Table of Contents
Do you want to convert your Drupal website into an online store? Well, when you compare Drupal with WordPress, the latter has WooCommerce for creating eStores. Drupal, like WordPress, is also one of the leading website builders. And it offers Drupal Commerce as an alternative to WooCommerce.
Drupal Commerce seamlessly integrates with the Drupal CMS, providing a powerful foundation for building feature-rich online stores. So the web development services can do everything from crafting engaging product descriptions to a good shopping UX.
In this blog, we will dive into Drupal Commerce along with its setup and workings. So, let’s dive into the world of Drupal Commerce and unleash its true potential.
What is Drupal Commerce?
Drupal Commerce is an open-source eCommerce platform that integrates with the Drupal CMS. It’s designed to empower merchants to build flexible, customizable online stores and digital commerce experiences.
Drupal Commerce provides a framework for creating online stores with features like product catalogs, shopping carts, checkout processes, and payment integration.
One of the key strengths of Drupal Commerce is its flexibility and extensibility. It leverages the modular architecture of Drupal. So the developers can customize and extend its functionality to meet specific business requirements. This flexibility makes it suitable for everything from small stores to massive marketplaces.
Key Features of Drupal Commerce:
Out of the box, Drupal Commerce offers a robust set of features to manage your online store effectively, which includes:
- Product Management: Effortlessly create product types with custom attributes for product details, and manage the product catalog with ease.
- Pricing and Promotions: Set up multiple currencies, having intricate pricing rules and discounts for attracting customers and boosting sales.
- International Sales Ready: Drupal Commerce supports international sales with built-in multilingual and multicurrency capabilities.
- Order Management: It efficiently manages orders, tracks them, and fulfills orders without hassle.
- Payment Processing: Integrate with a wide range of payment options to accept secure payments from customers.
- Built-in Tax Management: Drupal Commerce has built-in tax calculations including support for EU VAT, Swiss VAT, and Canadian GST.
This featured rich services provided by Drupal Commerce make it one of the best options for elevating your business to the next level. But why do the Drupal developers go for this module?
Benefits of Using Drupal Commerce
Drupal Commerce offers a range of benefits with respect to flexibility, scaling, extensive integration, and a lot more with it being open-source.
Unmatched Flexibility and Customization
Drupal Commerce is known for its flexibility. The modular approach makes it a lot simpler to customize your store exactly how you need with functionality that is important for your website.
Effortless Scaling for Growth
Drupal Commerce can be scaled as per your business growth. So, if you’re starting out with a small product catalog or you have a large store, it can easily be scaled with industry growth.
Cost-Effective Open-Source Solution
Being open-source means that Drupal Commerce is free to use and modify. Offers you a lot of control over your store and customization for your specific needs. A large community of developers who contribute to Drupal Commerce makes it easy to find help and support if you need it.
Extensive Integrations
With extensible integration modules, it makes Drupal Commerce a powerful eCommerce platform. You can integrate your store with various payment gateways. That allows you to create a comprehensive eCommerce solution that fits right with your unique business needs.
Mobile-Friendly Design
In today’s mobile-centric world, it prioritizes responsiveness. Your online store will function flawlessly on mobile devices, ensuring a seamless shopping experience for your customers. That increases ever-growing mobile commerce and helps you maximize your sales.
With these flawless advantages offered by Drupal Commerce, it is not only cost-effective but also secure. That makes it a perfect option for commercial websites.
But if you’re not satisfied with this module, you can hire our dedicated Drupal development experts for custom modules.
How Does Drupal Commerce Work?
Drupal Commerce works by leveraging the core functionalities of the Drupal content management system (CMS) to create a flexible and customizable eCommerce platform. Here’s an overview of how Drupal Commerce typically functions:
Product Creation and Management
Just like adding content to your Drupal website, you can create detailed descriptions for each product. Upload photos to showcase your offerings in the best way possible, and categorize them for better customer experience. You can define product variations like sizes, colors, or materials that increase choices for customers. It also allows flexible pricing structures to accommodate special offers, discounts, or even wholesale pricing.
Shopping Cart
A shopping cart shows products added to the cart by the customer. With a simple click, they can add items to the cart and can access them easily at the time of ordering. Just like filling a physical cart, they can adjust quantities, remove items, or get the total order value before they proceed to checkout.
