Robust, conveniently scalable, fully (and easily) customizable... What else? Oh, yes, it should definitely be a 2-in-1: CMS & e-commerce platform. This is pretty much how your “wishlist” looks now when you're choosing the best eCommerce solution for your website, right? Would you be able to check off all the “wishes” listed there if you want to build a Drupal eCommerce website?
That is the question!
What makes Drupal not just a good choice, nor just the best one, but the most SUITABLE one for your own e-commerce site?
One that would meet all its needs (quick and easy integration with third-party systems, a flexible content editing process, easy to control SEO etc.)?
Well, here's OPTASY team's top 10 good reasons why you should “bet on” Drupal:
1. It Shortens Your E-Commerce Site's Development Time
And it's pretty much... self-evident:
Compared to a standalone eCommerce platform (e.g. Prestashop or Magento), with Drupal you get Drupal Commerce built right on top of it!
Built, from the ground up, to seamlessly integrate with your CMS.
In short: with Drupal (&Drupal Commerce) you get one tightly integrated platform system simultaneously serving as a content management system and as an e-commerce platform.
Save the time you'd otherwise invest in:
- custom-integrating a CMS with your standalone eCommerce platform
- making them “play well” with one other
- “joggling” with 2 platforms (or a 2-platform system, if you prefer) instead of one and investing twice as much time and effort in their ongoing management and maintenance
2. It "Plays Nicely" With Third-Party Systems
And this is not even an advantage, but a vital functionality drawing a line between effective and ineffective e-commerce solutions.
As a (current or future) e-commerce website owner, your “jam-packed” list of specific needs does include integrating systems and apps such as:
- Paypal
- Verisign
- Authorize.net
… and so on and extending your site's functionality all while enriching user experience, right?
Luckily, Drupal, and implicitly Drupal Commerce, integrates seamlessly with third-party getaways via RESTful API!
3. It's Both Free and Open Source
One of the many valid answers to your “Why Drupal for ecommerce use?” could be:
“Because it's free to use!”
Moreover, by being open source, the no-fee feature doesn't translate into poorly supported modules!
With Drupal, you don't have the “premium plugins” concept otherwise specific to WordPress or Magento, yet you still get to explore a plethora of free modules.
Modules which, moreover, are backed up by a worldwide Drupal community.
In a few words: you get default “premium” modules without the price tag on!
4. A Drupal Commerce-Powered Site Is Conveniently Easy to Handle
And this “convenience” derives from 2 major “requirements” that your future Drupal ecommerce website easily meets:
- that it should empower you and your team to operate with one set of tools only
- that this “toolkit” put at your disposal — which you'll be using for carrying out specific admin tasks — should include flexible and fully configurable tools only
Checked, checked!
5. You Get a 2-in-1: CMS & Ecommerce Platform
And this might just be one of the strongest arguments to build a Drupal eCommerce website!
Not only that Drupal Commerce
- is built on Drupal, from the ground up, deeply “rooted“ in it
- which enables it to explore and exploit the CMS's power to the fullest
... but it's actually the ONLY commerce platform built on a CMS!
And this translates into:
- a unified, rich and seamless user experience
- less development and maintenance time resources for you to invest
6. You Get to Leverage Its Granular User (and Role) Management System
And this is, indeed, a superpower that Drupal puts in your hands!
Basically, you're given full control over who's accessing what, over which functionalities and features (from your CMS and your online shop) your:
- team members (who are granted different user roles and levels of permission)
- and your site visitors
… gain access to.
7. It Streamlines Your SEO Efforts
It's quite obvious that a tightly integrated platform grants you easier control over your entire SEO strategy. As compared to a 2-platform system.
It streamlines your efforts to constantly improve the customer journey on your online store.
8. Why build a Drupal eCommerce Website? 'Cause It's Flexible
Needless to stress out this feature even more: Drupal's already way “too” famous for its modular nature empowering users to configure and to “custom-tune” their websites to meet their needs to the slightest detail!
Add on new modules, mix and match them to your liking and use Drupal's modular power to the fullest!
9. It's Conveniently Extensible: It Seamlessly Accommodates Sites of All Sizes
Another strong reason for building a Drupal eCommerce website: it seamlessly adapts to all sizes and levels of complexity.
Hence, whether it's:
- a small ecommerce site handling basic transactions
- or a content-heavy, high trafficked ecommerce website
... that you're building, Drupal's got you covered!
It's built to effortlessly power all sites, large or small!
10. It's a Content-Driven Ecommerce Solution
Since Drupal is, primarily, a content management system!
And content is the driving force of any successful e-commerce site or, better put: all e-commerce efforts are centred on content!
With Drupal and the ecommerce software deeply integrated within — Drupal Commerce — you're empowered to:
- deliver a rich and unified user experience on your site
- … by easily linking your products/services to corresponding content (descriptions, banners, icons...) that tells the story behind and creates added value
And it's content that engages your customers, that ultimately drives sales and builds brand loyalty! That builds communities.
END of the list! These are, in our opinion, the 10 reasons strong enough to tip the balance in favour of choosing Drupal for your ecommerce website!
