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PrestaShop Article

Here's a bit of a shocker for the day, I just received notification that Adobe has entered into an agreement to purchase Magento Commerce for $1.68 billion! Adobe has a history of sucking companies into their Adobe Experience Cloud (or Dark Experience Cloud as I call it), effectively making the brand disappear which is no doubt the plan here according to the release.
Here's a quote from the press release that marks the death sentence for Magento as a brand:
<blockquote>“Adobe is the only company with leadership in content creation, marketing, advertising, analytics and now commerce – enabling real-time experiences across the entire customer journey,” said Brad Rencher, executive vice president and general manager, Digital Experience, Adobe. “Embedding commerce into the Adobe Experience Cloud with Magento enables Adobe to make every moment personal and every experience shoppable.”</blockquote>
The obvious drawback here are that companies currently using Magento in some form or another, whether through integrations or otherwise. are going to have to find another solution fast or risk being badgered to death by Adobe Sales for eternity (and nobody wants that to happen). Take heed customers! Now is the time to flee before the behemoth descends! I kid, I kid (or do I?).
Here are some alternatives to consider if you are in this predicament:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.bigcommerce.com/">BigCommerce Enterprise</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.prestashop.com">PrestaShop Enterprise</a></li>
</ul>
What are your thoughts on the purchase?

Adobe Sucks Magento into their Dark Experience Cloud

mike-johnston

During my <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/my-visit-to-prestashops-paris-hq/">tour of Prestashop’s Paris headquarters</a>, I got to lay my eyes on <a href="https://www.prestashop.com/en/1.7">Prestashop 1.7</a>, the eCommerce platform’s latest release.
The PrestaShop team are aiming to officially release 1.7 before the turn of 2017. Release candidate two already out there in the wild, <a href="https://www.prestashop.com/en/1.7">ready to be downloaded</a>.
But before it lands – and subsequently changes the way 250,000 merchants sell online – let’s take a look at what’s new.
<h2>What’s New With PrestaShop 1.7?</h2>
Let’s start with a video:
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nl2-de2Q4cA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Built (in part) on the famous and robust Symfony framework, PrestaShop 1.7 is set to make a splash in the eCommerce industry. Let’s take a look at exactly how it plans to do that.
<h3>Easier Product Creation</h3>
<h3><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/FhgAANRD8fq1EVzt-mV2F2km6myjwFSEw5FCw-9xqYURhDxgRbaw7-nviUSytfUi0PdsUpg6p3iSaP9II0dyLJYjbtuH7kmqsOTrkf-KrtaeU0JK0TsLnDdVEpXU1GcCKCjz5gtA" /></h3>
PrestaShop 1.7 brings about a brand new way to add products to your catalogue – and I have to say – it’s far better than the product creation process found on PrestaShop 1.6.
It has a refreshed interface, quick actions, shortcuts, automatic management for combinations and much more. The entire process has been revamped for the better.
<h3>A New Modules Page</h3>
<h3><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/UfVy7bP2wRomN_MAGE0KCSOAgglkguGA4fhu-kskDluR2OJfDfhfyF_rgpWA25MeHIUSRl_OREEIpczs2FFSv0GWgtzJ-aRXqG4CT9_svcSWLgU4IDwCkI3fnpRA_-gdAfoBrEY3" /></h3>
An overhauled modules page will also make it easier to add and manage your modules on a daily basis.
This new page boasts tabs to let you easily navigate between three new sections, making it easy to view your installed modules, manage the ones that require an action, and discover more that can be helpful for your business.
<h3>A New Default Theme and a Streamlined Checkout Process</h3>
<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/r8aRrFbMis5cNDjmOz6Add80-wmY5OL_STRSlHlqJLmOjwudQG8HbCbQV_5ld9aW62onvk_lRuqppNtMD4V-iSux3Mt-4VS_U-Wd3I1ZhbSDbL7v1LuDgYH4R4hn2oRLHQr8pOp1" />
The latest PrestaShop default theme is called “Classic” – and it looks classy.
This new template will bring a fresh and minimalist look to your store. But more notably, this new theme brings about a vastly improved checkout process. Just as PrestaShop impressed me with their new product creation page during my visit, they also wowed me with this redesigned checkout process.
The entire checkout process is split into sections, but is housed on a single page. If a customer leaves the page and comes back, their progress will be remembered. Plus, a landing page style template has been adopted to help keep customers focused on completing their checkout.
<h3>A Starter Theme For Developers and More</h3>
Free from any markups or custom style, PrestaShop has introduced a new starter theme for front-end developers. It acts as a skeleton for their projects, making it easier to build custom templates.
And of course, there’s a whole bunch of updates to be seen both under the hood and around the back-end of the platform.
<h2>“Code Better, Create Easier, Sell Faster”</h2>
The PrestaShop team are really running with this slogan that accompanies version 1.7. I heard it being used at least once <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/my-visit-to-prestashops-paris-hq/">during my PrestaShop office tour</a>.
It’s not rocket science; PrestaShop is trying to make it easier for developers to code, easier for marketers and merchants to create product pages, and easier for shoppers to buy. And from what I can see, they’ve done exactly that with PrestaShop 1.7.
I was a big fan of PrestaShop’s efforts with PrestaShop 1.6, and I have very high hopes for 1.7, too.
To find out more about PrestaShop 1.7, check out the <a href="https://www.prestashop.com/en/1.7">PrestaShop website</a>.
Also, be sure to stick around for more coverage of PrestaShop during this PrestaShop Featured Week.

