Common WooCommerce Errors (With Solutions) That Can Impact Sales

Like any technology, WooCommerce isn’t immune to errors. However, some errors can also impact sales and customer experience in a WooCommerce store.

In this blog post, we’ll explore some common WooCommerce errors that can adversely affect your sales and provide practical solutions to overcome them.

#1 Slow Loading Times on WooCommerce

Slow loading times can frustrate potential customers and lead to abandoned carts on your WooCommerce store. This issue can be caused by various factors such as heavy themes, excessive plugins, or inadequate hosting. To tackle this, optimize images, use a lightweight theme, limit plugins, and consider upgrading your hosting plan.

Here are 15 things to do to speed up your WooCommerce website:

• Choose a reliable and fast hosting provider.
• Optimize and compress images to reduce file sizes.
• Select a lightweight and well-coded WordPress theme.
• Implement caching mechanisms for faster loading times.
• Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML code to reduce file sizes.
• Enable GZIP compression to compress files before sending them to the browser.
• Limit the use of external requests and scripts.
• Optimize your WordPress database regularly to remove clutter.
• Utilize a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to distribute content globally.
• Use lazy loading for images and videos to defer their loading until necessary.
• Prioritize above-the-fold content for quicker initial rendering.
• Reduce the number of HTTP requests by combining resources.
• Choose a reputable performance optimization plugin tailored for WooCommerce.
• Keep your plugin usage minimal and ensure they’re well-coded.
• Regularly monitor your site’s performance and conduct speed tests.

Tip: It would be a great idea to hire a professional WordPress developer to fix the slow loading speed of your online store.

Recommended post: 5 Best ways to optimize the loading speed of a WooCommerce store

#2 SSL Certificate Issues on WooCommerce

An SSL certificate is crucial for securing transactions and instilling trust in customers.

How to fix SSL certificate issues on your WooCommerce store:

• Check SSL Certificate: Ensure you have a valid SSL certificate installed for your domain.
• Update Site URLs: Update your WordPress and site URLs to use “https://” instead of “http://” in the WordPress settings.
• Mixed Content: Use a plugin or manually update all internal links, images, and resources to use “https://” to avoid mixed content issues.
• Force HTTPS: Use a plugin or modify your .htaccess file to force HTTPS on all pages of your website.
• Update Plugins and Themes: Ensure all plugins and themes are updated to their latest versions for compatibility with SSL.
• Update External Links: Update external links to use “https://” instead of “http://” to prevent insecure content.
• Test Checkout Process: Test the entire WooCommerce checkout process to ensure SSL is functioning correctly.
• Monitor for Errors: Continuously monitor your website for SSL-related errors and address them promptly.

#3 Payment Gateway Problems on WooCommerce

Payment gateway errors can prevent customers from completing purchases. To resolve this, ensure your chosen payment gateway is up to date, properly configured, and compatible with WooCommerce’s latest version. Regularly test payment transactions to identify and fix any issues promptly.

How to make sure that the payment gateway is working on your WooCommerce website:

• Create a Test Environment: Set up a staging or testing environment where you can perform all the necessary tests without affecting your live site.
• Enable Sandbox or Test Mode: Most payment gateways offer a sandbox or test mode that simulates transactions without using real money. Enable this mode to conduct safe tests.
• Test Different Payment Methods: If your WooCommerce site supports multiple payment methods, test each one individually to ensure they all work correctly.
• Simulate Different Order Scenarios: Test various order scenarios, including different products, quantities, and total amounts to ensure the payment gateway handles all situations accurately.
• Complete Full Checkout Process: Go through the entire checkout process from adding items to the cart to completing the payment. This includes filling out customer information, selecting shipping options, and confirming payment.
• Check for Redirects: If your payment gateway redirects customers to an external site for payment, ensure the redirection is smooth and the customer is brought back to your site after completing payment.
• Test Error Scenarios: Intentionally enter incorrect payment details, such as wrong credit card numbers or expiration dates, to see if error messages are displayed correctly.
• Review Payment Confirmation: Check if customers receive a proper payment confirmation on both the checkout page and via email.
• Check Payment Status in WooCommerce: Ensure that the payment status is updated correctly in WooCommerce after a successful payment is made.
• Refund and Cancellation Tests: Test the refund and order cancellation process to ensure it works as expected, both in your WooCommerce admin panel and in your payment gateway’s dashboard.
• Test on Different Devices and Browsers: Test the payment gateway on various devices and browsers to ensure compatibility and a seamless experience for all users.
• Inspect Transaction Logs: Review transaction logs in both WooCommerce and the payment gateway’s dashboard to identify any discrepancies or issues.
• Test with Real Transactions (in a Controlled Manner): Once you’ve thoroughly tested in the sandbox environment, perform a few real transactions with minimal amounts to verify that the live payment gateway works as expected. Make sure to refund these transactions afterward.
• Perform Load Testing: Simulate a higher volume of transactions to assess how the payment gateway performs under load.

