Laravel for SME Ecommerce: Is it a Good Choice?

As small and medium-sized ecommerce businesses explore their options searching for an ideal technology stack, Laravel, a renowned open-source framework might be among the shortlisted development proposals. Is Laravel suitable for a medium size web store? This question cannot be definitively addressed solely through a binary perspective of “big” versus “small.” The key factor at play here is the website’s intended functionality and the scalability of the business. We have to actively listen to the client to understand and evaluate their requirements, while our clients also need to understand their intended customers to make an informed decision about how the web store should function, look and engage users.

With more than a decade of experience in web development, I can tell that Laravel has a bright future. Its relevance and marketability is growing fast and it is set to be a game changer in building powerful web applications.

Almost half of all websites on the Internet today use the PHP web programming language. Laravel is structured in a way that aligns with fast web and commerce development. Its exquisite and rich syntax combining Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture makes it a powerful choice for both front-end and backend purposes. The number of companies in a variety of industry niches using Laravel is exponentially growing.

Laravel Usage Statictics. Source: Builtwith

Laravel developers are able to build various web applications. The framework is well-suited for content management systems, enterprise resource planning and ecommerce. Its flexibility allows it to develop individual subsystems that can be seamlessly integrated into the larger project at a later stage. But is it a good choice for medium size ecommerce businesses?

How Laravel Ecommerce Development Makes A Profit-Making Business

One of the most pressing questions for SMEs considering Laravel for their ecommerce ventures is how it can contribute to profitability. Laravel’s flexibility to incorporate anything as per your online store needs make it a suitable platform for visionary eCommerce owners. It is capable of streamlining and accelerating the development process, reducing the time and budget

Pre-built components, authentication systems, and robust database management through Eloquent ORM, allows businesses to launch their online stores more swiftly. Laravel’s built-in libraries provide programmers with off-the-shelf payment and authentication methods. Additionally, Laravel’s scalability ensures that as the business grows, the ecommerce platform can seamlessly expand, reducing the need for expensive overhauls. The time and cost efficiency that Laravel brings can significantly impact a business’s bottom line.

Is Laravel Reliable for eCommerce Website Development?

Laravel’s strong foundation in PHP, combined with its dedicated community and regular updates, ensures that it is a dependable choice for ecommerce development. Its built-in security features, such as protection against SQL injection and Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks, make it a secure option for online businesses handling sensitive customer data.

What are the Drawbacks of Laravel?

If you are not building your application in PHP, Laravel is not even a choice. And similar to other PHP frameworks, Laravel may also experience problems during version upgrades.
The more seasoned PHP developers may criticise Laravel framework as doing too much hand-holding. It is true that Laravel may seem simple and straightforward for its automated functions which lead average developers to overestimate their knowledge. Skilled Laravel developers are still rare to find these days.

Should I Use Laravel for Small Projects?

Laravel’s suitability for small projects depends on the specific needs of the project. It has the capability to empower small and medium-sized enterprises regardless of their scale and budget constraints. Through Laravel, you can construct user-friendly dashboards for the business and can integrate features like streamlined single-page checkout, discounts, coupon management, logistics integration, secure digital payment gateways, intelligent product suggestions etc.

That said, for straightforward applications with minimal requirements, Laravel might introduce more complexity than necessary. In such cases, a simpler framework or CMS might be more efficient. However, if the small project has growth potential or requires specific customizations, Laravel can be a wise investment, ensuring scalability and maintainability as the project expands.

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Laravel vs. Drupal for Small eCommerce

Both Laravel and Drupal have their strengths, but for small/medium ecommerce businesses, Laravel often has the edge. Its developer-friendly ecosystem, elegant codebase, and powerful tools make it easier and quicker to develop and customize ecommerce solutions tailored to specific needs. Drupal’s established presence in the enterprise market and extensive module library can also be advantageous. The choice between the two should be based on the specific requirements and existing infrastructure of the organization.

Laravel eCommerce vs WooCommerce

For small businesses, WooCommerce, a plugin for WordPress, offers simplicity and ease of use. However, Laravel’s customizability and scalability can better accommodate growth and unique business needs, making it a compelling choice if you’re planning for expansion. While WooCommerce may work for some, Laravel’s capabilities better suit the demands of a thriving enterprise-level ecommerce operation. That said, ecommerce owners should make sure that they hire a skilled developer either for WooCommerce or Laravel ecommerce, as both platforms tend to be misleading by their developer-friendliness and this may lead to specific requests being integrated in a less professional way (if being implemented at all).

Laravel vs. Magento

Laravel and Magento cater to different niches. Magento is a specialized ecommerce platform with a steeper learning curve, making it more suitable for enterprises. Laravel, with its versatility, can be adapted for small businesses, offering a balance between functionality and ease of use. For enterprise-level ecommerce, Magento remains a robust choice. It excels in managing large product catalogs, complex pricing structures, and extensive third-party integrations. Laravel can be tailored for such use cases but may require more development effort.

Takeaways

Laravel holds substantial promise for SME ecommerce. Among all PHP frameworks, Laravel is undoubtedly leading the way, allowing the creation of functional and user-friendly web solutions. Its efficiency, reliability, and scalability make it a worthy contender for businesses looking to establish a strong online presence.

However, the choice of framework should always align with the specific needs and goals of the business, as there is no universal solution.

If you opt for Laravel, you might have to exercise extra caution: ensure your developers are not only qualified but also skilled in handling intricate, tailor-made features.

Consult with our developer team to see if Laravel is a good choice for your ecommerce plans.