A Preview of PrestaShop 1.7

To complete our three-part interview series with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.prestashop.com/">PrestaShop's</a> Director of Product Marketing Sabrina Marechal, we're looking towards the future of the now widely popular eCommerce solution.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/gi_149548_vertical-logo-2015.png" />PrestaShop powers over 250,000 online stores, and boasts a thriving community of users and contributors.Part one of this interview series saw Sabrina Marechal and I discuss <a href="/the-prestashop-user-experience-an-interview-with-sabrina-marechal/">PrestaShop's user experience</a>. As for part two, we both got into the <a href="/prestashop-statistics-an-interview-with-sabrina-marechal/">statistical prowess of the platform</a>.Now though, let's take a look at what PrestaShop users can hope for going forward.<h2>Introducing Sabrina Marechal</h2>Sabrina Marechal joined the PrestaShop team back in November 2007 as a Communications specialist.As PrestaShop expanded, she built a Marketing and Communications department within the company gathering 20+ team members. By early 2011, Sabrina has moved to PrestaShop's US office in order to create a Marketing Department responsible for PrestaShop's expansion in the Americas.Today, with a fully cross-border Marketing team, Sabrina now focuses on expanding the platform's area of Product Marketing.<h2>The Interview</h2>KI: PrestaShop 1.6 and PrestaShop cloud were two big milestones. The idea to bring PrestaShop in the cloud to the market for free was (and still is) an exciting idea. What drove PrestaShop to want to offer something so unique?SM: Our mission! We want to make ecommerce accessible to everyone, and give anyone, anywhere in the world the ability to launch an online store with no barriers, technical or financial.Usually, the technological barrier is pretty big for a beginner willing to use an Open source software (download, install on a server…) and the financial barrier seems unfair to us – we believe that the value doesn’t come from the software but from what users do with it.KI: It will be hard to top the unveiling of a totally free cloud-based platform, but what's the next big thing that PrestaShop users should look forward to?SM: We’re loyal to our philosophy to offer a product always simpler to use, efficient, offering the best practices and latest trends. We gathered lots of our merchants’ feedback which guides us to where we’re going next. PrestaShop Cloud is only the beginning ?KI: The PrestaShop community is large, diverse and busy. Has PrestaShop gathered any ideas from the community which they are looking to implement at some stage?SM: We did even better than that: we recently launched <a target="_blank" href="https://addons.prestashop.com/en/integration-fund">a $1,000,000 integration fund</a> to support our Community’s projects to develop local modules for their countries. With this fund, we help cover the initial costs of module development to encourage our Community to develop region -specific modules that are easily passed over.KI: PrestaShop 1.6.1 is in the works, is there a release date in mind? What will the update bring?SM: PrestaShop 1.6.1.0 was released on Thursday last week, and it brings amazing performance improvements, options to improve the legal compliance of online stores selling to Europe, improved readability and navigation, and a back-office rebranding to welcome Preston, our new mascot, into the software.KI: The Internet-Of-things is becoming more and more of a thing. Many platforms have already begun work on smart watch apps, for example. How is PrestaShop planning to move with the times?Innovation is a strong focus for us, which is why we recently opened a PrestaShop Labs in San Francisco. There, we are focusing on new emerging trends and ways we can implement them into our software and ecosystem.<h3>PrestaShop's Future: What's Your Take?</h3>When it comes to the future of PrestaShop, Sabrina Marechal is certainly full of enthusiasm. Plus, if recent movements and updates are anything to go by, the future of PrestaShop looks bright. I for one, am optimistic about the platform's role in the eCommerce market.What's your take? Let us know in the comments below, or share your views through the CMS Forum.Also, be sure to find out more about <a href="/products/prestashop">PrestaShop through our CMS Directory</a>.