Checkout Process
You can create the checkout process to include the necessary steps for your business like entering shipping information or choosing a payment option. So, customers can review order details and be ensured before finalizing the purchase.
Payment Gateways
Drupal Commerce integrates with a wide range of popular payment gateways, offering customers a range of options. So that they can securely pay using their preferred methods like credit cards, debit cards, or digital wallets.
Order Management
Once the order is placed, Drupal Commerce lets you track the order, process payments, and ensure process security. Efficient order management keeps your business running smoothly and your customers happy. The tracking updates foster trust and loyalty for your online store.
Drupal Commerce provides a robust platform for building and managing online stores. You get the flexibility, scalability, and customization to meet the diverse needs of the eCommerce industry.
Want modules like Drupal Commerce on your website?
How to Set Up Drupal Commerce?
As evident from the previous section, setting up Drupal Commerce involves multiple key elements. This step-by-step guide equips you with the knowledge to set up your very own Drupal Commerce store. Whether you’re a developer or new to online business, this guide will walk you through the entire process, from installation to configuration.
Let’s begin the setup with this guide:
Step 1: Preparation
Before you start the installation part of the process, some preparations need to be made. Let’s take a look.
- Ensure you have a Drupal website: Drupal Commerce is a module that needs to be installed on an existing Drupal website. If you don’t have one, you’ll need to install Drupal first.
- Basic understanding of Drupal: Having some familiarity with Drupal’s interface and navigation will be helpful. There are tutorials and documentation available to get you acquainted with Drupal basics.
- Choose a hosting provider: Select from the best Drupal hosting services. Your chosen service should support Drupal and PHP and be according to your site requirements.
Step 2: Installation and Configuration
After the prep work is done, you can start the installation process.
- Install the Drupal Commerce module: Log in to your Drupal administration panel. Navigate to “Extend” and then “Modules.” Search for “Commerce” and install the “Commerce” module. There could be additional modules required depending on your specific needs (e.g., address field module).
- Configure core settings: Once installed, access the “Commerce” configuration menu from the Drupal administration panel. Here, you’ll need to configure essential settings like:
- Currencies: Define the currencies you want to accept in your store.
- Tax Rules: Set up tax rates based on your location and product types.
- Product Variations: Configure options for managing product variations like size, color, etc.
Step 3: Product Management
Define the types of products you want to sell on your e-commerce site (e.g., physical products, digital downloads, services). You can create custom product types and define product attributes such as size, color, and price variations.
- Add products: Start adding your products to the store. This involves:
- Creating product types: If your products have different characteristics, you can define custom product types (e.g., physical products, digital downloads).
- Adding product information: Provide details like product name, description, SKU, and weight.
- Uploading images: Add high-quality product images to showcase your offerings.
- Setting prices: Define the price for each product, including options for sales or promotions.
- Managing Stock: Indicate your stock levels for each product to avoid overselling.
This can be done under the “Store” > “Products” section in the Drupal admin menu.
Step 4: Payment Gateway Integration
Select a secure payment gateway service that integrates with Drupal Commerce. Popular options include Stripe, PayPal, and Authorize.net.
Follow the instructions provided by your chosen payment gateway to integrate it with your Drupal Commerce store. This involves obtaining API keys and configuring settings within the Drupal Commerce administration panel.
Step 5: Shipping Configuration
- Define shipping zones: Create different shipping zones based on geographical locations.
- Set up shipping rates: Define shipping rates for each zone. You can offer flat rates, weight-based rates, or real-time shipping calculations.
- Configure shipping options: Provide various shipping options (e.g., standard, expedited) with associated costs and estimated delivery times.
Note: This is a general guide, and the specific steps might vary depending on your chosen modules and configurations. If you need any help, you can read the official Drupal Commerce docs or opt for our Drupal consulting services.
FAQs About Drupal Commerce
Conclusion
Drupal Commerce stands as a versatile and powerful solution for businesses seeking to establish a robust online presence. With its foundation built upon the flexible Drupal CMS, Drupal Commerce offers a myriad of features and customization options. It caters to the diverse needs of eCommerce ventures, from small startups to large enterprises.
From seamless product management to secure payment integration, Drupal Commerce is the perfect toolkit for eCommerce development. Its modular architecture enables businesses to adapt and extend functionality as needed. That ensures scalability and flexibility as operations grow and evolve.
So, do you want Drupal Commerce and other modules in your project? Then have a consultation with our Drupal experts today!
