The Ecosystem of Shopware 6

Does it feel like your eCommerce platform might need a serious update? Or more like an upgrade. Our Shopware 6 experience has been tremendous so far, and we would like to share some of the excitement. After a few years working with this platform, we are always ready to take a moment, sit back and contemplate what has gone through our task list. It is time for some revelations.

Shopware 6 grew up fast into a complete eCommerce solution, factoring everything necessary for any online business. We tested its power since its inception. It is now a much better version than it used to be. Some of the platform’s prehistory might hint at why Shopware 6 became the eCommerce beast it is today. Let us briefly look at some of the highlights.

Shopware 6 is bigger than its predecessor

Shopware 5 seems like the previous version of Shopware 6, but in reality – it is far from it. Shopware 6, and specifically the latest 6.4 release, is an entirely new platform running on fundamentally new capabilities and fulfilling new goals. With a flexible API-first approach, this modern architecture handles a wide range of eCommerce advances. Companies love it because they can customize the layout to match their brand. The API-driven architecture opens incredible opportunities for various cross-channel strategies.
Shopware 6 is ready to sell about any product. With social media broadcast options and possibilities for setting business outlets through Amazon and the likes, any product has a smooth way of reaching its rightful customer.

The Shopware 6 Ecosystem

The new platform is community-driven. Plugins are continuously being updated, and new ones come up to face market needs. Shopware’s main philosophy is about putting the right tools in the hands of those motivated enough to use them. Developers and designers unite under the common creative ground – to bring a clean and powerful selling tool.
The elevated level of customization available through Shopware 6 extends to customers too. You can build the online tool you needed, and tune it according to your client’s taste. Shopware’s creators knew that they had to start building the platform from ground zero for flexibility of this nature.
The API-focused way gives independence to choosing a sales channel or a customer-favored device. Products are ready to roll out any place, any time. If your business still relies on legacy systems like CRM or PIM, Shopware 6 steps in with excellent integration options.
The API-first approach facilitates the separation of front end and backend in headless eCommerce. Headless is already an established standard in the business of online shop building. Rightfully so – with it, you can swap not only different visuals for your product lines, but different sales strategies too. The decoupling of administration and the front-end is the fundamental structural feature of headless commerce that allows for tremendous flexibility in design and function.

Main Components

The modular nature of the platform shines in comparison to the rigid eCommerce platforms of the recent past. The market changing so fast calls for platforms that can quickly adapt to turbulent transformations.
Shopware 6 has a crystal-clear core structure. It is easy to understand and employed in multiple thought-out strategies. We can generalize Shopware 6’s ‘under the hood’ power into three main layers – Core, Administration, and Storefront.
Within the Core reside all essential resources and processes that later give rise to complex variations of tools. The other two components represent the site management (Administration), and the display window meant for the client’s eyes (Storefront). The three primary features hold the default functions necessary for any start-up project. They are the base layer, which later gets upgraded with a carpet of specialized layers that help shape the tool’s unique features.

Features

The display window we mentioned above is vital for Shopware. This platform is customer-centric and designed to fine-tune the user experience to the point where shopping is a process that is comfortable and enjoyable rather than another task or obligation. Here are some of its features that contribute to creating this fantastic experience.

Rule Builder

Rule Builder is designed to maximize the cross-selling efforts of specific product lines. This tool can pull products off and, on the shelf, based on selling policy. You can add rules within an easy-to-understand structure and hierarchy, which inventory managers can use to set up rules that facilitate product visibility and price management.

Shopping experiences

Shopware 6 is the innovative mixer of content and commerce – the future of shopping experiences. This feature organizes all the media and text around product pages to see the updated content on a customized layout. Shopping experiences are excellent for mobile commerce since it fully supports PWAs.

Sales channels

The customer’s perspective is what experienced sales agents value and use to build an accurate customer profile. Shopware 6 is the centralized control room for all business operations. Customer location and preferred device are both factors with a special place within the platform’s framework. The phrase ‘Shop anywhere’ is deeply embedded in the Sales Channels plugin.

Shopware 6 Extensions

Shopware App and Plugin Store

Shopware’s plugins are available on the official website, and their list is continually growing. Pioneers in Shopware’s development community prove that, when done right, the collective creativity of dedicated professionals is immeasurable. This immense productive power is reflected in Shopware’s peripherals – the extensions. There are more than a thousand of them, so here is a brief highlight of some chosen few.

PayPal Integration

Despite the plethora of payment gateway options for merchants now, PayPal has managed to stay relevant all these years. Not only that, but they are also one of the most preferred vendors today, with over a hundred currencies under their management. This coverage suggests that there is hardly any country in the world without a PayPal influence. Naturally, Shopware has adopted PayPal and enabled the all-recognized functions like one-click payment and easy integration with an existing e-shop infrastructure.

