WordPress gives businesses plenty of ways to improve website sales and conversions without rebuilding their entire site. The right plugins and apps can help you capture leads, build trust, recover lost sales and make it easier for visitors to take action.
This is particularly useful for small businesses that want to improve results without investing in a completely new website.
WooCommerce alone now has more than 7 million active installations, while Woo says its platform powers more than 4 million live stores. It shows just how important WordPress has become for online selling.
WooCommerce for selling online
For businesses selling products or services directly through their website, WooCommerce is the obvious starting point.
It turns a WordPress website into an online shop, allowing businesses to manage products, payments, orders and customers.
There are also more than 1,500 products in the official WooCommerce Marketplace, so businesses can add extra features as they grow.
Barra.ai for a cleaner conversion experience
Barra.ai is another option for businesses looking to improve engagement without filling their website with separate pop-ups and floating widgets.
Barra is a website toolbar that brings actions such as calls to action, offers, contact options, feedback, reviews, WhatsApp, search and checkout into one persistent bar. It offers more than 25 modules and can be installed using one line of code or through Google Tag Manager.
This can be useful when a business wants important actions to remain visible throughout the visitor journey while keeping the website relatively uncluttered.
OptinMonster for generating leads
If your priority is collecting more email addresses and leads, OptinMonster is worth considering.
It allows you to create pop-ups, floating bars and other campaigns designed to encourage visitors to take action. These could promote a downloadable guide, newsletter, special offer or consultation.
The plugin can also connect with popular email marketing services and CRM systems.
OptinMonster reports one customer increased its conversion rate from 2-3% to 5.75%, representing a 189% increase. This is a customer case study rather than a guarantee, but it shows what well-targeted campaigns can achieve.
HubSpot for managing leads
Getting someone to complete a contact form is only the beginning. You also need a way to manage those enquiries.
The HubSpot WordPress plugin combines forms, CRM, live chat, email marketing and analytics. Website submissions can be added to HubSpot automatically, helping businesses keep track of contacts and their interactions.
HubSpot says its WordPress plugin is used by more than 280,000 websites. This can be particularly useful for businesses with longer sales journeys where a visitor may need several conversations before becoming a customer.
TrustPulse for social proof
People often feel more confident buying when they can see evidence that other people are already taking action.
TrustPulse adds social proof notifications to a WordPress website. These can show activity such as purchases, registrations or sign-ups.
The principle is simple. If visitors can see that other people are buying or engaging with your business, it can provide an additional layer of reassurance.
TrustPulse claims social proof can increase conversions by up to 15%, although results will vary between websites and audiences.
Do not install everything
Having dozens of sales plugins does not automatically mean you will sell more.
Too many tools can slow down a website, create visual clutter and confuse visitors. Instead, choose plugins based on the problem you are trying to solve.
If you need more leads, focus on forms and lead generation. If you need more sales, look at the checkout experience. If visitors need more reassurance, consider reviews and social proof.
The best WordPress setup is usually not the one with the most plugins. It is the one that makes it easier for the right visitors to become customers.
