Welcome to Press This, the WordPress neighborhood podcast from WMR. Every episode options visitors from across the neighborhood and discussions of the biggest problems going through WordPress builders. The next is a transcription of the authentic recording.
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Document Pop: You’re paying attention to Press This, a WordPress neighborhood podcast on WMR. Every week we highlight individuals of the WordPress neighborhood. I’m your host, Document Pop. I enhance the WordPress neighborhood thru my function at WP Engine and my contributions on TorqueMag.io the place you’ll be able to additionally in finding transcribed variations of every of those episodes, so make sure to test that out. You’ll subscribe to Press This on RedCircle, iTunes, Spotify, or your favourite podcasting app. You’ll additionally obtain episodes at once from WMR.fm.
Now it’s October of 2023, and Halloween is simply inside arm’s duration. I will achieve out and contact it. And I’m already making plans my Halloween dress. And as I’m doing that, people who’ve eCommerce websites, with a bit of luck, are placing the overall touches on their retail outlets in preparation for an enormous time of the 12 months, a large, unexpected growth in on-line gross sales.
It’s been some time since we’ve mentioned WooCommerce in this podcast. So I’ve invited Josh Dailey to return and catch us up on what’s new in Woo. Josh is a senior product advertising and marketing supervisor at WP Engine, and he’s additionally a professional on this planet of WooCommerce. Welcome to the display, Josh.
Josh Dailey: It’s excellent to be again on with you, Document. Thank you for having me.
DP: Have you considered your Halloween dress for this 12 months but?
JD: My goodness, I’ve now not spent numerous time on that. I’ve were given 5 youngsters, and so we spend extra time on their costumes.
DP: I’m excited to speak to you about, now not Halloween, however about eCommerce and what’s new at WooCommerce. Reason like I mentioned, we haven’t mentioned this particular matter, I do know, shortly at the display. So I do know so much’s came about, and I do know that you simply’ve additionally been running on numerous eCommerce options at WP Engine, which we will be able to discuss on the finish of the display.
However for at the moment, I feel as we’re recording this episode, it’s like an afternoon after WooSesh, a two-day digital convention for WooCommerce retailer developers. And there have been numerous nice takeaways at WooSesh. However I feel the principle factor in point of fact you and I will more or less chunk on for somewhat bit is the State of the Woo from WooSesh. Are you able to let us know first off, like what’s the State of the Woo?
JD: Yeah, the State of the Woo—the CEO and a couple of of his product leads got here on and shared insights on, , the place WooCommerce is at and the place it’s headed into the long run. The issues they’re running on, the issues they’re prioritizing on the product point, and to drum up enhance at a neighborhood point as neatly.
And so it used to be excellent to more or less pay attention purpose I used to be ready to look at just about ultimate 12 months as neatly and to look what they achieved all the way through the 12 months and to make the product higher and the answer, , keep growing and advance, however then to look the place their head area is at going ahead.
DP: And, , you already discussed a key takeaway at neighborhood, the phrase “neighborhood” right here, which in WordPress, we pay attention at all times. And in WooCommerce, I don’t know, it’s now not essentially one thing I take into accounts with WooCommerce—clearly, there’s a neighborhood of WooCommerce customers, nevertheless it’s now not like, the neighborhood of WordPressers the place we’re speaking about serving to transcribe talks and committing to core and such things as that. I think like neighborhood are two various things, however it kind of feels like WooCommerce is in point of fact specializing in neighborhood of their communicate this 12 months. Are you able to, are you able to communicate in regards to the makes an attempt they’re making to interact their neighborhood and perhaps take a look at new options with them?
JD: Yeah. So particularly, there’s some giant issues that happen or giant adjustments that happen within the code base. And so they want folks to check that stuff and to in point of fact enjoy it in order that they may be able to make stronger on the way it serves the thousands and thousands of web sites on it.
So like at the moment, take into accounts this, they have got 4.4 million are living internet sites. That’s what they’re speaking about, which might be the use of WooCommerce at some capability for his or her shops, and 33 % of the highest 1 million on-line shops are powered by way of WooCommerce.
So, after they make a transformation, an adjustment, it must be rock forged, proper? And this isn’t similar to, anyone’s weblog, however their livelihood in numerous instances—the best way that they’re monetizing their web site is thru WooCommerce.
