Shopware – modular e-commerce shop system

Shopware is one of the most widely operating shop systems, used specifically to develop complex online shops. Since 2004 the platform has been available for free as an open-source application. In the meantime, however, there have been added additional fee-based tools and modules for professional online shops, which are great caterers to individual requirements for customers. What stands out about Shopwar is that the frontend and backend code is not combined as usual, but instead are made separately from each other. The content is displayed in an optimized way through the interfaces. The range of online viewers is immense, this way, all content can appear on media through Shopware, such as web browsers, smartphones, Smart TV.

ShopwareAG was founded in Schöppingen, North Rhine-Westphalia by Stefan Hamann which was 16 years old at the time. He established the small initial family company, which started with 200 employees. His brother, Sebastian Hamann, contributed to enriching the company by implementing his design skills. As a result, Shopware is distinguished to this day, with a balanced equilibrium between technology and design. Due to the vast growth of Shopware, the company became conscious that it had to do more to cater and implement various services for each customer. All this resulted in forming the Community and Enterprise Editions in 2010. Their international breakthrough happened in 2016, with an increasing number of customers throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Whether you want to start a small start-up or perhaps a large company, Shopware is the ideal solution for your e-commerce projects. There are customized offers for every company’s requirement, which modify accordingly to different budgets and needs.

The Shopware Community Edition is intended for small online shops. There’s no boundary for items and services that can be added, but keep in mind that no individual customer support is provided in this case. However, depending on your shop’s demands, at all times you can book individual extension services and tools. For larger and more complex online shops the Professional Edition is the version that will suit you best. Furthermore, the Enterprise Edition can be used for shops in large companies. The developers should be available to advise you around the clock, where you can also require individual advice at any time.

Depending on which package you choose, there are different costs for Shopware. The open-source version is available to everyone for free. However, additional plugins and extensions have to be paid. If needed, the fee-based Professional and Enterprise Editions can be booked separately. The shop operator can purchase the software for EUR 2,495. Various tools and services are integrated, essential for building a well-functioning shop. It is also possible for you to rent these packages for a fixed monthly price. Furthermore, you can claim customer support in different versions. Depending on whether you choose the Silver or Diamond subscription version or others, the costs will alter from package to package.

Everything depends on how you use Shopware. If you pay a one-time fixed price, no additional costs will be charged extra for the software. Even in the rental version, only what’s agreed previously will continue to be paid monthly. However, there may be additional costs for the various customer supports that need to be booked individually. Depending on the desired version, the costs vary from 69 EUR to 149 EUR per month. If you choose the Enterprise Edition, the most expensive Diamond subscription will be added to this package.

Above all, Shopware is strongly characterized by its multiple functions. The most important function is “storytelling.” This allows advertisements, designs, landing pages, and much more to be independently adapted to certain online shops. The customers discover the recognition value of your shop, therefore encouraging them to buy more products on your shop. With the help of the Multichannel software, the online shop can perform a professional and trustworthy impression. Pages can be translated into several languages making it simpler for users to window-shop.

Furthermore, the operator contains all the necessary information on delayed delivery or payment reminders. One of the most important aspects, however, is that they can be found on Google. That is why Shopware ensures you various SEO tools to optimize your site in a “google-friendly” manner.

For these extensions and functions to be integrated without errors, it is important to know which systems and programs Shopware is compatible with. Since Shopware was developed with PHP, a MySQL database is required. Based on this, an online shop can then be created. The basis alone gives you an administrative and authoritative view of your online shop, and all the development associated with it. Once this basis has been created, all other functions can then be added using the interfaces. These services include payment providers such as PayPal, Klarna or all other credit card providers. Other extensions such as newsletters or blogs can be added depending on the operator’s needs.

Another interface that can be used for ideal marketing is that between Amazon and Shopware. Your online shop developed by Shopware can be connected to your own Amazon account. The customer, therefore, has the opportunity to order your products from Amazon, which is proven to generate traffic. This is important because linking Amazon with your shop will significantly expand your array of customers. The interfaces do not have to be linked only in Amazon. You can also link your shop to other high-reach platforms such as eBay, Rakuten, and many more, according to which platform your customers are most likely to use.

Despite the wide variety of functions, the disadvantages of Shopware have to be considered. What stands out above all is that Shopware is more suitable for large companies despite the many offers. For the free version, many tools have to be booked additionally, which is why it is often not worthwhile. The Enterprise Edition requires a high level of cost and effort. However, it must be noted that there is a lot on offer for this.

Because Shopware offers the operator plenty of room for maneuver and independence, the backend can be used by beginners without any experience. If necessary, pre-installed templates can be used. This reduces the amount of work that would otherwise result in creating the design from scratch. It is also amazing that Shopware tries to take every customer’s need into account. Although some tools have to be booked additionally for the free version, these services are not always necessary for small start-ups. On the other hand, the Enterprise Edition is worthwhile despite the high costs.

If you want to know more about e-commerce development platforms or apps, read our blog posts for Shopify and Shopware. Our dedicated outsourcing team can be your collaborator in ecommerce.