WooCommerce is the most popular open-source e-commerce platform, powering over 28% of all online stores. This guide shows you exactly how to launch a fully functional WooCommerce store for the Romanian market.
Why WooCommerce? Total control over code and data, lower initial costs, unlimited flexibility for customizations, native integration with Romanian payment processors and couriers. Ideal for small to medium stores (under 10,000 products).
Step 1: Technical setup. Install WordPress on a performant hosting (recommended: VPS with minimum 2GB RAM for stores). Install WooCommerce from Plugins > Add New. Run the setup wizard for basic configuration.
Step 2: Store configuration. Settings > General: address, country (Romania), currency (RON and/or EUR). Settings > Products: measurement units, reviews, inventory. Settings > Tax: configure VAT for Romania (19% standard).
Step 3: Payment methods. Essential for Romania: Card (Netopia, PayU, Stripe), Bank transfer, Cash on delivery. Recommended plugins: WooCommerce Payments, Netopia for WooCommerce. Test each method before launch!
Step 4: Shipping and couriers. Integrate main couriers: FAN Courier, Cargus, DPD, Sameday. Plugins: WooCommerce Fan Courier, Cargus Shipping. Configure shipping zones, prices by weight/value, free shipping over a threshold.
Step 5: Electronic invoicing. Mandatory in Romania! Integrate with: SmartBill, Oblio, FacturisOnline. Invoices are automatically generated for each order. Make sure your company details are correct.
Step 6: Adding products. Quality photos (minimum 800x800px, white background), unique and detailed descriptions, correct prices with and without VAT, updated stock, categories and tags for easy navigation.
Step 7: Mandatory legal pages. Terms and conditions (legally required), Privacy policy (GDPR), Return policy (minimum 14 days), Cookie policy. Display them in footer and at checkout.
Step 8: Testing before launch. Test the complete order process: add to cart, checkout, payment (including 3D Secure), order confirmation, automatic emails. Test on mobile and desktop.
Conversion optimizations: single-page checkout, visible CTA buttons, clear shipping and return guarantees, product reviews, urgency (limited stock), upselling and cross-selling.
At Softsite, we develop complete WooCommerce stores, from design to courier and invoicing integrations. Request a personalized quote for your store.
