WooCommerce Store Guide!

Want to build a successful WooCommerce store in 2025? Get our FREE, exclusive step-by-step video course created by the CartFlows team.

See what really works (and what to avoid)
Learn actionable strategies, not just theory
Optimize your checkout, sales funnels, and more
Perfect for beginners and pros alike

Ultimate WooCommerce Store Guide!

Want to build a successful WooCommerce store in 2025? Get our exclusive, step-by-step video course.

This field is required.
This field is required.

Our Recommendation

We’re naturally biased, but after using so many funnel builders, we can confidently say CartFlows takes the medal for being a great sales funnel builder for most WooCommerce stores..

It’s built specifically for WordPress, the free version actually works, and upgrading makes financial sense.

While WPFunnels offers better visuals and FunnelKit has more features, CartFlows delivers results without the complexity.

So, here are your next steps.

  1. Download the free version of CartFlows
  2. Run it for 30 days
  3. Upgrade when you’re ready for more

And stop losing customers to bad checkout experiences. Your competitors are already using funnel builders to steal customers you should be keeping.

CartFlows levels the playing field without breaking the bank or overwhelming your team. The best time to optimize your funnel was six months ago. The second best time is right now.

FAQs – Best Sales Funnel Builders for WordPress

]]>
https://cartflows.com/blog/sales-funnel-builders/feed/ 0
The Ultimate WooCommerce SEO & AEO Guide https://cartflows.com/blog/woocommerce-seo/ https://cartflows.com/blog/woocommerce-seo/#respond Tue, 15 Jul 2025 10:45:50 +0000 https://cartflows.com/?p=62534 What worked for WooCommerce SEO even just a year ago may not work quite so well now.

We’re operating in an environment where:

The game has changed completely.

So what does this mean for you?

It means you have some work to do to keep your store visible in search, and it’s not just about rankings anymore.

When customers do find your store, the entire experience, from search to checkout, needs to work seamlessly.

Full shopping cart and funnel solutions like CartFlows are now essential for any serious eCommerce business.

That’s why we wrote this guide. To share tried and tested tips we use in our own stores to help you remain competitive in search during uncertain times.

Why SEO Still Matters in an AI World

Search engine optimization (SEO) isn’t dead, but it sure has changed!

Traditional SEO focused on rankings, traffic, and click-through rates. The assumption was simple: higher rankings meant more visibility, which translated to more sales.

That logic still holds, but it’s no longer the complete picture.

A big chunk of the online experience still begins with a search engine. But the definition of “search engine” is expanding.

We’re not just optimizing for Google anymore. We’re optimizing for ChatGPT, Perplexity, voice assistants, and whatever AI-powered search experience comes next.

Page speed, mobile optimization, quality content, and user experience signals still matter.

But there are also new considerations too:

  • How will AI engines interpret your content?
  • Can voice assistants understand your product descriptions?
  • Will your brand be mentioned when AI systems provide shopping recommendations?

What we’re saying is, we’re not abandoning SEO. We’re only expanding our definition of what SEO means in 2025.

The world is now calling it AEO.

What Is AEO? (Answer Engine Optimization)

Answer engine optimization (AEO) is the next evolution of search strategy.

Instead of trying to “rank” at the top of existing search results with SEO, AEO is designed to help your content become the answer itself.

But there’s a caveat to this change. AI systems cite, reference, and recommend your content through AEO instead of driving traffic to your site.

Think about how this changes everything.

  • Your site may appear in AI overviews, but since AI answers the question, people won’t click through.
  • Generic blog posts on your site won’t be necessary since AI will answer those queries.
  • People will be less inclined to read through the 3000-word blog posts you had on your site when AI can summarize them for them.

Basically, the way things were with SEO are not the same with AEO.

Now, if someone asks ChatGPT or Google AI for product recommendations, you want your brand mentioned in that response.

When voice assistants suggest where to buy something, you want to be the recommended source.

For AEO, we stop monitoring traffic and CTRs and start monitoring:

  • Citation frequency in AI responses
  • Brand mention sentiment across platforms
  • Direct recommendation appearances
  • Voice search capture rates

This requires a fundamental shift in content strategy. We’re moving from keyword-focused writing to conversational, question-answering content that provides immediate value without requiring a click.

AEO doesn’t replace SEO. It complements it. The most successful WooCommerce stores in 2025 will master both.

Unlock the Ultimate WooCommerce Store Guide!

Want to build a successful WooCommerce store in 2025? Get our FREE, exclusive step-by-step video course created by the CartFlows team.

See what really works (and what to avoid)
Learn actionable strategies, not just theory
Optimize your checkout, sales funnels, and more
Perfect for beginners and pros alike

Ultimate WooCommerce Store Guide!

Want to build a successful WooCommerce store in 2025? Get our exclusive, step-by-step video course.

This field is required.
This field is required.

Is WooCommerce SEO-Friendly?

Out of the box, WooCommerce is reasonably SEO-friendly. But it’s far from optimized.

The platform handles basic requirements like clean URLs and meta tags, but creates specific challenges that standard WordPress sites don’t face.

For instance, WooCommerce extends WordPress with complex database structures.

But:

  • Product variations create multiple URLs for similar content.
  • Dynamic cart and checkout pages need special handling.

The platform generates massive numbers of URLs through filtering and pagination that can waste crawl budgets.

Woocommerce usage statistics

Source

But WooCommerce powers 5,685,371 eCommerce stores globally. If it wasn’t SEO-viable, those numbers wouldn’t exist!

So, WooCommerce SEO success depends heavily on proper configuration and the right supporting tools.

Where WooCommerce excels:

  • Flexible URL structures
  • Built-in sitemap generation
  • Mobile-responsive themes
  • Extensive plugin ecosystem
  • Schema markup capabilities

Where it struggles:

  • Product variation canonicalization
  • Database query optimization
  • Automatic duplicate content handling
  • Advanced structured data implementation

WooCommerce provides a solid foundation. Success comes from understanding its limitations and implementing targeted solutions.

Key SEO + AEO Ranking Factors for WooCommerce Stores

The ranking “game,” as SEOs used to call it, has expanded beyond traditional signals. But some of the fundamentals are still just as important with AEO.

1. Product Schema and Structured Data

Product schema tells search engines and AI systems exactly what you’re selling, how much it costs, and what customers think about it.

Here are some of the essential schema properties:

  • Name
  • Image
  • Offers (price and availability)
  • Description
  • Brand
  • Aggregate ratings

For advanced stores, you can also add GTIN, MPN, and ISBN identifiers for enhanced product recognition.

Sites using schema markup receive higher click-through rates. More importantly for AEO, structured data helps AI engines understand and recommend your products accurately. If you haven’t implemented schema for your site, plugins such as Schema Pro, which automatically add relevant schema markup to your website pages and posts, can be useful.

2. FAQs and Conversational Content

AI systems love FAQ sections. They provide clear question and answer pairs that can be directly cited in responses.

But we also need conversational content that mirrors how real customers ask questions.

Instead of “What are the product dimensions?” try “Will this fit in my small apartment?”

Voice search optimization requires this shift. 41% of adults use voice search daily, and they speak differently than they type.

3. Page Speed and Mobile Performance

Core Web Vitals remain critical ranking factors, but their importance extends beyond SEO. A 1-second mobile speed optimization boosts conversions by up to 27%.

The targets are still the same:

  • LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): Under 2.5 seconds
  • INP (Interaction to Next Paint): Under 200 milliseconds
  • CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): Under 0.1

What’s new is the AEO angle. AI systems learn from data that Google (and other search engines) have collected when making recommendations.

Slow sites get filtered out of AI-generated shopping suggestions because search engines don’t show them either.

4. AI-Readability and Content Quality

AI engines evaluate content differently than traditional search algorithms.

They prioritize:

  • Clarity and coherence
  • Factual accuracy
  • Comprehensive coverage
  • Natural language patterns

Product descriptions that read naturally to humans also perform better with AI systems.

This creates a virtuous cycle where good content serves both traditional SEO and emerging AEO needs.

So that’s the background, now let’s get to the action!

15 Pro Tips to Make Your WooCommerce Store SEO + AI Friendly

Here are 15 WooCommerce store SEO and AI tips to help your products show up in search results and AI suggestions.

1. Write Product Descriptions That Answer Questions Before They’re Asked

Write descriptions that address customer concerns, use cases, and common questions. Use conversational language that mirrors how people actually talk about your products.

Instead of “100% cotton t-shirt, machine washable,” try “This comfortable everyday tee gets softer with every wash and won’t shrink in hot water.”

2. Structure Content for Featured Snippets

Featured snippets are your gateway to position zero.

Format content in 40-60 word blocks that directly answer specific questions. Use bullet points, numbered lists, and clear headings.

Think of it as conversation optimization.

For example, you could say: “How do I clean leather boots? Clean leather boots by wiping with a damp cloth, applying leather conditioner monthly, and storing in a cool, dry place. Avoid soaking or using harsh chemicals that can crack the leather.”

A free text summarizer can help you condense information into concise answers that increase your chances of ranking in snippets.

3. Implement Schema Markup on Every Product Page

Go beyond basic product schema. Include brand information, GTIN identifiers, detailed offers data, and review aggregations. Use the JSON-LD format for maximum compatibility.

4. Create FAQ Sections That Feel Conversational

The best FAQs don’t feel like FAQs at all. Write them in natural language. Address real customer concerns, not generic product information.

Instead of “What are the dimensions?” use “Will this coffee table fit in my small living room?” followed by practical space recommendations.

5. Optimize for Voice Search With Natural Language Patterns

Target conversational long-tail keywords. Optimize for “near me” searches if you have physical locations. Create content that answers voice queries directly.

For instance, target “where can I buy running shoes for flat feet near me” rather than just “running shoes flat feet.”

6. Build Topic Clusters Around Product Categories

Topical authority requires multiple pages supporting a topic collectively. If you want AI to identify your website as an authority on a topic, develop comprehensive content around your main product categories.

Link related products, guides, and educational content to build topical authority. Each additional piece strengthens the main page.

7. Use Customer Reviews as Structured Data Goldmines

Customer reviews are the most underutilized SEO asset in e-commerce.

Implement review schema markup using plugins like Schema Pro. Encourage detailed customer reviews that mention specific product features and use cases. These become valuable content for AI systems.

Authentic voices carry more weight than marketing copy ever will!

8. Optimize Category Pages for Discovery

Category pages are the foundation of your content strategy. Create unique category descriptions (minimum 200 words) and implement category-specific schema markup.

Use proper internal linking to distribute page authority.

For a “Kitchen Knives” category, you can write about knife selection, care tips, and cooking techniques rather than just listing products.

9. Create Comparison Content That Drives Decisions

Comparison content is great for both algorithms and customers.

Start with building product comparison pages that help customers choose between options. Include detailed feature comparisons, pros and cons, and clear recommendations.

Example: “MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro for Students” with specific use cases, price breakdowns, and honest recommendations for different budgets.

10. Implement Breadcrumbs That Tell Stories

Breadcrumbs are like narrative threads. They tell users where they are and what pages they jumped from to reach there.

Use breadcrumbs to show product relationships and site structure and also implement breadcrumb schema markup for enhanced search appearance.

11. Build Internal Linking Strategies That Mirror Customer Thinking

The most effective internal linking strategies think like customers, not like website owners.

Link products based on customer behavior, not just categories. Connect complementary products, alternatives, and upgrade paths naturally within content.

For instance, you can create an internal link from a camera not to other cameras, but to memory cards, cases, tripods, and photography guides based on what customers actually buy together.

12. Optimize for Mobile-First Indexing

Mobile-first isn’t a strategy anymore. Every website needs to be mobile-first. Ensure content parity between mobile and desktop versions.

Test touch-friendly navigation and button sizing. Prioritize mobile page speed optimization.

13. Create Content Worth Citing by AI Engines

The main problem with AI engines is that they don’t link. They cite your website as a source. That means you need to start creating content that’s citation-worthy.

Develop authoritative guides, detailed tutorials, and comprehensive product information that AI systems will want to reference and cite.

For instance, create definitive buying guides like “The Complete Guide to Choosing Running Shoes” with expert insights, comparison charts, and actionable advice.

14. Focus on Page Speed as a Conversion Factor

Target sub-2.5-second load times. Implement lazy loading for non-critical content. Optimize images with modern formats like WebP.

15. Add User-Generated Content for Authentic Authority Signals

Encourage customer photos, detailed reviews, and Q&A submissions. User-generated content provides fresh, authentic signals that both search engines and AI systems value.

The best content marketing doesn’t feel like marketing at all.

Best SEO and AEO Plugins for WooCommerce

Let’s look at some of the plugins that we recommend for optimizing your WooCommerce store for both search engines (SEO) and answer engine optimization (AEO).

These tools help ensure your products are discoverable, properly structured, and ready for rich results.

Essential SEO Plugins

SEO plugins form the foundation of your store’s visibility on search engines. They handle on-page SEO, schema markup, and technical optimization specific to WooCommerce.

1. Yoast SEO + WooCommerce SEO Addon

Yoast SEO dashboard image

A long-standing favorite, Yoast SEO remains the gold standard for SEO on WordPress. When paired with the WooCommerce SEO addon, it becomes a powerful solution for large or complex stores.