#4 Cart Abandonment Issues on WooCommerce

High cart abandonment rates can be attributed to unexpected shipping costs, complex checkout processes, or lack of payment options. Simplify your checkout process, offer transparent shipping costs, and provide multiple payment options to reduce cart abandonment.

Below are some of the best ways to reduce the cart abandonment on your WooCommerce store:

• Transparent Shipping Costs: Clearly display shipping costs early in the checkout process. Unexpected high shipping costs are a major cause of cart abandonment.
• Simplify Checkout Process: Streamline your checkout process to minimize the number of steps and form fields required. A complex checkout process can frustrate customers and lead to abandonment.
• Guest Checkout Option: Provide a guest checkout option that doesn’t require customers to create an account. Some users prefer a quick and hassle-free checkout without the need for account creation.
• Offer Multiple Payment Options: Include a variety of payment methods to cater to different customer preferences. This can reduce the likelihood of customers abandoning their carts due to their preferred payment method not being available.
• Visible Security Measures: Display trust badges, security seals, and SSL certificates prominently on your site to reassure customers that their payment information is safe.
• Exit-Intent Popups: Use exit-intent popups to offer discounts, free shipping, or other incentives to customers who are about to leave their carts behind.
• Abandoned Cart Emails: Implement an automated system to send abandoned cart reminder emails to customers, encouraging them to return and complete their purchases.
• Clear Return and Refund Policy: Make your return and refund policy easily accessible. Customers are more likely to complete a purchase if they are assured of easy return or exchange if needed.
• Responsive Design: Ensure your website is mobile-friendly and responsive. Many users shop on mobile devices, so a clunky or non-responsive design can lead to cart abandonment.
• Performance Optimization: Optimize your website’s performance to prevent slow loading times that might frustrate users and cause them to abandon their carts.
• Product Availability: Display accurate stock availability information. If customers find out that the product they wanted is out of stock after adding it to their cart, they might abandon their carts.
• Clear Call to Action (CTA): Use clear and compelling CTAs on product pages and in the cart to guide users toward the checkout process.
• Offer Free Shipping Threshold: Consider setting a free shipping threshold. Customers may add more items to their cart to qualify for free shipping, reducing cart abandonment.
• Live Chat Support: Provide live chat support to assist customers in real time and address any concerns they might have before completing their purchase.
• Remarketing Strategies: Implement retargeting or remarketing campaigns to remind customers about the items in their abandoned carts through platforms like Google Ads or Facebook Ads.

#5 Mobile Responsiveness Problems on WooCommerce

With a growing number of customers shopping on mobile devices, mobile responsiveness is vital. If your store isn’t optimized for mobile, you could lose potential sales. Choose a responsive theme, test your site on various devices, and optimize images for mobile loading speeds.

Here’s how to fix mobile responsiveness issues on your WooCommerce store:

