Shopware is a successful modular online store system that was developed in 2003 by Shopware AG in Schöppingen, Germany. Nomen est omen, because Shopware comes from the town of Schöppingen. The store system with its versatile functions now plays a prominent role as a business solution and is available both as open source software and in commercial editions. The following program versions exist or have existed to date:
- Shopware 6 (23. 05. 2019)
- Shopware 5 (27. 04. 2015)
- Shopware 4 (28. 08. 2012)
- Shopware 3.5 (19. 10. 2010)
- Shopware 3 (10. 11. 2008)
Shopware's modular software system allows developers and store operators to add or remove any modules and plugins to the basic version, so that the system can be customized with individual solutions to suit the user's products, processes and needs. With the help of a so-called plugin manager, existing basic plugins can be managed, new plugins installed and updates carried out. The Shopware Community Store contains further extensions and themes that the user can add to the system free of charge or for a fee.
Shopware plugins often subject to a charge
Those who choose the free Shopware Community Edition should note, however, that the manufacturer's support and warranty do not apply. Only users of the commercial versions benefit from these services. The development of plugins for Shopware is a booming area, but it can also be associated with additional costs for online store users. There are a total of 3500 plugins and around 50 interfaces (API) to payment service providers and ERP software. With Pickware, Shopware also has an "official" merchandise management system.
The entire functionality of the system is configured in the backend. Store management also takes place in the backend, where customers can be created, changes made and orders processed, for example. The design of the system, i.e. the presentation of the front end, is also defined in the back end of the store.
Every year, Shopware organizes a so-called Shopware Community Day, at which various speakers from different industries appear and inform the Shopware community about trends, functions, news and developments in the field of e-commerce. The latest version of Shopware is also presented there and information is provided about changes and enhancements. The Professional Edition is currently available with version Shopware 6.
Open source alternatives with different functionalities for online stores include WooCommerce and Drupal Commerce.
Interesting store functions and advantages:
- Drag & drop design for the worlds of experience
- Subshops and templates
- Graphical text editor
- Landing pages in separate design possible
- Store search with instant results like Google (Ajax-based)
- Automatic product tags (meta/SEO/title)
- Customer reviews for orders (rich snippet and stars)
- Double opt-in for newsletter registrations(GDPR-compliant)
- Pre-configuration for email marketing (Mailchimp, CleverReach, Newsletter2Go etc.)
- Intelligent cross-selling with accessories and related articles
- Visitor personalization with dynamic product groups
- Simple creation of affiliate links
- Extensive price and discount options (vouchers, promotions, etc.)
- Manual entry of orders possible (e.g. telephone orders)
- Automatically generated shipment number (tracking URL) by e-mail
- 503 - Maintenance mode (temporary store deactivation)
- Administration with invoices, shipping costs, tax rates and even reminders
- LiteSpeed hosting option via Dogado
Further references:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shopware
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