How to Set Up a WordPress Store with Spocket

In the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, “Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them yourself.”

In a nutshell, this is what Spocket (Spocket Review) does for dropshippers using WordPress and WooCommerce to run their online store. So, we thought you’d find it handy for us to guide you through how to set up a WooCommerce site and install Spocket.

Ready to sell high-quality dropshipping products on your WordPress store with Spocket? Brilliant. Let’s dive in!

How Do I Get My WooCommerce Store Up and Running?

First things first, we’re going to take you through how to launch a WooCommerce store, step-by-step.

Choose Hosting

For those of you who don’t know, you need to launch a self-hosted WordPress site to run a WooCommerce store.

So, you’ll be pleased to know that WooCommerce has partnered with a few hosting companies—all of which offer pre-installs of:

• WordPress
• WooCommerce
• WooCommerce’s Storefront theme
• Dedicated IP and SSL certificates

We recommend using WPXHosting if you’re looking for a great hosting provider to get started with. They offer high-quality web hosting at a comparatively low cost. It’s super fast and delivers incredible customer support—what’s not to love about that?

However, if you want the best of the best, Kinsta (Kinsta Review) is the hosting provider to use. The quality of their hosting is simply amazing—in fact, Kinsta has won tons of awards in nearly all speed tests!

Install WordPress

Once you’ve selected and signed up for web hosting, you can start building a website. To get started, use WordPress’ free software. If you’ve opted for a web hosting like WPXHosting, you can install WordPress with just a single click.

If one-click installation isn’t an option with the hosting company you choose, download it from WordPress.org and then install it. For full instructions on how to do this, click here.

Pick a Theme

Now it’s time to customize the look of your store by selecting a theme. You’ll probably find that Storefront and its related themes are best. These templates are created and optimized specifically for WooCommerce. Plus, Storefront is free.

You can also extend the overall functionality of your store by downloading and using Storefront’s extensions. But be aware, some of these will cost a fee, so factor that into your budget.

If you take a look at Storefront and decide that it isn’t for you, don’t worry. There are tons of other themes—both free and paid-for—that you can choose from which work great with WooCommerce, you’ll just have to spend a little more time researching and hunting around for them.

Activate WooCommerce

Now, it’s time to install WooCommece.

This is crucial for providing your WordPress site with that all-important ecommerce functionality and so you can start selling online.

If your web host doesn’t provide a one-click installation option for WooCommerce, search for the WooCommerce plugin from inside your WordPress dashboard.

Here’s how: Head over to your website’s dashboard. Then select “Plugins” followed by “Add New.”

Then select “Search Plugins” and search for “WooCommerce.” Click “Install” on the WooCoomerce plugin, and once it’s installed, hit “Activate.”

You’ll then have to a few more details to set up your WooCommerce account, as depicted in the image below.

Extend Your WooCommerce Store

The easiest way to add features to your store is to install and use WooCommerce extensions—there’s a plugin for nearly everything. From booking software to customer membership platforms, and payment gateways, you name it, they’ll probably have it.

So, now you’ve got your WooCommerce store up and running, it’s time to find a few products to sell.

Cue, Spocket.

What is Spocket?

To date, more than 30,000 entrepreneurs use Spocket to find high-converting products and manage their dropshipping business.

Spocket empowers users to access high-quality products from an array of categories from suppliers all around the globe. 60% of Spocket’s suppliers are based in either the US or Europe, which helps ensure shipping is quick, reliable and, most importantly, simple.

You can also fulfill orders with just a click because Spocket syncs perfectly with your WooCommerce store. Your orders will automatically appear inside of your Spocket app, making it easy for you to handle all orders.

Spocket recognizes that dropshipping, as a business model, has tons of advantages but there are a fair few downsides, including:

• Lower profit margin earning potential
• Lower quality of products
• It’s harder to establish a strong and memorable brand
• Managing returns can be a challenge
• Managing shipping can also be challenging

Taking this into account, Spocket has made it their mission to minimize (and in some cases, eliminate) these drawbacks from their own dropshipping marketplace. They work closely alongside their suppliers to ensure that everybody is on precisely the same page before you launch your business with them. This helps make the dropshipping experience a more seamless one for both you and your customers.

With that in mind, here are the strict standards Spocket has their suppliers adhere to:

Supplier Applications

To become a Spocket supplier, you have to apply. This allows the Spocket team to see whether the supplier’s products match the needs of Spocket merchants. It also provides a chance to assess whether there’s a demand for the products. At this stage, they also check to see if the supplier is happy to ship their products in neutral packaging and offer a 30%-60% discount for Spocket’s merchants so the profit margin earning potential is more worthwhile.

Investigative Interviews

Spocket also interviews each supplier before allowing them to enter the marketplace. This gives them a better idea of the business, their products, and their sales history, which again, helps to ensure they’re a good fit for Spocket’s market.