The Future of PrestaShop: An Interview With Sabrina Marechal

Today we're continuing our three-part <a target="_blank" href="http://www.prestashop.com/">PrestaShop</a> interview series with Sabrina Marechal, the company's Director of Product Marketing.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/gi_149548_vertical-logo-2015.png" />PrestaShop has experienced rapid growth in recent months, holding more influence in the eCommerce industry than ever before.Part one of this interview series saw Sarah Marechal and I discuss PrestaShop's user experience. Now, we move on to part two, shifting our focus to the platform's statistical approach to eCommerce.<h2>Introducing Sabrina Marechal</h2><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sabrina2250x0.jpg" alt="Sabrina Marechal" />Sabrina Marechal joined the PrestaShop team back in November 2007 as a Communications specialist.As PrestaShop expanded, she built a Marketing and Communications department within the company gathering 20+ team members. By early 2011, Sabrina has moved to PrestaShop's US office in order to create a Marketing Department responsible for PrestaShop's expansion in the Americas.Today, with a fully cross-border Marketing team, Sabrina now focuses on expanding the platform's area of Product Marketing.<h2>The Interview</h2>KI: It's no secret that PrestaShop has increased its focus on statistics since the release of version 1.6. What benefits do PrestaShop users get from their stat-filled admin panel?SM: Well, statistics are really important to know where you stand in terms of business success.For example, just because you sell a lot of products, it doesn’t mean you’re making a lot of money. You need to look at your net margin to be sure, and factor in your ad expenses and other costs.It’s also important to know your conversion rate, to make sure everything runs smoothly in your order process. You can also have lots of traffic but no conversion, which lets you know what and where your website needs to improve.We placed the statistics in many key areas, so our merchants always know how their business is doing.KI: In your view, how is PrestaShop better at providing statistics when compared with competitors?SM: We’re the only solution that offers a real-time calculation of a store’s net margin (which is free!) We also have the strongest open source ecommerce community in the world, with developers creating new addons focusing on more complex aspects of statistics depending on the merchant's needs.The possibilities are just… endless ?KI: PrestaShop's profit forecasting feature is an extremely interesting one. Can you tell us a little more about it?SM: This feature lets you set the objectives you want to reach every month, and then, it tells you if you’re on tracks or not to reach them, as well as estimating how much you’ll make based on your current volumes and trends.KI: Is there currently a way for users to create reports or export their statistical data? (If not:) Is this a feature that PrestaShop has on its to-do list? (If so:) Can you tell us exactly how a user can do that?SM: We don’t offer yet this feature natively in the software, but our Community has already developed many new modules and plugins for the Dashboard with additional statistics and calculations.<h3>Part Three Pending</h3>Be sure to check back with us for the third and final part of this interview series, where Sarah Marechal and I will discuss what the future holds for PrestaShop and its global user base.Find out more about <a href="/products/prestashop">PrestaShop through our CMS Directory</a>.

