What is PrestaShop?

As you may have already figured out, PrestaShop is one of the most popular platforms for online stores. It operates all over the world, currently serving over 300 thousand. shops. It is a universal Open Source tool that allows you to create a commercial website offering any assortment. Undoubtedly, it owes its popularity to the fact that it is free. You do not have to pay any fees to use PrestaShop software, and the store created with it can be freely modified.

An open-source solution gives developers the freedom to adapt their store to the seller’s needs. Thus, PrestaShop is a kind of framework that can be used in the chosen way. However, you do not need to be a specialist to create a trading platform with the tool yourself. It is complete and intuitive, with an accessible administration panel.

PrestaShop is simple and intuitive to use

It is worth starting the platform analysis with the advantages. One of them is simplicity and intuitiveness. To set up a store, all you need to do is have a domain and hosting, then install PrestaShop. It is very simple, as is the operation of the tool from the administrator’s position. It was created for those who do not have extensive IT knowledge and want to trade on the Internet. Launching a store, and then running or expanding it, should not cause anyone major problems. The options regarding e.g. creating promotional offers are also very useful – just a few clicks are enough to offer your customers a discount or e.g. free shipping.

A very accessible interface and functions described in simple language make it easy to perform all the necessary operations. The platform also provides tutorials and other materials to help you learn about its operation and operation. In case of problems, you can also count on the support of PrestaShop experts who are ready to answer any question and solve technical problems.

PrestaShop is high functionality

Despite the ease of use, PrestaShop is an extensive tool that offers a wide range of applications. It is suitable for both small and very large-scale trading. This thesis can be confirmed by well-known brands that use PrestaShop. The sheer volume of options may be overwhelming at first, but it also makes it a comprehensive online trading platform. The abundance of functionalities definitely distinguishes PrestaShop from other popular tools of this type.

It is possible to expand the store’s capabilities with additional modules, and if none of them meet your expectations, you can prepare your own (with the help of a specialist, of course, if you are not a developer yourself). Store owners can also use templates that influence the layout and appearance of the site. Both free and paid modules and templates are available. They create great opportunities for building an original, functional store that perfectly displays its products.

PrestaShop is universal

As already mentioned, PrestaShop allows you to create a trading platform with any subject and range. This is not the only thing that proves the universality of the platform. Its great advantage is multilingualism. The script has been translated into several dozen languages, which reduces the automatic creation of different language versions of the same store to just a few clicks. The same applies to currencies – when choosing a language, product prices can be automatically converted to the currency of the country. This in turn means that it is easy to reach international customers. This can be a great advantage – especially since more and more Internet users are eager to shop outside their country of residence. Therefore, creating several language versions of the store can significantly increase sales – especially if you offer unique products.

The universality of stores built on the basis of PrestaShop also lies in the full responsiveness, i.e. adaptation to operation on various devices – not only computers, but also tablets or smartphones. The number of mobile users of trading platforms is constantly growing, which is why this is a very important aspect that should not be overlooked. By choosing PrestaShop, you can easily optimize your store to the needs of each device and ensure a convenient shopping experience for every visitor.

PrestaShop is SEO and marketing friendly

Speaking of optimization, the topic of SEO, i.e. positioning, must not be ignored. How to make your store show up to users entering specific terms in the search engine? An appropriate site design is needed. PrestaShop provides many tools that facilitate SEO-oriented optimization, helping stores to increase their visibility in search engines. The platform is synchronized with Google Analytics, thanks to which you have easy access to all data about entering the website and the related behavior of Internet users. This, in turn, provides a lot of important information for more effective marketing and SEO activities.

Among the additional PrestaShop modules, there are also many tools to facilitate marketing activities: starting from mailing, and ending with easily setting promotions or organizing sales. Their skillful use can lead to a significant increase in conversion (the number of purchases made in relation to visits to the store), therefore their presence should definitely be considered an advantage.

PrestaShop is not without its flaws

Of course, the perfect system for online stores does not exist, and PrestaShop also has its drawbacks. It is worth noting, however, that many of them are ambiguous, as not everyone expects the same from their online store.

The mere presence of various modules that allow you to expand the functionality of the store is of course an advantage. However, they are also responsible for some, it might seem, basic functions that are missing in the basic version of the store. These include, for example, a blog feature that allows you to build trust in your brand and increase store traffic, or the cash on delivery feature that customers often expect. Some users also complain about the prices of modules – most of them are paid and slightly destroy the promise of a free online store that PrestaShop makes. The costs of implementing the system may turn out to be even greater if you decide to help professionals in the construction, operation or development of the store.