Product Testing

Spocket tests all the products on their marketplace first-hand. This permits them to evaluate the quality of the supplier’s merchandise, their packaging, and shipping times. Again, this helps weed out any undesirable merchants before you (as the merchant) do business with them.

Once a supplier gets the all-clear, Spocket will then confirm the finer details and get them up and running on their marketplace. But, the vetting process doesn’t stop there; Spocket continues to keep a close eye on suppliers during their first two months to make sure they continue to meet Spocket’s expectations. If a supplier doesn’t cut it, they’ll be removed from the platform, and all affected users will be notified.

The Benefits of Using Spocket

Before you install Spocket on your store, it’s handy to know why others love it so much, so we’ve listed a couple of reasons below:

No Upfront Costs

You can start using Spocket for free, without having to supply your credit card details. Plus, you won’t be stung with any surprise registration fees.

Great Deals

Spocket’s users enjoy discounts on products ranging anywhere from 30-60%. Best of all, these savings are exclusive to Spocket!

How Do I Connect Spocket with my WooCommerce Store?

Like setting up your WooCommerce store, getting started with Spocket is pretty straightforward.

First things first, head over to the WordPress plugins store and search for Spocket. Once you’ve located the app, install it, and then hit “Activate.”

To the left-hand side of your screen, you should see a tab for “Spocket.” Click that. Then hit the “Activate Spocket” button.

A new tab will open, and you’ll see a dialogue box that says, “Spocket Co. would like to connect to your store.” Go ahead and select “Approve.”

Once you’ve done all that, you’ll be able to log into your Spocket account. You should see a message saying, “Your store has been successfully connected to your Spocket account.” Click the blue-colored button that says “Go to Spocket,” this should take you to your dashboard, where you can search, view, customize, and import products.

In a new tab, Spocket’s easy-to-use dashboard will appear. In the center of the screen, you’ll see a welcome message. Hit “Next” once you’ve read it. This will show you a second slide that breaks down Spocket’s key benefits. Hit “Next” again once you’re done and this will trigger a brief tour around the dashboard to begin.

The tour starts on slide three and explains their Filter by Location feature. This basically means you can choose where your products are shipped from. For instance, if faster shipping is important to you and the majority of your customers are based in the US, then select the USA. Again, select “Next” once you’re done the tour.

This brings you to a slide entitled How to Make Money with Spocket and proceeds to explain the differences between Retail Price, Price, and your profit. The Retail Price is Spocket’s suggested price for you to use when selling the product whereas Price is what you have to pay Spocket (plus shipping fees). Then your profit is just Price subtracted from the Retail Price. Simple, right?

Once you’re done, click “Next” and you’ll see a quick testimonial from someone who has succeeded using Spocket.

Last but not least, you’ll be encouraged to join a group of currently almost 30,000 dropshipping experts. You’re bound to learn a thing or two from this community, so consider joining!

Which Spocket Pricing Plan Should I Opt for?

Spocket offers three paid-for plans so, for your convenience, we’ve broken them down for you. Hopefully, this will help you pick the right package to suit your business:

The Starter Plan

This bundle provides you with all the essential features you need to kickstart your new dropshipping business.

It’ll set you back either $8 per month or, $96 per year if you choose annual billing.

This is what the Starter plan includes:

• You can select and import a maximum of 25 products
• You’ll get real-time inventory updates
• You can process sample orders of potential products
• You’ll get access to automated order processing
• You can receive and handle an unlimited number of orders
• You’ll benefit from Spocket’s premium customer service, 24/7

The Pro Plan

Spocket boasts that their Pro plan is their most popular option and that it provides everything you need to grow your online business.

It’ll cost you $29 per month, or $348 per year if you opt for annual billing.

You’ll get everything in the Starter plan, plus:

• You can select and import up to 250 Spocket products
• Access to a maximum of 25 premium products
• You can create and send branded invoices
• You’ll get top-notch support via their live chat widget and email support
• Currency exchange
• Access to global pricing rules
• Product shipment tracking numbers

The Empire Plan

This is Spocket’s most extensive plan. It’s full of advanced features to help you scale your business.

This will set you back $69 per month, or you can opt for annual billing at $828.

The Empire bundle entitles you to everything in the two previous packages, plus:

• You can select and import an unlimited number of products
• Access to an infinite number of premium products

How Do I Find Products Using Spocket?

Now that you’ve done all the groundwork, you’re ready to start filling your online shop with merchandise—exciting, right?

So, let’s go into more detail on how to do exactly that.