• Mobile-Friendly Design: Verify that your WooCommerce theme is designed to be mobile-friendly from the start. Themes with responsive design adapt to different screen sizes automatically. Your web developer can also help to choose the right theme for your online store.
• Viewport Meta Tag: Ensure that your HTML includes the viewport meta tag to properly adjust the viewport width and scale on mobile devices.
• Test on Different Devices: Test your WooCommerce store on various devices, including smartphones, tablets, and different-sized screens, to identify any responsiveness issues.
• Cross-Browser Compatibility: Check your store’s appearance and functionality on different web browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge, to ensure consistent performance.
• Responsive Images: Use CSS techniques or responsive image solutions to ensure that images scale and adjust appropriately based on the user’s screen size.
• Font and Text Scaling: Ensure that fonts and text are easily readable on smaller screens without requiring users to pinch and zoom. Use relative units (such as “em” or “rem”) for font sizes.
• Navigation Menu: Confirm that your navigation menu is easily accessible and user-friendly on mobile devices. Consider using a responsive navigation menu design, such as a collapsible menu icon (hamburger menu).
• Touch-Friendly Elements: Ensure that buttons, links, and interactive elements are appropriately sized and spaced for touch interaction on mobile devices.
• Forms and Input Fields: Check that forms and input fields, such as search bars and checkout forms, are designed for mobile use, with sufficient spacing and large enough touch targets. A professional WordPress developer would always ensure that the form is easily accessible to the users on all devices.
• Loading Speed: Optimize your store’s loading speed for mobile devices. Large images, unnecessary scripts, and heavy resources can slow down mobile performance.

#6 Inventory Management Glitches on WooCommerce

Mismanaged inventory can lead to overselling, disappointing customers, and potentially damaging your brand’s reputation. Implement an inventory management plugin, regularly update stock levels, and set up automatic notifications for low-stock items.

Tips to make sure that your WooCommerce store doesn’t have any stock-related issues:

• Implement an Inventory Management System: Use a dedicated inventory management plugin or integrated solution that allows you to track stock levels, set alerts for low stock, and manage product availability effectively.
• Regularly Update Stock Levels: Consistently update your product stock levels in your WooCommerce admin panel to reflect accurate availability. This is especially important after receiving new inventory shipments or making sales in other channels.
• Enable Stock Management: In your WooCommerce settings, ensure that you have stock management enabled. This allows WooCommerce to track and manage stock levels for your products.
• Set Low Stock Thresholds: Define low stock thresholds for each product. When a product’s stock falls below this threshold, you can receive notifications to restock or reorder.
• Use Backorders Wisely: If you allow backorders, ensure you’ve configured them properly. Decide whether you want to allow customers to purchase products that are out of stock and clearly communicate estimated shipping times.
• Monitor Multichannel Sales: If you sell products across multiple platforms (e.g., your WooCommerce store, a physical store, or other online marketplaces), ensure that your inventory management system synchronizes stock levels across all channels in real-time.
• Regular Audits: Conduct regular inventory audits to physically count the stock you have on hand and compare it with your recorded inventory levels. This helps identify discrepancies and correct them promptly.

#7 Checkout Page Errors on WooCommerce

Checkout page errors can prevent customers from completing their purchases. Common issues include fields not working properly, incorrect tax calculations, and shipping options not displaying correctly. Thoroughly test your checkout process and ensure all fields, calculations, and options are functioning as intended.

Here are a few things that you could do to make sure that there is no checkout page error on your WooCommerce store:

• Check Theme Compatibility: Verify that your theme is compatible with the latest version of WooCommerce. Sometimes themes need updates to work seamlessly with WooCommerce updates.
• Review Payment Gateway Settings: Double-check the settings of your chosen payment gateway to ensure they’re configured correctly. Incorrect settings can lead to payment errors.
• Test on Different Browsers: Test the checkout page on various web browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) to identify any browser-specific errors. Seek the assistance of a WooCommerce developer to check your website for different browsers.
• Review Third-Party Plugins: If you’re using plugins that modify the checkout process, like shipping or tax plugins, review their settings and ensure they’re not conflicting with each other.
• Check for JavaScript Conflicts: JavaScript conflicts can cause errors on the checkout page. Temporarily disable non-essential plugins one by one to identify any conflicts.
• Inspect Error Messages: If there are specific error messages displayed during checkout, research them online or reach out to WooCommerce support to understand their cause and how to fix them.
• Test Different Payment Methods: Test the checkout process with different payment methods to make sure each option is functioning correctly.
• Review Shipping Options: Confirm that shipping options are displaying accurately based on the customer’s location and order details. Test both domestic and international addresses.
• Review Taxes and Discounts: Ensure that taxes and discounts are applied correctly during checkout. Double-check tax settings and coupon codes.
• Check Theme Customizations: If you’ve made customizations to your theme, review them to ensure they’re not causing conflicts with the checkout process.
• Inspect Page Load Time: Slow page load times can lead to checkout abandonment. Optimize images, scripts, and resources to improve load speed. Take the help of a WordPress developer in Singapore to check & fix the loading speed of your website if needed.
• Cross-Test on Mobile Devices: Perform thorough testing on mobile devices to ensure the checkout process is just as smooth and error-free on smartphones and tablets.