Price: $99 (Yoast SEO Premium) + $79 (WooCommerce SEO) = $178 annually

Features:

  • Full product schema support
  • Global product identifiers (GTIN, ISBN, etc.)
  • AI-powered content suggestions
  • Breadcrumb and internal linking control
  • SEO for product filters and variations

2. Rank Math SEO

Rankmath SEO dashboard on WordPress.

If you’re looking for a modern SEO solution with exceptional value, Rank Math is an excellent choice. Even the free version comes equipped with some advanced WooCommerce features.

Price: Free / Pro: $59 annually (unlimited sites)

Features:

  • Native WooCommerce SEO support
  • Automatic schema markup
  • Clean and intuitive interface
  • Built-in SEO analysis and AI tools
  • Multi-site and client-friendly setup

3. All in One SEO (AIOSEO)

All in one SEO dashboard on WordPress.

If you want a straightforward, beginner-friendly solution with strong WooCommerce compatibility, AIOSEO is a dependable option that doesn’t require additional addons.

Price: $99.50 annually (unlimited sites)

Features:

  • No need for separate WooCommerce addon
  • Smart schema markup
  • Rich snippets and video SEO support
  • TruSEO page analysis
  • Excellent customer support

AEO-Focused Tools

Beyond traditional SEO, AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) focuses on making your content easily accessible to voice search and AI-driven answers.

They help enhance structured data and improve how your store appears in featured snippets and search assistants.

1. Schema Pro

Schema Pro dashboard on WordPress.

When detailed structured data is a priority, Schema Pro provides extensive schema types and custom implementation options.

It’s ideal for stores that rely on rich results and advanced data representation.

Price: $79 annually or $249 lifetime

Features:

  • 20+ schema types, including product, review, and local business
  • Visual schema builder
  • Custom schema templates
  • WooCommerce compatibility
  • Integrates with major SEO plugins

2. Structured Content (JSON-LD) #wpsc

Structured Content WordPress Plugin Dashboard.

Minimalist execution meets maximum impact. This plugin understands that the best schema strategy is the one that actually gets implemented consistently.

Price: Free

Features:

  • FAQ blocks with automatic JSON-LD schema generation
  • Accordion-style displays optimized for user experience
  • Enhanced visibility in featured snippets and voice results
  • Universal compatibility with themes and page builders
  • Zero-bloat approach focused on essential functionality

Performance and Security Optimization

The following tools enhance your WooCommerce store’s performance while ensuring compatibility and reliability.

1. WP Rocket

WP Rocket Plug-In Dashboard

Known for ease of use and powerful results, WP Rocket is a premium caching plugin that works seamlessly with WooCommerce.

Price: Starts at $59 annually

Features:

  • Advanced page caching with WooCommerce cart exclusions
  • Intelligent JavaScript execution delay and optimization
  • Database cleanup and optimization automation
  • Lazy loading implementation across all media types
  • One-click setup with intelligent default configurations

2. Perfmatters

Perfmatters plugin dashboard on WordPress.

If you prefer a lightweight tool that lets you fine-tune performance without overwhelming options, Perfmatters is a solid choice.

Price: Starts at $59.95 annually (3 sites)

Features:

  • Granular script and style management across pages
  • Advanced lazy loading and preloading configurations
  • WooCommerce-specific performance optimization settings
  • Clean interface focused on essential performance metrics
  • Lightweight footprint that doesn’t compromise site speed

3. NitroPack

Nitro Pack, Plugin Dashboard on WordPress.

For an all-in-one optimization suite with built-in CDN and aggressive caching, NitroPack offers a robust solution especially suited for high-traffic stores.

Price: Starts at $7.00/month paid annually

Features:

  • Built-in CDN with global caching and optimization
  • Advanced minification for CSS, JavaScript, and HTML
  • Intelligent image optimization with format conversion
  • WooCommerce-aware caching that preserves functionality
  • Performance monitoring and automatic optimization adjustments

How CartFlows + Modern Cart Enhance SEO + Conversions

Cart optimization directly impacts SEO performance.

Modern solutions like CartFlows create streamlined checkout experiences that reduce bounce rates and improve user experience signals.

These behavioral improvements translate to better search rankings.

CartFlows is probably the most exciting product in the WP space in recent years. Totally a game changer!
Troy Dean, WP Elevation

SEO benefits:

  • Custom checkout pages optimized for speed and conversion
  • Reduced abandonment rates improving user experience signals
  • Mobile-optimized funnel design
  • AJAX cart updates reducing page reloads

Express checkout options further reduce friction and increase conversion rates.

Dynamic pricing updates happen without page refresh, improving user experience while maintaining fast page speeds.

The connection between conversion optimization and SEO has strengthened.

Search engines prioritize sites that provide excellent user experiences, making cart optimization a dual-purpose investment.

Enhance your customer journey with CartFlows

Measuring Success: Analytics for SEO + AEO

After implementing AEO and SEO, you need to measure the efforts for success.

Traditional SEO metrics:

  • Organic traffic growth (month-over-month)
  • Keyword ranking improvements
  • Conversion rates from organic traffic
  • Core Web Vitals performance

New AEO performance indicators:

  • Featured snippet appearances
  • Voice search traffic volume
  • AI platform citations and mentions
  • Brand mention sentiment analysis

Tools for tracking AI visibility:

Google Analytics 4 with eCommerce tracking provides comprehensive conversion data. Then, you add Search Console data to monitor technical performance and indexing status.

Brand monitoring tools like Ahrefs are highly important for AEO.

These help you track mentions across Google AI overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI platforms to understand your brand’s AI presence.

Common WooCommerce SEO Mistakes To Avoid

  • Duplicate content: Variations often spawn near-identical URLs that dilute SEO. Prevent this by setting canonical tags on primary product pages, stripping unnecessary URL parameters, and consolidating similar listings in your sitemap.
  • Thin, generic product pages: Copy paste manufacturer descriptions just won’t cut it. Aim for at least 200 words of unique copy per item, highlight features and benefits, use natural keywords, and include concise FAQs. Don’t forget to embed relevant JSON-LD schemas for reviews, pricing, and availability.
  • Ignoring mobile UX: Responsive design is non-negotiable considering that there are 17+ billion mobile devices in the world. Use touch-friendly buttons, optimize images for smaller screens, and streamline your mobile checkout flow to reduce abandonment.
  • Slow page load times: Every extra second of load time costs rankings and sales. Leverage browser caching, a CDN, image compression, and lazy loading. Regularly clean up your database (revisions, transients), and consider a lightweight WooCommerce-optimized theme.
  • Missing structured data: Rich snippets drive clicks. Implement product schema (name, price, stock status, reviews) via JSON-LD so search engines and AI assistants can showcase your products.
  • Neglecting voice search: Voice queries have exploded so you need to tailor content to natural-language, question-based long-tails. Integrate an FAQ section on product pages and ensure sub-second load times for seamless voice-assistant responses.

Conclusion

WooCommerce SEO in 2025 demands a broader perspective than ever before.

The stores that thrive won’t just rank well in traditional search results. They’ll become trusted sources that AI systems cite and recommend. They’ll capture voice commerce traffic and provide exceptional user experiences that convert browsers into buyers.

This transformation isn’t happening gradually. It’s accelerating rapidly.

The good news? The fundamentals still matter.

Quality content, technical excellence, and user-focused design remain the foundation of success. We’re building on proven principles, not replacing them.

The challenge lies in execution. But you have the knowledge required to nail the fundamentals for WooCommerce SEO!

Revolutionize your WooCommerce store with CartFlows!

WooCommerce SEO Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Get My WooCommerce Product to Show Up in Voice Search?

Focus on conversational content and question-based optimization. Include natural language in product descriptions. Implement FAQ schema markup. Target long-tail, conversational keywords that mirror how people speak.

Is Schema Markup Enough for AI SEO?

Schema markup is not sufficient alone. AI systems also evaluate content quality, user experience signals, and brand authority. Combine schema with high-quality content and strong user experience.

How Does CartFlows Help with WooCommerce SEO?

CartFlows improves user experience signals through optimized checkout flows. Reduced bounce rates, faster page speeds, and improved conversion rates all send positive signals to search engines.

What’s the Difference Between SEO and AEO for eCommerce?

SEO focuses on driving traffic through search rankings. AEO aims to have your content cited and recommended directly by AI systems. Both are important, but AEO represents the future of search optimization.

Which WooCommerce SEO Plugin Is Best for 2025?

It depends on your store size and budget. Rank Math offers the best value with extensive free features. Yoast provides the most comprehensive paid solution. AIOSEO delivers solid all-in-one functionality.

How Long Does It Take to See WooCommerce SEO Results?

Technical improvements show results in 1-3 months. Content-based improvements typically take 3-6 months. Competitive keyword rankings can take 6-12 months depending on market competition.

Can I Do WooCommerce SEO Without Technical Skills?

Modern SEO plugins handle most technical aspects automatically. Focus on content quality, product descriptions, and user experience. Consider hiring specialists for advanced technical optimization.

]]>
https://cartflows.com/blog/woocommerce-seo/feed/ 0
How To Set Up WooCommerce Product Recommendations https://cartflows.com/blog/woocommerce-product-recommendations/ https://cartflows.com/blog/woocommerce-product-recommendations/#respond Fri, 04 Jul 2025 16:48:47 +0000 https://cartflows.com/?p=62250 Amazon generates 35% of its revenue through product recommendations. If your WooCommerce store is close to 0% revenue from product recommendations right now, you’re in the right place.

Stores with proper recommendation systems see 4.5x higher conversion rates and up to 31% increases in average order value.

This guide shows you exactly how to implement product recommendations for maximum revenue impact and 6 WooCommerce plugins that would help you set them up.

What Are WooCommerce Product Recommendations?

Product recommendation is a feature designed to show relevant, personalized product suggestions to store visitors.

Suggestions can boost sales, increase average order value (AOV), and enhance customer experience by helping shoppers discover items they’re likely to purchase.

By default, WooCommerce offers basic recommendations:

  • Cross-sells: Shown only at the bottom of the cart page
  • Upsells: Appear under the product description
  • Related products: Automatically generated, with little control or targeting

The default feature is limited in terms of customization, targeting, placement, and performance tracking, which is why we look for alternatives.

Let’s look at the difference between the native product recommendations vs advanced plugin-based recommendations.

FeatureBasic (Native WooCommerce)Advanced (Plugin-based)
TargetingNone or genericBehavior-based, cart-aware
ControlRandom or manualRules-based, AI-powered
PlacementsLimited (cart/product only)Multiple touchpoints across the funnel
AnalyticsNoneTrackable performance, A/B testing
TypesStatic related productsDynamic, seasonal, complete-the-look.

High-converting plugins allow you to place product suggestions on key pages:

  • Product pages with “Frequently Bought Together” or “You May Also Like” sections
  • Cart page showing dynamic cart-based cross-sells
  • Checkout page as last-minute order bumps
  • Thank you page and post-purchase upsells
  • Purchase completion emails and cart abandonment reminders

Placement is strategically important. The right suggestion at the right time can double or triple engagement!

How Product Recommendations Help

While there isn’t much public data on large companies, we found this McKinsey 2013 report which has some useful information on recommendations.

It states that Amazon generates 35% of revenue through their recommendation engine and Netflix attributes 75% of viewer engagement to personalized suggestions.

For WooCommerce stores specifically, properly implemented recommendations typically see:

How Product Recommendations Help
  • 4.5x higher conversion rates compared to stores without recommendations
  • 31% increase in average order value when customers engage with recommendations
  • 288% higher engagement from prospects who interact with recommendations

The science and psychology behind product recommendations is also fascinating.

Google’s research on the “Messy Middle” of customer decision-making identified six cognitive biases that recommendations leverage.

They are:

  1. Social proof (customers who bought this also bought)
  2. Authority bias (expert recommendations)
  3. Scarcity (limited stock alerts)
  4. Anchoring effect (price comparisons)
  5. Bandwagon effect (popular products)
  6. Loss aversion (fear of missing out)

Essentially, if you’re not using recommendation plugins, you’re leaving serious money on the table.

Unlock the Ultimate WooCommerce Store Guide!

Want to build a successful WooCommerce store in 2025? Get our FREE, exclusive step-by-step video course created by the CartFlows team.

See what really works (and what to avoid)
Learn actionable strategies, not just theory
Optimize your checkout, sales funnels, and more
Perfect for beginners and pros alike

Ultimate WooCommerce Store Guide!

Want to build a successful WooCommerce store in 2025? Get our exclusive, step-by-step video course.

This field is required.
This field is required.

The 6 Essential Woocommerce Recommendation Plugins You Need to Know

After testing dozens of options, these six plugins consistently deliver results.

We’ll break down exactly what makes each one special, their real-world performance, and who should use them.

