Getting Started with Drupal Commerce: A Beginner's Guide

Drupal Commerce is a user-friendly system developed from tens of thousands of modules. It allows you to build a customized e-commerce store that meets all customer requirements. The framework source code is available to each customer, further simplifying use. 
Drupal 7 software was used to create Drupal Commerce. The developers have added essential features, including product management, a convenient shopping cart, fast checkout, and fulfillment. Also, this commerce platform has a built-in content management system, which some of the world's famous companies use. Let's explore the capabilities with our Drupal Commerce tutorial designed for beginners.

How does Drupal Commerce help your business?

A significant difference between Drupal and other e-commerce platforms is the use of open-source software. Unlike Drupal Commerce, standard software does not have a separate framework. Besides the basic functionality known to frequent users, you can also integrate, improve, and extend it. Additionally, other tools can be tested during the further development of the Internet platform. Consider the most popular Drupal Commerce features that can help your business below.

Build an online store using the constructor

As mentioned above, the Drupal 7 management system was the basis for building Drupal Commerce. This helpful feature opens up many opportunities for all users. You can design, improve, develop, and constantly change your online store. 
You have the option to change and customize various features regularly, depending on your preferences. The platform values its customers by offering multilingual functionality and strives to create new user-friendly tools that will meet the specific needs of each user. In addition, your online store on Drupal Commerce has good performance with a large transaction volume and high traffic.

Add products and manage orders easily

Drupal Commerce systems are multi-tasking tools for performing various actions on your online store platform. You can quickly add new products, edit product descriptions, create large catalogs of existing products, and customize displays and attributes. The types of products sold are not limited. 
Thus, you can sell courses, downloadable information products, subscription services, or other physical goods. E-commerce with Drupal users can independently set and change pricing rules, including regular promotions, discounts, and additional coupons. 

Fast checkout process

An easy-to-use and functional shopping cart is essential when placing an order for any customer. Drupal Commerce provides many handy tools to change the status of your purchases, a wide range of shipping methods, and other additional modules for adding statues.
A simple checkout form also increases the likelihood of a customer purchasing from an online store. They see only the most essential points of the form, and you can regularly change and improve this page. E-commerce with Drupal offers a convenient process for paying for products and calculating prices and taxes. Moreover, it supports single-page and multi-page checkout and includes VAT for worldwide shipping.

Payments and integrations

Drupal Commerce allows the integration of many payment systems, including credit cards, for the ultimate customer experience. You can access free downloads for the most popular payment systems, such as PayPal or Authorize.Net.
Drupal Commerce users can also integrate other additional tools into their online store. The most common options are modules for shipping services, marketing, reporting, payment processing, analytics, and others. 
Thanks to these modules, you can integrate well-known and valuable tools such as Xero software, Amazon Pay, Google Analytics, and MailChimp. Customers can connect their accounts to social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

Customer Service

Paid platforms that do not provide access to the source code have a large support service that promptly provides the services the client needs. It is justified by the existence of a subscription and regular payment for using the software. 
However, Drupal Commerce offers user-friendly documentation guides for all employees involved in the website's operation. Your customers can also use the Q&A forum for quick feedback and communication.

Is Drupal good for small E-commerce businesses?

An online store with Drupal Commerce is a unique option that will stand out from the competition with its uniqueness and user experience. It is great for small businesses. 
First, you create a small store and sell a few niche products. Subsequently, when your small business expands, you choose Drupal, which allows you to improve the website without having to do it all over again. It will be an excellent investment in the future of your business, as will the purchase of a more powerful machine that will last for many years.

Why should I build an E-commerce website with Drupal?

The status of online stores has grown significantly over the past few years. At first glance, this has led to a decrease in income for small and medium-sized business owners. A PNAS survey showed that more than 40% of the 5,500 companies in the small business network were forced to close or suspend their work. 
On the other hand, the Internet has saved many businesses from total bankruptcy and allowed entrepreneurs to continue their sales online. After 2020, online stores have increased their income several times, and this area continues to develop daily. In the next 5 years, experts predict an increase in earnings among brands and companies with platforms for selling goods or services. 
Clients appreciate well-designed websites with modern interfaces that make the user experience even more convenient. They are willing to spend much money to get a quality product. Therefore, an online store that is available on multiple devices is a great investment in the future of your business.

Checklist for creating a Drupal eCommerce Store

This article is not a detailed guide to launching an online store because, in this case, it would be very long. In addition, each client has their vision of the future online store so all customizable features will differ, depending on their preferences. Despite this, we have a small checklist with general information for beginners who want to do the basic settings themselves.
There are several different ways to create an online store with Drupal. To start an introduction to Drupal Commerce, you need to do the following:

• First, all business owners must choose the right web hosting provider. 
• Сhoose a web hosting company and install Drupal.
• Select the "quick start" route and complete the installation manually to speed up the process.
• After starting the building, you should enter key data such as country of residence, username, password, and site name.
• Then log in and study the user interface in more detail.
• Browse the directory, select the theme you like, then install it.
• Install the Drupal Commerce module.
• Add a few more submodules: cart, order, checkout, price, payment, product, and store. 
• Select the default store and one or more payment options. 
• Install commercial delivery modules, which you should enable and configure manually.

After completing all the steps, you can start creating products by adding additional information:

• product stock-keeping unit (SKU)
• product images
• title of each product
• status (active or disabled)
• product price

All of the above actions are the basis for a quick site start. In addition, creating an online store with Drupal Commerce is quite complex and requires additional training from the website owner. Users without programming experience may experience difficulties at some stages. What's more, Drupal has quite a few default tools, so you may need a Drupal developer's help to get the best possible platform.

Best Drupal E-Commerce Websites

Thousands of different websites worldwide have already been launched with Drupal Commerce. Let's look at the most famed examples:

Artellite

Artellite is a project for artists and gallery owners that allows them to promote their work to a large market, increase awareness and increase art sales. The Artellite project tries to maintain the individuality of each artist and present them to a broad audience. The Drupal framework is responsible for all essential operations on the website, including customer service and the transmission of up-to-date information. The online store owners are in total control of it and are engaged in promotion with the help of additional advertising.

Cartier

Cartier is a famous and elite French brand specializing in luxury accessories, watches, and other jewelry. The owners decided to create their online store with Drupal Commerce, paying particular attention to sophisticated design. The website has convenient functionality for placing a large number of products, as well as a simple checkout process. 

Verizon

Verizon is engaged in the marketing and promotion of electronic devices. They complete developing a new product, make a detailed presentation, and prepare to launch it on the market. The website had to emphasize the uniqueness of each product's identity and ensure that copyrights were preserved. Drupal Commerce CMS was the perfect solution to raise brand standards and ensure complete use security. In the final versions of the Internet platform, redesigned templates were used, which reduced the time to create the following product.

Is Drupal Commerce the right choice for you?

Choosing the right e-commerce platform is essential in setting up your online store, so you should carefully consider what is best for your business. It is critical to evaluate whether the software can meet all your requirements for the future of the website. Drupal Commerce gives you total control over your online store and allows you to track all transactions, and is scalable. It offers a wide range of customizations that will allow you to create a unique online store that highlights the quality of your product.
An online store is successful when people can easily find and order products. Drupal will be a great decision since it offers all the tools necessary to promote your products, such as SEO product optimization and convenient content addition. Additionally, your customers will appreciate the quick and secure checkout process since it will take just a few minutes. Build a successful online shop with the help of the Drupal commerce expert!