Hosting Reviews · Web Hosting
How to Start an Online Store With Bluehost and WooCommerce
Beginner Guide • WooCommerce • Bluehost
An online store needs more than a nice homepage. You need hosting, a domain, a way to list products, a checkout that takes payments safely, and clear rules for shipping, taxes and returns.
This guide walks through eleven steps to launch a store with Bluehost and WooCommerce, the free store plugin for WordPress. It covers which plan to pick, what it costs, how to set up payments and shipping, and a checklist before you take your first order. It focuses on one question: what is the simplest correct way to get a safe, working store online?
Still deciding between WooCommerce and a hosted platform? Read our Bluehost WooCommerce vs Shopify comparison first.
Disclosure: this article contains affiliate links. If you buy Bluehost hosting through them, TechCognate may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices and features were checked against Bluehost’s and WooCommerce’s official pages on November 13, 2026, and we have not hands-on tested the service. Bluehost changes plans and promotions often, so confirm current pricing before you buy. Menu names in Bluehost, WordPress and WooCommerce change over time, so follow the on-screen prompts.
Quick answer: To start an online store with Bluehost and WooCommerce, choose a plan, claim your free domain, install WordPress and WooCommerce, add your products, connect a payment gateway, set shipping and tax rules, then place a test order before you launch. Bluehost’s eCommerce Essentials plan is $14.99 a month on a 36-month term ($539.64 upfront) and auto-installs WooCommerce.
- Pick eCommerce Essentials for built-in store features, or Starter ($3.99 a month) if you will install WooCommerce yourself.
- Claim the free first-year domain within 90 days and check its renewal price.
- Run the WooCommerce setup, then add products with clear photos, prices and stock.
- Connect a payment gateway such as WooPayments, Stripe or PayPal, and set shipping zones and taxes.
- Add policy pages, confirm SSL, place a test order and set up backups before launch.
See Bluehost eCommerce Plans →
Each block is one section, sized by how long it is. The orange block is the longest: Frequently Asked Questions (about 1 min). Tap a block to jump.
Before You Start: What You Need
You need a product to sell, a store name, a business address for invoices and tax settings, a bank account for payouts and a few days to set things up properly. You do not need to code. WooCommerce runs inside WordPress, and its pricing page says the core plugin is free with no monthly subscription and a 0% revenue share. You pay for hosting, any paid extensions you choose and your payment processor’s fees.
From idea to a live WooCommerce store
Five phases, in the order most new store owners follow them.
A general workflow for a new WooCommerce store; menu names inside Bluehost, WordPress and WooCommerce can change, so follow the on-screen prompts.
Step 1: Plan Your Products, Pricing and Policies
Write down what you will sell, how much it costs you, your selling price and how you will deliver it. Decide whether products are physical, digital or services, because that changes shipping and tax settings. Draft your shipping, returns and refund rules now. Changing them after customers have ordered causes confusion, and you will need them for your policy pages in Step 10.
Step 2: Choose a Bluehost Plan
Bluehost lists three main WordPress plans, and WooCommerce runs on all of them. eCommerce Essentials ($14.99 a month on a 36-month term, renewing at $21.99) is built for stores: it lists WooCommerce auto-install, secure payment processing, product subscriptions, visitor memberships, paid courses, 100 GB of NVMe storage and phone support. Business ($6.99, renewing at $13.99) adds phone support, a web application firewall and DDoS protection with 50 GB of storage. Starter ($3.99, renewing at $9.99) is the cheapest way in, but its plan grid says phone support is not included.
For a first store with a handful of products, Starter or Business will run WooCommerce. If you want subscriptions or memberships without buying separate extensions, eCommerce Essentials is the simpler choice. Bluehost’s shared hosting page also describes a Commerce Solution with PayPal, Stripe and Razorpay, bookings and product search; it was not clear whether all of it is included in the plan price, so confirm on the checkout page.
What it costs to start on each plan
Upfront price for the 36-month promotional term, and the average per month.
Source: Bluehost shared and WordPress hosting pages, checked November 13, 2026. Prices exclude VAT/GST.
Step 3: Claim Your Domain and Complete Checkout
- Choose a short, brandable .com if you can, and avoid hyphens.
- Bluehost lists a free domain for the first year on 12- and 36-month plans. Redeem it within 90 days; it renews at the then-current rate, and premium domains are excluded. Our Bluehost free domain guide covers the details.
- You have 30 days to cancel for a refund on the hosting itself. If you cancel and your plan included a free domain, a non-refundable domain fee is deducted.
- Review add-ons at checkout and untick anything you do not need. Pro Email has a one-month free trial and then renews at a monthly rate.
Step 4: Install WordPress and WooCommerce
Follow Bluehost’s onboarding to create your WordPress site. On eCommerce Essentials, WooCommerce is installed for you. On Starter or Business, open your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins, choose Add New Plugin, search for WooCommerce and click Install, then Activate. Create a strong admin password and store it in a password manager.
Step 5: Run the WooCommerce Setup
When WooCommerce is activated, it starts a setup flow. Enter your store address, the country you sell from, your currency and the type of products you sell. These settings drive taxes, shipping and how prices display, so take your time. You can skip optional extensions it suggests and add them later if you need them.
Step 6: Choose a Store-Ready Theme
Pick a lightweight theme that supports WooCommerce and looks good on a phone, since many shoppers will buy on mobile. Avoid heavy multipurpose themes with features you will never use, because extra scripts slow product pages. Check the shop, product, cart and checkout pages on a real phone before you go further.
