Are you looking for a feature-rich – but free and open-source – platform to launch your online store? Do you want to learn how to install Prestashop theme? Then Prestashop should be your #1 choice. It is the most helpful online store solution for beginners as it offers a one-click hosting set-up. The simple fact that Prestashop is an open-source platform implies that you will get massive support if you need help with how to install Prestashop theme or how to install Prestashop on localhost, for instance.
Creating an eCommerce store can be somewhat intimidating, especially when it comes to choosing the platform for your business. There are so many eCommerce platforms today, each with its functionalities and complexities.
Each eCommerce platform comes with its own level of flexibility and features. It is always a good thing to go with the right platform right from the get-go instead of having to migrate to another one when you hit a challenge or two.
In this article, we’ll take a more in-depth look at Prestashop and what it offers to anyone seeking to start or launch an online store. And you will also discover why experienced eCommerce marketers love the Prestashop platform over others.
What is Prestashop?
Before we talk about how to install Prestashop theme, let’s answer the question “what is Prestashop?”
Prestashop is a free, accessible, and open-source eCommerce platform that comes with innovative – or out-of-the-box – features that set it apart from others. It works expressly well on PHP and helps merchants to build extensive eCommerce sites along with fantastic functionality.
Prestashop was launched as a student project in Paris, France in 2005. However, by 2007, Bruno Lévéque and Igor Schlumberger established the Prestashop company, Prestashop SA. It has come a long way since then and has taken one of the top spots in the eCommerce universe.
The built-in features readily support seamless management of product listing, manufacturers, suppliers, payment, shipping, etc. Even if you don’t know how to install Prestashop on localhost or how to install Prestashop theme, you won’t find the platform as challenging as other eCommerce platforms. This is because Prestashop is beginner-friendly and you can quickly set things up on your own without the need to be a pro at handling tech stuff.
Prestashop powers more than 270,000 eCommerce stores globally. The platform has thousands of expert developers as well as 250+ agencies who actively participate and innovate in the significant growth of Prestashop. The platform’s open-source community have grown over the years, with more than 1 million individuals globally.
What is Prestashop’s Similarity with WordPress?
Prestashop bears a lot of similarities with the most popular Content Management System, WordPress. However, the latter is somewhat different from Prestashop.
Prestashop is solely aligned for eCommerce, while WordPress is a great platform for both eCommerce and blogging. Nevertheless, it is safe to say that Prestashop is an eCommerce and content management system.
Prestashop is also one of the robust eCommerce web builder platforms with an amazingly intuitive interface for managing your online store. You will have access to hundreds of modules that you can readily utilize to strengthen or enhance its efficiency.
What makes Prestashop unique among other eCommerce platforms is its user-friendliness, high reliability, backup schemes, and easy accessibility. All these allow you to dramatically scale your online business and boost your website’s credibility online.
Prestashop Business Model
Prestashop’s business model relies heavily on selling services for commercial partners to its robust customer base, including optional themes and add-on features. This is probably why the platform offers a highly sophisticated but user-friendly eCommerce option for any person interested in selling physical or digital goods online.
Key Features of Prestashop
There is a reason why Prestashop rose to be one of the leading, open-source eCommerce platforms today. It is not only because it is free or open-source; it is primarily due to the plethora of built-in and state-of-the-art features. These features are too enticing to pass up, and if you want to go far in the eCommerce universe, you shouldn’t joke with them, too.
Here are some of the most prominent Prestashop features that many merchants are utilizing today and making tons of cash every day from their online stores:
- Unlimited listings
- Simple import and export of data in CSV format
- Creation of custom promotions
- Advanced SEO capabilities, including management of URLs, meta titles, and descriptions, etc.
- Precise shipping estimation
- Advanced search and navigation
- An extensive selection of payment options such as PayPal (Standard and Pro), Skrill, WorldPay, Stripe, offline processing, etc.