Autosales

With this plugin, all the items you have with a discounted price enter a common digital category, which can later be used for easy management and displayed on specialized pages or sections. Stores with huge inventory consider this plugin a must-have since product management can be a nightmare, even without the eCommerce store’s additional conditions.

Recommended products

One of the best-sellers in the cross-selling section is a plugin that suggests related items to those already in their shopping cart. Recommended products are such a powerful tool for boosting the value of each sale. It is much greater than any upsell strategy since the client is intrinsically motivated to spend a little extra. This plugin captures existing opportunities for connecting products with customers. The opportunity has always been there, but it has never been so effective as it is today.

DHL Shipping

Shipping labels and tracking codes are robust features with a freight company like DHL. With this extension, you can connect to your trusty DHL portal and manage your shipping administration directly from your site backend. You can easily synchronize your tracking code info with your main DHL account. You can now run your labelling, cancellations, and tracks without leaving your site admin.

Google Shopping

Previously known as Product Search, or Froogle, Google Shopping has a new name, but the purpose remains the same: help those merchants eager to have their product line stand out. GS is no different than your regular Google search but dedicated to brands and products. You can easily highlight the advantages you have over your competitors since people who search for your products using Google Shopping will now conveniently compare them with other similar choices. If you feel your products are superior, use Google Shopping to slingshot your brand sky-high.

Shopware 6 and PWA (Progressive Web Applications)

We have talked about a lot how PWA is about to take over the world at any point. It irreversibly changes the way we look at mobile commerce, and more companies are adjusting their global strategies to make room for this incredible technology. The PWA world conquest is well underway, and we made sure our eCommerce platform is ready to embrace this exciting opportunity. Shopware 6 is designed with PWA in mind. The incredibly light and flexible framework (VueStorefront) is why the lightning speed and the increased level of viewing comfort for the customers. Mobile commerce emerges like an unstoppable power, and those who take it on time will reap the rewards soon.
The likable native mobile applications have their equivalent in mCommerce – PWA, coming with a big bundle of benefits. It is a lot more than offline browsing and native-like speed.

Shopware Progressive Web App (PWA)

PWA is Google-friendly

A Google page rank depends on how optimized your content is: whether it has the keywords and the integrity suitable for the intended customers. In a world where most online competition brings a clean and tidy range, it is easy to lose the battle for clients on a search engine level. However, if your content is flawless and your site loads fast, you have a much better chance to be a top player. PWA produces a site loading speed that is unbeatable by any conventional web store or apps.

Reduced the Acquisition Cost

Customers can download PWAs directly from your website, and you don’t need to reroute them to app stores and the like. Your app is independent of Apple or Google updates. Because of this distribution independence, your total cost of customer acquisition is low. With the tiny size of PWAs, customer onboarding becomes a much less daunting mission. Customers love the convenience and speed of a native app. And if they happen to stick your progressive app icon to their phone home screen – it is a time to celebrate since this is considered a massive milestone in brand awareness and exposure.

Performance Prowess

The mobile-first approach of PWA brings content on display fast, even with low or no connectivity. Maintaining a flawless customer shopping experience is one of the highlights of progressive apps. PWAs are small but can provide uninterrupted sessions that clients love and prefer. This technology makes so that all unnecessary delays do not display. All the operations that need to run are intelligently reduced into background processes, so the presentational part runs in a clean, smooth, and flawless action.

Grow your business with Shopware 6

Shopware 6 does not focus solely on either small, mid, or enterprise-level companies. Whatever your company size, scope, or business strategy, this platform can take your existing means and open new paths for progress. The in-depth customization is excellent for companies with ample merchandise and perfect for smaller companies who seek to make an impact by bringing forth their unique touch to the market.
Shopware does not impose a clean install approach – its integration options are developed by people who work with legacy systems and intimately know their importance in business and the difficulties when a technological change is due. You do not need to scrape your current tech and start from nothing. Shopware 6 is inclusive – you can enhance your existing effort or make improvements without destroying your traditional approach or tech base.
It is time to impact the world of eCommerce and grow your customer base with Shopware 6. We are here to help you quickly build your shop and start selling. With years-long experience behind our backs, we can help you master Shopware 6 and maximize your eCommerce revenue.
Contact us and learn how the Shopware 6 ecosystem can become your business’s comfort zone.

Author

Ivan Georgiev | Software Engineer

Ivan is an extremely intelligent and knowledgeable professional with a hunger for improvement and continuous learning. Being versatile in a number of programming languages, he picks up on new tech in a matter of hours. He is a person that masters challenges by investigation and clear, structured execution, bringing in his experience and innovative ideas to solve problems quickly and efficiently. Ivan is also a Certified Shopware Engineer.