Step 7: Add Your Products
- Title and description: write for the buyer. Say what it is, who it is for and what is included.
- Photos: use clear, well-lit images, compressed before upload so pages stay fast.
- Price and stock: set the regular price, any sale price and stock levels if you track inventory.
- Categories: group products the way shoppers browse, not the way you store them.
- Variations: use variable products for sizes or colors so each option has its own price and stock.
Step 8: Connect Payments
Go to WooCommerce, then Settings, then Payments, and choose at least one gateway. WooCommerce’s own option is WooPayments, which its pricing page lists at about 2.50% to 2.90% plus 30¢ per transaction, with no monthly fee for online payments; the exact rate depends on your country and card type. Stripe and PayPal are also common choices. WooCommerce itself adds no platform fee on top of your processor’s rate. Turn on test or sandbox mode while you set things up.
Step 9: Set Shipping and Taxes
Create shipping zones for the places you deliver to, then add methods such as flat rate, free shipping above a set order value or local pickup. Set tax options to match where you are registered. Tax rules vary by location, so check them with an accountant or your local tax authority rather than guessing. Digital products and services usually need different settings from physical goods.
Step 10: Add Policy Pages and Check Security
- Policy pages: publish Shipping, Returns and Refunds, Terms and a Privacy Policy, and link them in your footer.
- SSL: Bluehost lists free SSL on all plans. Confirm every page, especially checkout, loads over https.
- Updates: keep WordPress, WooCommerce, your theme and plugins updated.
- Accounts: give staff their own logins with only the access they need.
Step 11: Test, Launch and Keep It Running
Place at least one full test order in test mode, then one small real order, and refund it. Check the order emails, stock changes and payout settings. Connect Google Search Console and submit your sitemap. Then plan backups: Bluehost’s plan grid lists weekly backups, while its FAQ says daily, so check the current schedule and add a daily backup plugin if you take orders every day. For performance, our guide to speeding up a WooCommerce store covers images, caching and plugin choices.
Launch Checklist
| Before you take orders… | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| SSL works on every page | Shoppers and payment gateways expect a secure checkout. |
| Payment gateway out of test mode | A store left in test mode cannot take real money. |
| Test order placed and refunded | Confirms checkout, emails, stock and refunds all work. |
| Shipping zones and taxes set | Wrong rates cost you money or lose sales. |
| Policy pages published | Builds trust and is often required by payment providers. |
| Daily backups in place | Orders change every day; a weekly backup can lose data. |
Common Beginner Mistakes
- Buying the longest term before testing the host in the 30-day window.
- Installing many extensions on day one instead of only the ones you need.
- Forgetting to switch the payment gateway out of test mode.
- Guessing tax settings instead of checking local rules.
- Uploading huge product photos that slow every page.
- Forgetting that the domain is free for the first year only and the hosting renews higher.
Want a custom store build or help with a tricky setup? Our WooCommerce development team can help. Comparing hosts first? See the best hosting for a WooCommerce store.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I start an online store with Bluehost and WooCommerce?
Choose a Bluehost plan, claim your domain, install WordPress and WooCommerce, run the setup, add products, connect payments, set shipping and taxes, add policy pages and place a test order before launch.
How much does it cost to start a WooCommerce store on Bluehost?
eCommerce Essentials is $539.64 upfront for 36 months ($14.99 a month average) and renews at $21.99. Starter is $143.64 for 36 months. Add payment fees and any paid extensions. Prices were checked November 13, 2026.
Which Bluehost plan is best for WooCommerce?
eCommerce Essentials if you want WooCommerce auto-installed with subscriptions and memberships. Starter or Business if you want a lower cost and will install WooCommerce yourself.
Is WooCommerce free?
Yes. WooCommerce says the core plugin is free with no monthly subscription and a 0% revenue share. Hosting, paid extensions and payment processing cost extra.
Which payment gateway should I use?
WooPayments, Stripe and PayPal are common choices. Compare fees for your country and pick at least one that your customers already trust.
Do I need to know how to code?
No. WordPress and WooCommerce are managed through a dashboard. A developer helps only for custom features or design.
Does Bluehost include SSL for my store?
Bluehost lists free SSL on all its WordPress plans. Confirm your checkout loads over https after setup.
How often does Bluehost back up my store?
Bluehost’s pages disagree on backups (weekly on the plan grid, daily in the FAQ). Check the current schedule and add a daily backup plugin for a store.
Can I move my store to Shopify later?
Yes. Products, customers and orders can be migrated, though the design and some features need rebuilding. Our comparison explains the trade-offs.
Final Verdict
Bluehost with WooCommerce is a low-cost way to start a store that you own, and the path is clear: plan, buy, install, add products, connect payments, set shipping and taxes, test and launch. eCommerce Essentials saves setup time if you want subscriptions or memberships, while Starter keeps costs lowest. Spend your effort on good product pages and a smooth checkout, add daily backups, test the host inside the 30-day window, and budget for the renewal price after the first term.
Sources
- Bluehost shared hosting plans
- Bluehost WordPress hosting plans
- WooCommerce pricing
- WooPayments fees
- Google Search Console
Jaykishan Panchal
Founder & CEO, TechCognate · SEO Strategist & WordPress Expert
Jaykishan Panchal is the founder of TechCognate and an SEO strategist with 15+ years of hands-on experience driving organic growth for businesses worldwide. He specialises in technical SEO, content strategy and GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation), helping brands stay visible in both traditional search and AI-driven discovery.
- Technical SEO
- Content Strategy
- AI & GEO
- Google Ads
- E-Commerce SEO