"... wanna run eCommerce on Drupal 8 but don't know if it's a good idea."
But is Drupal good for eCommerce?
And, most of all:
Is it better suited for your own online business needs and feature requirements than other eCommerce platforms out there?
Some legitimate questions you're struggling with there…
To give you a hand, here's a list of 11 excellent reasons why you'd lean towards Drupal eCommerce solutions for building your e-commerce site.
Reason #1: You're in Full Control of the Source Code to Make Any Changes You Want
In other words, you don't need to convince the vendor first that the changes you need to make are beneficial for him/her.
You're free to extend Drupal eCommerce platform's core functionality, to adapt, and extend its code till it meets your needs entirely.
… till it integrates perfectly into that specific software that you use.
Which is not the case when you go for a commercial solution: you're not granted access to the core code for any custom software development work that you might need to make.
Of course, this "reason" becomes a really strong selling point only if/when:
- you have non-standard business requirements
- it's a large, complex eCommerce website that you're building
Reason #2: Your eStore Grows With Drupal
Drupal scales with your business... effectively.
And by that I mean that it's designed to keep the resources and the time required to handle your online store's growth at a minimum.
Being:
- flexible by nature (its open-source nature)
- powered by the API-first initiative
… Drupal eCommerce solutions make the best choice if "scalability" is on top of your list of requirements.
Reason #3: You Get to Reach Out to Your Customers Across Multiple Channels
"Is Drupal good for eCommerce?"
It becomes the perfect option for your own eCommerce website if you're planning to reach out to your customers across an entire network of sales channels, thus boosting your digital marketing efforts.
Let's say you have your main/central eCommerce website and you need to pull content from there and to distribute it across a whole ecosystem of channels — eCommerce apps, digital kiosks, conversational interfaces — and devices.
Then, the API-first initiative allows you to tap into a headless commerce Drupal architecture and:
- use Drupal as a back-end content repository
- configure your content to fit all types of formats and reuse it whenever (and wherever) needed
- increase your outreach
- incorporate business automation into your development team's workflow: help them work smart and achieve more
Reason #4: You Get to Deliver Content-Driven eCommerce Experiences
With Drupal, you get the best of both worlds:
- an eCommerce platform (by integrating one of its specialized eCommerce modules into the content management system)
- a content platform
And this is what makes it ideal for:
- tapping into the experience-led eCommerce model
- getting the most out of your content marketing efforts (think blog posts, effectively interconnected product pages, user guides, etc.)
Reason #5: You're Free to Integrate Any Third-Party Service into Your Online Store
From:
- marketing platforms
- to analytics services
- to payment gateways of your choice (there are 80+ payment options available with Drupal Commerce)
- to third-party add-ons that would automate your team's tasks and boost their productivity (while boosting online sales, as well)
… Drupal & its eCommerce component accommodates any type of integrations you need to make.
Reason #6: "Is Drupal Good for eCommerce?" It Is for Delivering High-Speed eCommerce Experiences
Just think… real-time shopping cart updates.
Or pretty much any action that your customers would need to carry out on your eCommerce site, then turbocharge it with top speed.
A decoupled Drupal Commerce setup (add the JavaScript framework of your choice here) enables you to deliver such type of dynamic user experiences.
Reason #7: You Have No Limits to How Much You Can Extend Your Drupal 8 eCommerce Website
Drupal Commerce can grow as much as your business needs.
Whether you need to integrate:
- a whole network of third-party systems
- a whole lot of contributed modules
- an eCommerce Drupal distribution (a bundle of multiple modules)
- a Drupal eCommerce theme
… and extend your eCommerce store's functionality, there's no limit to what you can incorporate into your Drupal eCommerce website.
Reason #9: You Benefit from an Extremely Configurable eCommerce Solution
"Whereas eCommerce solutions are often developed with an application mindset, highlighting what you can do with it out of the box, Drupal eCommerce solutions were developed with a framework mindset, focusing on what you can build with them." (Source: Drupal.org)
Basically, you're free to customize every little piece of your Drupal 8 eCommerce site, till it:
- delivers that unique shopping experience you want it to
- meets all your ultra-personalized requirements: to trigger certain actions based on user input, to display multiple tax rates, to have an out-of-the-ordinary checkout flow, etc.
Here, it's up to you and it depends on what you need to build:
Are you looking for a cookie-cutter eCommerce solution, that would help you get a generic webshop up and running in no time? Or do you want unlimited customization freedom, that comes at the cost of… investing more time in writing custom code?
Reason #10: You're Free to Sell Both Physical and Digital Goods
And that thanks to Drupal Commerce's flexibility:
It provides you with the functionality you need to start building your product catalog and selling your digital products — subscriptions, tickets, online courses, etc. — on your online store.
A key aspect to consider when comparing the features of your best options in terms of eCommerce platforms in 2020.
Reason #11: You Can Make the Most of the Granular and Differential Access to Content
Drupal allows you to define different roles for your team members and to assign several levels of permission to each role.
Not everyone would then be authorized to edit content, add products, manage orders, publish content, etc.
This way you get to:
- set up a convenient hierarchy
- harden your online store's security
So, Is Drupal Good for eCommerce?
Maybe a more appropriate question would be:
"Is Drupal the right solution for my eCommerce business?"
It might be...
And these 11 reasons mentioned here do become the best arguments for you to choose it over another platform (Ubercart, Prestashop, Shopify…) if:
- it's a growing or an already established eCommerce business that you run (otherwise, all that configuration and custom work might be an overkill for a small business)
- you have complex feature needs for your online store: you need to integrate it with coupon rules, several backend systems, and so on
Do you fit the eCommerce business owner "profile"?
For we do fit the profile of that Drupal eCommerce agency and development company you're looking for, capable to tweak it till it fits your complex requirements to the slightest detail.
Just challenge us and see how Drupal eCommerce solutions can accelerate business outcomes.
