OXID eShop: Agiliway Develops New E-commerce Competency

One more goal achieved! As long as there is room for improvement, we’ll never cease to measure our worth in regular achievements. And here it is: a new value-adding e-commerce competency extends the list of Agiliway services and accomplishments. Now that we’ve mastered OXID eShop platform, a scalable alternative to Magento and Shopware, our team offers multi-channel e-commerce solutions to partners from French and German-speaking Europe.

Developed as a multi-channel e-commerce system with wide functionality, OXID eShop was released back in 2008 in Germany. A product of Freiburg-based OXID eSales AG conquered a German-speaking market in a very short time and later in 2011 became completely localized for the French market.

OXID software comes in three editions: Community, Professional, and Enterprise, the last two being released on a commercial basis. Technically the Community and Professional versions offer the same range of functions. However, users of the free Community version feel the want of the ERP/SOAP interface and the manufacturer support. Extra features, such as rights and roles management or multi-client capability are most sought-after by medium and large enterprises, yet available only under a proprietary license in the Enterprise Edition.

OXID eShop turns into a smart e-commerce solution

Multiple successful vendors have chosen OXID software as the best answer to their needs. Some of the names include Mercedes Benz, Zeiss, Gravis, Carrera, Edeka, Sindopower, Intersport, Lekkerland etc. As the list suggests, the PHP-based e-commerce platform provides for B2B, B2C, omnichannel commerce transactions at small, medium, and enterprise scale. Vendors whose trade list ranges from mid-sized to long get the best end of the deal, while the Community version is ideal for smaller e-shops and start-ups.

OXID eShop improves a vendor’s business

Despite loads of available e-commerce platforms, OXID has occupied its own distinctive niche on the market due to the following features:

• Minimal system requirements. The e-commerce store runs smoothly with basic system requirements without expensive investment in hardware. A successful setup phase requires PHP 5.3.25 or higher (plus extensions: GD LIB 2.x, bcmath, JSON, php-xml, libxml2, iconv-extension, tokenizer, mbstring, cURL), MySQL 5.5 or higher, Apache 1.3 or higher.
• Omnichannel commerce solution. Developed as an omnichannel system, the OXID eShop provides all the tools vendors need to engage consumers across on- and offline distribution channels and multiple devices. The system connects all touchpoints such as webshop, mobile, social media platforms, and point of sale (POS). From a vendor perspective, it optimizes marketing strategies, while customers experience flexibility in purchasing.
• Modularity. Due to its modular architecture, the software core can be customized to serve different needs. Adding on custom extensions, free or paid modules from the international marketplace OXID Exchange integrates multiple functionalities into the system.
• Scalability. Hardware and software resources added for a fully functional core system do not interfere with performance. Strong performance is preserved as the platform’s capabilities rise.
• Worldwide trade capacity. Multilingual functions can be integrated with the free community version. Language, payment methods, tax rates will be adapted to users’ needs.
• Security. As any online sales platform, OXID eShop has a lucrative target on its back for cybercriminals. To make sure the software is secure, OXID eSales AG protects it from potential security threats by regularly releasing patches and updates.
• Integrated CMS. When content and commerce seamlessly integrate into a single site, the process of making purchases gets easier, users interact with blog posts and products, while marketing gets more efficient. Users who are reading blog posts about certain products will be automatically sent to the pages where these products can be purchased. Those searching for certain products will receive links to blog posts about these products.

Agiliway unlocks the power of OXID eShop

Information technology services providers harness the power of OXID eShop by developing a customised solution for online stores. The business will experience a major boost through its website as long as it (business) starts its professional e-commerce activities rapidly, cost-effectively, with a customised eShop solution and at low risk.

Agiliway has successfully completed a few e-commerce projects for our German partners. Every time the scope of work and goals were different. Either we had to extend the functionality of an already existing module or build a robust online store from scratch, customizing it with available and custom modules for payment and order processing, marketing, etc.

Before OXID eShop extended out list of competencies, Agiliway partnership with German clients revolved mainly around TYPO3. Yet over time, we realized that even though most enterprise CMS platforms offer a certain level of e-commerce functionality, it usually varies from non-existent to mediocre. The same is true about OXID eShop solution with an integrated CMS. Its CMS functionality doesn’t match the depth of its commerce functions.

We see our goal in creating a true omnichannel digital experience, where customers do not simply browse the product line but engage with a retail brand. The most recent observations suggest that successful retailers (Wiggle, Zappos, Publix, Nordstrom, Apple, Asos, Net-a-Porter, Marks & Spencer, etc.) do way more than showcasing their products but encourage, inspire, and emotionally attach with rich content.

OXID eShop solution sells products and services, while TYPO3 delivers excellent customer experience. Now with one more competency added to the armor, our German partners will drive the future of business by getting the most of both CMS and e-commerce platforms.