Are you running an eCommerce business and looking for ways to streamline your operations? Drupal Commerce is a powerful platform that helps you create customized online stores that provide a seamless shopping experience for your customers. But if you already have an existing website, how can you integrate Drupal Commerce with it?
In this article, we’ll walk you through the steps to integrate Drupal Commerce with your website.
Table of Contents
What is Drupal Commerce?
Before we dive into the integration process, let’s first understand what Drupal Commerce is. Drupal Commerce is an open-source platform built on Drupal, a popular content management system. It allows you to create and manage an online store that’s tailored to your requirements. Some of the features of Drupal Commerce include:
- Flexible product creation and management
- Multiple payment options and gateways
- Tax and shipping calculation
- Customizable checkout process
- Integration with marketing tools like email marketing and social media
Now that we know what Drupal Commerce can do, let’s see how we can integrate it with your existing website.
Step 1: Choose a Drupal Commerce Distribution
Drupal Commerce is available as a standalone module, but it can be complex and time-consuming to set up. That’s why Drupal Commerce distributions are a popular choice to get started quickly.
Drupal Commerce distributions are pre-built installations that include Drupal Core, Drupal Commerce, and other necessary modules. They often come bundled with a customizable theme and pre-configured settings.
There are several Drupal Commerce distributions available, such as Commerce Kickstart, Open eCommerce, and Thunder. You can choose the one that suits your needs and preferences.
Step 2: Install the Drupal Commerce Distribution
Once you’ve chosen your preferred Drupal Commerce distribution, you’ll need to install it on your server. If you’re using a hosting provider like Pantheon, Acquia, or Platform.sh, they provide easy installation options.
If you’re installing Drupal Commerce on your own server, you can follow the steps outlined in the installation guide provided by your distribution’s documentation.
Step 3: Customize the Drupal Commerce Store
Once you’ve installed Drupal Commerce, you can customize the store to suit your eCommerce business. You can create product categories, set up shipping and tax rules, select payment methods, and customize the checkout process.
Drupal Commerce provides a user-friendly interface to manage all these settings. You can also use the Drupal CMS to create pages, menus, and other content that’s linked to your store.
Step 4: Integrate Drupal Commerce with Your Existing Website
Now that your Drupal Commerce store is set up and customized, it’s time to integrate it with your existing website. There are several ways to do this, depending on your website’s platform and your preferences.
Option 1: Embed the Drupal Commerce Store on Your Website
One way to integrate Drupal Commerce with your website is to embed the store on a page or a section of your website. You can use the Drupal CMS to create a new page and embed the Drupal Commerce store on it using a block.
To embed the store, you need to install the Drupal Commerce Display Suite module. This module provides additional display options that you can use to customize the look and feel of your store.
Once you’ve installed the module, you can drag and drop the store block to the desired region on the page. You can also customize the block’s display settings to show product categories, promotions, or featured products.
Option 2: Create a Subdomain for Your Drupal Commerce Store
Another option is to create a subdomain for your Drupal Commerce store and link it to your website. For example, if your website’s domain is "mywebsite.com," you can create a subdomain like "store.mywebsite.com" and link it to your Drupal Commerce store.
To create a subdomain, you need to access your domain registrar’s settings and add a new DNS record for the subdomain. You also need to update your server settings to ensure that the subdomain points to the Drupal Commerce store’s installation directory.
Once the subdomain is set up, you can customize its look and feel using the Drupal CMS. You can also create links on your website that direct users to the subdomain.
Option 3: Use an API to Connect Your Website and Drupal Commerce Store
If your website’s platform supports APIs, you can use them to connect your website and Drupal Commerce store. An API (Application Programming Interface) is a set of protocols that allows different applications to communicate with each other.
Drupal Commerce provides APIs that allow you to create and manage products, orders, and customers. You can use these APIs to retrieve product information, update inventory, or process orders from your website.
To use the APIs, you need to obtain a consumer key and secret from your Drupal Commerce store’s settings. You also need to ensure that your website’s platform supports the Drupal Commerce APIs.
Once the API is set up, you can develop custom code or plugins to integrate your website and Drupal Commerce store.
Conclusion
Integrating Drupal Commerce with your existing website can enhance your eCommerce business’s online presence and streamline your operations. By choosing the right Drupal Commerce distribution, customizing the store, and integrating it with your website, you can provide a seamless shopping experience for your customers.
Remember, integrating Drupal Commerce requires technical expertise and attention to detail. If you’re not familiar with Drupal Commerce or website integration, it’s best to seek professional help.