Prestashop is one of the most commonly used and popular e-commerce solutions of  merchants handling small to medium sized business online. Ever since it was introduced back in 2007, this online business platform is winning hearts of many entrepreneurs who prefer a budget-friendly solution to their venture. Its lightweight nature makes it a feasible choice for even those with a slow internet connection. The e-store can either be self-hosted or cloud-based when you go for Prestashop website development.

There are lots of benefits featured by Prestashop that made it a true choice for a value-added online store but here are the top reasons why it is a preferred choice for e-commerce merchants.

1. Open-source software:

   Prestashop is a open source web development platform and that is the primary reason why many merchants go for this solution. As its novel features and functionality can be accessed for free of cost, business professionals with budget constraints can very well afford it. In fact, through Prestashop an online store can be set up without the need for any license fees.

2. Simple installation:

   Setting up an online store using Prestashop is a simple process. Establishing a new server with an open source platform is a lot easier than one thinks. A new online store is at your finger-tips in just a few minutes. The associated installation cost will also be very less compared to similar solutions. The default template has enough features to have a functional online store without worrying about the technical know-how. Moreover, maintaining the store won’t be a hurdle.

3. Easy learning curve:

   It is less complex in nature and one can find it really easy to understand and use. This eliminates the need for any expert technical guidance or a support team to handle its functionality. Managing the store’s backend is not a big deal for your team as this involves no complex coding or configuration settings. And it is easy to maintain the store with pretty decent debugging options.

   

4. Multi-language support:

   The Prestashop store is designed to work with multiple languages making it a global solution. The store can be customized to work with about 40 to 45 languages and offers support for different currencies also. So customers would find it really convenient to buy products with their particular currency. The website can be translated to your preferred language based on the varying business requirements and targeted locations. So localization of your store is not a concern with this platform. Also integrating a number of languages instantly is not a big deal. This, in fact, gives way for deeper market penetration.

5. Comprehensive control panel:

   With an intuitive control panel, managing the business is really simple with Prestashop website development. The additional modules if any, as well as the payment gateways and orders, can be managed quickly. Configuring your store and making any new alterations can be done in a simpler way. The store gives the flexibility for real-time visitor tracking too. The page indexing feature that comes inbuilt helps to improve the pace of your website performance.

6. Minimal system requirements:

   Unlike many of its counterparts like Magento that needs some important system requirements to run the store, Prestashop works with just a decent shared hosting plan. No specific VPS or dedicated hosting is needed for this eCommerce platform to run efficiently. And you can experience an all in one solution for your online store without any related worries if you go for a PrestaShop Cloud.

7. Responsive templates:

   There are a lot of responsive templates available from which you can choose the one suiting your requirement. In fact, these responsive templates are designed to enhance your market presence and you can benefit from an increase in returns and sales over the period. You can also design a fresh template if you find no matching templates for your needs. And importantly, a responsive website is the key to drive good traffic and conversions to enhance the online arena of business. Moreover, you can improve the overall look and feel of your online venture with your choice of themes.

8. Appealing interface:

   The overall clarity and ease of use of the interface allows effortless operation throughout the store management and maintenance and minimizes the technical jargon to a great extent. In addition, desired functionality of a complete store can be achieved through 25000+ plugins. Also the end user can have a really amazing experience while navigating through the website. The user-friendliness is what makes it stand out from its counterparts. And the design has a special emphasis on reducing abandonment cart rate and enhancing customer engagement.

   

9. Customizable:

   The e-commerce store features can be enhanced or changed to suit your particular requirements as it is easily customizable. A website that meets your business type can be set up with minimal effort and time. The admin panel can be customized with flexibility by adding or removing store features to make it apt for your business. You can personalize the specific sections of the store at your convenience to make the process easier and manageable. With options for special product promotions, you can enhance the sales rate of particular products.

10. SEO friendly:

    The comprehensible codes really aids in managing the URLs, page descriptions, and titles. Moreover, the search engine optimization activities are pretty much easy thus giving way for improved page ranks. And optimizing product pages is not a big deal when using Prestashop for your store and your products will be showcased in major search engines in addition to SEO-friendly URLs. With the goal of improving the visibility of your store, it is designed to integrate with social media platforms and other marketing tools such as newsletters.

11. Cost effective:

    Unlike other e-commerce solutions, it needs only a fewer server resources. Prestashop is in fact a cost effective choice with all these discussed benefits. Launching and maintaining the store using this open source software needs only minimal investment. There is nothing like a premium version available for this platform and so those with a tight budget can have all the features with the base version without spending anything.

12. Active user community:

    One of the key advantages of Prestashop platform is its active user community that plays a key role in building a completely updated platform. The online user guide and FAQ sections of the user community offer good assistance for the store users. They have got good social media support through Twitter and Facebook pages too.

The customers can have a great purchase experience with reliable payment gateways such as PayPal and Google Checkout. Also, there is nothing to worry about the security while purchasing through this website as SSL protocol system is employed to ensure secure transactions. And the latest upgrade, Prestashop 1.7 comes with a lot of attractive features that improve the overall functionality of your store. Enhanced product configuration and improved back office navigation are among the highlighted benefits of the latest version. With Prestashop website development, high-end eCommerce websites are at your finger tips at appreciably affordable cost. If you get a powerful tool to improve the market presence of your store online for free, then why not go for it?