PluginPriceBest forStrengths
CartFlowsFree / $189–$299/yeareCommerce businesses that need to implement funnelsFull funnel builder, 1-click upsells, proven CRO impact.
Modern Cart$69–$199 (lifetime available)Complete shopping cart overhaul for a more modern setup than WooCommerceLightweight, floating cart UX, free shipping progress bar
WooCommerce Product Recommendations (Official)$99/yearBasic rule-based recommendations20+ placement options.
UpsellWPFree / $55/yearAOV-focused storesPost-purchase upsells, timers, A/B testing, superb support
WebToffee Advanced RecommendationsFree / $89/yearFlexible mid-sized storesSmart filters, great support, unlimited recommendation types
YITH Frequently Bought TogetherFree (premium pricing unclear)Budget users onlyBudget users only

1. CartFlows – The Complete Sales Funnel Solution

Price: $189-$299/year.

Best for: Serious eCommerce businesses looking for comprehensive funnel optimization.

We can practically hear your eyes rolling, “Of course, they put their own product first.” But we’ll only share what could solve your struggle with increasing average order value.

You see, for product recommendations to work, you need a conversion-optimized WooCommerce checkout flow.

CartFlows gives you end-to-end optimization to make the most of WooCommerce product recommendations.

With 223,242+ active users and 4.8/5 stars, We had to add it as the #1 WooCommerce product recommendations plugin.

“Cartflows helps us with lifting our conversion rates. We’re able to test different customer journeys with ease. We highly recommend CartFlows to anyone looking to improve their conversion rates, sales, and overall visitor experiences” – ShopStyled on TrustPilot

Why CartFlows:

  • Complete solution: Handles the entire customer journey from landing to thank you
  • Cost advantage: Starts free. Upgrades cost $189 to $299/year or $999 one time cost
  • WordPress ownership: Funnels hosted on your domain, not an external platform
  • Integration ecosystem: 1,010+ app integrations via SureTriggers
  • Proven results: Users consistently report 10-30% revenue increases

Important note: CartFlows works alongside recommendation plugins rather than replacing them.

Many stores combine CartFlows for checkout optimization with dedicated recommendation plugins for product suggestions.

2. Modern Cart – The Cart Experience Specialist

Price: $69-199 (lifetime option available).

Best for: Stores with cart abandonment and low customer engagement who need a modern shopping cart solution.

Modern Cart comes from the same team as CartFlows (Us – Brainstorm Force) but focuses specifically on cart optimization.

The floating cart interface creates a modern, distraction-free experience that reduces abandonment.

The free shipping progress bar is brilliant for encouraging higher order values. Customers see exactly how much more they need to spend for free shipping, often leading to additional purchases.

Product recommendations within the cart capture cross-sell opportunities at the perfect moment.

Key advantages:

  • Lightweight performance (less than 0.1 seconds load time)
  • Mobile-optimized for modern shopping behavior
  • Easy one-click setup and configuration
  • Works with any WordPress theme
  • Part of the trusted CartFlows ecosystem

For the price ($69/year), it’s exceptional value for cart-specific improvements.

3. Woocommerce Product Recommendations (Official) – The Premium Powerhouse

Price: $99/year.

Best for: Perfect for store owners who want to use only WooCommerce official apps.

Woocommerce Product Recommendations

This is WooCommerce’s official recommendation solution, and it shows.

The machine learning algorithms analyze customer behavior patterns to automatically suggest relevant products with near-zero setup time.

What impressed us most is the 20+ strategic placement locations throughout your store – product pages, cart, checkout, thank you pages, even category pages.

The “Smart Amplifiers” feature lets you boost recommendations based on popularity, rating, conversion rate, and other advanced criteria.

For stores with large catalogs, the bulk recommendation creation using category and attribute filters saves hours of manual work.

Key features that matter:

  • Automated “Frequently Bought Together” with lightweight algorithms
  • “Complete the Look” feature for fashion/lifestyle stores
  • Revenue analytics with filterable reports
  • Seasonal pattern adaptation (algorithm learns holiday trends)
  • No external API calls (everything processed locally for speed)

Users report significant AOV increases, though WooCommerce doesn’t publish specific numbers. Machine learning improves over time so you can expect better results after 2-3 months of data collection.

The catch: At $99/year, it’s the most expensive option.

Plus, it’s not optimized for block themes yet (support coming soon). If you’re on a tight budget or using a block theme, consider alternatives.

4. UpsellWP – The Conversion Optimization Specialist

Price: Free version available, Pro at $55/year.

Best for: Stores that want a plugin that just does upsells and nothing else.

UpsellWP

UpsellWP has very comprehensive campaign types.

While many plugins focus on cross-sells, UpsellWP offers post-purchase upsells with countdown timers, “Double the Order” campaigns, next-order coupons, and thank you page recommendations.

Users consistently report up to 41% increases in AOV. The 10+ pre-built campaigns get you started immediately.

The “Frequently Bought Together” suggestions appear on product pages, while checkout order bumps capture last-minute purchases.

What sets it apart is the time-sensitive offers with urgency timers that create genuine purchasing pressure.

Standout features:

  • Post-purchase upsells (customers already committed to buying)
  • Smart product recommendations engine
  • A/B testing for campaign optimization
  • WPML compatibility for multilingual stores
  • Works with WooCommerce Cart and Checkout blocks

User feedback highlights: “Great Plugin. Great Service” and “Fantastic Plugin & Outstanding Support!” appear repeatedly. Users praise the quick support response times and comprehensive feature set.

Pricing advantage: At $55/year, it delivers great functionality.

5. Advanced WooCommerce Product Recommendations (WebToffee)

Price: Free version available, Pro at $89/year.

Best for: Stores wanting customizable UI for their product recommendations.

Advanced WooCommerce Product Recommendations

WebToffee strikes an excellent balance between features and affordability.

The pre-built templates (related products, bestsellers, frequently bought together) get you started quickly.

Custom recommendations with advanced filtering let you create sophisticated rules.

Notable features:

  • Unlimited custom recommendation types
  • Smart targeting (recommend sale items to customers with qualifying cart values)
  • Visual customization controls for colors and layout
  • WPML compatible for international stores
  • Works with block themes and Gutenberg

Performance data: Users in the WebToffee ecosystem (1.5+ million total) report strong satisfaction.

The company’s reputation for excellent support makes this a safe choice for stores needing reliable, well-supported recommendations.

6. YITH WooCommerce Frequently Bought Together – The Budget Option With Caveats

Price: Free version, premium pricing not disclosed.

Best for: Budget-conscious stores willing to accept limitations.

YITH Woocommerce Frequently Bought Together

We used YITH because it seemed to come up a lot when we were looking for plugins to try.

From our testing, we noticed that it doesn’t give you the bells and whistles you’d need for recommending the best products.

But it works and if all you need is a way to recommend a few specific products, this product recommendation plugin might just work.

The free version is limited, and the recurring theme in a lot of the customer reviews was that YITH was “practically impossible to use” without upgrading. The 3.1/5 star rating on WordPress.org also tells the story.

With the free version you can only:

  • Configure specific products to show up for each product in your store
  • Change the title of the product recommendation section
  • Customize the text and colors of the “Add to Cart” for these recommended products.

It does offer some good features like auto-recommending products based on tags and categories, add automatic discounts, and more in the premium versions.

If those features get the job done for you, this is going to be a great low-cost option for you to consider.

Our recommendation: Only consider YITH if budget is your primary concern and you thoroughly test on a staging site first.

Our Final Recommendations for Choosing the Best Plugin

WooCommerce Product Recommendations ($99/year) provides official WooCommerce support and future-proof development which could be a great add-on for most stores.

But most don’t include all.

If your store needs deeper funnel optimization, better upsell and cross sell flows, you need CartFlows.

It’s currently the most comprehensive solution and provides everything you need to optimize carts for more sales.

If you’re tired of layering solutions on top of the WooCommerce shopping cart experience, you need Modern Cart ($69/year).

It completely changes the look and feel of your WooCommerce store with smart product recommendations.

You get a modern-looking cart experience that’s fast, snappy, and built for conversion.

For WooCommerce stores on a budget, go with UpsellWP ($55/year).

It offers the best balance of features, price, and proven results. The comprehensive campaign types and excellent support make it ideal for stores wanting immediate revenue improvement.

Set Up Product Recommendations With CartFlows (3 Simple Steps)

After you’ve installed CartFlows Pro on your WooCommerce store, setting up product recommendations can increase average order value by 20-30%.

Step 1: Create Your Funnel and Configure Checkout

Let’s use a funnel template to build as it’s faster and easier while you’re learning how CartFlows works.

Navigate to CartFlows Funnels Create Funnel.

Choose one of the product sales funnel templates depending and then Import Flow.

Create Your Funnel and Configure Checkout

Configure your checkout page by going to Checkout settingsProduct and select your products.

Struggling to Get Sales? Use This Proven Funnel Building Checklist

Clicks but no customers? You might be missing the most important piece: a proper sales funnel.
Our FREE step-by-step Sales Funnel Building Checklist helps you plan, build, and optimize each stage, even if you’re a beginner.

Get Your FREE Sales Funnel Building Checklist Now!

Step-by-step guidance to help beginners build high-converting sales funnels without the guesswork.

This field is required.
This field is required.

Step 2: Add Revenue-Boosting Recommendation Features

Set up order bumps by adding a new step to your funnel.

Add Revenue-Boosting Recommendation Features

Configure post-purchase upsells by adding an upsell step after your checkout page.

Select an upsell product that’s 1.5-3x the cart product price and enable one-click purchasing.

enable one-click purchasing

You can also choose to set up conditional redirects so “Yes” leads to a specific page and “No” leads to another page depending on how you’ve designed the funnel.

Step 3: Optimize and Scale Your Recommendations

You can also create category-specific upsell strategies for a little extra profit.

For example:

  • Electronics stores could focus on warranties and accessories
  • Fashion stores on complete-the-look recommendations
  • Digital product stores on related courses or upgraded plans

Use CartFlows’ A/B testing to test different funnel variations and track conversion rates by funnel step, average order value increase, and abandonment rates.

Optimize and Scale Your Recommendations

Ensure mobile optimization by testing all steps on mobile devices, using Instant Checkout layout for mobile, and minimizing form fields.

Start simple with basic order bumps, then add complexity as you learn what works.

Limit recommendations to 3-5 options maximum to avoid overwhelming customers, and continuously optimize based on performance data rather than assumptions.

Strategic Product Recommendation Locations That Actually Convert

Here are the highest-converting locations based on performance data and user testing:

  • Product pages (above the add to cart button): Most effective for cross-sells because customers are actively making decisions. Users report 2-3x higher engagement compared to sidebar placements.
  • Cart page (header section): Better visibility than WooCommerce’s default bottom placement. Focus on complementary items based on cart contents, avoiding irrelevant suggestions that create noise.
  • Checkout page: Order bumps and last-minute additions. Test placement timing carefully. Too early and it’s ignored, too late and it feels pushy.
  • Thank you page: Post-purchase upsells work because customers have already made a purchase decision so it’s easier to make another. This is where CartFlows excels.
  • Email campaigns: Personalized product recommendations in emails often show higher conversion than onsite recommendations. Amazon’s email recommendations have very high conversion rates according to their published data.

Common Implementation Mistakes to Avoid

Theme compatibility issues are the biggest source of problems.

Always test on a staging site first, and consider switching to the Storefront theme temporarily to verify plugin functionality.

  • Caching conflicts cause recommendations to appear stale or identical for all users. Configure exclusions for dynamic recommendation areas, or use AJAX loading for personalized suggestions.
  • Over-aggressive recommendations hurt more than help. Avoid recommending completely unrelated products or showing too many options (analysis paralysis).
  • Ignoring mobile optimization is costly when 60%+ of traffic comes from mobile. Ensure recommendations display properly on small screens and load quickly.

Recommend the Best Products With CartFlows + Modern Cart

If you’re not using product recommendations, you’re already losing money. While you’re reading this, stores using product recommendations are seeing 20-35% more revenue.

Our suggestion?

Start with the WooCommerce official plugin or with CartFlows + Modern Cart if you want the full conversion optimization experience.

Both will pay for themselves in no time (depending on your store’s revenue potential) when set up correctly.

Your customers expect smart recommendations like Amazon has trained them for.

The only difference between your current revenue and significantly higher revenue is clicking “install” and spending an afternoon setting up your first order bump. So what are you waiting for?

]]>
https://cartflows.com/blog/woocommerce-product-recommendations/feed/ 0
The WooCommerce Cart Plugins You Need Now (7 Picks) https://cartflows.com/blog/woocommerce-cart-plugins/ https://cartflows.com/blog/woocommerce-cart-plugins/#respond Thu, 19 Jun 2025 17:17:13 +0000 https://cartflows.com/?p=60561 You know that moment when you check your analytics and see customers adding items to their cart, then… nothing.

They just vanish. No purchase, no goodbye, nothing.

It happens to all of us that run online stores.

If you’re wondering what’s going wrong between “add to cart” and “purchase complete”, you’re not alone.

But the solution isn’t one magic plugin (or maybe it is).

It helps to understand which plugins solve which problems and how they work together to create the seamless experience your customers crave.

The Components of a High Converting eCommerce Cart

If you start observing successful eCommerce stores, you’ll notice they share certain cart characteristics.