On Spocket’s main dashboard (also known as the Search Page) you can search their product catalog using several filters:

• Keywords
• Product category
• Price
• Supplier origin
• Supplier

Scroll through the products, then when you like the look of a product, click on it to load the product listing. This will show you the following:

• The full product title
• The discounted price (what you’ll have to pay)
• The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (what your customers should pay)
• The country from where the product’s shipped
• Product image(s)
• Product variants (if applicable)
• Shipping costs
• Shipping time frames
• The supplier’s return and/or refund policy
• The supplier’s stock level

Once you’ve decided whether you want to sell something, click on the “Add to Import List” button. This then adds the item to your Import List, ready for you to customize.

How Do I Update my Spocket Settings?

Before we delve any deeper into this how-to guide, it’s worth mentioning where you can modify the basic settings of your Spocket account.

Head over to the Account Settings section. This is where you’ll find the name of your online shop, your URL, your Spocket subscription plan, and your default currency.

Spocket automatically converts all your prices to whatever default currency you’ve set on your WooCommerce store.

Don’t forget to take a look at the Global Pricing Rules section. This is where you can set the markup you make on your products. So, if you want to generate a 20% markup, set the default pricing rule as 1.2 (also known as the Multiplier Option). But more on that later in this article.

We also strongly recommend taking your shipping costs into account before setting your prices.

This brings us to the Automated Orders section, which is where you can save your credit and debit card details. These are held safely and securely with your Stripe account. You should be aware, this is the card Spocket will use to process orders automatically.

How Do I Process My Spocket Orders?

Like everything else, order-processing on Spocket is pretty simple. This is how it works:

When a customer of yours places an order via your WooCommerce site, you’ll get an email notification.

Then, head over to your Spocket app and click on the “Orders” tab. Spocket seamlessly syncs with your online store so that all your orders appear here automatically.

If you want to view the specific details of the order, click on the button that says, “View Customer Info.” This will tell you the customer’s name, the product(s) they ordered, their address, and the costs you owe to the supplier.

At this stage, the customer’s order is ready to be sent to the supplier. Just click the “Checkout” button to finalize everything. Once you do that, the shipping costs and taxes will automatically generate as per the customer’s address.

If you want to attach any notes for the supplier to see, you can add them now.

Last but not least, click the “Place Order” button. When you do this, the base cost of the product(s) and the shipping fees will be deducted from the bank account you have linked with Spocket.

It’s at this point, the supplier will be notified of your order and start fulfilling and shipping it to your customer as soon as possible. Once this occurs, you’ll get an email confirmation regarding the order. You’ll also receive a tracking number. You can use this to trace the location of your order right from your orders page.

It’s not just you who’s kept in the know, your customers are also provided with frequent updates on the location of their order.

As you can see, Spocket’s order-fulfillment process is pretty simple. The majority of it is automated, meaning you don’t have to do much so you can save your precious time and energy on marketing, sales, and customer service. Pretty great, huh?

How Can I Order Product Samples on Spocket?

One of the best things about Spocket is that it allows you to order product samples at prices that are incredibly discounted. This enables you to check the quality of your stock and test potential products before selling them. It’s pretty easy to order a sample straight to your door, it just takes a few clicks.

Once you receive them, you can then take your own snaps of these samples and add the photos to your online store.

Want to order a sample from Spocket? Follow the next steps.

Like we’ve already said, you’ll need to click the “Order Sample” button on the product page.

Once you’ve done that, a popup will appear. This will prompt you to select the product variant you want delivered. You can order a minimum of one product to a maximum of five. You’ll then see the total amount you’ll need to pay for the samples. Then, once you’re ready to proceed, click “Continue.”

Next, fill out your delivery address and phone number.

Then enter your credit or debit card number to pay.

Last but not least, review your order. Double-check all the details you’ve entered are correct. If you want to make an edit, click the “Go Back” button. Once you’re ready to finalize everything, click “Place Order.”

This process will automatically alert the relevant supplier that you require a sample. They’ll then quickly start fulfilling the request and before you know it, the product will be with you and you can test the sample(s) as you see fit.

How Can I Customize Spocket’s Products?

By this stage, you should have found the perfect products to sell on your digital shop. It’s now up to you whether you customize them to reflect the aesthetic of your brand.

In the Import List section of your Spocket dashboard under Product, you can edit the title. You can also add and remove tags and insert a product type. Learn more about SEO best practices to ensure you’ve optimized these pieces of copy.

In the Description section, unsurprisingly, you can edit the product description. This is an excellent place to provide customers with additional information about the item. Be sure to stress the product’s unique selling point (USP).

Then, under the Variants section, you can select which product variants you want to sell. You can also change the selling price here.

Under the Images section, you can select the product images you want to use. Be sure to edit the alt text to better improve your SEO.

Once you’re happy with your edits, just click on the “Push to Store” button. This will publish the product so that it goes live on your WordPress ecommerce store.

How Do I Build a Manual Order on Spocket?

