buzz. However, managing the visibility of products before their official release is equally important. Whether you’re building anticipation or offering exclusive early access, setting access levels for your “Coming Soon” products can help you control who sees them and when.
In this blog, we’ll explore how to effectively use the WooCommerce product coming soon feature to control access levels for new products. We’ll also walk through the tools you can use, including WooCommerce coming soon product plugins and countdown timers, to create an effective strategy for showcasing your upcoming releases.
Why Should You Set Access Levels for Coming Soon Products?
Controlling access to products before they’re officially available can benefit your store in multiple ways:
- Build Anticipation: By hiding or limiting access to your coming soon product WooCommerce, you can generate excitement and anticipation. Customers will be eager to see the product when it becomes available.
- Exclusive Early Access: Offering early access to a select group, such as VIP customers, can drive loyalty and boost sales. It also allows you to gauge the demand before the official launch.
- Optimize Inventory Management: By controlling product visibility, you can ensure you don’t overcommit to sales until you’re ready with inventory.
- Test New Products: For some products, it may make sense to test them in limited quantities or with specific customer groups before a full release. Setting access levels allows for better control over the testing phase.
How to Set Access Levels for Coming Soon Products in WooCommerce
1. Install a WooCommerce Coming Soon Product Plugin
The first step to efficiently managing WooCommerce product coming soon features is installing a WooCommerce coming soon product plugin. This tool allows you to easily mark products as “coming soon,” control who can see them, and even add countdown timers to generate excitement.
Here are some popular plugins to consider:
- WooCommerce Coming Soon Products: A simple plugin to add a coming soon label to products and limit visibility based on user roles.
- YITH WooCommerce Waiting List: This plugin allows customers to register their interest in a product and get notified when it’s available.
- WooCommerce Product Countdown: This plugin adds a countdown timer to products to show customers when the product will be available.
After installing your chosen plugin, you can configure the settings to control visibility and set access levels.
2. Set Product Visibility to “Coming Soon”
Once you have installed a WooCommerce coming soon product plugin, go to the product page in your WooCommerce dashboard. You can modify visibility settings in two ways:
a. Hide Product from Public View
If you want to hide the product entirely from your store, the best option is to set the product to private or draft mode. This ensures that customers can’t view the product until it is officially launched.
To hide a product:
- Go to Products > All Products in your dashboard.
- Select the product you want to set as “coming soon.”
- In the Publish section, change the product’s status to Draft or Private.
- If you prefer the product to be visible with the “coming soon” label, use the visibility settings offered by the plugin to change the status to “coming soon” without making it fully private.
b. Add a “Coming Soon” Badge
If you want to create excitement while still showing the product on your store, you can add a “coming soon” badge. This approach will allow customers to see the product but understand that it is not yet available for purchase.
Most WooCommerce coming soon product plugins offer an easy way to add badges such as:
- Coming Soon
- Launching Soon
- Out of Stock
This way, customers know that they can expect the product soon but cannot purchase it just yet.
3. Limit Access with User Roles
One effective way to offer early access to certain customers is by controlling product visibility based on user roles. For example, you may choose to give VIP customers or those who have signed up for a waiting list exclusive early access to your coming soon WooCommerce product.
To set up access restrictions for specific user roles:
- Install a plugin like WooCommerce Memberships or WooCommerce Role Based Pricing.
- Use the plugin to assign access to coming soon products based on user roles. For example, only members of the VIP role can see and purchase the product before it’s officially launched.
- Alternatively, you can create a waiting list for customers who sign up to be notified once the product is available.
This creates a sense of exclusivity and encourages customers to engage with your brand.
Adding Countdown Timers to “Coming Soon” Products
A countdown timer is a fantastic way to create urgency and excitement around a coming soon product WooCommerce. By displaying a countdown on the product page, you remind customers when the product will be available, which can encourage pre-orders or sign-ups for notifications.
Many WooCommerce coming soon product plugins come with built-in countdown features, but you can also use standalone plugins like WooCommerce Product Countdown to add this functionality.
Here’s how to add a countdown timer:
- Install a countdown plugin.
- Go to the product page in your WooCommerce dashboard.
- Look for the countdown timer option in the product settings.
- Set the countdown timer to show the product’s release date and time.
This visual countdown not only drives anticipation but also informs customers exactly when they can expect the product to become available.
Managing Inventory with Coming Soon Products
If you’re releasing a limited quantity of a product, managing access and availability is critical. You can set specific stock quantities and use the “coming soon” badge to indicate that only a few units are available for pre-order or exclusive access.
Here’s how to manage limited stock for coming soon products:
- Set Inventory Levels: Make sure your stock is set to reflect the number of units available for pre-order or early access. You can specify the available quantity in the product settings.
- Enable Pre-Orders: Consider using a WooCommerce pre-order plugin to allow customers to place orders for coming soon products before they are officially available. This way, you can start selling and generating revenue before the product is fully launched.
- Manage Waiting Lists: As mentioned earlier, you can add a waiting list option for customers who are interested in the product but can’t access it yet. Once the product is available, you can notify these customers and give them the option to purchase first.
Conclusion
Setting access levels for coming soon WooCommerce products is an excellent way to build excitement, create urgency, and offer exclusive early access to your customers. By using WooCommerce coming soon product plugins, you can easily manage visibility, add countdown timers, and control who can see or purchase your new products. Whether you’re looking to generate buzz with a simple “coming soon” badge or offer early access to VIP customers, these strategies will help you create a successful product launch.
By implementing the right tools and strategies, you can leverage the power of anticipation and exclusivity to boost sales and enhance customer loyalty for your WooCommerce store.