Another disadvantage is frequent system updates as they are not installed automatically. The script is constantly improved, which provides its users primarily with security, but the need for constant updates can irritate and hinder the development of the store. It may also be difficult to use certain functions. Overall, the admin panel is intuitive, but unfortunately fails in some places. Fans of various templates for stores should also be vigilant – editing them requires knowledge of the Smarty language.

Summary – advantages and disadvantages of PrestaShop

Let’s juxtapose all the observed advantages and disadvantages of PrestaShop to make it easier to evaluate the platform. Its positive features certainly include:

– free installation and use of the script,
– wide possibilities of personalization and expansion of functions,
– availability of many useful modules and attractive templates,
– Open Source code that can be freely modified,
– intuitive operation of the admin panel,
– availability of built-in tools for creating different language versions of the store,
– SEO support and extensive marketing tools,
– support for mobile devices – the ability to create a fully responsive store,
– good performance,
– security,
– constant development and improvement of the platform,
– availability and usability for each store regardless of the scale of operation,
– the possibility of using the support of experts or the extensive PrestaShop community.

The following can be considered as defects of the script:

– lack of some important functions in the basic version and the need to buy additional modules,
– low availability of free modules and relatively high prices of the paid ones,
– the need to manually install frequent updates,
– ease of slowing down the store’s operation due to the multitude of extensive functions and too complicated structure,
– difficult template editing.

It’s easy to see that the script has more advantages than disadvantages – especially since the latter are much finer and generally less significant. PrestaShop is certainly an interesting and noteworthy tool that can be perfect for building an online store. Its great advantage is accessibility – thanks to it, everyone can set up their own trading platform, even without specialist IT knowledge.

Is PrestaShop for you?

Let us emphasize once again that PrestaShop is a universal script that has a chance to work in many applications. However, it certainly will not satisfy everyone. This solution is primarily for:

– small and medium-sized stores – a very extensive offer may require the implementation of a dedicated platform;
– beginners and intermediate users – relatively easy operation and wide possibilities make it possible for almost anyone to create a professional shop;
– people looking for flexibility – additional functional modules and the possibility of constant expansion of the store allow for complete freedom.

Due to the ability to use the basic version of PrestaShop for free, it is a great starting platform for all those who are just starting out and don’t want to invest too much in the website itself. It will also be appreciated by those who have previously used SaaS (Software as a Service) solutions and were dissatisfied due to the constraints associated with them.

It is worth noting that PrestaShop is most suitable for professional use. However, it is a platform designed to sell products that have specific prices and are differentiated according to such features as color, size, etc. – i.e. clothing, handicrafts, everyday items, electronic equipment. It works well for a range of up to several hundred thousand products. In the case of personalization of goods or complex pricing based on various parameters, additional modules can be used. In some cases, however, it is worth investing in a dedicated platform that will be perfectly suited to your needs.

First things first: whether you’re already running an e-commerce business or considering it, you need to be online. This is the only way to attract new customers and remind the old ones of your existence. Why is that so? The answer is simple. Today, most searches for specific products, as well as places that sell them, start online.

This is for a simple reason: almost everyone has a smartphone, and entering a query on Google or using the voice search engine is very simple and accessible. If so, you cannot afford not to be on the Internet. And how to mark your presence? Here are the most important aspects you need to keep in mind.

Advertising of a photo shop? Start with positioning!

Website positioning is the absolute basis of all the activities you undertake in connection with the promotion of your photo store. Why? Because without SEO solutions, it will be difficult for you to be “found” by customers interested in the offer of photographic equipment or accessories.

Remember that an assortment similar to yours is offered by many other points of sale – at the forefront of large chains of electronic stores. To compete with them, you must first show your audience that you exist. For this to happen, your website must appear high in Google search results for phrases related to the scope of the prepared offer.

And here’s the first important note: your keyword selection is HUGE. It cannot be done “by eye” because it is a road to nowhere. In theory, you can simply indicate the key categories of products offered and build content marketing activities and SEO content on them. Nevertheless… so does your competition. This puts you in a losing position.

Therefore, before choosing keywords, you will need:
– SEO audit in terms of the quality of your website – it is about both its functionality and technical facilities. Important issues include, among other things, whether the website is responsive (and thus whether it adapts to the displays of various end devices), and how fast it loads,
– keyword analysis – both those where your store may already be displayed somewhere in the search results, and those that have high potential. We are talking primarily about keywords from the so-called long tail, and therefore a much wider catalog of expressions.