Here’s a distillation of the most important components:

  • Instant visual feedback – When customers add items, they need immediate confirmation without page reloads or delays. That split second of uncertainty while pages load is enough to break the buying “flow”.
  • Visible progress – Customers should be able to see their cart contents, item counts, and running totals at all times. When progress is visible, completion feels inevitable rather than optional.
  • Effortless cart management – Adjusting quantities, removing items, or applying coupons should be fluid and effortless to not distract the customer.
  • Smart revenue optimization – The best carts don’t just hold items, they actively increase order values through well-timed product recommendations and incentives like free shipping thresholds.
  • Recovery systems76% of customers abandon their cart on average. High-converting stores have systems in place to bring back interested buyers who left mid-process.
  • Mobile-first experience – With most traffic coming from mobile devices, cart functionality needs to work flawlessly on smaller screens without compromising features.

The WordPress shopping cart plugins we’ll walk you though, each handle different pieces of this conversion puzzle.

Some focus on one specific element, while others provide comprehensive solutions that address multiple components simultaneously.

All you need to do is figure out what problems or limitations your store currently has, and put the right plugins in place to give your customers the smoothest experience.

Unlock the Ultimate WooCommerce Store Guide!

Want to build a successful WooCommerce store in 2025? Get our FREE, exclusive step-by-step video course created by the CartFlows team.

See what really works (and what to avoid)
Learn actionable strategies, not just theory
Optimize your checkout, sales funnels, and more
Perfect for beginners and pros alike

Ultimate WooCommerce Store Guide!

Want to build a successful WooCommerce store in 2025? Get our exclusive, step-by-step video course.

This field is required.
This field is required.

Best WooCommerce Cart Plugins for 2025

Here’s a quick look at the plugins we’ll be discussing in this post:

Plugin nameWhat it offersPricing
Modern CartFeature-rich WooCommerce plugin for immediate cart and order value  improvements$69/year or $199 one-time
CartFlowsComplete checkout experience overhaulFree basic, $189/year Plus, $299/year Pro
Ajax Add to CartA simple add-to-cart addition without page refreshFree
WooCommerce Menu CartCart value display in menu barFree basic, $29 pro
Cart Abandonment RecoveryRecovering customers who showed buying intentFree
FunnelKit CartAdvanced cart features with gamification$99/year
YITH Checkout ManagerCustom checkout field collection$69.99/year

1. Modern Cart: The Focused Solution

Best for: Stores wanting immediate cart improvements without overwhelming complexity.

Modern Cart is a new premium WordPress shopping cart plugin from the CartFlows team.

These are the same developers behind some of the most successful conversion tools (like CartFlows, Cart Abandonment Recovery, and now Modern Cart).

Fortunately, in our experience, Modern Cart exceeded all expectations.

When your customers add items, instead of redirecting them to a separate cart page, a sleek floating cart slides into view.

Modern Cart: The Focused Solution

Customers can:

  • See what items they’ve added
  • Adjust quantities
  • Apply coupons
  • Track their progress toward free shipping

You can also add smart product recommendations in the sidebar cart, further increasing the chances of conversion and increasing average order value.

To make the shopping experience more compelling, Modern Cart lets you show a persistent cart value in the menu bar.

This reminds customers there are products in the cart if they haven’t checked out yet.

ModernCart lets you show a persistent cart value in the menu bar

Modern Cart has all the features you’d need to help customers stay in a shopping mindset instead of switching to checkout mode.

And the best part is, you can try without committing. Not in the traditional sense where you sign up, install the plugin and play around.

Just go to the Modern Cart homepage and hit the Try Modern Cart button.

Within a couple seconds, CartFlows will spin up a complete website with demo products, some demo data, and with Modern Cart installed.

You can test out all the features in this sandboxed environment before you even consider signing up.

Pros

  • Free sandboxed environments to try the plugin in a live environment before you commit
  • Complete floating cart system with instant loading
  • Dynamic free shipping progress bars and coupon management
  • Built-in cross-sells and upsell recommendations
  • Full customization of labels, colors, and styling options
  • Mobile responsive design that works across all devices

Cons

  • Requires time investment to configure features properly
  • May be overkill for stores with simple product catalogs

Pricing:

$69 annually or $199 one-time purchase

Pricing

Verdict: If you want a cart solution that’s reliable, straightforward, and effective without overwhelming features Modern Cart is what you need.

2. CartFlows: The Complete Funnel Solution

Best for: Stores ready to replace their checkout experience with an experience designed to convert

CartFlows takes a different approach than the other plugins on this list.

Instead of just improving your cart, it replaces your entire checkout process with conversion-optimized sales funnels.

You get landing pages, checkout pages, thank you pages, upsell pages, and downsell pages all working together.

The plugin includes order bumps that let you offer related products right on the checkout page, plus unlimited upsells after purchase.

If you’re serious about maximizing revenue from every customer, CartFlows gives you the complete system to do it.

Pros:

  • Complete sales funnel system, not just cart improvements
  • Order bumps can increase purchase values immediately
  • Unlimited upsells and downsells after checkout
  • Works with any page builder you’re already using
  • A/B split testing to optimize what works

Cons:

  • Learning curve if you’re new to funnels
  • Requires time investment to set up funnels properly but is fully hands-off once set

Pricing: CartFlows has a fully free plugin that provides all the basic functionality to build funnels.

For order bumps, and one-click upsells, you’ll need CartFlows Plus at $189/year.

If you need even more advanced features, CartFlows Pro offers A/B testing, analytics, conversion optimization funnel templates and more at $299/year.

CartFlows pricing

Verdict: CartFlows delivers the features you need for a complete overhaul of your sales process.

Best for stores ready to think beyond just cart improvements and optimize their complete customer journey.

Struggling to Get Sales? Use This Proven Funnel Building Checklist

Clicks but no customers? You might be missing the most important piece: a proper sales funnel.
Our FREE step-by-step Sales Funnel Building Checklist helps you plan, build, and optimize each stage, even if you’re a beginner.

Get Your FREE Sales Funnel Building Checklist Now!

Step-by-step guidance to help beginners build high-converting sales funnels without the guesswork.

This field is required.
This field is required.

3. Ajax Add to Cart

Best for: Stores that need to just let customers add to cart without the page refresh.

Ajax Add to Cart

Every time you add an item and the page reloads, there’s that momentary disorientation.

If that’s the only problem you have with WooCommerce, this plugin eliminates that experience completely.

Products are added to cart instantly. A slideout cart from the right gives your buyers a visual confirmation that the product has been added to their cart.

Customers stay exactly where they are, maintaining their shopping momentum.

Pros:

  • Eliminates jarring page reloads when adding items
  • Works with variable products and product variations
  • Universal theme compatibility
  • Completely free with no premium pressure

Cons:

  • Only handles add-to-cart functionality
  • Limited cart management features
  • Limited customization options or styling controls
  • No upsell, cross-sell, or revenue optimization features

Pricing: Completely free

Verdict: If all you need is the ability to let users add to cart without the WooCommerce refresh, this plugin solves your problem.

4. WooCommerce Menu Cart

Best for: Store owners who only want customers to see their cart progress in the menu bar.

Jeroen Sormani’s Menu Cart solves a single problem – cart visibility.

When customers can see what they’ve added or how much they’re spending, they’re more likely to continue with their purchase to get that feeling of finishing something.

With this plugin, you get a cart icon to your menu showing item counts and totals. Customers can hover over it to see their cart contents without going anywhere.

It’s a simple plugin that adds a simple but effective solution.

Pros

  • Always-visible cart status in navigation
  • Flyout preview shows cart contents on hover
  • Real-time updates when items are added
  • Works with most navigation menu systems

Cons

  • No cart management capabilities
  • Limited to menu-based navigation only
  • Basic functionality with minimal customization

Pricing: The base plugin is free. The pro version costs $29.

Verdict: Not flashy, but essential. With 200,000+ installations, it’s become standard for a reason. Visibility creates commitment.

5. WooCommerce Cart Abandonment Recovery

Best for: If your only problem is losing customers who showed genuine buying intent, install this one plugin.

WooCommerce Cart Abandonment Recovery

Sometimes people genuinely need to leave and come back later. Life happens.

But stores that don’t follow up with customers who showed genuine buying intent, lose those customers.

WooCommerce Cart Abandonment Recovery by CartFlows operates in the background, automatically keeping track of customers that left midway through checkout.

The plugin then auto-activates the email sequences you’ve set to bring customers back without any manual work.

Pros:

  • Automated email sequences for cart abandonment
  • GDPR compliant with privacy features
  • Professional email templates included
  • Completely free with no premium pressure

Cons:

  • Email-only recovery (no SMS or other channels)
  • No real-time cart intervention features

Pricing: Completely free.

Verdict: This plugin is useful even if you have excellent conversions. It’s a lightweight addon to your eCommerce setup and any recovered cart is more profit for you.

6. FunnelKit Cart

Best for: Stores that need a fully functional WooCommerce shopping cart experience with more features.

If Modern Cart doesn’t fit your needs, FunnelKit Cart is a similar (but heavier) alternative.

It offers a sliding cart system with additional revenue features built in.

Similar to Modern Cart, when customers add items, FunnelKit Cart shows a sidebar cart that includes milestone-based rewards, cross-sell suggestions, and progress tracking toward goals like free shipping.

One of the things we like about this plugin is the gamification elements, where customers can unlock discounts or gifts by reaching spending thresholds.

Pros:

  • Milestone-based reward system that encourages customers to buy more
  • Customers can add recommended products without leaving the cart
  • Clean, professional-looking sliding cart
  • Works with popular payment methods

Cons:

  • Costs $99/year for advanced features
  • Takes time to set up rewards and milestones properly
  • You need to understand customer psychology to use it effectively

Pricing: From $99 per year.

Verdict: The plugin delivers advanced cart features for stores ready to invest time and money in conversion optimization.

7. YITH WooCommerce Checkout Manager

Best for: Stores requiring custom checkout field collection and management

YITH WooCommerce Checkout Manager

YITH WooCommerce Checkout Manager specifically handles checkout field customization.

You can add custom fields like text boxes, dropdowns, checkboxes, and date pickers to collect additional customer information during checkout.

The drag and drop interface lets you rearrange fields, and conditional logic can show or hide fields based on what customers select or what’s in their cart.

If you need to gather specific data beyond standard WooCommerce checkout fields, this covers that need.

Pros:

  • Add as many custom fields as you want
  • Easy drag and drop to rearrange fields
  • Fields can appear or hide based on what customers do
  • Customize how fields look and what error messages say

Cons:

  • Only handles checkout fields
  • Costs $69.99/year for all features

Pricing: From $69.99 per year.

Verdict: Does exactly what it promises for checkout field customization. If that’s your specific need, it handles it well, but won’t improve your overall cart experience.

The Success You’ve Been Working Toward

Three weeks after installing some of these plugins, your analytics will reflect something different.

Cart abandonment dropping. Average order values climbing. Customers actually completing purchases instead of vanishing.

Six months from now, you’ll likely be that store owner other people ask for advice. The one who figured out why customers were abandoning carts and actually fixed it.

And you’ll know better that customers were always ready to buy. They just needed you to make it easy.

That’s all you did. Made it easy for them.

Still figuring out what tool is best for you? Why not use one that has all the features (and more) packaged in a single plugin. Try Modern Cart completely risk-free for 14 days!

]]>
https://cartflows.com/blog/woocommerce-cart-plugins/feed/ 0
WooCommerce vs. Shopify: Which eCommerce Platform Is Best For Your Online Store? https://cartflows.com/blog/woocommerce-vs-shopify/ https://cartflows.com/blog/woocommerce-vs-shopify/#respond Mon, 16 Jun 2025 11:34:13 +0000 https://cartflows.com/?p=60430 “WooCommerce or Shopify, that is the question.”

When 2PM asked 60+ store owners about their preferences, 80% of them chose Shopify as their shopping cart provider.

Shopify currently powers 5.6 million websites while WooCommerce powers 5.7 million websites globally.

So, shall we declare WooCommerce the democratically elected winner and move on?

Not so fast!

Each platform has a different philosophy that will make a big difference in how you operate your store.

WooCommerce vs. Shopify analysis cuts through the noise and helps you with a clear picture of what it means to pick between these two eCommerce heavyweights.

Shopify vs. WooCommerce: Understanding the Core Difference

Before diving into features and costs, you need to understand that WooCommerce and Shopify represent two completely different approaches to ecommerce.

The main difference comes down to ownership vs. convenience.

WooCommerce: You Own Everything

WooCommerce turns your existing WordPress website into a store. You own the platform, control your data, and pay no monthly fees unless you use premium addons.

Ownership means you can build exactly what your business needs.

You get:

  • Direct code access
  • Unlimited integrations
  • Use any payment processor you like

Since you own everything, you’re also responsible for everything.

You need to handle:

  • Hosting
  • Security updates
  • Maintenance

It’s more work upfront, but you get more out of it since everything belongs to you.

Shopify: Someone Else Handles Everything

Shopify takes the opposite approach. They take care of everything for you so you can focus on selling.

You don’t need to worry about:

You get professional store setup, managed hosting, automatic security updates, and 24/7 support.

The tradeoff is clear.