And so, while you take into accounts the best way that they want involvement is to make certain that after they’re getting in a position and construction out new options, those options are going so as to add a ton of price to the traders. You recognize, that is going so as to add a ton of price to these shops in order that they may be able to center of attention on what’s bringing them earnings.
DP: And Josh, are you able to let me know your vibe test right here when any person makes use of WordPress, I think like they’re perhaps becoming a member of a neighborhood and more or less a part of one thing I think like they will not be absolutely acutely aware of its open-source nature, however the expectancies I don’t assume are reasonably as excessive as after they’re a WooCommerce person—perhaps they call to mind that as a device, and it’s a carrier, and there’s perhaps even cash going to WooCommerce. So am I proper in more or less considering that that neighborhood won’t call to mind itself as short of to paintings without spending a dime or, , like short of to be all for the type of assist of unfastened hard work for WooCommerce?
JD: Yeah, I feel that’s a good factor to mention. There’s some issues that I take a look at as… Most certainly there’s 3 issues that I’ve narrowed down as one thing that each and every eCommerce retailer cares about. They wanna promote extra, they would like their merchandise more straightforward to find, and they would like their web page to be more straightforward to regulate, their retailer—they don’t need to be enthusiastic about the technical aspect in their retailer up to, does this simply paintings for me?
And so, the pool of people who need to take part on the open-source point for a shop itself is in most cases the developer, the company. Those are the kinds of people who are going to care in regards to the open-source nature of it.
The service provider goes to be extra invested of their retailer running correctly and functioning. And they don’t need to simply be a unfastened beta tester numerous instances.
DP: And naturally, that being mentioned, if they’re providing assist, they’re most definitely making improvements to a device in some way that advantages them. So it’s now not essentially they’re, , doing unfastened hard work for no explanation why. It’s very a lot a two-way factor.
So if any person does, if a store proprietor does need to get entangled with this name to motion to, , be a part of the neighborhood and assist take a look at issues, what’s WooCommerce in particular asking them to do?
JD: Yeah. I’d say get all for their Slack. They’ve a Slack to be had and lets most definitely put that into the display notes, I’m assuming. After which there’s following their weblog is a great way to do this, their developer weblog.
For instance, this 12 months an enormous initiative that they lined within the State of the Woo used to be the high-performance order garage, and that is going to be an enormous pivot clear of the best way that knowledge is saved and accessed for eCommerce websites or WooCommerce websites.
As a result of at the moment, the entire knowledge is saved in the similar database desk as WooCommerce. And this has long gone are living and is to be had now, nevertheless it does exchange the best way that other plugins have interaction with that content material as neatly, proper?
So, you’re coping with a large shift on the core of ways the content material is being saved and controlled, and that’s the stuff that after it’s launched and to be had to the general public has so to be rolled again, however there’s large price in that running.
The high-performance order garage is huge for scaling shops, and the way issues are migrated and saved and content material is and there’s an enormous functionality receive advantages. And so in the event that they’re, if we’re short of to stay alongside of SaaS merchandise like Shopify or Wix or the ones issues, we need to be frequently evolving the bottom of the core of WooCommerce.
DP: And, is that this principally come to our web page and obtain this early model of Woo, or is there like a GitHub repository concerned and more or less expectancies of understanding easy methods to use Git?
JD: Yeah, there’s the GitHub repository, however the high-performance order garage is now to be had, so it’s the default while you activate or spin up a WooCommerce web page, however you need to move in and toggle Keep watch over for those who already had an current web page to modify to that, and so there’s some trying out concerned there after which with the ability to supply comments.
DP: Smartly, we’re going to take a handy guide a rough spoil. And once we come again, we’re going to select up our dialog with Josh Dailey about what’s new in Woo. And we’re going to speak about Woo Categorical and headless Woo and all forms of new options which might be coming to Woo. So keep tuned for extra after the fast spoil.
DP: Welcome again to Press This, a WordPress Group Podcast. I’m your host, Document Pop. Nowadays, I’m chatting with Josh Dailey, Senior Advertising and marketing Supervisor at WP Engine. We’re speaking about WooCommerce during the eyes of State of the Woo, which simply came about. There used to be numerous nice stats, numerous excellent glance into the way forward for WooCommerce, and thus, into the way forward for 33% of the highest 1 million on-line shops, or the way forward for 4.4 million are living internet sites that use Woo. Boy, the ones are wonderful stats.
Josh, you had simply mentioned trying out and the way WooCommerce at WooSesh used to be in point of fact pushing for folks to get entangled and to assist take a look at new options.