A good specialist will also create a plan for the placement of these specific keywords in the content on individual subpages of the website. This is also a very important issue, because otherwise the results of the SEO company’s activities may be weakened.

Is positioning profitable?

The profitability of the SEO activities carried out cannot be overestimated – both in the context of short-term and long-term goals. The longer time perspective is particularly important, because the results of skilful optimization of the website code and its content will increase the visibility of the photo shop for a very long time.

The advantages of positioning are also:
– support for image and branding activities – possible thanks to the publication of valuable content related to the activity,
 – improving the functionality of the website,
 – more traffic on the website,
– better brand recognition.

However, it must be remembered that this is an investment, the return on which will not appear immediately. Often – especially when activities are carried out from scratch – it is necessary to wait several months or even longer for the results. However, when they finally come, they prove that it was worth being patient!

Attention! Although in theory you can carry out many SEO activities yourself, in practice it is better to do it in cooperation with an experienced specialist. Then you will be sure that the money invested in activities in this field will pay off.

Google Ads, i.e. a paid advertising for a photo store

The second way to promote the operation of a photo store on the web is to use Google Ads tools. This is a very beneficial solution, thanks to which you can quickly achieve the goals of your campaigns – e.g. those related to increasing website traffic. All thanks to the fact that Google is a very powerful platform that allows you to build spectacular ranges.

How can a photo shop ad be run on Google? The tools that are available are very wide. However, the most important ones are:
– Google Shopping advertising – very important, especially when promoting e-commerce activities. It is mainly about advertising consisting in displaying offers of specific products above the customer’s search results or on the right side of SERPs. In such a carousel or box, a photo of a specific product offered by you will be displayed, which is thematically related to the customer’s inquiry. There will also be the price of this product and a link to your e-shop. This form of promotion works well when the goal is to quickly increase the conversion of specific goods in the store,
– sponsored links – this is a form of advertising that displays a link to your offer above the organic results. While these results are clearly labeled as advertising, many users click on them, which helps you build your reach as well as increase your sales volume.
– Google Display Network – it is contextual advertising displayed in the form of banners on external websites visited by a potential recipient. This form of presentation is extremely attractive because it allows the client to follow the websites he visits. The most interesting version of contextual ads are those displayed in the remarketing system. These are the ones that are presented to people who have already visited your camera shop, looked at certain products, but have not made a purchase. When they see information about your offer again, they can come back to it.

What are the advantages of advertising a photo store in Google Ads?

Advertising in Google Ads is:
– a chance to quickly build ranges,
– the possibility of accelerating the sales process,
– easy adaptation of advertising messages to the needs of recipients at various stages of the shopping funnel,
– support for branding activities,
– easy monitoring of advertising results and a simple, transparent PPC billing system.

Of course, it’s worth remembering that this form of promotion is not without its drawbacks. The key factor is the short duration of the effect obtained. For this reason, the use of Google Ads must be combined with activities in the area of SEO to obtain a synergy effect.

Facebook photo store advertisement

Facebook is another communication channel that can be used to conduct effective promotional activities. Why can a Facebook photo store advertisement be a good solution? The answer is simple: your audience is here too. You can think about completely free methods of promoting yourself – including setting up a fan page and managing it yourself, as well as interacting with users on thematic groups. However, such activities should also be supported in the area of paid promotion.

The system of accounting for ads on Facebook works much like the one in Google, so you also pay for the effects in the form of impressions or clicks. You can also use very different forms of promotion – e.g. contextual advertising, post promotion, or displaying a carousel of products in the news feed. Everything depends on the goal of the campaign.

Facebook is a good promotional tool because:
– your clients are present here and they will be happy to take a look at the interesting proposals you present to them,
– you gain access to intuitive advertising tools that give measurable results,
– you have a chance to associate activities on social media with those conducted, for example, on a company blog or on external portals,
– you can combine an advertising campaign with branding activities.

It all has a huge impact on the final results – both in the short and long term.

Advertising in other social media: does it make sense for a photo shop?

Advertising your photo store on other social media also holds great potential. Why? Because on the one hand you can reach amateurs-enthusiasts with it, and on the other – professionals. You can communicate with the former, e.g. through campaigns on Pinterest or Instagram. However, experts should present their photographic equipment, e.g. on LinkedIn. There are many possibilities, and choosing the right ones should be preceded by a consultation with a good digital agency. This is your chance to plan an attractive campaign.

You should also appreciate being able to collaborate with better photographers or often in thematic groups – a wide wave can follow their example.