As your store grows and needs more features, your:

  • Monthly bills keep growing
  • You’re limited by what Shopify allows you to do

WooCommerce vs. Shopify: At a Glance

Here’s what actually matters for your business:

What You NeedWooCommerceShopify
TypeWordPress plugin (you own it)Hosted platform (you rent it)
Starting costFree plugin + hosting ($6-$50/month)$29/month (3 months for $1)
Transaction feesOnly what your payment gateway charges2.9% + 30¢ (plus 2% extra if you don’t use Shopify Payments)
HostingYou choose and manageIncluded and managed for you
CustomizationUnlimited (you have full control)Limited (depends on available apps)
International sellingSell anywhere in the worldMax 50 countries (costs extra for more)
SupportCommunity forums and documentation24/7 professional support

Understanding these core differences sets the stage for examining what each platform means for your business in practice.

1. Best Long-Term Cost Efficiency: WooCommerce

WooCommerce vs. Shopify - Best Long-Term Cost Efficiency

Monthly fees are just the starting point.

The total cost of ownership tells the real story, and the math changes dramatically once you factor in apps, transaction fees, and scaling requirements.

WooCommerce

  • Core plugin: Free
  • Quality hosting: $15-$200/month
  • Optional premium extensions: $50-$300/year each
  • Developer assistance: $50-$150/hour

The “free” platform requires investment in infrastructure and expertise. You’ll need quality managed hosting to prevent your store from slowing down.

Businesses can spend anywhere between $500-$5,000 per year for a professional WooCommerce setup.

Shopify

  • Monthly apps: $100-$1,500+/month for growing stores
  • Transaction fees: Get expensive fast
  • Premium themes: $100-$500 one-time
  • Gets more expensive as you grow

Shopify’s apparent simplicity masks accumulating costs.

Those convenient monthly apps create substantial recurring expenses, but the real shock comes from transaction fees.

Make $5,000/month in sales and you’ll pay about $175/month in transaction fees to Shopify.

At $25,000/month in sales, you’re looking at around $875/month.

Once you hit $500K annual revenue you’re paying about $1,200/month ($14,500/year) just in transaction fees.

Shopify’s transaction fees alone can cost more than running an entire WooCommerce store!

🎉 Score: WooCommerce (1) Shopify (0)

2. Best for a Quick Launch: Shopify

Setting up WooCommerce requires you to make strategic decisions about hosting, themes, plugins, and security.

Each choice shapes future capabilities and expenses.

WooCommerce Setup

Setup takes anywhere from an afternoon to a couple of days, depending on your experience.

Each decision builds a foundation that evolves with your business rather than constraining it.

Shopify Setup

  • Guided setup wizard (launch in hours)
  • Pre-configured hosting and security
  • Built-in payment processing
  • Automatic updates and maintenance

Shopify eliminates decisions helping you to speed up launch.

The guided process creates functional stores within hours, valuable for market testing or for teams lacking technical resources.

The maintenance is a significant difference, though.

WooCommerce requires ongoing attention for updates, compatibility checks, and security monitoring.

You either need to know how to handle these things or have someone on the team who does.

Shopify handles maintenance automatically, though you pay for that convenience through monthly fees and platform limitations.

🎉 Score: WooCommerce (1) Shopify (1)

3. Best Store Customization: WooCommerce

The more control you have over setup, the more you can customize later.

WooCommerce Customization Advantages

WooCommerce offers unlimited creative freedom because the underlying CMS, WordPress, is exceptionally flexible.

  • Unlimited theme modifications and custom development
  • Custom checkout flows with sophisticated pricing logic
  • Direct database and code access
  • Any third-party integration possible
  • Complete control over user experience

Shopify’s Structured Limitations

Shopify is a bit more complex in terms of customization due to its proprietary templating system.

  • Theme-based customization with guardrails
  • App-dependent functionality additions
  • Advanced changes require Shopify Plus ($2,300+/month)
  • Liquid templating learning curve for developers

Shopify provides structure instead of freedom.

The system prevents mistakes while also limiting creative possibilities, so what feels adequate today can become constraining tomorrow.

🎉 Score: It’s a tie (or dare we say, “It depends”)

4. Best Global Expansion: WooCommerce

WooCommerce vs. Shopify - Best Option For Global Expansion

Once you begin to get sales, it’s natural to want to expand to different regions and countries.

You need a platform that won’t put customization limitations when expanding internationally.

WooCommerce’s Global Approach

  • No geographic restrictions
  • Any payment processor in any country
  • Unlimited currency and market combinations
  • Complete control over international tax logic

WooCommerce treats the world as one market and supports any payment processor, any country, any currency combination.

The flexibility gives you true global commerce without platform gatekeeping.

Shopify’s Geographic Constraints

  • Shopify Payments limited to specific countries
  • Maximum 50 markets even on highest pricing tier
  • Additional markets on lower plans cost $59/month for each market
  • Multi-currency features require Shopify Payments

Shopify’s managed approach simplifies scaling but limits you.

Outside their supported markets, you lose the simplicity that you get when operating within the markets that Shopify supports.

Make sure you don’t want to expand beyond the supported countries before jumping on to Shopify.

For now, WooCommerce gets the points for being ready for anything.

🎉 Score: WooCommerce (2) Shopify (1)

5. Best B2B Features: WooCommerce

B2B commerce generally brings out a platform’s true capabilities.

It’s where you’ll get to see complex pricing, role-based access, subscription management, and many other features that other users don’t need.

WooCommerce’s B2B Strengths

WooCommerce handles B2B complexity naturally.

The subscription plugin supports sophisticated recurring billing scenarios that Shopify can’t match without requiring expensive plugins.

  • WooCommerce Subscriptions with advanced billing rules
  • Unlimited role-based pricing and custom workflows
  • Membership systems and wholesale functionality
  • Complex product configurations and booking systems

Shopify’s B2B Limitations

Shopify’s B2B capabilities feel like an afterthought.

  • Basic subscription features without advanced pricing rules
  • No role-based discounting on subscription orders
  • Limited wholesale and membership capabilities
  • Complex B2B scenarios require expensive workarounds

Role-based pricing, quantity breaks, custom billing cycles and other essential B2B features either don’t exist or require expensive third-party solutions.

🎉 Score: WooCommerce (3) Shopify (1)

6. Easiest Platform Migration: WooCommerce

It’s quite difficult to migrate between these two platforms as data migration involves much more than products and customers.

You have custom fields, reviews, SEO-optimized URLs, integrated systems and a whole lot more. All of which requires careful handling.

Shopify has a migration guide that uses a limited access migration app (which works only in specific regions right now).

However, Shopify can only import products from WooCommerce if they have a maximum of 3 options and require additional plugins to address using custom fields.

WooCommerce also has a migration guide which involves a Shopify to WooCommerce migration plugin.

Shopify to WooCommerce migration plugin review

The plugin works quite well (we wouldn’t go as far to say “flawlessly”).

Based on the reviews, even when things break, which is quite normal for complex implementations, the support is prompt and helps with the bugs.

🎉 Score: WooCommerce (4) Shopify (1)

7. Best Performance Management: Shopify

Since switching platforms later is so costly, performance differences become more significant.

WooCommerce Performance Variables

WooCommerce performance depends on your decisions.

  • Hosting quality determines everything
  • Plugin selection affects speed dramatically
  • Optimization requires ongoing expertise
  • Performance ceiling is higher with proper setup

Quality managed hosting delivers excellent results, but reaching peak performance requires knowledge and investment.

Shopify’s Managed Performance

Shopify eliminates performance variables entirely.

  • Automatic scaling handles traffic spikes
  • Consistent speed regardless of demand
  • No optimization knowledge required
  • Good performance ceiling without peak possibilities

The Shopify infrastructure maintains consistent performance even during Black Friday traffic surges without you having to do anything extra.

The managed approach removes performance optimization from your responsibility list.

🎉 Score: WooCommerce (4) Shopify (2)

8. Best Security Control: WooCommerce

When you manage your own performance, you also handle your own security.

WooCommerce puts you in control of security, which means you’re responsible for everything: WordPress updates, plugin security patches and hosting configurations.

WooCommerce Security Requirements

  • WordPress and plugin update management
  • Hosting security configuration
  • SSL certificates and PCI compliance
  • Backup and disaster recovery planning

Control appeals to security-conscious businesses that want control over their data and systems.

You choose hosting providers based on security standards, implement additional protections as needed, and respond to threats.

Shopify’s Managed Security

  • Automatic updates and security patches
  • Built-in PCI compliance
  • Professional security monitoring included
  • 99.99% uptime guarantee with security infrastructure

Shopify manages security centrally, providing better protection than self-management for businesses without security expertise.

The tradeoff remains though. You’re trusting someone else with your most critical business asset.

🎉 Score: WooCommerce (5) Shopify (2)

9. Best for Payment Processing: Both Win

A store isn’t a store without a way for customers to pay!

WooCommerce’s Payment Freedom

  • No platform fees beyond gateway costs
  • Any payment processor globally without restrictions
  • Regional payment methods integrate seamlessly
  • Complete control over payment optimization

WooCommerce imposes no restrictions on payment methods or providers. Use Stripe in the US, iDEAL in the Netherlands, Alipay in China.

The flexibility enables optimization for different markets without platform gatekeeping.

Shopify’s Integration Costs

The hidden economics surface here. That 2% additional fee for using your preferred payment gateway instead of Shopify Payments can end up costing serious money.

Shopify works well if you serve specific major countries like the US, UK or Australia, because Shopify makes payments seamless in supported countries.

In other countries, your choices are more limited and fees are more expensive.

🎉 Score: WooCommerce (5) Shopify (2)

10. Best for SEO and Content Marketing: Both Win

Your platform choice shapes not just your store, but your entire marketing strategy.

WooCommerce Content Advantages

  • Unlimited blogging and content creation within the same system
  • Yoast SEO and advanced optimization tools
  • Complete control over site architecture and URL structure
  • Seamless integration between content and commerce

The WordPress ecosystem includes thousands of SEO and marketing plugins.

Advanced schema markup, sophisticated internal linking, custom content types – every SEO technique works because you’re building on the web’s most flexible foundation.

Shopify’s Platform Limitations

  • Basic SEO features adequate for product-focused sites
  • Blog functionality exists but feels secondary
  • URL structure restrictions affect long-term SEO potential
  • Content marketing requires workarounds or expensive apps

Shopify’s SEO capabilities work but feel constrained. Blog posts must include “/blogs/” in URLs, product collections require “/collections/”, and customization options are very limited.

These restrictions seem minor but compound over years.

🎉 Score: WooCommerce (6) Shopify (3) – It’s a draw

Businesses that view content as a strategic asset need the flexibility of WooCommerce. Those focused purely on product sales can succeed within Shopify’s constraints.

Unlock the Ultimate WooCommerce Store Guide!

Want to build a successful WooCommerce store in 2025? Get our FREE, exclusive step-by-step video course created by the CartFlows team.

See what really works (and what to avoid)
Learn actionable strategies, not just theory
Optimize your checkout, sales funnels, and more
Perfect for beginners and pros alike

Ultimate WooCommerce Store Guide!

Want to build a successful WooCommerce store in 2025? Get our exclusive, step-by-step video course.

This field is required.
This field is required.

WooCommerce vs. Shopify: Industry-Specific Considerations

The platform differences can affect industries differently:

WooCommerce vs. Shopify For Industry-Specific Considerations

Fashion and apparel brands gravitate toward Shopify’s ecosystem and integrations.

The platform’s optimization for product photography, seasonal collections, and influencer marketing serves fashion retailers well.

Content publishers and educational businesses prefer WooCommerce’s seamless WordPress integration.

Course creators, membership sites, and content-heavy retailers need the blogging and content management capabilities that WooCommerce provides naturally.

B2B and wholesale businesses find WooCommerce’s pricing flexibility essential.

Complex pricing rules, role-based access, and custom order workflows require platform flexibility that Shopify doesn’t consistently provide.

International businesses must consider geographic restrictions carefully.

WooCommerce’s unlimited market access supports true global commerce, while Shopify’s limitations can constrain expansion plans.

Digital product sellers face different considerations on each platform.

WooCommerce’s subscription and membership plugins offer sophisticated solutions for complex digital commerce. Shopify’s digital product handling is simpler but less flexible.

WooCommerce vs. Shopify: The Decision Framework

These industry considerations lead to a simple decision framework based on your business realities:

(Here’s the full decision tree based on what we’ve covered in the article)

Here’s a simpler one

Choosing Your Ecommerce Future

We know which platform we prefer working with, but like any decision, your choice needs to be yours alone.

To make the decision easier:

  • Choose WooCommerce if you have the tech skills or budget to hire help, want to save money long-term, need custom features, and plan to go big in the near future.
  • Choose Shopify if you want to get selling fast, run a straightforward store, and want someone else to handle the boring parts.

If you pick WooCommerce, don’t forget to try out CartFlows.

It’s a WordPress plugin that can boost sales by 10-30% using one-click upsells and custom checkout pages.

With CartFlows, you get WooCommerce’s flexibility and conversion checkout flows that usually cost extra on other platforms.

It’s easy to use too!

WooCommerce vs. Shopify Frequently Asked Questions

]]>
https://cartflows.com/blog/woocommerce-vs-shopify/feed/ 0
Instant Layouts For eCommerce Funnels by CartFlows https://cartflows.com/blog/instant-layouts/ https://cartflows.com/blog/instant-layouts/#respond Mon, 19 May 2025 11:28:26 +0000 https://cartflows.com/?p=59416 Creating effective upsell and downsell pages used to mean late nights with page builders, endless tweaking of designs, and frustration when conversions didn’t match your efforts.

