If you’re planning to launch an online store in 2025, you don’t need to spend thousands on custom web development. With the right tools, you can set up your store in a single weekend, and InMotion Hosting gives you everything you need to get started. In this guide, I’ll walk you through every step to build a clean, functional WooCommerce store using InMotion Hosting and WordPress. This tutorial covers everything from choosing your hosting plan to launching your first product.
Let’s break it down.
Step 1: Acquire Hosting with InMotion
The first thing you need is hosting. InMotion Hosting is known for its speed, customer support, and easy setup for WordPress and WooCommerce sites. Go to the InMotion Hosting website and choose a plan that fits your needs. I recommend starting with a plan that includes at least 2–3 websites, automatic backups, and SSD storage for an online store. After checkout, you’ll get access to your hosting dashboard.
Step 2: Install WordPress from cPanel
Next, log in to your InMotion Hosting account and access cPanel. From there, use the Softaculous App Installer to install WordPress.
Here’s how:
- Click on the WordPress icon
- Choose your domain
- Fill in your site name, admin username, and password
- Click Install
Within a few minutes, your WordPress site will be live.
Step 3: Install the Bloxy Theme
Once WordPress is installed, it’s time to make your store look great.
Go to Appearance → Themes and search for Bloxy. It’s fast, modern, and works great with WooCommerce. Install it, then click Activate.
You’ll also be prompted to install the Bloxy Companion plugin. To do that, it unlocks demo content, layout tools, and extra design features.
Step 4: Install WooCommerce
Now for the engine behind your store: WooCommerce.
Go to Plugins → Add New and search for WooCommerce. Click Install, then Activate.
WooCommerce will launch a quick setup wizard. Follow these steps:
- Add your store location and currency
- Choose what type of products you’ll sell
- Set up payment options like PayPal and Stripe
- Add your shipping zones and delivery fees
- Connect to tax tools (WooCommerce will auto-calculate if you allow it)
Once complete, WooCommerce is now powering your store.
Step 5: Add and Manage Products
Now you’re ready to load up your store.
Go to Products → Add New and start adding items one by one.
Each product should include:
- Product name
- Description
- Price
- Product image
- Category
- Stock and inventory details (if needed)
- Variants (like size or color)
WooCommerce makes this process simple. You can also bulk-upload products later using a CSV file.
Step 6: Configure Payment and Shipping
If you didn’t complete payment and shipping in the setup wizard, you can do it now under WooCommerce → Settings.
For Payments:
- Enable PayPal, Stripe, or manual payment methods
- Test each payment method using sandbox/test mode
For Shipping:
- Create zones for domestic or international shipping
- Add flat rates or real-time carrier rates
- Decide if you’ll offer free shipping on orders over a certain amount
This is also where you set your tax preferences and checkout options.
Step 7: Customize Your Store with Elementor
Now it’s time to make your store feel like a real brand.
Install the Elementor page builder plugin to customize your:
- Homepage
- Product pages
- About and Contact pages
- Blog posts (if you plan to use content marketing)
Elementor lets you drag and drop everything into place. You don’t need any coding knowledge to build a clean, mobile-friendly storefront.
You can also install plugins for:
- Email marketing (Mailchimp/ActiveCampaign)
- SEO (Rank Math)
- Security (Wordfence)
- Analytics (Google Site Kit)
Step 8: Test Your Store Before Launch
Before going live, always place a test order to check:
- Does your checkout page work?
- Are emails being sent to the customer and admin?
- Are your shipping rates calculating correctly?
- Does payment processing go through?
You can do this with a real purchase or using WooCommerce’s built-in test modes.
Fix any issues now because once you launch, customers expect things to work.
Step 9: Launch Your Store
Once everything is tested, it’s time to launch.
- Remove any demo content
- Make sure your site is indexed in search engines
- Connect Google Analytics and Search Console
- Start sending traffic to your store with social media or ads
Congratulations, you now have a fully functioning WooCommerce store built on InMotion Hosting.
Final Thoughts
Building your own online store might seem complicated, but with InMotion Hosting, WordPress, and WooCommerce, it’s completely doable, even for beginners. You get full control, lower monthly costs, and a flexible store you can grow over time. Use this guide as your step-by-step checklist, and take it one task at a time. You’ll be surprised how quickly your store comes together.
