Beyond Odoo & Shopify
3/12/24 by Bas Koenen
The ERP system we appreciate so much has a well-built ecommerce solution. Out of the box, it offers so many features. But still, many Odoo partners don't recommend it for all client cases. Shopify or some other solution is often recommended in combination with an Odoo connector. What happens more often is the client has Shopify running and likes to start using Odoo in the background.
Which ecommerce system do you recommend for a customer case? Your advice as Odoo partner has major implications because creating a fully operating and high-converting webshop takes years to accomplish. It requires a long-term view and in-depth knowledge to advise well.
In general, when comparing Shopify with Odoo ecommerce, Shopify is the winner. But also, Shopify or other ecommerce platforms connected with Odoo is often not the best-in-class solution. When the budget is sufficient and the ecommerce stakes are high, a custom-made website might be a better advice.
Long Term Overview
What is a custom-made website? It's an architecture where Odoo is the database which you query. The custom-made website is created separately from Odoo. So you create the front-end yourself (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript).
It sounds ridiculous, right? Why would you spend effort on something that already exists? Well, there are several reasons.
More than half of the medium and large sized ecommerce websites built entirely with Odoo need coding customizations. A lot of them even need many customizations. As you know, customizations become a millstone around your neck in the long run.
An ecommerce website is entirely built around products and its target audience. The tiniest detail matters. You can teach employees how to work with an ERP system. You don't have this opportunity with your potential clients. They just leave your website.
Over time you will notice more and more customisations are needed. Marketeers will demand more website changes to improve conversions. So the problem with customizations often becomes larger over time. Also, the dependency on the developer who built the customizations arises. At every migration, you need him/her for a complete website rebuild.
When ecommerce is important for business you need stability. Together with your client you want to keep on improving the website without increasing the weight of the millstone. You should be in a situation where you can embrace customisations instead of being constrained by them.
The main challenge for ecommerce is building a very robust infrastructure. Too many webshops have high revenue peaks but also low valleys. A well thought architecture leads to slower initial growth, it ultimately fosters longer-term stability and steeper growth.
Open source custom-made website
Building a custom-made website from scratch doesn't mean you have to invent everything. There are 2 open source solutions available already for Odoo. These help you to make a quickstart. When choosing the default template setup your own simple website is possible in a few days even.
These platforms use GraphQL or REST to connect with Odoo. On top of it there are out of the box connectors to easily query Odoo models. The frontend uses Vue.js/Nuxt which is built for web applications.
Well known Odoo partners like Acsone and CamptoCamp created dozens of custom-made websites already. They use the open source solution Shopinvader for it. More recently ERPGap created a very promising bridge between Odoo and the popular frontend solution Alokai which is also open source.
So you can set up a custom made website without paying a single penny licensing fees and without dependencies from other companies. The previously mentioned 2 days are not real in most cases. It takes more time to create a custom-made website. You start with the pixel design which you transform into a html design. When this is ready you connect it with endpoints and the website is born. How much time it takes depends. Expect it to take at least two months for a basic website in corporate style.
It takes more time than using the default Odoo ecommerce solution, that's for sure. That's why it's not the best solution for everyone. It just needs a larger investment. When you can take the customer along in your story, the rewards can be significant in the long run. There are many examples where enormous and steady growth was realized.
Custom compared with Shopify
Then you might notice we didn't talk about the connection with Shopify or other ecommerce solutions like Adobe commerce (previous Magento), Woocommerce. Well it's hard to compare them all. For this article I like to talk about them as one.
Although they have many advantages out of the box and are very very good. You want to start using them in combination with Odoo right? That's for a reason. You need Odoo for the order processing, inventory management, project management or even manufacturing. It means Odoo will be the heart of the organization and Shopify will be the ecommerce frontend only. Where is your single source of truth?
If the website visitor needs a flawless user experience where quotes, orders and invoices are available, it will be hard to do it with 2 systems. It is possible, but it requires a lot of connectors. As both the ecommerce platform and Odoo are built as a solution for everything, you always need to battle with these visions. Maintaining the connectors will be difficult.
Although the ecommerce platform might offer better user experiences and more out of the box functions, you still probably need customisations to build the webshop around the specific products and visitors. So you need customisations anyway.
When the business does B2C solely, maybe ecommerce platforms can compete with a custom made website. For a shop also doing B2B commerce, a custom-made website is definitely the winner. It gives the clients of the shop the opportunity for self service using a client portal.
Also the license fee for some ecommerce platforms can also become a pain point. Sometimes a lifetime license based on revenue is required.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while Odoo offers a comprehensive ecommerce solution, businesses with ambitious online growth should consider a custom-made website integrated with Odoo. This approach, leveraging open-source solutions like Shopinvader or Alokai, provides greater flexibility, scalability, and long-term stability compared to relying solely on Odoo's built-in ecommerce or third-party platforms like Shopify. While the initial investment in a custom website might be higher, the ability to tailor the user experience precisely, avoid vendor lock-in, and seamlessly integrate with Odoo's backend functionalities can lead to significant advantages in the long run.
Ultimately, choosing the right ecommerce approach depends on your specific needs, budget, and long-term vision. By carefully weighing the pros and cons of each option, businesses can make informed decisions that empower them to build thriving online stores optimized for their unique products, target audience, and business goals.