#8 Shipping Calculation Errors on WooCommerce

Incorrect shipping calculations can result in customers being charged too much or too little for shipping. Double-check your shipping settings, test various scenarios, and use reputable shipping plugins that integrate seamlessly with WooCommerce.

Here are 8 things you can do to avoid shipping calculation errors:

• Configure Shipping Zones Correctly: Define accurate shipping zones based on your target regions. Incorrectly configured shipping zones can lead to overcharging or undercharging for shipping.
• Use Accurate Shipping Classes: Assign accurate shipping classes to your products. This helps WooCommerce calculate shipping costs based on weight, dimensions, and location more precisely.
• Regularly Update Shipping Plugins: If you’re using shipping plugins, keep them updated to the latest versions to ensure compatibility with WooCommerce updates and accurate calculations.
• Test Different Shipping Scenarios: Test your shipping options with various product combinations, weights, and addresses to ensure accurate calculations in different scenarios.
• Double-Check Flat Rate and Table Rate Settings: If you’re using flat rate or table rate shipping methods, verify that their settings are accurate and up to date.
• Monitor Carrier Rates: If you’re integrating with carrier APIs (like FedEx, UPS, or USPS), monitor their rates and ensure your integration is functioning correctly. Carrier rate changes can affect shipping calculations.
• Consider Free Shipping Thresholds: If you offer free shipping for orders over a certain amount, make sure it’s configured correctly to avoid overcharging customers who qualify for free shipping.
• Regularly Audit Shipping Charges: Periodically review your orders to check if shipping charges match the actual costs. Correct any discrepancies promptly.

#9 Security Vulnerabilities on WooCommerce

Security breaches can lead to compromised customer data and a loss of trust. Keep WooCommerce, themes, and plugins updated to their latest versions, use strong passwords, employ a reliable security plugin, and perform regular security audits.

How to make sure that there are no security vulnerabilities in your WooCommerce store:

• Regular Updates: Keep WooCommerce, plugins, themes, and WordPress itself updated to the latest versions. Developers often release updates to address security vulnerabilities.
• Use Trusted Themes and Plugins: Choose themes and plugins from reputable sources, and avoid using pirated or nulled versions, as they can contain malicious code.
• Strong Passwords: Enforce strong passwords for all user accounts, including administrators. Consider using a password manager to generate and store complex passwords.
• Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Enable 2FA for your WooCommerce admin accounts. This adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second verification step, usually through a smartphone app.
• Limit Access: Assign user roles and permissions appropriately. Only grant access to what users need to perform their tasks, reducing the risk of unauthorized actions.
• Regular Backups: Schedule regular backups of your website, including the database and files. In case of a security breach, you can quickly restore your site to a safe state.
• Security Plugins: Install and configure security plugins specifically designed for WordPress and WooCommerce. These plugins can provide additional layers of protection against common vulnerabilities.
• Use HTTPS: Implement an SSL certificate to enable HTTPS on your site. This encrypts data transmission, enhancing security during transactions and data input.
• File Permissions: Set proper file and directory permissions. Restrict write access to critical files and folders to prevent unauthorized changes.
• Audit Third-Party Code: Review third-party code that you integrate into your store, such as plugins or custom scripts, to ensure they are secure and regularly updated.
• Web Application Firewall (WAF): Consider using a WAF to filter out malicious traffic before it reaches your website. Many hosting providers offer WAF services.
• Regular Scans and Audits: Conduct security scans and audits regularly to identify vulnerabilities. You can use security plugins or hire a professional security service.
• Remove Unused Plugins and Themes: Uninstall and delete any unused plugins and themes. Outdated or unused software can be targeted by attackers. Hire a professional WordPress developer or designer to carefully remove unused plugins or themes from your website.
• Monitor for Suspicious Activity: Set up monitoring tools or services that alert you to unusual or suspicious activity on your website.