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Got an online shop? Have you ever wanted to sell products in different sizes, colors, or other variations without creating separate product pages for each? (What a chore!) Thanks to WooCommerce Product Variations you can.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about setting up and managing product variations in your WooCommerce online shop.
“Creating variations in WooCommerce is an easy and intuitive process. You can sell products with a lot of different combinations of size, shape, colour, and any other attributes on the same page – and under the same name instead of creating tons of separate products.”
crocoblock.com
Don’t yet have an online shop? Start your store in 2025 – you’ll see how easy it is! WooCommerce is the world’s most popular open-source eCommerce solution. WooCommerce is a free WordPress plugin that allows you to design your online store exactly as you imagine.
By the end of this guide, you’ll understand:
Product variations are different versions of the same product like size for example. Instead of creating separate products for your latest epic t-shirt design in small, medium, and large, you create one product with both color and size variations.
Product variations help keep your shop organized, simplify backend management, and make shopping easier for your customers. If you’ve ever done it the hard way, we’re so sorry for your pain.
Product variations not only help your customers find exactly what they want but also give your SEO a boost. It’s a win-win.
Here are some ways different types of businesses use product variations effectively:
Clothing Store
Basic shirt with variations:
Artisanal Coffee Shop
Single Origin Coffee with variations:
Handmade Jewelry
Custom Necklace with variations:
Digital Products
Online Course Access with variations:
“WooCommerce product variations let online store owners sell items with multiple choices for the customer to select from. For example, you can use variations to sell t-shirts in different colours, pizza in different sizes, or subscription boxes with different capacities. This way, customers can choose whichever version or variation of the product they want.”
barn2.com
Variable products in WooCommerce allow you to present a range of options for a single product. Product variations give you control over prices, stock, images, and much more. They’re ideal for anything where you need to offer multiple sizes, colors, and styles.
The process is straightforward:
Let’s say you’re setting up a coffee product with multiple variations. Here’s how you might structure it:
Main Product: Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Coffee
Attributes to Consider:
Pricing Strategy:
While WooCommerce’s default dropdown menus are fine out of the box, you may want to enhance the shopping experience with better visualization options. More visuals is always a plus in any online shop.
“Advanced Product Variation for WooCommerce by WP Swings lets you show product variations using color, images, and text swatches. You can also display advanced product options with variation tables, and videos & image variation galleries.”
woocommerce.com
Different types of products benefit from different display methods:
Color-Based Products:
Size-Based Products:
Material-Based Products:
Several plugins can transform your variation displays from basic dropdowns to visually appealing swatches:
Keep It Organized:
Plan Ahead:
Use Global Attributes:
Maintain Stock Levels:
Optimize Images:
For more complex stores, consider exploring:
Consider a custom jewelry store offering:
When setting up your product variations, keep these SEO best practices in mind to help customers – and algorithms – find your products:
Product Titles and Descriptions
URL Structure
Image Optimization
Schema Markup
Variation-Specific Content
Optimizing product variations for search engines is important, but always prioritize creating clear, helpful content for your customers.
“Good shop SEO really means knowing your customer’s favourite colour sneakers and handing them over unlaced. From keywords to processes to content, understanding your customers changes the search game completely.“
Rocket.net – Our Top 2024 SEO Predictions. Is SEO Really Doomed?
Dealing with WooCommerce product variations can be tricky. When variations aren’t displaying correctly, it can impact your sales and customer experience.
Some key problems include:
The good news is there are several straightforward ways to troubleshoot these issues. The main issues behind variation display problems typically include outdated software, incorrect variation settings, theme or plugin conflicts, or improperly configured attributes.
You’ll find a step-by-step guide to resolving the main issues with WooCommerce Product Variations over at Codeable’s website.
Product variations significantly improve your WooCommerce store’s organization and user experience. Start simple with basic variations. As your comfort level grows, explore the more advanced features and enhancement plugins available.
Remember, the goal is to make shopping easier for your customers while keeping your product management simple and efficient. Whether you’re selling shirts, pizzas, or subscription boxes, product variations will help you create a more professional and user-friendly online store.
By investing in WordPress hosting, you’re equipping yourself with the tools and resources necessary to build a robust, secure, and high-performing online presence. Spend your time captivating and engaging with your audience. Let your hosting take care of the rest!