Looking for a guide on how to create a courier tracking website with WordPress? With WordPress, you can set up a courier tracking website without having to write a single line of code.
Whether you’re a courier service provider, an e-commerce store owner, or a developer working for such organizations, it’s vital to offer a streamlined courier tracking system to customers. In this digital age, a courier tracking website can help your clients know the real-time status of their shipments. If you think creating such a website requires extensive coding skills, we have good news.
How to Create a Courier Tracking Website with WordPress
WordPress, with its vast array of plugins, provides all the tools you need to build a fully-functional courier tracking website. This article will guide you through the step-by-step process of creating a courier tracking website using WordPress.
Step 1: Domain Name and Hosting
Before you can start building your website, you need to purchase a domain name and hosting service. The domain name represents your website’s address, and the hosting service provides the online storage to house your site. Services like Bluehost, SiteGround, and HostGator are popular options offering both domain name registration and hosting packages.
Step 2: Install WordPress
Once you have your domain and hosting, you’ll need to install WordPress. Most hosting providers offer a one-click WordPress installation feature from the control panel. If not, you can manually install WordPress by downloading it from the official WordPress.org site and uploading it to your server.
Step 3: Choose a Suitable Theme
Your website’s appearance plays a crucial role in user experience. WordPress provides a plethora of free and paid themes suitable for a courier tracking website. You can find themes specific to logistics and courier services, or you can use a multipurpose theme. Some themes to consider include Logistics, Transcargo, and Expeditor.
Step 4: Install a Courier Tracking Plugin
This is where the real magic happens. A courier tracking plugin can turn your ordinary website into a fully-functional courier tracking platform. These plugins provide front-end forms for users to enter their tracking number and see the status of their shipments in real-time.
A few plugins to consider are:
- AfterShip – WooCommerce Tracking: This plugin allows you to add tracking numbers to WooCommerce orders, letting your customers track their shipments with various couriers.
- TrackShip: This plugin automatically tracks your shipments with over 150 shipping carriers worldwide. It’s integrated with WooCommerce and updates the order status automatically.
- Advanced Shipment Tracking for WooCommerce: This plugin lets you add tracking information to orders, enabling your customers to track their orders via different shipping providers.
Choose the plugin that suits your needs, install and activate it.
Step 5: Configure Your Tracking Plugin
Each tracking plugin comes with a unique set of configuration settings. Here, you’ll need to enter details like your API Key (which you’ll get when you sign up with the shipping carrier) and choose the shipping carriers you’re using.
Most of these plugins also let you customize the tracking display and email notifications. Take your time to configure these settings to suit your branding and customer needs.
Step 6: Add Tracking Form to Your Website
After configuring your tracking plugin, you’ll need to add the tracking form to your website. Most plugins provide a shortcode that you can place on any page or post where you want the tracking form to appear.
Create a new page, name it something like “Track Your Order,” and insert the provided shortcode. Publish the page, and your customers can now track their orders by entering their tracking number.
Step 7: Testing
Before you go live, test the tracking system to ensure it’s working correctly. Create a dummy order, add a tracking number, and follow the tracking process. Make sure the tracking status updates correctly, and the display on the front-end is satisfactory.
Conclusion
A courier tracking website can be a game-changer for logistics and e-commerce businesses. By leveraging the power of WordPress and the right set of plugins, you can create a fully-functional courier tracking website without any coding skills.
Remember, the success of your courier tracking website not only depends on its functionality but also on its design, speed, security, and usability. Always keep your WordPress, themes, and plugins updated, optimize for speed, install an SSL certificate for security, and make the website user-friendly. With these factors in place, you’ll have a courier tracking website that satisfies your customers’ needs and enhances their experience.
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