With the Manual Order option, you can create an order on behalf of your customers. This may come in handy, in the following scenarios:

• Accepting orders over the phone and/or in-person
• Sending invoices to customers for them to pay with a secure checkout link
• Adding additional costs or products that aren’t displayed in your inventory
• Offering a specific customer a unique discount

Here’s how you create a manual order:

• Head over to the orders section on your dashboard
• Click “Create Order”
• Create a customer (this includes entering their shipping and billing address) or select an existing customer
• Browse and select the products you want to add to the order
• Mark as paid (once the customer’s payment has gone through)
• Create order

Once you’ve done all the above, the system should process your manual order which will be sent off to the appropriate supplier(s) automatically.

Do My Product Prices Include Customs, Duty, and Taxes?

Spocket doesn’t handle customs duty and taxes. The same goes for their suppliers. This rate depends on where your customers are located.

On the whole, Spocket’s suppliers handle taxes and customs duties themselves (if they’re shipping within the country they’re operating from). But, this varies from supplier to supplier, so you’ll have to check this in advance.

If you’re sending products overseas, international customers will be charged once their order arrives in their country. As such, we highly recommend informing shoppers that customs duty may apply and that they’re responsible for paying off these additional costs.

For more information, visit the border institution applicable to the country(s) of your customers and learn about all the necessary customs duty regulations, such as the US border institution’s website as an example.

How Do I Cancel a Spocket Order?

You can easily cancel an order by just contacting Spocket directly. You should note, Spocket will only process a cancellation if you submit your request before the merchandise is shipped.

You’ll have to follow the steps below:

• Email your cancellation request to support@spocket.co
• Include the order number and the name of the product(s)
• Provide a brief explanation about why you need a cancellation

Spocket’s customer support team will then review your request. If your application is accepted, you’ll receive a confirmation via email.

What is a Branded Invoice, and How Do I Create One?

By branded invoice, we mean an invoice template where you can add your brand logo as well as a personal note. Your suppliers will print these off and add them to your packages.

If you opt for one of Spocket’s paid plans, you can customize your invoice fonts, structure, and company logo. This works wonders for strengthening your brand and keeping it consistent. You can make these modifications by clicking “Settings” followed by “Branded Invoicing.”

What are Global Pricing Rules?

We touched on this earlier, but there’s a bit more to them.

As we previously alluded to, you can use Spocket’s Global Pricing Rules to put an automatic markup on all the products you sell. You can use either a percent-based, multiplier, or fixed pricing rule. This makes pricing your products so much easier, not to mention, you’ll save a ton of time. Best of all, it’s a pretty reliable way of ensuring you make an adequate profit margin.

This is how to best use this feature:

• Take a look at the product you want to sell
• Check the listing price (this is what you’ll have to pay the supplier)
• Don’t forget to broker in shipping costs (this isn’t included in the listing price)
• Decide on the markup that works for the product(s) you want to sell and add them to your Import List
• Set your markup by heading over to “Settings” and then click “Global Pricing Rules.” If you want to offer customers free shipping and still generate a profit, ensure that you leave enough of a margin to cover your average shipping costs

What is a Fixed Markup?

As the name suggests, this is a fixed amount that’s added to the listing price. So, if the listing price is $5, and you set a fixed markup of $5, you’ll retail the item at $10.

What About a Multiplier Markup?

Unlike a fixed markup, multiplier markup increases the listing price by whatever number you set. So, if the listing price is $5 you set a multiplier of two, your retail price will be $10.

What is a Percentage Markup?

Alternatively, you can opt for a percentage markup. This adds whatever percent you’ve set to the listing price. For instance, if the listing price is $5 and you create a percentage markup of 50%, the retail price will be $7.50.

What Are Spocket’s Premium Products?

Spocket offers its users premium products which are a list that Spocket has curated featuring their best quality products. Namely, because these items are designed using the highest quality options.

Not to mention, they’re also:

• Faster to ship and process
• Exclusive to only Spocket’s paying users, which means less competition for you
• Proven to be high-converting products, so they’re far more likely to perform well on your store
• They’re highly discounted. All of Spocket’s products enjoy anywhere between 30-60% discounts. But, premium products are always priced towards the higher end of this range

You’ll also be pleased to know that Spocket’s product discovery team regularly adds new commodities to their premium products.

If you want to find premium products, head to the Search Page. Towards the top left, you’ll see the premium logo.

What If I Need Help?

Like any other WooCommerce tool, customer support is incredibly important. You can get all the technical help and advice you need via their:

• Live chat widget
• Video tutorials
• Help center knowledge base
• Email support
• Facebook group
• Spocket Academy

All of these are fabulous resources, so be sure to use them if you get stuck.

Ready to Start Using Spocket on Your WooCommerce Store?

We hope that having gone through this comprehensive review, you now have a better idea of how to create a WooCommerce store and use Spocket to find and sell high-converting products.