Getting Started With Wix Stores: 5 Basic Lessons for Beginners

Wix Stores is an Editors' Choice tool for e-commerce software thanks in large part to its ease of use and guided wizard-based setup. However, getting started with an online store is no easy feat, especially for technology newbies. In this article, we'll break down a few of the most basic things you'll need to accomplish to start generating money from your online store.

We'll show you how to add products to your store, group your products into collections, create product galleries, create coupons, and set up automated email responses to customers. Although this list isn't comprehensive, it's an excellent start for those of you who may have stumbled with your first attempt at selling. Good luck!

1. Add a Product

What's the point of having an online store if you don't have any products to sell? Adding products in Wix Stores is a lot easier than you might think, especially if you've used any kind of content manager in the past.

To get started, log into your Wix account. Next, click Wix Stores.

Once you're managing your store, click Products Catalog.

Here, you'll click New Product.

Next, you'll have to select the product type. Wix Stores wants to know if you're selling a Digital File that users can download from your store or a physical product that will have to be shipped. I'll choose a physical product.

Here, you'll be able to add images or videos as well as basic information such as a product name, price, whether the product is in stock, how much it weighs, and its stock keeping unit (SKU). You can also add options such as different sizes, colors, materials, etc.

Click Save.

2. Create a Product Collection

Product collections make it easier for your customers to find exactly what they're looking for. You can group these by product style, by season, or however you'd like. Essentially, it gives you a way to guide browsers closer to a grouping of products they might find appealing.

To create a collection, log into your Wix Stores account. Click Products Catalog.

Next, click Collections. Then click New Collection.

Here, you'll be asked to name your collection. You'll also be asked to upload or choose a header image for your collection from Wix Stores' free stock photos.

Click Add Products. Select which products to add to your collection.

Click Save.

3. Adding a Sliding Product Gallery

You want to make it as easy as possible for people to browse through your products. A Sliding Product Gallery is one of the easiest ways to display products as a seller and it's also one of the easiest ways to view products as a buyer.

Once you're in your site editor, figure out where you'd like your Sliding Product Gallery to live on your site. Once you've made your decision, click the Plus (+) sign between the design elements that will live above and below your gallery.

Next, select the Product Slider that fits your needs. You can also drag it someplace else if you don't like your initial choice.

The Product Slider will then appear within the preview of your site.

To edit which group of products or collections goes into the gallery, select Settings. To edit how the gallery looks, select Design.

4. Create a Coupon

To lure your customers into making their first purchase, you may opt to create offers. Things such as free shipping, sales, and one-time discounts are great ways to start building a customer base.

To create a Coupon or something similar, from your site editor click Manage. Then click Stores.

Click Promote Store.

Click Create New Coupon.

Choose whether you want to offer discounted dollars, a discounted percentage of the actual price, free shipping, a limited-time sales price, or a buy-one-get-one (BOGO) free offer. Once you've chosen which you'd like to create and you've entered pertinent details, such as coupon code, name, price, etc., you can click Create Coupon.

5. Set Up Automated Emails

Automated emails are a nice way to stay in touch with your customer base without having to manually reach out to them. For example, you can thank customers for making purchases, welcome new members of your email list, or even lure back lapsed customers with coupons—all without having to manually send emails to each individual.

To set up automated emails, log into your Wix Stores account. Under My Apps, click Automated Emails. You'll be brought to a page with about a dozen automated templates from which you can choose. Choose the one you'd like to create. For the sake of this project, I'll choose a "Thank You for Making a Purchase" message.

Next, you'll choose when to send the automated message.

You'll also be prompted to personalize the email by adding your name or the name of someone else on your team.

Finally, you'll name your automated email.

Click Save.

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.