Now I need to communicate somewhat bit about probably the most new issues that could be new to a few listeners. Let’s discuss WooExpress and what’s going down there. Are you able to give us an advent to Woo Categorical after which let us know about some adjustments?
JD: I’d just take into accounts Woo Categorical as, I imply, it is a in point of fact thrilling factor for us as it’s opening up the—it’s simplifying, it’s removing the complexity of putting in WooCommerce, and in point of fact placing it up in opposition to a store in a field SaaS like Shopify, and so that is thrilling as it objectives an entry-level newbie marketplace and permits them to enjoy WooCommerce and a complete new target audience to WordPress. Possibly anyone who didn’t essentially learn about WordPress, know in regards to the neighborhood is accustomed to it, however needs to get a shop up and operating.
That’s what Woo Categorical is. It’s a distinct interface, a distinct person enjoy, a distinct setup enjoy with probably the most most-used add-ons and extensions of WooCommerce already baked into it in order that anyone can simply spin up a web page briefly.
DP: You discussed that Woo Categorical kind of acts as a beta trying out staff for probably the most new options they usually—it appears like they push the ones options relatively than me like getting every other extension. It appears like Woo Categorical is kind of like, right here’s a function, right here’s a function, right here’s some AI so that you can play with they usually simply more or less like roll it out and I assume customers simply check it out, proper?
JD: Yeah, I’d say lower than a beta trying out, it’s extra like a focal point staff of shops, so… A large number of instances what occurs with construction is you get disconnected from the true finish person’s enjoy and also you construct what you assume anyone needs as opposed to what they in fact want. And I feel on this case, what WooCommerce has performed is to create a in point of fact condensed staff that they may be able to use to mention, “what’s it that eCommerce or on-line shops are searching for? What are traders wanting?”
And with the ability to supply the ones gear and be somewhat bit extra forward-thinking, after which to bake the ones into core after they’re somewhat extra battle-tested somewhat bit, ?
DP: Smartly, let’s, let’s transfer on somewhat bit. You’ll’t have any kind of eCommerce with out bills and that’s—bills is a troublesome factor for numerous folks to get proper? What’s new on this planet of WooCommerce and increasing fee choices?
JD: Yeah, so that they’re simply most commonly increasing out the capability that they mentioned ultimate 12 months and proceeding so as to add other nation enhance is what I heard inside that. One of the crucial stuff I’m more or less fascinated about is the other ways in which bills are being built-in at a platform point, even at WP Engine, like we’re growing partnerships with Stripe.
And so we have now a deep Stripe Attach integration that simply simplifies that setup procedure. And I feel that’s additionally what WooCommerce is making an attempt to do is once more make it extra out there, quicker to access. They had been speaking in regards to the quantity of clicks which might be diminished in setup.
And so such things as purchase now, pay later, other fee choices relying on what nation anyone’s in. So, in point of fact, what’s thrilling about it, you’ll be able to discuss bills all day, nevertheless it in point of fact is the internationalization or going outdoor of the rustic that you simply’re in and with the ability to promote anyplace on this planet. Taking your retailer world, I assume, ?
That’s what will get thrilling about bills to me is like, you’ll be able to spin up an integration and feature something however the extra add-on nations, banks, fee strategies, fee choices, such things as purchase now, pay later which might be being built-in, the extra alternatives to promote globally you have got.
DP: All proper. I think like AI has been more or less discussed a couple of instances right here. I’m more or less hesitant to get into it as a result of I think like oftentimes the AI announcement in these items is oftentimes, “oh, we’ll let you write some meta descriptions for search engine marketing functions, or we’ll let you fill out descriptions.”
And I’m so underwhelmed by way of listening to such a lot of AI issues at this level. I’m similar to, yeah, everyone’s including some of these issues. It’s more or less necessary now. Is that, is that kind of what they’re doing with AI? Or is there one thing I’m lacking that WooCommerce is experimenting with in that area?
JD: No, it’s certainly all experimental nonetheless, proper? Like for everyone, it’s now not a knock on Automattic and what they’re looking to put into Woo and all of that, I feel is—they’re in point of fact taking a leading edge strategy to experimentation on that and getting options out.
However some of the ones that I believed used to be most definitely most fun from a UX experimentation is with the ability to drop for your retailer’s knowledge after which them spinning up a block-based web page or a complete web page modifying web page for you as a template so that you can get began with.