- Customer emails automation
- Inventory management features like out-of-stock ad item tracking alerts, etc.
- Visitors Statistics
- Multi-language capability: default support up to 75 languages
- Multiple store management, etc.
Of course, making a complete list of the remarkable features that Prestashop brings to the table will be time-consuming. You can always find out more for yourself when you sign up to use the platform for your eCommerce business.
Technical Requirements of Prestashop
If you want Prestashop to run seamlessly without any hitch, you must meet and satisfy these technical requirements:
- Mac, Linux or Windows operating systems;
- Microsoft IIS or Nginx, and Apache 2.x web server;
- MySQL 5.0+ and PHP 5.6+ technologies;
- Bitnami or XAMPP for OS X and Windows, EasyPHP or WampServer for Windows prepared packages.
As long as you know how to install Prestashop on localhost and how to install the Prestashop theme, you are good to go!
Customization: Modules, Themes, etc.
The functionalities of Prestashop may be exhaustive, but a time will come when you may need to utilize additional functions that you may not appear on the list of the default ones. You will find certified Prestashop developers that offer an incredibly large selection of both free and paid modules.
These modules are developed to help merchants improve or extend the functionalities of their eCommerce site. These extensions come in several categories, such as:
- Design and Navigation
- Product Page
- Promotions and Marketing
- Traffic and Marketplaces
- Administration
- Payment
- Customers
- Shipping and Logistics
- Facebook and Social Networks and Specialized Platforms, etc.
All these – and many more – are highly compatible with all versions of Prestashop.
The average cost of integrating these modules varies, but the price is highly competitive in the modules market. But if you have a very limited budget, you can easily find a free solution, though the quality may not be up to par.
Webstore design is another customization aspect that merchants love to take advantage of. You will find hundreds of Prestashop themes on the market, including templates for every taste. If you know how to install the Prestashop theme, you won’t experience any challenges when customizing your eCommerce site.
Benefits of Using Prestashop
If you are still on the fence as regards using Prestashop and its numerous features, here are some of the profound benefits of using this unique eCommerce platform for your online business:
Ease of Use
Setting up Prestashop is easy, though if you are not the techy type, you may find the backend a bit challenging since it is somewhat more technical. Nevertheless, Prestashop provides an excellent demo that takes you through the entire process.
After the setup process is fully complete, you can decide which modules you will need for your store. If your tech expertise is limited – e.g. you don’t know how to install Prestashop theme or how to install Prestashop on localhost – it may be wise to seek the assistance of a web developer.
As soon as you are done with the setup, modules, integrations, etc. daily operations such as product creation, inventory, order management, etc. are relatively straightforward.
Google Rich Snippets
Ranking on search engine ranking pages (SERPs) is crucial if you want to succeed as an eCommerce website owner. This is because lots of people from around the world search for products on Google, the most popular search engine in the world. Rich snippets are those codes that make it incredibly easy for search engines to organize relevant information quickly.
Rich snippets, therefore, make it possible for prospective shoppers to see the products that they are actively searching for. They can also compare prices to find products that fit their budget. This is the primary reason why adding Google Rich Snippets to your product links to boost your SEO efforts immediately, is vital.
You can find Google Rich Snippets in the Prestashop add-on marketplace. Leverage it, therefore, to significantly improve or increase your reach as well as the shopping experience of your numerous customers.
Store Customization
Research has shown that open-source is the best option for anyone who wants their eCommerce websites to be unique. Building a memorable brand, therefore, is crucial to your long-term success, especially in this competitive world of eCommerce.
To fully customize your online store, you will need to get your hands on 2 modules. The first module must be quick to edit while the other one – which should be more advanced – is required for changing the code to customize your online store to your liking. This is the primary reason why you will need access to HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files.
The unique customization tool in Prestashop will enable you to complete product organization. You can also create an internal search engine tool that customers can utilize to navigate your online store easily.
