Open-Source E-commerce: Riding with the Next Wave of Ecommerce Platforms in 2023

Quick Summary: Apart from the cost benefits, there are several other significant benefits for businesses planning to move to open-source platforms and adopt a broader culture. This blog will help you understand what open-source e-commerce platforms are and why your business needs one!

Businesses of large scale were recently having issues finding and ordering products on the company’s website. As a solution, customer service asked the buyers to email their orders to the sales representatives. Now, rather than serving as a solution, this practice put the sales reps into an endless cycle of product search.

This practice isn’t sustainable, so upgrading to a better system is the right choice. Going for a packaged solution that requires time to build is a complex, time-consuming solution. So, many business owners turned to e-commerce solutions.

A Closer Look at the Open-Source Platforms

It is noted that developing an entire Ecommerce site may cost up to $200,000. It may cost even more if your business requires some added functionalities or several plugins. 

Is this cost-intensive for you? There’s also an easy solution: Open-source E-commerce platforms that can help you save dozens.

Borrowing a well-known phrase, “With great power comes great responsibility.”- Moving over to the open-source platform requires a lot of commitment and accountability. Organizations can only realize the benefits of OSS when they invest in retaining the best engineering talent and reducing complexity.

Open-source e-commerce systems employ source code that is freely accessible for anybody to use or change as they see fit. This approach is less expensive than the SaaS model since there is no registration price. It’s also more adaptable because you can change and tweak it.

Using an open-source shopping model has several benefits. In the next section, we will discuss the pros and cons of the same. Here’s a quick look into the benefits of this fantastic platform;

• It’s a cost-effective solution.
• It can be easily customized for personalization.
• It can be integrated with third-party plugins.
• You have complete access to the platform.
• Scalable solution.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Open-Source E-commerce Platforms?

Pros of Open-Source

Several E-commerce platforms have countless benefits for startups, scale-ups, and enterprises. One of the most significant benefits is the reduction in expenses. Even if you pay for the extra modules, you can easily save money. 

Another advantage of the open-source solution is the flexibility it offers. When using a SaaS platform, you generally have to use its built-in tools and templates, making it even more challenging to get your site running. 

With open-source platforms, you get access to several platforms, such as Joomla. With open-source platforms, you get access to a community of Ecommerce developers who would help you develop out-of-the-box solutions.

Cons of Open-Source

Although the pros of this platform outweigh the cons, one of the greatest is that the learning curve can be pretty aggressive. If you need to be made aware of Ruby on Rail, you may need to hire a professional to set up your website.

Another issue is compatibility. You need to have expertise with open-source platforms to be able to save money on the same. In the end, the open-source platforms don’t have any in-built warranties.

Which Platform Is Right for Your Business?

So, how do you determine which open-source e-commerce platform to use if you’re looking for one? Of course, you want a product that will optimize your revenues and maximize your company’s benefits. It would help if you ensured that your platform is safe and user-friendly.

These are some of the most significant considerations while selecting the right e-commerce tool. To further enhance your decision, you may need to ask yourself some additional questions, such as;

• What is the programming language for the platform?
• How many stores can be accommodated?
• What integrations & plugins are available?
• What is the level of technical proficiency required?
• How difficult is it to maintain and scale the code?
• What is the support available for the platform?

It is best to compare open-source e-commerce platforms, note what features are available in each, and decide which will best suit your business needs.

If you are looking for a reliable e-commerce platform-building partner, Netsmartz can be your best choice. To further ease the decision-making, here’s how we helped an e-commerce-based agency rehash and build a scalable solution.

What Are the Pre-requisites for Success for E-commerce Platforms?

Organizations that have decided to opt for an e-commerce platform for their business can succeed in doing so through these practices;

1. Hire the best talent and build an excellent OSS culture:

With elite talent, the open-source strategy will succeed. As a result, firms must emphasize hiring top engineers with extensive expertise. Companies should look for Ecommerce developers who are hands-on problem solvers, can navigate ambiguity, and have an innovative mindset, as well as those with OSS coding skills, depending on the organization’s architectural choices; Python for data science and analytics work).
While there is an actual battle for this expertise, incumbents can triumph. Leading firms have evangelists who write about their open-source initiatives, donate software to the open-source community, and actively engage with them. This exercise aids in the transformation of brand perceptions.

2. Managing the complexity of the business:

It is commonly understood that businesses must disconnect their front-end and back-end stacks and that APIs may help. However, two challenges frequently cause organizations to fail while developing OSS e-commerce. The first issue is that developers frequently build many versions of an API, causing confusion and delays.
To prevent the turmoil, businesses must engage in standards and technologies like GraphQL that can assist in managing API upgrades. The other issue is that CIOs frequently approve significant initiatives to “free” massive quantities of data in their ERP. At the same time, an e-commerce engine requires a specific, relatively limited set to work, such as product inventories and pricing.

3. Enforcing security and working standards:

If open source is not adequately managed, its flexibility might lead to unrest. Essential tasks, such as OSS administration and security management, are centralized in the best firms. For example, this team serves as a clearinghouse for developers and their concerns, such as creating policies and processes for OSS use and establishing standards for license use and contribution.
DevSecOps principles should be used by OSS developers as well. Furthermore, leading firms invest in automated technologies that check open-source components and repair flaws or reject malware before deployment based on explicit criteria and guardrails.

4. Ensuring flexibility in the workplace:

For famous OSS use cases, many open-source solutions, tools, and playbooks are available from CSPs. However, like with other apps, businesses must be mindful of how open source is linked to the CSP’s particular managed solutions and take precautions to avoid becoming locked in.
Companies should consider using third-party tools to deploy infrastructure and applications and packaging their programs in “containers,” which can be delivered to any CSP. Companies should consider adopting OSS to provide automation for cloud management when suitable.

Transform Your Business with E-commerce Platforms

As your firm expands and your needs change, many outsourced Ecommerce development teams will offer you continuous support and maintenance and assist you in scaling your e-commerce platform.

Whichever choice you decide on, one thing is sure: An e-commerce platform is necessary for every company that conducts sales of any type. You cannot manage to be without one in the modern world.