Quick Implementation of Ecommerce Store with Drupal and Shopify
If you own a business that has an online presence, there are chances that you may be thinking of adding an e-commerce functionality to your website at a minimum upfront investment and less go-to-market time. In this article, we will explain how it is possible to quickly add an e-commerce functionality to your product listing website using Shopify.
Consider this use case. John runs a boutique business in New York. His business does have a website (say johnsboutique.com) built on Drupal that has a reasonably good listing on search engines. His website lists products available in his store. John gets about 30-50 product inquiries a week. So he figures he will open up an online store. But, being new to this domain, he wants to keep his investments low to lower business risks. He is also working on a tight time frame. The store needs to be launched in 3 weeks, ie before the next festive season. He also needs to preserve his good listings on Search Engine Result Pages(SERP).
Combination of CMS, E-commerce and SaaS
Platforms
As the solution needs to be implemented in a short span of time, it’s better to go for a CMS-E-commerce-SaaS combination. Continuing with Drupal will ensure that the digital marketing capabilities of the platform are utilized to the maximum possible extent. SaaS Platforms will ensure that initial investments are on the lower side. He can scale later on according to his need. Shopify, one of the most preferred SaaS e-commerce system for SMB can be used. Shopify comes with a handful of features that are needed for an online store.
Implementation Model
Implementing Shopify and Drupal side-by-side is the best option that can be adopted by John. He can use his Drupal website as a Digital marketing platform. The products can still be listed on the Drupal platform. This will preserve existing listings also. Shopify ‘Buy Now’ buttons can be integrated on Drupal website. Once a user clicks on the ‘Buy Now’ button, he will be taken to the product page in Shopify. From there, the customer can add the product to cart and complete the purchase.
Store Management
In this model, the product portfolio management will be done on the Shopify platform itself. Product details updated in Shopify will get synchronized to Drupal product pages. The new Shopify store will be configured to meet country-specific requirements like currency, shipping service, language etc.
Advantages of this Model
- Less go-to-market time: As there are not much developmental efforts, e-commerce portal can be made live in few weeks.
- Low upfront investment: As Shopify delivers its service as a monthly subscription, there is no need to invest a big amount upfront for development.
- Scalable system: Shopify platforms can be scaled according to business growth. To start with, Shopify basic can be subscribed. Later can be upgraded to higher plans. This model also facilitates launching new stores in short span of time.
- Maximizes the value of both platforms: This model will help to get the best of both Drupal and Shopify. Drupal for Digital Marketing capabilities and Shopify for E-commerce SaaS feature.
Like two sides of a coin, this model has advantages as well as disadvantages. However, if you are just starting to sell online, this model can be adopted. Once you have reached a considerable scale, you will have to consider a more advanced implementation using Drupal and Drupal Commerce. It gives you the freedom for advanced e-commerce customizations. If you are considering on a multi-country e-commerce portal, read "building a multi-country e-commerce portal using Drupal and Shopify". Are you looking for an expert e-commerce agency to boost up your online business? Talk to our experts today itself.