CartFlows 2.1.6 changes that with Instant Layouts for upsell and downsell steps.

Now you can create and launch professionally designed, conversion-focused pages that can begin generating extra revenue in minutes!

What Are Instant Layouts?

Instant Layouts offers readymade, professionally designed layouts that work out of the box with no design skills required.

Instant Layouts

Instead of creating page designs for upsell and downsells in CartFlows funnels, you simply enable Instant Layouts, hit publish and you’re ready to go.

The entire funnel works like you would expect. The designs are beautiful and are created by professionals who understand funnel design.

Benefits of Instant Layouts

Imagine you’re running an online bookstore and sell a mixture of physical books, ebooks, and audiobooks.

Before Instant Layouts, creating funnel pages for the audiobook after someone purchases the physical version meant spending time with a page builder.

You’d need to design layouts, position elements strategically, and ensure everything worked perfectly on mobile devices.

Now?

Select an Instant Layout to create a professionally designed, mobile-responsive page that’s ready to convert.

The immediate benefits are:

  • Hours saved per funnel: No more working with page builders
  • Professional design without design skills: Layouts follow conversion best practices
  • Consistent customer experience: Maintain visual continuity from checkout through upsell, downsell, and thank you pages
  • Mobile-ready without extra work: All layouts adapt perfectly to any screen size
  • Works with all supported payment gateways: No technical compatibility issues

The consistent experience matters more than you might think. When customers move from your checkout to an upsell page with the same design language, trust remains intact.

The familiar environment keeps them in a purchase mindset, which should result in more revenue for you.

How To Enable Instant Layout in CartFlows

The Instant Layout feature is available in CardFlows Pro 2.1.6.

Get the latest CartFlows Pro package (2.1.6) by visiting cartflows.com

  • Log in with your Pro account
  • Download and install the CartFlows Pro package

If you already have CartFlows installed, WordPress will suggest you to either cancel install or replace the existing package.

Hit the replace option.

Once you’re running the latest version, go to the CartFlows funnels page.

Select any funnel and you’ll notice a message at the top asking you to enable Instant Layouts.

Enable Instant Layout in CartFlows

Click on the link in the message and it’ll open a modal as shown below.

Click on the link in the message

Switch on Instant Layouts and update your logo, the preferred display size and your brand colors.

That’s it, you’re ready to use Instant Layouts!

Customizing Instant Layouts

Now you have instant layouts enabled for your CartFlows funnels, let’s implement them so they begin converting.

Go to CartFlows > Funnels and click on the flow you’d like to edit. Customizing Instant Layouts

Then locate a step where you’d like to add and customize Instant Layouts and click the settings (cog) icon.

click the settings (cog) icon

Find the Design Settings option and toggle it on.

This section helps you modify the layouts to match your brand colors and design language.

modify the layouts to match your brand colors and design language

Once done, click Save Changes in the design settings.

That’s pretty much it. Without changing anything on the design settings, you have a page that looks like this:

Your order is not complete

Not bad for less than a minute, right?

With a conversion-focused product description and some descriptive images, the default layout is more than enough to get your funnel going.

You can take it much further if you want though.

Struggling to Get Sales? Use This Proven Funnel Building Checklist

Clicks but no customers? You might be missing the most important piece: a proper sales funnel.
Our FREE step-by-step Sales Funnel Building Checklist helps you plan, build, and optimize each stage, even if you’re a beginner.

Get Your FREE Sales Funnel Building Checklist Now!

Step-by-step guidance to help beginners build high-converting sales funnels without the guesswork.

This field is required.
This field is required.

Quick Customization Tips

While the default instant layout works beautifully for a funnel, you may not want to leave it at that.

You may want to align the upsell, downsell, checkout, and thank you pages with your brand identity.

There are some customizations you can make to help the layout feel uniquely yours.

Click through to open any funnel you want to edit. Then, click the funnel settings icon on the top right. You’ll be greeted with the Funnel Setting flyout as below:

Funnel Setting flyout

On this page you can:

  • Add your logo: Upload and set the size for your brand logo
  • Adjust colors: Match buttons and accent colors to your brand palette

You can also customize text and modify headlines, descriptions and the button text for individual steps by clicking on the settings and going to the design tab.

the design tab

For our bookstore example, you might add your publishing house logo, adjust colors to match your website’s scheme, and customize product descriptions.

The beauty of these customizations? They’re simple adjustments to an already-optimized foundation without having to start from scratch.

Start Your Funnel Building Journey Today

This complete instant layout ecosystem is a significant advance in funnel building efficiency. What once used to take hours or expensive designers or developers can now happen in minutes.

While your competitors are still building pages from scratch, you could be optimizing offers and counting the additional revenue this feature helps generate.

So the question now isn’t going to be if you can create additional pages for upselling and cross-selling.

The question is if you can take advantage of this upgrade before your competitors do!

Upgrade to CartFlows Premium 2.1.6 today and experience the full power of Instant Layouts!

]]>
https://cartflows.com/blog/instant-layouts/feed/ 0
Boost Your Profits with Non-Pushy Upsell Strategies https://cartflows.com/blog/how-to-upsell/ https://cartflows.com/blog/how-to-upsell/#respond Fri, 16 May 2025 04:17:26 +0000 https://cartflows.com/?p=59355 Ever shopped online for a pair of pants and somehow left with an entire wardrobe?

That’s the magic of thoughtful upselling at work!

When done right, customers find items they truly love while your revenue grows – a perfect win-win.

Many eCommerce stores struggle with upselling that feels natural and relevant.

The generic “throw it at the wall and see what sticks” approach leaves shoppers feeling misunderstood rather than delighted.

A better solution is strategic, customer-focused upselling that turns browsers into loyal buyers, who appreciate your thoughtful recommendations.

If that sounds like something you want to add to your store, this article is the perfect place to start!

Upsells vs. Cross-sells: What’s The Difference?

Upsells and cross-sells often get mixed up. But these are two distinct strategies.

Upselling is when you guide customers toward a premium version of what they’re already considering.

Think upgrading from basic to premium subscription, or choosing the deluxe model instead of the standard.

Cross-selling is suggesting complementary products that enhance the original purchase. The classic “would you like fries with that?” is cross-selling in its purest form.

In practice, these strategies often blend together, causing confusion. But irrespective of the terminology, the objective of both strategies remains the same.

Help increase average order value.

The beauty of CartFlows is that it handles both seamlessly.

Whether you’re upgrading customers to premium versions or suggesting complementary items, the platform’s flexible workflows adapt to whatever combination works for your store.

The Psychology Behind Upsells

Great upselling is never about tricking people into emptying their wallets. It happens when customers genuinely believe an upgrade will make their lives better.

When Amazon suggests a memory card with your new camera, it feels helpful.

But when a random popup on a random website tries to sell you a backpack while you’re buying pet food? Not so much.

Psychology tells us customers say “yes” to upsells when:

  • The value is crystal clear: They instantly understand why the upgrade is worth it
  • Timing feels natural: The offer appears at just the right moment
  • Trust already exists: They already feel good about the initial purchase
  • The choice feels optional: No pressure tactics or manipulation
  • Social proof supports it: Seeing others made the same choice reassures them
  • Fear of missing out is triggered: Limited time or exclusive offers create gentle urgency

Successful brands understand that upselling works because of something researchers call Linear Sequential Unmasking.

It’s all about the order in which specific elements are unmasked in front of the customer.

Staying with the Amazon example, suggesting a memory card with a camera is perfect since that’s a logical next purchase.

That makes the memory card upsell an easy “Yes.”

With tools like CartFlows, that we’ll explore shortly, implementing these psychology-driven upsell offers becomes surprisingly straightforward.

The Four Perfect Moments for Non-Pushy Upselling

Now you know why upsells work, where exactly should you pitch them?

Here are 4 real life examples of upselling in action:

1. Pre-Sale

Warby Parker doesn’t start by pushing premium glasses frames, they guide you through a style quiz first.

They try to understand your preferences and then gently introduce higher-end options that match your profile.

Warby Parker quiz page.

Source

Their website lets you compare lens options side-by-side, clearly showing the benefits of blue-light filtering (+$50) or light-responsive lenses (+$125).

Warby Parker of upsell page

There’s no pressure to buy. You can pick the classic and move on. It’s just helpful information that lets you make informed decisions.

Pre-purchase upselling works best when it:

  • Educates rather than pressures
  • Shows clear comparisons between options
  • Uses visuals to highlight the differences
  • Incorporates reviews and testimonials from customers who chose the upgrade
  • Makes the customer feel empowered rather than manipulated

2. On The Cart

Native Deodorant upsells brilliantly with free shipping. The cart shows a free shipping progress bar alongside complementary product suggestions.

Order over $10 worth of products and get free shipping.

As that’s a major selling point anyway, adding it as an upsell is an easy win.

Native Deodorant cart upsell

Source

How to make this work:

  • Directly enhance the original purchase
  • Solve an immediate need (free shipping threshold)
  • Create a sense of mild urgency
  • Make the customer feel smart for maximizing value
  • Use conversational language that feels like helpful advice

Cart pages are also a great opportunity to boost your average order value through upsells like these.

Customers are already in the buying mood, and since you’re charging them shipping anyway, they may as well add a product to get free shipping.

3. At Checkout

Away offers the opportunity to personalize products for +$50 extra on the product page as well as on the shopping cart page.

Checkout upsell by Away luggages

Source

They let customers add any three letters printed on your luggage and choose the text and shadow color.

Checkout customization upsell

The brilliance here? A sleek personalization modal appears wherever the customer is shopping without any backtracking.

Choose three letters, pick your text and shadow colors, and that’s it.

Personalization upselling succeeds because it:

  • Turns standard products into emotional purchases
  • Presents options at multiple decision points
  • Creates urgency (“personalize before we ship!”)
  • Requires minimal extra effort from customers
  • Boosts perceived value without complex decision-making

Personalization feels less like an upsell and more like a thoughtful option that enhances their travel experience.

Exactly how great upselling should feel.

4. Ongoing Upselling

Dollar Shave Club starts with a simple razor subscription, then gradually introduces you to their entire grooming line over time.

Dollar Shave Club Subscription upselling example

Source

They’ve heavily invested in the design of their account pages and also upsell to customers after they’ve ordered.

This patient approach leads to a higher customer lifetime value compared to trying to sell everything upfront.

The loyalty ladder approach:

  • Builds trust through multiple positive experiences
  • Uses customer data to make increasingly relevant offers
  • Introduces premium products gradually as trust increases
  • Makes customers feel valued rather than targeted
  • Creates a sense of membership and belonging

Birchbox sends emails highlighting the additional benefits of the premium subscription tier and encourages customers to upgrade rather than simply renew at their current level.

The timing here is perfect – right when customers are already considering whether to continue their relationship with the brand.

Proven Upselling Tactics That Print Money

Those were the four perfect moments when you can time your upsells. But what tactics and methods can you use to make the most of customers’ attention?

Offer Irresistible Addons and Upgrades

Apple employs this strategy with AppleCare.

When purchasing any device, customers are presented with the AppleCare plan that can be easily added to the cart.

Apple's AppleCare upgrade.

Source

As Apple sells premium products, adding damage cover and support makes the AppleCare upgrade feel like insurance rather than an upsell.

Who wouldn’t want to protect their expensive new MacBook?

CartFlows’ Pre-Checkout Offer makes this seamless by displaying perfectly timed upgrade options when customers click the Place Order button.

It works with virtually any payment gateway you can use.

Bundle It Up

Brooklinen's Product Bundling Strategy.

Source

Brooklinen doesn’t just sell sheets, they offer complete bedding sets that save customers money compared to buying individually.

Their “Bedding Bundle” includes sheets, pillowcases, and a duvet cover at a discount, increasing average order value while making customers feel like savvy shoppers.

CartFlows’ Dynamic Offers simplifies bundling by showing the most relevant product combinations based on what’s in the cart, purchase history, or spending threshold.

Use Free Shipping

Walmart’s free shipping on orders over $50 is a classic threshold-based incentive that works wonders.

Free shipping threshold on Walmart.

Source

The magic happens when a customer has $40 in their cart. They’ll often add that small $10-20 item rather than pay for shipping, increasing both revenue and satisfaction.

CartFlows’ Order Bump feature can display complementary products at checkout that help customers reach free shipping thresholds while boosting your average order value through strategic suggestions.

Limited-Time Offers

Booking.com excels at creating urgency with their limited-time offers.

When browsing accommodation, you’ll see messages like “Only 1 room left at this price!” or “Limited time deal!”

You may also see messaging like “5 other people booked this property in the last 1 hour”

Limited time offers on booking.com

Source

This works because they combine three powerful psychological triggers: scarcity (limited rooms), urgency (countdowns), and social proof (“15 other people looking at this right now”).

CartFlows’ A/B Split Testing feature lets you test different urgency messaging on your upsell pages directly from your dashboard.

Tracking conversions helps identify which limited-time offers convert best.