You will come across more than 1,500 templates as well as an extensive collection of highly customizable themes in the official Prestashop marketplace. Third parties usually develop most of these templates, and that is why some of them are not free of charge.
Customer Relationship Management
Keeping in touch with your customers – whether new, existing, or even potential ones – is vital if you want to experience massive growth in your eCommerce business. Prestashop developers understand this; that is why it comes with features that allow you to send automated emails right after transactions. This is done in order to give your esteemed customers a profound sense of security.
You can set highly targeted promotions to some particular products, customer groups, and even orders.
To bring down the abandoned cart rates, Prestashop helps you by allowing you to send emails to customers who have abandoned their shopping carts midway. The emails are sent to remind them about the products they have amassed and left in their respective shopping carts.
Legal Support
Complying with laws – both state and federal – is essential when it comes to running online stores. Prestashop is loaded with shopping cart tools that make your online shop compliant with the laws of any country. For instance, it is no longer news that Germany has set some specific shopping cart rules for online stores, in place.
This is advantageous since you do not usually see legal support via eCommerce solutions. Prestashop even comes with design tools that you can utilize to create quick pages that readily explain or justify some legal information to your esteemed customers.
Marketing
Finding custom features may be likened to finding a needle in the middle of a haystack. But the truth is Prestashop is loaded with an extensive list of integrated marketing tools. Some of these marketing options include:
- Special offers
- Coupon codes
- Free shipping
- Email marketing
- Discount code
- Affiliate programs
- Gift wrapping
Security
On the one hand, the open-source version of Prestashop is PCI Compliance ready, meaning that you may have to handle this process on your own. You will have to purchase an SSL certificate while regularly checking in on security patches.
The Prestashop Ready version comes with already updated security accounts. This is primarily because the eCommerce platform is hosted on the Google Cloud Platform, which includes a free SSL certificate.
Large Support Community
Prestashop is hugely supported by a raving and dedicated community of 1 million+ members in its forums and blogs. More than 1,000+ contributors collaborate to create and promote the flexible and robust eCommerce platform.
Although Prestashop has over 600 features, Prestashop developers are always more than happy to accommodate any ideas that will enhance the efficacy of this extraordinary eCommerce platform and change the lives of merchants who rely on it for a living. By now, you already know that what makes Prestashop outstanding is the constant evolution it undergoes while staying light compared to other eCommerce systems.
Prestashop is not without its weak points, which are relatively common with other open-source eCommerce platforms. However, the Prestashop Community keeps striving day and night to provide bug fixes while users can readily check whether or not the new codes fix the issues.
What Can You Do with Prestashop?
There are 4 significant areas that you can – without any restrictions – do with Prestashop:
- You can supercharge your online business with Prestashop: Prestashop allows you to manage your inventory and orders. You can also build customer relationships while tracking your statistics.
- You can customize your online store: You can choose your logo, colors, and design from among the vast selection of professional-looking themes. If you know how to install Prestashop theme, you can have fun customizing your store to your heart’s content.
- You can attract more visitors: Prestashop allows you to share valuable or informative content on your blog and social media platforms to attract even more targeted visitors.
- You can sell your products throughout the world: Prestashop enables you to present your online store in different currencies and languages – up to 75 of them.
You can also choose from an online store with web hosting that you can quickly set up with just a few clicks. The store will be 100% customizable, or you may need to hire an expert to build the eCommerce site. The expert can also help you out if you don’t know how to install Prestashop on localhost.
If you are cash-strapped but need to start an online store, you should consider Prestashop. It is easy to download and use; even if you don’t know how to install Prestashop on localhost or how to install the Prestashop theme, you won’t find the open-source platform too challenging to overcome.
You can sell downloadable and physical products, customize your online store using the numerous modules and themes in the Prestashop marketplace, and even boost your SEO ranking on Google.
There is no harm in trying; give it a shot, and you will be glad you did!
