WooCommerce is bursting with features. It's the best thing about it. The great advantage of WooCommerce over eCommerce alternatives is its flexibility and customisation. With over 1,000 plugins, there's tonnes of functionality to unlock. 

Plugins and extensions can become pricey, but there are many brilliant WooCommerce plugins that you can install and use for free that add value and utility to your store.

There's no reason to break the bank if you don't need to – and the plugins in our list offer a wide range of applications for businesses of any size and type.

Let's take a look at some of them.

1. WooCommerce Google Analytics

Who needs a team of number crunchers when you have Google Analytics? The powerful plugin is essential for any eCommerce business as it connects you directly to the largest search database on the internet. 

Google Analytics provides round-the-clock, accurate information about your store's performance by tracking customer behaviour across all of your channels.

The advantages of this include:

• Seeing which channels (search, ads, social and email) are performing better than others, helping you identify areas of improvement.
• Giving you insights into customers' search terms and how they found your store.
• Finding where you are losing money by monitoring user engagement on your page. 

2. LiveChat for WooCommerce

LiveChat for WooCommerce is a simple-yet-valuable tool that opens a direct port of communication between you and your customers. The plugin allows customers to ask you questions through a widget embedded in your store. 

With LiveChat, you can increase sales by giving undecided customers a little nudge. For example, you can set automated invitations to shoppers who are "idling" and secure the sale. 

Here are a few more features of the plugin:

• Track your shopper's carts while chatting. You can see what they're shopping for and make informed responses to their queries.
• Send automatic responses to frequently asked questions.
• Send files to your customers.
• Save and tag your chats.

3. Stripe for WooCommerce

Stripe is a payment plugin that accepts over 135 currencies and supports all major payment methods, such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, iDeal and Alipay. 

With the Stripe plugin, you can accept payments from your store instead of sending your customers to an external checkout. This has been proven to increase conversions – as shoppers can be a little impatient at times!

4. WooCommerce Tax

WooCommerce Tax is quite straightforward – it's a tax calculator. The plugin automatically tallies up how much tax you need to pay for every order, adjusting according to location. 

Sounds like a dream, huh? Well, it ain't! Once you've confirmed your tax settings the plugin does the rest for you at the checkout. Nice.

5. Trustpilot Reviews

Trustpilot is a reviews platform that can be integrated with WooCommerce, allowing shoppers to read product reviews on your store. Reviews are a great way to build trust and confidence in potential customers and to increase your SEO ranking. 

Trustpilot is one of the most trusted reviews platforms with a community of 70 million reviewers. Just a few good reviews could help your position on search engines.

How does it work?

1. Drag and drop the Trustpilot widget on key parts of your store.
2. Showcase real, trusted reviews to drive sales and increase the consumer's confidence in your product.
3. Track review trends and "sentiments" to increase your understanding of what's working in your business.

6. OpenNode Bitcoin Payments

Whichever side of the fence you land with Bitcoin, it's a major player in global commerce, supported by over 190 million users.

With OpenNode Bitcoin Payments you can tap into this growing market and start accepting payments through Bitcoin within minutes of setting up.

The plugin calculates payments using up-to-the-minute exchange rates and receives them via the Lightning Network. 

7. Jetpack CRM for WooCommerce

CRM is short for "customer relationship management". Jetpack CRM is a multifunctional plugin that centralises contacts, leads and correspondence. It's free to use, but paid plans will offer extra features.

With Jetpack CRM you can;

• Track your sales and contact records with customers 
• Set up email and automation tools to strengthen customer relations
• Monitor all interactions between your team and clients in one place
• Create quotes and generate invoices
• View your performance through the Sales Dashboard
• Add even more functionality with extensions

It's worth noting that Jetpack CRM is created by Automattic – the folks behind WooCommerce – so expect seamless integration and full support. 

8. Putler Connector

Putler Connector is an impressive analytics tool for WooCommerce. It consolidates detailed reports from all your stores, aggregating analytics from Google, WooCommerce and other data sources to create an accurate and detailed picture of your business. 

But the plugin doesn't stop there. Putler provides actionable insights and management solutions like no other.

Its key features are:

• Customer segmentation: segment clients and customers into identifiable camps.
• Subscriptions and memberships: whatever the nature of your business, Putler Connector offers the same powerful insights.
• Deal in multiple currencies: handle transactions in different currencies in one place.
• Tracking metrics: stay on top of complex data metrics like sales, refunds, visitors and averages, all synced and presented on your dashboard.
• Create detailed customer profiles: easily access locations, order histories and correspondence.

There is one caveat: Putler Connector is not technically free! However, it does offer a 14-day free trial, so we've added it to the list as one to consider.

9. WooCommerce Waitlist

When a product in your store is not available, WooCommerce Waitlist allows customers to set up an email notification when the product is back in stock.

This is useful for several reasons. 

For one, customers are less likely to forget about the time they were shopping for, say, polka dot shirts. Providing a gentle reminder will entice them back to your store. 

Additionally, you can see which of your products are trending through the waiting list, helping you understand your customers and deliver on demand. 

At Stowsafe our aim is simple. We take on the responsibility of fulfilling orders so that you can concentrate on growing your business. 

Why not take advantage of our WooCommerce fulfilment service? Our systems integrate seamlessly with the platform and it's easy to set up. Get in touch today to get started.