Stop Selling Features

Patagonia doesn’t sell jackets, they sell environmental responsibility and adventure.

In fact, you would see their homepage banner is often about the campaigns they’re running instead of the products they’re selling.

Activism based selling strategies of Patagonia.

Source

Instead of focusing solely on specifications like waterproofing ratings, they tell stories about where their materials come from, the campaigns and activism you’re supporting, and the adventures you could go on wearing their jackets.

And that’s the difference.

CartFlows’ templates are perfect for story-based selling.

With its own drag and drop builder, you can craft compelling benefit-focused upsell pages that connect emotionally.

Personalized Recommendations

Sephora’sWe Think You’ll Also Love” suggestions are hyper relevant to a customer’s needs.

Personalized recommendations on Sephora's website.

Source

When buying lip balm, you’ll see suggestions for lip serum, lip oil and other relevant products.

If you add a foundation to the cart, they’ll suggest primers and setting sprays from brands you’ve previously purchased or from popular combinations based on other purchases.

CartFlows’ Dynamic Offers has a canvas mode that helps you visualize your entire customer journey and create sophisticated personalization rules.

You can target offers based on product categories, tags, spending thresholds, or shipping locations to create relevant recommendations that feel custom-tailored to each shopper.

The Perfect Placement for Upsells (Without Killing the Vibe)

Placement makes a big difference in how customers perceive upsells.

When deciding placement, ask yourself a simple question: is it convenient for customers?

If the placement isn’t an extremely obvious, easy choice (like those chocolate bars kept near checkout at Costco), the placement isn’t good enough.

On Product Pages

Apple’s product pages for devices like MacBooks allow you to easily view details and switch to higher-end device configurations with just one click.

How to upsell on product pages without being too pushy?

Source

They limit the number of upgrade options to prevent decision paralysis while clearly explaining the benefits of each option.

Product page upsells work best when they:

  • Focus on customization and personalization
  • Use comparison tables to highlight differences
  • Include social proof for premium options
  • Allow easy visualization of different options
  • Maintain a clean, uncluttered design

While Adding to Cart

Lovevery shows multiple products and subscription choices for children based on the age you enter.

That’s how they figure out what the best product suggestion would be.

How to upsell on cart pages

Source

This works because:

  • It’s triggered by a specific action that indicates interest
  • The suggestion is genuinely relevant
  • It’s presented as helpful information, not a sales pitch
  • It includes social proof (“most popular”)

At Checkout

Bombas has an interesting way to upsell their products. Instead of suggesting something as a recommended product, they suggest items to help customers fulfill their $75 threshold for free shipping.

This does two things.

It saves time and it saves money that you would have to pay for shipping. After all, we would all prefer to have an extra product rather than pay for shipping, wouldn’t we?

It also increases the average order value for Bombas, which is why we suggest it.

How to upsell on the checkout page

Source

What makes this effective:

  • The offer genuinely saves money
  • It’s presented as a way to offset the shipping prices but not as an obligation
  • The value proposition is immediately clear
  • It respects the customer’s time with a simple one-click addition

After Purchase

Pura Vida uses post-checkout pages to offer exclusive discounts on complementary items after purchase.

This strategy works because:

  • It creates a sense of exclusivity and appreciation
  • The time limit creates urgency without feeling manipulative
  • The offer feels like a reward, not a sales pitch
  • It’s clearly related to what they just purchased

CartFlows: Upsells That Practically Sell Themselves

If you want to replicate these workflows for your store, CartFlows offers powerful tools to do just that.

It helps you implement effective upselling strategies in your store with minimal technical effort.

Here’s how to set it up:

Begin by installing the CartFlows plugin on your WordPress site.

Now, in the CartFlows dashboard, create a new flow that includes your main product page, checkout, and thank you page.

This is the default flow so not much for you to configure here.

Click the create a new funnel button on the CartFlows dashboard.

Use CartFlows’ customizable checkout templates to create a streamlined checkout experience or start from scratch.

Choose a funnel template or create one from scratch.

After the checkout step, add one or more upsell steps by clicking on the “Add New Step” button.

click the “Add New Step” button

For each upsell, select the product you want to offer and customize the page design. Add the default quantity and any discount you want to offer here.

Add the default quantity and any discount you want to offer here

The moment your customer places the order, they will be greeted with this thank you page upsell.

thank you page upsell

If they click “Yes, Add This To My Order,” their cart will be automatically updated with this additional product and they will be charged the new amount!

That’s it! You now have a one-click upsell ready to generate extra profit!

Measure, Optimize, Dominate

Now, you can track data in CartFlows and Google Analytics.

With CartFlows, you can see how many people have purchased an upsell and what is the revenue generated through the upsell compared to what you would have made without it.

To go deeper into the audience insights, you can also connect GA4.

Here are some of the important metrics you can track to make sure your upselling strategies are effective:

  • Upsell acceptance rate: What percentage of customers say yes to each upsell offer?
  • Average order value increase: How much does your AOV increase when upsells are accepted?
  • Customer satisfaction scores: Are customers who accept upsells more or less satisfied?
  • Repeat purchase rate: Do customers who accept upsells return more often?

Once you have the upselling engine running, you can begin optimizing the offers to see if they perform better.

Try to:

  • Vary the timing of upsell offers
  • Test different price points and discount levels
  • Try different messaging styles
  • Compare bundle offers against single-item upsells

Double down on what works, and mercilessly cut what doesn’t. Your customers will thank you, and so will your bottom line.

Unlock the Ultimate WooCommerce Store Guide!

Want to build a successful WooCommerce store in 2025? Get our FREE, exclusive step-by-step video course created by the CartFlows team.

See what really works (and what to avoid)
Learn actionable strategies, not just theory
Optimize your checkout, sales funnels, and more
Perfect for beginners and pros alike

Ultimate WooCommerce Store Guide!

Want to build a successful WooCommerce store in 2025? Get our exclusive, step-by-step video course.

This field is required.
This field is required.

Become A Pro At Non-Pushy Upselling

Always ask yourself: “If I were this customer, would I appreciate this suggestion?”

If the answer is yes, you’re on the right track. If not, it’s time to rethink your approach.

The best upsells don’t feel like sales tactics at all.

They feel like a knowledgeable friend saying, “Oh, and you might want to consider this, too. It’ll make what you’re already buying even better.”

And the best part is, when you nail non-pushy upselling, everyone wins.

Your customers get more value, you generate more revenue, and the relationship strengthens rather than weakens.

So go forth and upsell, without making anyone want to block your emails forever!

Upselling – Frequently Asked Questions

]]>
https://cartflows.com/blog/how-to-upsell/feed/ 0
18 Best WooCommerce Checkout Plugins For 2025 https://cartflows.com/blog/woocommerce-checkout-plugins/ https://cartflows.com/blog/woocommerce-checkout-plugins/#respond Tue, 29 Apr 2025 10:23:06 +0000 https://cartflows.com/?p=43791 Did you know that almost 70% of shoppers abandon their cart before making a purchase and 22% of them do it because checkout is too complicated? (Source)

Streamlining checkout to make it as fast and as smooth as possible could help reduce that percentage to something much more manageable.

WooCommerce checkout plugins can help with that.

Checkout plugins can also:

  • Reduce friction and distractions to help conversion
  • Improve the design of your WooCommerce checkout page 
  • Help create sales funnels to convert more visitors
  • Send cart recovery emails to logged in users
  • Add upsells or cross-sells at checkout to increase order value

As a company that runs several successful online stores, we know a thing or two about maximizing sales. 

Checkout pages form a key part in our success and they could help you too.

Use one of these 18 WooCommerce checkout plugins and watch your profits soar!

The 18 Best WooCommerce Checkout Plugins

Let’s explore the different types of plugins you can use to enhance your WooCommerce checkout store to maximize conversion!

These plugins help you build highly customized WooCommerce checkout pages for different purposes. So make sure you read through the descriptions to find the ones that fit your needs the best.

Let’s get started!

1. CartFlows – Sell More on Your WooCommerce Store

WooCommerce Checkout Plugins - CartFlows Homepage

Did you know that WooCommerce powers 21% of all WordPress sites? This means over 5 million websites use WooCommerce for eCommerce?

Yet, many store owners struggle to turn visitors into customers. People add products to their carts but never complete the purchase. 

Why? Because WooCommerce’s default checkout is boring, outdated, and full of distractions.

If you’ve used WooCommerce, you know exactly what we mean.

That’s where CartFlows comes in

It replaces the default checkout with a smooth, high-converting sales funnel that keeps customers moving toward the purchase. 

You can add one-click upsells, order bumps, and personalized offers to increase revenue – without extra effort.

For example, businesses offering specialized services like a college paper writing service can greatly benefit from CartFlows. By streamlining checkout and offering personalized upsells such as editing packages or expedited delivery, they can significantly boost conversion rates and customer satisfaction.

And with the new Canvas Builder, you can visually map out, tweak, and optimize your funnel in minutes. No coding. No frustration. Just an easy way to sell more.

Everything is prebuilt and ready to go. Just pick what you need, and watch your sales grow.

Whether you sell physical products, digital downloads, or online courses, CartFlows helps you convert more visitors, recover lost sales, and maximize profits – effortlessly.

Like to see CartFlows in action? Watch this video to see how it transforms your sales funnel.

Features:

  • Drag and drop funnel builder with real-time visualization.
  • One-click upsells to increase revenue after checkout.
  • Order bumps that let customers add extra products with a single click.
  • Personalized offers based on user behavior for higher conversions.
  • A/B testing to see which checkout design works best.
  • Cart abandonment recovery that brings back lost customers automatically.
  • Checkout customizations to remove unnecessary fields and distractions.
  • Pre-built, high-converting funnel templates ready to import.
  • Detailed analytics to track funnel performance and optimize results.

Pricing: Starts at $189/year.

Unlock the Ultimate WooCommerce Store Guide!

Want to build a successful WooCommerce store in 2025? Get our FREE, exclusive step-by-step video course created by the CartFlows team.

See what really works (and what to avoid)
Learn actionable strategies, not just theory
Optimize your checkout, sales funnels, and more
Perfect for beginners and pros alike

Ultimate WooCommerce Store Guide!

Want to build a successful WooCommerce store in 2025? Get our exclusive, step-by-step video course.

This field is required.
This field is required.

2. Modern Cart – Reinvent Your WooCommerce Shopping Cart

Modern Cart

Modern Cart is a powerful companion to CartFlows that brings the same focus on conversions right to your WooCommerce shopping cart. While CartFlows supercharges your checkout and funnels, Modern Cart makes sure customers never get stuck at the cart stage.

Traditional WooCommerce carts often feel clunky and outdated, leading to lost sales. Modern Cart solves that by giving you a fast, beautiful cart experience where customers can update products, apply coupons, and even see smart product recommendations without leaving the page.

It is designed to remove friction, keep shoppers engaged, and gently push them toward completing their purchase. 

Whether you want a slide-out cart, a popup, or a floating cart, Modern Cart makes it easy to match your store’s style and boost conversions.

If you already love what CartFlows does for your checkout, Modern Cart brings that same magic earlier in the shopping journey.

Features:

  • Instantly update cart items without page reloads
  • Smart product recommendations to increase average order value
  • Easy coupon application directly inside the cart
  • Free shipping progress bar to motivate larger purchases
  • Multiple cart styles including slide-out, popup, and floating cart
  • Fully customizable labels and buttons to match your brand
  • 100% mobile responsive and lightning-fast
  • Works smoothly with popular WooCommerce plugins

Pricing: Starts at $69/year

3. CartFlows Cart Abandonment Recovery

CartFlows Cart Abandonment Recovery

Over 70% of shoppers abandon their carts before completing a purchase. That’s potential revenue slipping away every single day.

But don’t worry, CartFlows Cart Abandonment Recovery helps you win back those lost sales on autopilot.

This free addon, included with CartFlows Pro, automatically detects abandoned carts and sends well-timed follow-up emails to bring customers back. 

With pre-designed email templates, you don’t need to write from scratch. Just import, customize, and schedule.

It doesn’t stop there. The addon tracks cart recoveries, revenue gained, and customer behavior with real-time insights right on your dashboard.

No matter what you sell, this tool ensures your potential customers don’t just walk away but return and complete their purchase.

Set it up once and let CartFlows do the rest. More recovered carts mean more revenue.

Features:

  • Automated follow-up emails
  • Built-in email templates so you don’t have to start from scratch
  • Auto-generated unique cart page links to bring customers right where they left off
  • Attractive discount codes specially designed to bring back customers
  • Real-time cart abandonment tracking so you are always in the loop

Pricing: Free

4. JetWooBuilder Woo Plugin

Jet Woo Builder

JetWooBuilder enhances your WooCommerce experience by streamlining the checkout process in Elementor page builder. Integrate custom checkout fields to collect essential customer information, ensuring a personalized transaction. Enjoy flexibility with advanced styling options, allowing you to tailor the checkout page to match your brand.

Simplify the user journey with intuitive drag-and-drop functionality, making it easy to rearrange and customize elements. Benefit from responsive design, ensuring a smooth checkout experience on any device. JetWooBuilder prioritizes user-friendly customization, enabling you to create a checkout page that aligns with your business needs.

