WHITEPAPER
Introducing the FastSpring WordPress Plugin
FastSpring is the first and only Merchant of Record solution with a plugin that integrates seamlessly with WordPress to help you get your online store up and running with all of the powerful ecommerce features you expect from an all-in-one platform. The WordPress ecosystem runs 30% of the entire internet and continues to expand each year. It is powerful, flexible, and community-driven which makes it the perfect fit for the FastSpring plugin.
In this whitepaper you will learn: • • • • •
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Why should I use the FastSpring WordPress plugin? How does the FastSpring WordPress plugin work? What is Store Builder Library? How do I set up the FastSpring WordPress plugin? How do I use the FastSpring WordPress plugin? • How to build your storefront and configure default styles and functionality • How to edit your WordPress pages using the FastSpring plugin Conclusion
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Why should I use the FastSpring WordPress plugin? The FastSpring WordPress plugin enables you to incorporate live, dynamic elements from your FastSpring store directly into your WordPress site. Visitors to your WordPress site can view product descriptions, images, and pricing information and securely complete their purchase‌ all without ever leaving your site. Best of all, you do not need any technical coding skills or rely on your dev resources to set up this integration. Product info, a shopping cart, storefront controls and the payment popup can all be added to your site with just a few clicks. The user-friendly styling tools built into WordPress can be used to customize the appearance of most store elements so the ecommerce experience matches your unique brand.
How does the FastSpring WordPress plugin work? The FastSpring WordPress plugin is a new integration created by FastSpring and powered by our proprietary Store Builder Library (SBL) technology. SBL is a JavaScript API that is inserted into your WordPress pages and loads automatically whenever someone visits your online store. It allows instantaneous, real-time communication between your WordPress pages and your FastSpring store so your site visitors will always experience the most up-to-date information and product offerings in your store. This plugin requires a FastSpring account. You can create a FastSpring account, here.
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What is Store Builder Library?
FastSpring’s Store Builder Library is the engine that enables users to build great digital commerce experiences. It allows you to instantly update your store and products in real-time without assistance from IT or Development teams. It powers dynamic buying experiences like popup checkouts so customers never have to leave your site when they make a purchase. Pricing, language, currency, payment methods and tax regulation are automatically localized for each and every customer around the world. It is completely customizable so you can design the shopping experience that fits your brand and delights your customers.
The Store Builder Library works with the FastSpring WordPress plugin to allow you to make realtime updates to your store directly f rom the WordPress editor. Anyone with knowledge of HTML and CSS—and a FastSpring Contextual Commerce Store—can use SBL to incorporate content from their store into their own web pages. The Store Builder Library can be used in a variety of use cases. For example, SBL can be used to manage your cart session, add products, change quantities, apply coupons, and even offer upsells and cross sells—all from your own web page. The flexibility comes from using the straightforward SBL API. Complete documentation for the Store Builder Library can be found, here. Normally, to add an item to the cart using SBL as in the above example, you would need to be handy with either HTML or else JavaScript (or maybe both). But if you have a WordPress site and the FastSpring WordPress plugin, those web editing skills are not required. By simply choosing some options in the plugin and clicking a button, you can create a button on your WordPress page that will add a product to the cart. The plugin uses proprietary coding to provide you with an easy-to-use interface for the Store Builder Library. Interested in learning more about Store Builder Library? Visit our support documentation, here. Consistent and accurate analysis of your customer base will help you understand the best mix of localized experiences for your business. The plugin uses proprietary coding to provide you with an easy-to-use interface for the Store Builder Library. Interested in learning more about Store Builder Library? Visit our support documentation, here. Consistent and accurate analysis of your customer base will help you understand the best mix of localized experiences for your business.
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How do I set up the FastSpring WordPress plugin? Getting started with the FastSpring WordPress plugin is simple and fast. Follow the steps below to setup the plugin in your WordPress dashboard.
1. Install the FastSpring Plugin for WordPress. • If you need help installing the FastSpring plugin for WordPress, please see WordPress’ documentation on managing plugins, here. 2. From the Dashboard page of your WordPress site, click FastSpring Settings on the left-hand side of the page.
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How do I use the FastSpring WordPress plugin? There are two ways to use the FastSpring WordPress Plugin: 1. Design your storef ront and configure default styles and functionality. 2. Edit your WordPress pages.
Design your storefront and configure default styles and functionality. Once you complete installation of the plugin, your WordPress Dashboard will have a brandnew menu on the left-hand side called FastSpring Settings. This is where you configure your FastSpring Popup storef ront and specify the default functionality and styling for various buttons and other store elements.
Each of the tabs in the FastSpring Settings menu contains fields and settings that control the default style and functionality of a specific type of store element. For example, the Shopping Cart tab lets you set default values for the placement of the shopping cart and the style of some of the buttons contained in the cart. Many of the default values configured in the FastSpring Settings menu can be overridden when you use one of the plugin’s four command buttons to add an element of the specified type to your WordPress page. If you happen to have knowledge of HTML and CSS, you can also make changes to the store elements directly by modifying the code on the Text tab of your WordPress page via the Edit Page screen (e.g. to create a different layout or structure for the page).
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Edit your WordPress pages. From the WordPress dashboard, first click Pages and then click the Edit link for the page you want to modify—just as you would for any edits you make to a WordPress page. With the FastSpring WordPress plugin installed, you will see four new command buttons. See the image below for reference.
Button Name
Description
Insert a button that adds a specific product to the customer’s order / shopping cart, and then either displays the shopping cart or the checkout popup.
Insert product details, including product name, descriptions, product images, pricing information and more.
Insert a button that opens the shopping cart when clicked. This button can be hidden automatically when there are no items in the cart—or can be visible at all times.
Insert a button that launches the secure checkout popup directly. This is useful if you have multiple products on your page and you want customers to be able to select more than one, but you do not necessarily want to display the full shopping cart.
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Clicking one of the command buttons opens a new dialog where you can control the details of the item you are adding to your WordPress page. For example, here is an image of the FastSpring View Cart Buttons dialog:
The default values for most of the functionality and styling of these elements are set in the FastSpring Settings menu, but you can override the defaults by clicking new options in the button dialogs. Once you have added a button or other store element to your page on the Text tab of the Edit Page screen, you can double-click the element’s code to select it, and then click the Visual tab and adjust the style of the selected element using the normal style editing tools.
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Conclusion If you have a WordPress site and a FastSpring store, the FastSpring WordPress Plugin is designed to help you sell software, SaaS, or digital content. You can get up and running within a day, and quickly make updates whenever you need to. If you have any questions or need any help with the plugin, please email support@fastspring.com and include the phrase “WordPress Plugin” in the subject of your message. Or, just submit a ticket via the Contact Support option in the FastSpring Dashboard. Try the FastSpring plugin on your site today. Download the plugin, here!
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