VirtueMart is an open-source e-commerce solution for the Joomla Content Management System (CMS). It was initially generated in 2009 by Sören Eberhardt-Biermann, who established a newcomer in the independent PHP Shop eCommerce collection. This spin-off became what is currently known as VirtueMart.
Today, over 269,000 companies use VirtueMart. It creates a small team of designers who mainly work with the core system and open program sources of the project. Funding for the project comes primarily on VirtueMart extensions, which include the efficiency of the core product. Still, as an open-source software application, there are many private variables for the final product.
What is VirtueMart?
Full-service, cloud-based shopping carts like Big Cartel and Shopify, which charge a monthly fee and consist of a collection of services, are not for everyone.
Some eCommerce groups are happy to prepay a unit cost to get a certified shopping cart like LemonStand. In contrast, others take the open-source path and use shopping carts like Spree Commerce to share and conduct business. If you stay in this third camp, you will also need to be familiar with VirtueMart, which is slightly different from its counterparts.
While VirtueMart is an open-source PHP e-commerce solution (it’s free!), It’s not a stand-alone shopping cart.
Instead, it’s a Joomla plugin. (Joomla is the content management system (CMS) that VirtueMart supports.) While VirtueMart can use it as a directory, we will most likely discuss shopping cart performance here.
While the German-based shopping cart traces its origins back to 2004, version 2 of VirtueMart was safe in spring 2013, supplemented by variation 3 in November 2014. Examples of stores currently using the software application (multiple bases in Europe) consist of Prosecco & Vino and Light Design Studios
I invested several hours researching and testing VirtueMart, and at the end of the day, I found that the experience was overwhelming. While it’s great that the shopping cart is free unless you’re a talented designer, you need to use skills to build, start, repair, and keep your business.
I want to bet that the amount you pay your tech team is enough to quickly go over the amount you would surely drop on many of the shopping carts hosted on the internet.
Still, VirtueMart has its share of followers. Check out my full review to see if this is the right solution for your business.
VirtueMart Pricing and Plan
Although VirtueMart is an open-source software application (which in turn suggests free software!), You still need to create an expense plan for running your online store. While some of us can currently start-up and repair code, if you aren’t and decide to open a store with VirtueMart, you should start looking for a programmer and developer now. Also, note that you are responsible for finding and issuing hosting security and a provider account for credit card processing.
It should also note that the basic variation of VirtueMart, while free, is somewhat limited. Many of the performance enhancements aren’t free and typically vary between $20 and $50. For small business owners who only need a few additions, the price isn’t too high. However, the cost of expansion can increase if you want to add a lot of additional functionality.
Overview of VirtueMart Features
VirtueMart doesn’t beat the multitude of classifications or (much more importantly) items that you can load into your store, which is a huge plus. The scalable trolley can also use to assign multiple tariffs to a single product. Some marketing functions consist of coupons from the start. However, I missed the discount codes, the certifications in hand, and various other marketing tools provided by competitors from the package. I simulate that the best provider can showcase the latest articles and that visitors offer and 1-click check-out.
User-Friendliness
I wouldn’t install and launch a store using VirtueMart unless a programmer was learning Joomla or was relatively comfortable discovering a brand new CMS and mounting a PHP-based software application. As mentioned earlier, there is no doubt that if I chose VirtueMart as my eCommerce solution, it would undoubtedly consist of the price of a developer and developer to share my business and train myself on its exact usage.
Is VirtueMart worth the price to set up and easy to use once it turns out?
I was able to get a good understanding of the admin design after clicking it for a few minutes but digging a little deeper. I quickly missed much of the performance of the package with many different other purchases of carts. It consists of Google Analytics or various other handy reporting tools, permanent discount tools, and several template options.
On the primary page of the administrator, you will find two tabs: “Statistics” allows you to view a direct line of statistics (brand new orders, energetic items, etc.), while “Control Panel” consists of links to orders, items, classifications and so on.
To include a product, likely “Product” and “New.” These areas were quite common and straightforward to use, but I found the extensions and components supervisor complicated and daunting to browse. You can add calls, banners, and access to a search tool under the “Components” food selection, which appears as a collective term for any aspect of the site. While I like the easy accessibility to a “View Site” button from the home page, I found that the entire backend experience is very complicated.
Web Design
VirtueMart only offers a minimal selection of themes. Here you can consider offers. Keep in mind that the cart’s feeling is open source, and free to use just a few skins is quite common. The out-of-package template appears to Jane and, in my view, requires a lot of adjustments before your business is sure to prepare to close the sale. You can view extensions under the “Template Manager” in the administrator. I discovered numerous third-party skins made up of this set and an excellent template called VP SuperMart.
You invest a lot of time in the backend.
While exercising, make sure to inquire about important information like elements and classifications. However, you will also learn exactly how to install plugins and optimize your template. While individuals report that it’s a vast improvement over the original version of VirtueMart, I haven’t found the administrator to be eye-pleasing or particularly easy to use. Extra-large counters point to items and orders on the primary side and the natural selection of drop-down groceries.
Integrations and Add-Ons
VirtueMart offers several third-party extensions (worth euros, so you get the currency converter prepared) consisting of:
- Click on Social Buttons: This way, you can share a product on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ Free.
- Currency Automatic Switcher: Adjusts the money settings to the international location of the customer. Over USD 20.
- USPS: This allows you to offer customers shipping on orders using USPS for around $59.
- Shopper Group Changer: This allows you to give customers VIP conditions and offer special discount rates. About $45.