So more or less skipping over that template section the place you simply, everyone will get the very same template. This would in fact generate a web page for you that could be a greater place to begin to your distinctive enjoy. So very personalised. Yeah.
DP: Yeah, there’s certainly numerous persons are attempting to determine easy methods to make that onboarding. A large number of WooCommerce’s and WordPress hosts and such things as which might be looking to make that set up as easy as conceivable. In order that certainly appears to be more or less some of the ways in which we’re seeing AI get used now and that’s, that’s lovely cool.
And with a bit of luck perhaps there’s one thing, like afterward, perhaps a 12 months from now, we’ll be speaking about the way it reduces the selection of clicks it takes for any person to reserve one thing whilst chopping down on fraud or one thing like that. That’ll be lovely thrilling at some point, however for now it sounds love it’s onboarding is like a great, smoother procedure.
Let’s transfer directly to HPOS, which, um, headless, modern on… I don’t know what this is. What’s HPOS?
JD: Oh yeah, that’s what we had been speaking about initially there. That’s the excessive, high-performance order garage. Yeah. In order that’s what the HPOS is. And it’s simply in a different way of taking a look at knowledge supply.
That is, this has been a large ask for a very long time, nevertheless it’s an enormous elevate by way of the crew. And I—we began speaking about this ultimate 12 months, WP Engine has been taking a look at this since they got to work on it, as a result of it will be a recreation changer from a functionality and scalability viewpoint to have separate knowledge tables dealing with other merchandise.
DP: I assume my ultimate query here’s what about headless eCommerce? Is there anything else Woo is more or less bringing to the desk new right here? Reason I’m certain they have got some choices in that area.
JD: You recognize, they didn’t communicate an excessive amount of into the headless area. I feel—once I take into accounts headless eCommerce and the function that that’s enjoying at the moment, it’s extra when you’re, I’d say scaling up, your WordPress web page, the headless parts. Did you pay attention one thing particular?
DP: No, I didn’t. I simply more or less stay enthusiastic about, , sitting at the back of a cab or one thing, and there’s more or less a storefront and infrequently, , on a display screen in entrance of me, and I’d simply been enthusiastic about like, oh, that’s most definitely a headless integration for like United Airways or one thing the place they, , they only more or less have this like headless model in their web page that permits me to reserve. It’s—that’s a unusual instance, however I’ve been enthusiastic about headless eCommerce a bit of in recent times.
And I used to be simply curious if they’d anything else in that area that used to be new.
JD: Yeah. So they’re extra centered at the enjoy at the moment, and it kind of feels like that access level. After which headless is a forward-thinking alternative. And I feel while you get started considering of shops which might be doing perhaps 5 million in earnings a 12 months they usually’re beginning to have a look at how they’re going to proceed integrating with WordPress and that have, but additionally wanting to head cross-platform such as you mentioned.
Which, it used to be cool seeing a few of the ones plugins. I feel that could be the nearest part, however probably the most partnerships and plugins they’d created to combine such things as, what used to be it? Tik Tok? Yeah. So like that more or less stuff, with the ability to promote the place the buyer is at throughout more than one other platforms, I feel is a big factor, however I don’t know that I’d name that “headless” in particular in that implementation.
DP: Smartly, we’re going to take our ultimate spoil right here and once we come again, we’re going to wrap up our dialog with Josh who discussed probably the most stuff that’s occurring at WP Engine in phrases of eCommerce and enhancements there.
So once we come again, we’re going to speak about what Josh has been running on and we’ll see you quickly. So keep tuned for extra after the fast spoil.
DP: Welcome again to Press This, the WordPress Group Podcast on WMR. I’m your host, Document Pop. Nowadays, I’m chatting with Josh Dailey, and we’ve mentioned probably the most stats that we heard from the State of the Woo at WooSesh. And we’re speaking about probably the most new options that WooCommerce is rolling out and inspiring their customers to check.
And now I’d love to pivot somewhat bit, Josh, to what you’ve been running on and provide you with an opportunity to speak about, I do know you’re fascinated about—I may pay attention it for your voice once we had been speaking—about eCommerce and bills and such things as that. Why don’t you let us know about probably the most belongings you’re running on now that you simply’re fascinated about?
JD: Yeah, I feel the issues that get me up within the morning is the—, proceeding to push the bounds of what’s conceivable with WooCommerce, proper? And in point of fact specializing in functionality, consumer concurrency, excessive quantity visitors, , the facility to take that retailer and move world with fee answers, that more or less stuff.