Features:

  • Custom checkout page templates
  • Fully-covered review, billing, shipping, and payment process with widgets
  • Layout switcher from Cards to List
  • Different product carousel types
  • 67 widgets for customizing Woo shop

Price: $43/per year for 1 website.

5. WooCommerce Fast Cart

WooCommerce Fast Cart

WooCommerce Fast Cart is designed to make it easier and quicker for customers to complete their order. It works by replacing the standard cart and/or checkout pages with a conversion-optimized popup cart and checkout. Customers can review, pay for and complete their order directly on the shop or product page, instead of being taken through multiple separate pages. 

For even faster shopping, you can enable the direct checkout feature in WooCommerce Fast Cart. This skips the cart page altogether and brings customers straight to the checkout step, helping to reduce abandoned carts. 

Features:

  • Fully customizable cart 
  • Display related upsells in the mini cart
  • Direct checkout option
  • Open automatically as an added to cart popup or display a floating cart icon
  • Compatible with other plugins that customize the WooCommerce checkout, such as checkout field editor plugins

Price: $79/per year.

6. WooCommerce One Page Checkout

WooCommerce One Page Checkout

Want something that only focuses on one-page checkouts? Here’s WooCommerce’s own solution.

WooCommerce One Page Checkout makes it possible to turn any page into a checkout page. It makes it easier for customers to buy from these custom checkout pages by displaying both product selection and checkout forms on a single page.

While it doesn’t offer the customization options that many WooCommerce checkout page plugins on this list offer, this plugin deserves to be here. So if you only need to build a one-page checkout, you can go with WooCommerce’s one-page checkout.

Features:

  • Product selection and checkout on a single page
  • Completely code-free. Everything you need can be customized by simply enabling or disabling options
  • Plugin shortcodes can be used within custom landing pages
  • Built-in templates

Price: $79 annually

7. Checkout Field Editor and Manager for WooCommerce

Checkout Field Editor

If all you need is a way to easily edit the checkout fields on WooCommerce, this is a great WooCommerce custom checkout fields plugin to use!

Checkout Field Editor provides an interface to add, remove, and edit fields displayed on your WooCommerce checkout page.

It allows you to create 7 types of custom checkout fields for your WooCommerce checkout page. You can also hide, or delete the default fields, change labels, rearrange checkout fields, validate the checkout fields and add custom CSS classes.

Features:

  • Custom checkout fields
  • Modify existing fields
  • Auto-validate the checkout form
  • Conditionally display additional fields on the form
  • Price field with custom price types (fixed, percentage, custom or pay what you want pricing)
  • Integrations with third-party plugins

Pricing: $49 annually for a single site

8. PeachPay for WooCommerce

PeachPay

PeacePays makes one-click checkout simple. With the default checkout pages adding so much friction, PeachPay aims to reduce the steps between choosing the product and payment.

The plugin integrates with many third-party plugins in the eCommerce space, like QuickBooks to make life easier.

One of the most powerful features of PeachPay is that it remembers its customers. If a customer visits a store and chooses to complete the payment using PeachPay, the data will be stored.

When the same customer visits your store. the data from their previous purchases across any store is auto-detected and used to offer a one-click checkout experience

Features:

  • One-click checkout across all websites using PeachPay
  • Buy directly from the product page and cart pages without going through additional steps
  • Speed up checkout and reduce cart abandonment

Pricing: Flat fee per transaction. No subscription cost

9. WooCommerce Multistep Checkout Wizard

WooCommerce Multistep Checkout

This plugin helps you convert a long checkout page into a multi-step checkout. Splitting checkout helps avoid overwhelming customers with a long page by breaking it down into logical steps.

WooCommerce Multistep Checkout Wizard offers built-in checkout designs to get you started right away. You end up with a completely responsive checkout that makes the pages flow better and gives your customers a visual outline of what they need to do next.

Features:

  • Fully-responsive layout
  • Different checkout styles to choose from
  • Form validation is built-in
  • Extendable with plugin hooks and shortcodes

Pricing: $19 annually

10. Discount Rules for WooCommerce

discount rules for WooCommerce

Want to create discount rules and dynamic pricing on your WooCommerce store?

You know, the kinds where you buy two and get a discount. Or where you get a discount on a minimum purchase value.

Discount Rules for WooCommerce is a popular discount and dynamic pricing plugin that lets you offer discounts on your store, thereby increasing sales and conversions. The plugin has an easy-to-use interface allowing you to kickstart your campaign and provide discounts to your customers in a matter of minutes.

Offer storewide discounts, bulk discounts, tiered-pricing discounts, user-role-based discounts, product-based discounts, cart discounts, and more using the Discount Rules for WooCommerce plugin.

Discount Rules for WooCommerce is a feature-packed plugin, and we’ve barely scratched the surface. The best bit is that you can create rules and offer discounts without writing a single line of code.

Features 

  • Display strikeout price in product pages
  • Display discount table, discount bar, and sales badge
  • Offer percentage, fixed and fixed price per item discount 
  • Display and hide discount price
  • Easy to use interface
  • Priority support
  • Coupons
  • Flexible discount conditions 

WordPress Active Installations: 100000+

WordPress Users Ratings: 5 out of 5 stars

11. Bookings for WooCommerce Pro

Bookings for WooCommerce Pro

Bookings for WooCommerce Pro converts your store into a seamless booking solution. The plugin readily meets all customers ‘ requirements with features like rescheduling, early bird discounts, social sharing, and automated reminders.

Unlock the full potential of your online appointment website with features like fully customized email/SMS templates, early-bird discounts to attract new customers, and automated SMS notifications to save merchants time.

The WooCommerce bookings plugin, the merchants to easily convert their ordinary WooCommerce/eCommerce platform into a seamless booking hub.

Features:

  • Multi-Language Support for Calendars
  • Compatible with Third-Party extensions like Google Calendar & Twilio SMS and reminders
  • Single & Dual Calendar Functionality
  • Custom Colour Codes to Display Availability
  • Customer Booking Assistance

WordPress Active Installations: 4000+

WordPress Users Ratings: 4.6 out of 5 stars

Pricing:

12. WooCommerce Social Login

WooCommerce Social Login

According to Statista, 26% of users abandon carts if they’re forced to create an account. Instead of risking an abandoned cart, WooCommerce Social Login helps avoid that by using social media.

You can allow your customers to log in to your website using their existing social media accounts, without the hassle of entering all their details or creating an account.

It also makes it easy to grab the required information to complete their checkout without adding more steps.

Features:

  • Connect your store with social accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Google, Amazon, LinkedIn, PayPal, Disqus, Yahoo, and VK
  • Improve security and increase trust by using social sign-on
  • Reduce friction for repeat purchases – since customers typically stay signed in to social networks, they can sign back into your site with one click
  • WooCommerce Social Login creates an adjacent WordPress user for a social account so even if the social account is removed, your customer’s details are retained

Pricing: $99 annually

13. Cart Notices for WooCommerce

Cart Notices

Cart Notices for WooCommerce is the perfect plugin to display specific notices on the cart page. It allows you to display notices based on products and product categories in the cart, cart cost, current day and time, and customer referrer, among others.

This plugin is a way for you to make your customers aware of any delays in shipping, offers on products, and other product or event specials before they complete checkout.

Cart Notices lets you create shortcodes for certain notice blocks and add them to any page of your website if required.

Cart Notices lets you create WooCommerce shortcodes for certain notice blocks and add them to any page of your website if required.

  • Attribute conditions for notices
  • Product categories conditions for notices
  • Sale price, stock quantity, and product age conditions for notices
  • Product quantity notice limitation can be used for each product instead of products summary
  • Shortcode to display notices
  • Widget to display notices

Pricing: Free

14. WooCommerce Currency Switcher

WooCommerce Currency Switcher

Getting visitors from across the world? You need to display the product prices in their currency. This is a free plugin that makes currency switching easy.

It allows your customers to choose the currency they want to view the prices in. It also allows customers to switch prices in real-time based on the exchange rate. Customers can then choose to pay in their local currency or any supported currency of their choice.

Features:

  • Widgetized plugin lets you show the currency conversions in any section on your website using shortcodes
  • Add a dropdown, country flags, or a sidebar currency switcher for customers
  • Customers can choose to pay in the currency of their choice
  • Exchange rates can be automatically updated at specific intervals

Pricing: Free

15. Digital Goods for WooCommerce Checkout

Digital Goods for WooCommerce Checkout

If you do not like Easy Digital Downloads, Digital Goods is a great alternative.

This plugin works on top of WooCommerce to help you customize the checkout fields and reduce the number of fields customers have to enter.

Digital Goods helps you set a quick checkout for all downloadable or virtual products. It adds a quick checkout button to the digital products so customers can simply process the payment and access or download the product.

It works great if you’re selling eBooks, online courses, videos, and other virtual products.

Features:

  • Quick checkout button to make digital downloads easy
  • Allows customers to fill in additional details after payment is completed
  • Remove unnecessary WooCommerce checkout fields
  • Reduce cart abandonment by speeding up the checkout
  • Make WooCommerce easy for digital product stores

Pricing: $79 annually

16. Direct Checkout

Direct Checkout

As the name suggests, Direct Checkout allows you to remove certain steps from the default WooCommerce checkout process.

It lets customers skip the shopping cart page and directly proceed to checkout. The idea behind this plugin is to reduce the friction between your customers first choosing the product and making the purchase.

Direct Checkout aims to turn your store’s default checkout process into a one-click checkout to reduce cart abandonment and improve conversions.

Features:

  • AJAX add to cart lets customers add products to the cart without the page getting refreshed or being redirected to a different page
  • Remove checkout fields that are unnecessary
  • One-page checkout to make it simple for customers to see the form and the total cart value on the same page with minimal scrolling around
  • Very minimal on resources and data resulting in better speeds and higher conversions

Pricing: Starts at $49

17. Acowebs Checkout Field Editor and Manager

Acowebs Checkout Field Editor

This plugin helps manage checkout page fields in your default WooCommerce checkout. It offers easy drag-and-drop functionality to customize the fields that you show to customers during the checkout process.

While it works similar to many other checkout field editor plugins, the benefit of using Acowebs is its drag and drop functionality. For users who do not want to mess around with text and toggle-based settings, this plugin is a breath of fresh air.

So if you only need to customize your checkout page fields, this can be a great addition to your toolkit.

Features:

  • The checkout field manager helps edit the default WooCommerce checkout fields
  • You can add new fields to the checkout page
  • Drag and drop existing fields to reorder them on your screen
  • Hide fields that are unnecessary for your products
  • Display checkout fields filled by customers on the order details page

Pricing: $43 yearly or $99 for a lifetime license

18. All in One Woo Cart By ThemeHunk

All in One Woo Cart By ThemeHunk

All in One Woo Cart enhances WooCommerce stores with a feature-rich cart solution like floating, fixed, and menu carts, streamlining the shopping experience.

It offers extensive personalization options, allowing you to modify cart styles, colors, and animations to suit your brand identity. 

It also provides advanced features like ‘fly to cart’ animations, a header drop-down cart, personalized product recommendations within the cart, and detailed analytics to help track user behavior effectively.

It is seamlessly compatible with all themes and plugins, offering a smooth, intuitive shopping experience across all screen sizes and devices.

  • Enhance user experience with multiple cart display options, including floating, fixed, and menu carts.
  • Personalize the cart’s appearance to align with your site’s aesthetics.
  • Boost sales by suggesting relevant products within the cart.
  • Track user behavior and recover abandoned carts.
  • Option to hide cart to reduce distractions on specific pages like checkout and payment pages.
  • Provide a seamless shopping experience on desktops, tablets, and mobiles.

Price: $49/per year.

Which WooCommerce Checkout Plugin Would You Choose?

While the default WooCommerce checkout page does the job, there’s a lot more we can do.

These 18 plugins are starting points that show you exactly what is available on the markets and how you can make iterative improvements to your checkout flows.

While the choice of plugins you use will depend on your requirements, here are 3 plugins that you must absolutely consider:

  1. CartFlows is one of the best WooCommerce funnel builders out there (by customer reviews) to design the perfect end-to-end checkout experience for your customers! It offers a ton of features for customizing checkout pages and building sales and landing generation funnels.
  2. WooCommerce One Page Checkout is the perfect extension for your WooCommerce store if you only need a way to make the default checkout page shorter.
  3. Easy Digital Downloads is the perfect plugin where you can eliminate the complexity of WooCommerce when all you want to do is sell your digital products.

Let us know which ones you like best. And if we missed any WooCommerce checkout plugin that you think should be on the list, let us know. Until then, keep building awesome checkouts!

Struggling to Get Sales? Use This Proven Funnel Building Checklist

Clicks but no customers? You might be missing the most important piece: a proper sales funnel.
Our FREE step-by-step Sales Funnel Building Checklist helps you plan, build, and optimize each stage, even if you’re a beginner.

Get Your FREE Sales Funnel Building Checklist Now!

Step-by-step guidance to help beginners build high-converting sales funnels without the guesswork.

This field is required.
This field is required.

FAQs – Best WooCommerce Checkout Plugins

]]>
https://cartflows.com/blog/woocommerce-checkout-plugins/feed/ 0