Introducing our exciting new WooCommerce Image Preview plugin
At long last, the wait is over! The long-anticipated 'WooCommerce Image Preview' add-on is here to revolutionize the way your customers interact with your products.
We're thrilled to announce the release of a new 'Live Preview' add-on for our popular WooCommerce Product Options plugin. If you've ever tuned into our Ask Barn2 Anything livestreams, you'll know just how high this feature is on our customers' wish list. It is now available and ready to use for adding WooCommerce image previews to your store.
What is a WooCommerce image preview?
An image preview allows customers in your WooCommerce store to see exactly how a personalized product will look, before they order it.
- Real-time image overlays: Imagine your customers' delight when they can upload a file, such as a company logo, and see it seamlessly overlay the main product image. Whether it's a t-shirt, mug, or tote bag, the ability to visualize their custom design in real-time enhances their confidence and satisfaction.
- Customizable preview windows: When customers upload images to a file upload field with image preview enabled, a 'Customize' window opens. This allows them to add their uploaded images to designated printable areas, where they can re-position and re-size the image until it looks perfect. This customized preview is then attached to the order, providing a clear guide for the store owner to ensure the final product matches the customer's vision.
- Flexible printable areas: Store owners can define specific printable areas on the product image to ensure designs fit perfectly within the desired space. Whether it's a rectangle on the front of a t-shirt, a circle on a coaster, or a custom shape, this feature guarantees that the final product looks exactly as intended.
How to get started with the image preview plugin
It's easy to add WooCommerce image previews to your store, whether or not you're already using WooCommerce Product Options.
New users
When you purchase WooCommerce Product Options, you now have the choice to buy it as a 2-plugin bundle with the Live Preview add-on. Get this option.
When you install WooCommerce Product Options and activate your license key, the WooCommerce Live Preview addon will silently be installed in the background.
Existing WooCommerce Product Options users
If you're already using WooCommerce Product Options, then you need to upgrade your license to choose a bundle which includes the image preview add-on. You just pay the difference between what you already paid and the cost of the new bundle.
Once you've done that, WooCommerce Product Options will automatically detect that your license key now includes the image preview add-on. This will display a dashboard notice in the WordPress admin, prompting you to click a button to install it.
How to add image previews to your store
Once you've got a WordPress site with both WooCommerce Product Options and the new add-on installed, it's time to start adding image previews to your store. Follow these instructions:
- First, go to the 'Media' section of the WordPress Dashboard and click on one of the images that you want to use the image preview on.
- Click the 'Set printable areas' button.
- This will open a modal window allowing you to add one or more printable areas to the image. Set the areas as needed. If you want to use the same printable areas for multiple products then there are several ways to do this:
- Enable the 'Extend to variation images' checkbox to use the same printable area for all the variation images of the same product.
- Alternatively, save and close the 'Set printable areas' model to return to the previous screen. Next to the 'Set printable areas' button, you will see 'Copy' and 'Paste' buttons. Use the 'Copy' button to copy the printable areas from the current image to your clipboard, then navigate to another image and click 'Paste'.
- Now go to Products → Product Options and add or edit an option group:
- Choose which products/categories will have the file upload field, or enable it storewide.
- Add a file upload field. This will automatically have the 'Enable live preview' checkbox enabled, and there's also an option to modify the 'Customize' button text which appears on the product page.
- Open the 'Advanced' section for the file upload field and disable all the non-image file types (e.g. PDF). That's because the image preview only works for image file types.
- You can also control other details like the maximum number of files that customers can upload. For example, if you've added 3 printable areas to a t-shirt then you should allow at least 3 files to be uploaded.
That's it! The WooCommerce image preview will now work for all of your products which use the file upload field and have images with printable areas.
Transforming customer experience with WooCommerce image preview
The introduction of the WooCommerce Image Preview add-on marks a significant step forward in enhancing user experience in WooCommerce stores. By allowing customers to visualize their designs in real-time, we aim to reduce uncertainties and boost satisfaction. This caters to a growing demand for customizable products and product configurators.
Benefits for store owners
In a market where customization options are increasingly sought after, offering a WooCommerce image preview can be a game-changer. It not only meets the customers' desire for personalized products but also provides store owners with a powerful tool to ensure customer satisfaction and reduce returns.
For store owners, offering WooCommerce image previews adds flexibility while increasing customer satisfaction:
- Increased sales: By providing customers with a clear visualization of their custom designs, you can increase conversion rates and reduce cart abandonment.
- Enhanced customer satisfaction: Customers are more likely to be satisfied with their purchase when they can see a preview of the final product, leading to fewer returns and exchanges.
- Streamlined production: With the preview attached to the order, production teams have a clear guide to follow, reducing the risk of errors and ensuring a smooth workflow.
What about text previews?
Due to the number of customers who were eagerly waiting for an image preview plugin, we wanted to release it without delay. As a result, version 1 of the plugin includes image previews but not text previews. However, we know that lots of you also want text previews!
Now version 1 is released, we will continue adding features to it. The next big feature will be the ability to preview text which the customer has added to a 'Text' or 'Paragraph' field in WooCommerce Product Options. For example, this will be useful for customizable product with printed text or custom engraving. It will also be useful for previewing personalized greetings cards. We will start work on the text preview straight away and hope to release it in the next few months.
We'll add the text preview feature to a future version of the Live Preview add-on. This means that existing users will get the text preview for no extra cost.
Where to get the WooCommerce image preview add-on
As you can see, the new product image preview add-on is a must-have for any store looking to enhance the customization options for their products. It not only improves the shopping experience but also boosts customer confidence and satisfaction. Don't miss out on the opportunity to elevate your e-commerce store with this innovative new tool.
Get WooCommerce Product Options with Live Preview today! Like all our plugins, it comes with a full 30-day money back guarantee so you can try it on your site risk-free.
Embrace the future of ecommerce customization with the WooCommerce image preview add-on and see how it transforms your business 🚀