Migration in any context is always a cause for concern, but in the world of digital commerce it can cause stress levels to go through the roof. If you are thinking about migrating to a new platform, this article will go over some of the important reasons why I think you should be switching to Shopware. I believe that Shopware offers the best customization available,and if you need everything from a 100% turnkey operation to a completely tailored solution, with almost infinite permutations, read on!
When?
Most popular ecommerce platforms are built around simplicity, mainly for new business owners dipping their toe into the online world.
There are many platforms available and each one has its own pros and cons. You have to choose the best solution for you and your business, especially if you have unique requirements.
You chose what you thought was a good match to your business and your budget, and the platform provided exactly what you needed at first.
Perhaps you upgraded your subscription for better functionality and more storage as the business progressed.
Then little problems start to appear, slow loading speeds, bounce rates increasing, competitors copying your successful business model.
What can you do if your original platform has reached the end of its usefulness, or just can’t provide exactly what you want?
Consider migration, and start to answer the 14 or so decision point steps needed to make a successful move.
Why?
Speed and performance
Patience is not a virtue in ecommerce. Customers disappear when it takes too long to load a page, and off they go to another site. They expect a quick, responsive website so they can zoom in on their needs.
Shopware will ensure that your pages load fast, even during the high traffic times. Given that more than half of all searches are done on mobile devices, Shopware partnered with Twig, a high performance engine that compiles templates down to plain, optimized PHP code for increased speed over all devices.
Top level security
Handling and storing data, especially those of your customers, is vital to the continued operation of your company.
Shopware offers a free security plugin with updates when necessary, for quick and easy protection. Applying the plugin to your system will close any possible security gaps.
Customization
If you want to stand out from the competition, Shopware has an astonishing array of options, from cloud based to self managed, 100% turnkey to bespoke solutions and everything in between. It’s like using an equalizer on an expensive hifi, with almost infinite settings to choose from.
Themeware
Shopware also offers a service called themeware which consists of over 500 configurations for your site, along with instructional videos and online courses to show how it all goes together.
It comes already optimized for SEO and pagespeed, and is highly precise for color and function adjustment to match your brand.
Scalability
Shopware has a complex network of developers, agencies and tech vendors who work together to produce a range of services for the merchants, each one needing to pass the strict requirements of Shopware’s benchmarks of security and functionality.
As your needs increase and your business grows, Shopware will be right beside you with the latest trends and plugins to match your requirements.
The future
Shopware 6 has been built with the future in mind, with an API approach to functions and extensions. This allows external providers to develop extensions for Shopware and connections to third party integrations, like ERP and payment.
With over 1,200 partner agencies, new APIs are constantly being developed to keep Shopware at the sharp end of the ecommerce market.
Highest levels of automation
Shopware offers Flow Builder, a service that allows even the most complicated business process to be automated without writing a single line of code.
You will be able to save time and resources by creating efficient workflows, and benefit from quicker reaction times.
Pivot your business at any time, from B2C to B2B and D2C when necessary. Who wouldn’t want to gain more control over operations?
Sales channels — where your customers are
Whether you use a classic online store or a combination of store, social media and marketplaces, Shopware helps you to control and monitor every channel you decide to use. And you can use the API to make custom connections to your customers.
Shopware also offers the ability to create a product comparison, exporting your products to comparison portals and marketplaces.
Customer base administration
With a very sleek and easy to operate interface, Shopware’s customer administration tracks all relevant data, including purchases completed and pending, with ease.
Names, addresses and emails will be displayed for the sales channels that the customer originally used for sign up.
Consumers are much more digitally aware than ever before, and they expect the same level of service online as they receive in physical stores. Loyalty rewards, memberships, newsletters and discounts for regular customers will be the icing on the cake.
Conclusion
Shopware is an open source, open code ecommerce platform provider that offers three different signup options depending on the needs of the user.
Based in Europe, it complies with the European laws and standards regarding data protection.
The API backbone provides full flexibility to your business and is future fit. The headless core of the platform allows you to provide top quality services to your clients. The core decouples the front and back ends to allow maximum flexibility and high speed with minimal costs.
In this dynamic industry, Shopware’s SaaS creates a more cohesive experience for users and customers alike.
There are three package options.
Community
If you are at ease with technology and web building, there is a free version, Community, that offers nearly 2,000 extensions and is hosted on your own server. There is no Shopware support directly, but with a global community of over 5,000 users, most problems will be resolved swiftly.
Professional
This version is aimed at small to medium sized businesses, with a 199 euro per month price tag. There is no platform lock in and you can pull out any time.
It comes with full support from Shopware and access to the large network of devs and agencies. If you’re ready for a long term relationship, Shopware offers a one time purchase of the plan for 2,495 euro.
Enterprise
At the cost of 2,495 euro per month, this is a serious choice for large scale businesses, and it comes with your own dedicated account manager, plus all of the other goodies, like extended CMS, Guided Shopping and other powerful features.
It also comes with a one time payment of 39,995 euro.
All good ecommerce platforms come with loads of features designed to help people start an online business, but Shopware shines in its ability to quickly respond to the needs of users and implement new functions.
Ultimately, there is no best solution, but Shopware, with its incredible customization, certainly gets my nod.
It’s worth a good hard look. Best of all, Shopware provides a migration assistant to those who are going for the paid options!