VirtueMart also includes nearly 8,000 Joomla extensions, so you shouldn’t have a problem finding an add-on that does what you need. Take a look at the complete directory here.
Payment processing
Payment processing is still essential at VirtueMart. I consider this to be the absolute impotence of the car, considering that this is a standard and an integral part of doing business. A PCI-compliant plugin must be downloaded and installed before you can approve cards, and the whole process is an actual migraine. You can find lists of Payment CPU Providers here and right here.
It would indeed be wonderful to see a couple of other options, considering the deal identified is quite rare or at least unknown to me. While PayPal is configurable, the promotions seem a lot more technological than they need to be, especially given that many other shopping carts allow you to embed your PayPal account in a Click. Or 2Checkout website powered by VirtueMart to display payment plugins. Click in the administrator under “Payment methods” on “New.”
Manage products
If you were to expand the standard product management functionality, you would surely get out of an e-commerce tool with a directory function (such as simple product editing, checklists, and classification). You can create custom areas to make it convenient for them to use the information you want your customers to see. You can also modify tax obligations and calculation policies so that people who rely on where they are can see tax rates that include BARREL and BARREL Include Sales Tax Liability, and so on.
Product Search
VirtueMart consists of several features that make it easier for you and your customers to find what they are looking for. You can list and organize your items however you want. VirtueMart makes it extremely easy to create as many classifications as you surely would, such as Classify your objects as needed. If all of these options seem frustrating, you can use the mom and dad articles to create duplicate products for kids.
Inventory management
To help you manage your inventory, you get persistent backend tools to keep track of what you have offered, what you have submitted, and what you have not yet received. However, these functions not only intend for physical objects. You can easily manage an electronic download repository using the same tools.
Orders and Buyers
The backend tools you get with VirtueMart also consist of managing coupons for product discounts, order management, and customer management. In particular, the customer management tool allows you to split up your customers to entertain customer teams. You can then use the policy/rule functions to view the different tariffs, tax liability rates, shipping prices, and customer teams.
Finally, VirtueMart manages documents and takes care of reporting functions to ensure that you can immediately create documents for tax liability targets.
Order status
To keep customers informed about the status of their orders today, VirtueMart offers a total of 6 standard charges, as listed here.
- Pending
- Confirmed by the buyer
- Approved
- Canceled
- Refund
- Shipping
The Pending, Shipping, and Shipping rankings cannot change. However, the website owners can include or change different situations that they choose between the two.
Manufacturer
VirtueMart provides a suite of features among manufacturers that allow you to refer to items and give a website, contact, and detailed information. The use of these functions is purely optional, but it is an easy way to access information and use it multiple times in different elements.
Business
You can change the on-screen information for your store at the store location, including the name, critical money (and the second money you approved), photos/business logo designs, service blurb, etc. Also, you can change payment techniques that you are okay with and the shipping techniques that you would like to offer your customers.
You also get access to plugins that make it easy to integrate your shipping workflow into your online shop.
Customizable shopping cart and ordering process
The shopping cart and check-out procedure can customize to improve the traditional multi-step process of registering customers. You can do a visitor check-out or a one-click check-out. Supporting SSL certifications ensures that your customers’ data is safe. As a product aimed at a global audience (or businesses that satisfy an international audience), in addition to the money you approve, you can specify the countries in which you operate.
SEO tools
To ensure that as many people discover your business as possible, VirtueMart offers built-in SEO functions that you can use to create the metadata for your product pages. That consists of the ability to pick up microdata and abundant fragments.
VirtueMart Customer Support
Because VirtueMart is free to download, many support issues require you to rely on your programmer. It compares to web-based shopping carts like Shopify, which offer support as part of your monthly expenses.
There’s a ticket sales area here, with terms mentioned in a hostile tone: Required support does NOT cover problems caused by overwriting your templates or extensions for third-party events that not offer on this website: extensions.virtuemart.net. If we lose a lot of time because of this, we can bill you.
Your best bet is to seek help from online discussion forums and documentation.
And you can keep trying to talk to VirtueMart on their Facebook and Twitter pages.
VirtueMart Money-Back Guarantee
They offer a one-month money-back guarantee on each of their subscriptions.
VirtueMart Alternatives
The eCommerce tools listed below are among the standard options offered to individuals and customers instead of VirtueMart. Other important aspects to consider when considering options for VirtueMart are plugins and features. We have compiled a list of services that reviewers have selected as one of the most reliable base options and competitors for VirtueMart. These include Constant Contact, dotdigital Engagement Cloud, Elfsight, and DiCentral EDI & Supply Chain Solutions.
Conclusion
In my view, VirtueMart’s various warnings make it a weak challenger to shopping carts for many online stores. When the programming group knows how awkward and daunting a cart is, you will see a far better way. The lack of quality plugins, out-of-package features like mobile and social media website integration, and basic search engine optimization make this shopping cart at its best. Could you open a fantastic business with VirtueMart? Yes, but not without a lot of work and effort.
If you want an extra free choice, try Spree Commerce. VirtueMart version 3 has been out for over a year, and spots and updates are popping up (especially regarding security issues). That VirtueMart has been around since 2004, I would assume they are a lot more similar to their version of their peers now.
If you want to see it for yourself, you can check out a live demo (both the storefront and the admin) and instances of existing websites using VirtueMart.
I am Sajal. A Freelancer, a blogger, a Freelance Content Writer, and a geek when it comes to anything related to online marketing. Stay connected to me. Leave a comment if you like my articles.