And so our answer over the past two years, particularly, has developed to incorporate, , a unique more or less cache answer, we name it EverCache for WooCommerce and this—I don’t understand how acquainted people who find themselves running in WordPress are, however working out the adaptation and nuance of dealing with dynamic content material as opposed to static content material.
A large number of blogs, , you’ll be able to money the whole lot and it makes it in point of fact speedy and performant, however on an eCommerce retailer, with WooCommerce particularly, cache stops at a definite level. That in point of fact breaks down the patron adventure. It slows down the patron adventure. And so we’re doing issues to mention, how are we able to make that purchaser adventure from begin to end a greater enjoy?
So we’ve been ready to in point of fact exchange the functionality recreation round dynamic content material in your entire purchaser adventure. After which we’ve additionally been ready to remedy the cart fragments downside. And for those who’re within the WooCommerce area, you’re going to head, “what? guy, I do know that downside,” however necessarily the facility to stay personalised buying groceries stories with up to date cart totals and checkout, that more or less stuff, going down with out the slowing down of functionality through the years.
And the facility so to serve extra concurrent consumers. So now not simply considering one or two consumers, however having 40, 50 consumers for your web page. And the ones are giant issues. Particularly round Black Friday, proper? So it is a giant time for our buyer base to be getting their shops in a position. And I’m hoping you all are doing that and feature a excellent tick list in position to get there.
After which, clearly, we have now our Rapid Retailer Seek function: the enhanced buying groceries enjoy, which is powered by way of ElasticPress. After which this 12 months it used to be numerous paintings for us to in point of fact get the Stripe Attach Integration dialed in and we simply launched six further fee choices that duvet the Eu Union and nations in Europe. Considering Germany, Austria, and Poland, and simply far and wide the arena now so to settle for bills more straightforward and combine with no need to assume too laborious about it. So there’s simply numerous excellent stuff going down for us within the eCommerce area and we’re proceeding to extend the ones efforts out.
After which finally, I’d say it’s our headless paintings that we’ve performed with Atlas. We’ve been a forerunner in that during in point of fact taking a look at what does it imply so to transfer freely between platform of selection?
And there’s been some a laugh paintings even with different trade answers like BigCommerce and Shopify to look how can we make certain that folks stick with WordPress, it doesn’t matter what platform they select—turning into a bit of extra platform agnostic and with the ability to make the ones picks, however the use of the most productive at school of WordPress and what that suggests as neatly.
So, numerous thrilling stuff on WooCommerce, at all times going to be our bread and butter. It serves, , 90 % of web sites the use of WordPress select WooCommerce. And that’s the place we’re going to keep growing and scale. However we will be able to have answers as folks move to these undertaking markets as neatly.
DP: Smartly, Josh, I in point of fact recognize your time these days. Thank you for catching us up at the global of Woo. Are you able to let us know how to achieve you if any one has questions or simply needs to practice what you’re running on nowadays?
JD: Yeah, I will be able to, I—we at all times stumble thru announcing X now, proper, over Twitter? However I’m on X and, and you’ll be able to in finding me @JoshDailey and I spell Dailey somewhat humorous—I were given each the “I” and the “E” in there, so “D-A-I-L-E-Y” and you’ll be able to in finding me that method. And yeah, I mentioned, that’s just about the important thing method for my non-public factor. I’m on LinkedIn as neatly, search for me there. After which the very last thing I’d say is practice WP Engine as a result of that’s maximum of the place I’m, posting content material and speaking.
DP: Proper on. Smartly, thank you such a lot for becoming a member of us these days. Subsequent episode, we’re going to be chatting with Matthew Viette and David Cavins from BuddyPress about—I consider about integration into the Fediverse, which used to be additionally lined on a contemporary episode, however BuddyPress has some thrilling stuff within the works. So keep tuned subsequent week to be informed about that.
Thank you for paying attention to Press This, a WordPress neighborhood podcast on WMR. You’ll practice my adventures on Twitter at @theTorqueMag, that’s @theTorqueMag, and you’ll be able to subscribe to Press This on RedCircle, iTunes, Spotify, or your favourite podcasting app, in addition to obtain at once from WMR.fm.
Once more, I’m your host, Dr. Widespread. I enhance the WordPress neighborhood thru my function at WP Engine, and I really like spotlighting individuals of that neighborhood every week on Press This.
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