PrestaShop & Statistics: An Interview With Sabrina Marechal

<a href="http://www.prestashop.com/" target="_blank"> PrestaShop</a> took a big step forward when version 1.6 was released earlier this year.
They gave the PrestaShop back and front end a serious face lift and introduced some brilliant features to help merchants sell. It made the platform almost unrecognizable – but in a good way.
In fact, one could argue that PrestaShop 1.6 is the platform's most important release to date.
Yet, PrestaShop haven't been resting on their laurels. Quite recently, a brand new PrestaShop project has come to light. One which could make genuinely powerful eCommerce features more accessible than ever before.
<h2>PrestaShop Cloud</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-7700x0.png" alt="PrestaShop OnDemand" />
First announced via the PrestaShop blog, PrestaShop’s Cloud – which is currently in beta – is a cloud-hosted version of PrestaShop, offered to the general public for precisely nothing.
Yes, you read that correctly.
PrestaShop is on the brink of serving up a completely free cloud-hosted version of itself. Now, free cloud-hosting for any product is something to be excited about, but to be offered free cloud-hosting for a product as powerful as PrestaShop? It’s unheard of.
So, since it’s such an impressive step forward for PrestaShop (once again), I’ve decided to give you a peek at what PrestaShop Cloud platform is like.
<h2>A Home of Its Own</h2>
Right now, you can <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/" target="_blank">sign up for the beta via the PrestaShop website</a>. However, since PrestaShop’s Cloud version and self-hosted PrestaShop will be offered as two separate eCommerce solutions, It’s only right that PrestaShop’s Cloud has its own home. And it does.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-1700x0.png" alt="PrestaShop OnDemand" />
Those who have signed up and been accepted to participate in the beta will have been greeted by the brand new PrestaShop Cloud website. A sleek, modern and inviting digital door mat.
It’s a pleasant way for any merchant to start his or her eCommerce journey, with the easy signup form on the homepage, along with features and functions boasted about around the site in a way which is easy to understand.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-2700x0.png" alt="PrestaShop OnDemand" />
As it stands, the PrestaShop’s Cloud website will eventually function alongside the current PrestaShop website.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-3700x0.png" />
In other words, PrestaShop will soon come in two distinct flavours, enabling the platform to tap into a new market – a market of merchants who want their online stores ready-made, well-done and served up on a big, free cloud.
<h2>Getting Started</h2>
To get started with PrestaShop’s Cloud version, new users only need to provide their names, emails and store name. This is followed by a short store configuration process, where you select your store URL, where you are based, and so forth.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-5.png" alt="PrestaShop OnDemand" />
After that signing up, you’ll be presented with a new admin dashboard unique to PrestaShop Cloud.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-6700x0.png" alt="PrestaShop OnDemand" />
Using this dashboard – which acts as a buffer zone between you and the traditional PrestaShop back office dashboard – you can configure account settings, create a new store, add a new domain to an existing store, create FTP users, and so forth.
Other than that, PrestaShop Cloud platform is identical to self-hosted PrestaShop. The only difference is the speedy store creation and a further Cloud admin panel with a few, manageable settings.
It’s lightweight, and that’s a good thing.
<h2>A Free Cloud (That Won’t Rain On Parades)</h2>
PrestaShop’s beta cloud platform looks promising. I didn’t come across any faults or bugs, and because it mimics exactly what “original PrestaShop” has to offer, it would seem that – as far as functionality goes – PrestaShop’s beta cloud shouldn’t run into any problems.
The only issue I can foresee is the cloud-hosting itself. It is free after all, so one can be forgiven for assuming that speed and uptime might be compromised.
However, <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/blog/en/prestashop-beta-program-questions-answers/" target="_blank">PrestaShop have already set aside some time</a> to address this very question assumption:
<blockquote> How can we make our cloud solution totally free? 
The same way PrestaShop is completely free, through our trusted partnerships with industry leaders and the thousands of Addons extra features. These partnerships and Addons give you access to an arsenal of tools aimed at making your online store successful. It also allows PrestaShop to always remain free forever.
 The hosting is free… but is it efficient? 
We know that site speed and performance is key to maintaining a successful online store. That’s why we’ve teamed up with a powerhouse in quality hosting, OVH. You’re in good hands, OVH has over 700,000 customers worldwide, and their servers are equipped with the latest Intel processors and high performance SSD hard drives to ensure your store will be quick to take orders and make sales.</blockquote>
In short, PrestaShop are confident that the Cloud platform will run smoothly, despite being completely free. Time will tell, of course, but if PrestaShop can pull this off, it will be one of the most impressive moves the eCommerce industry has seen in some time.
To sign up for the free PrestaShop Cloud beta, <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/en/beta" target="_blank">click here</a>.
Plus, be sure to explore more of <a href="/products/prestashop/" target="_blank">PrestaShop via our CMS Directory</a>, and my full <a href="/prestashop-review/" target="_blank">PrestaShop Review</a>.

Hands-On with PrestaShop’s new Beta Cloud Platform

Recently, in the world of eCommerce, PrestaShop has been making somewhat of a splash.
It <a href="/a-closer-look-at-prestashops-global-community/" target="_blank">serves a massive community</a> of around 700,000 merchants, and has been in business since 2007, but 2014 has probably been its most expressive year to date. The release of <a href="/hands-on-with-prestashop-1.6/" target="_blank">PrestaShop 1.6</a> brought about a face lift on all fronts, a bunch of genuinely useful features, and a more <a href="/prestashops-lover-affair-with-statistics/" target="_blank">focused approach to statistics</a>.
To get a deeper understanding of PrestaShop's story, I was given the opportunity to ask Sabrina Marechal a few questions.
<h2>Introducing Sabrina Marechal</h2>
<img style="max-width:400pxpx" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sabrina2250x0.jpg" alt="Sabrina Marechal" />
Sabrina Marechal is no newcomer. She joined PrestaShop in November 2007 as a Communications specialist.
As PrestaShop expanded, she built a Marketing and Communications department within the company gathering 20+ team members. By early 2011, Sabrina has moved to PrestaShop's US office in order to create a Marketing Department responsible for PrestaShop's expansion in the Americas.
Today, with a fully cross-border Marketing team, Sabrina now focuses on expanding the area of Product Marketing within PrestaShop.
<h3>1. Can you tell me a little bit about how you came to be the Director of Product Marketing at PrestaShop?</h3>
I’ve been with PrestaShop since November of 2007 where I started as a Communications Specialist. At that time, the whole team was made of about 10 people. Today, we’re over 100!
In 2011, we opened our Miami office. Since then, I've built a Marketing Team now comprised of 20 team members. From the time I started, I’ve really seen the Community growing around PrestaShop and the product evolve thanks to its input. That's why today I've decided to focus on product marketing: to highlight to the world how great our software and our Community's contributions are!
<h3>2. There's no shortage of eCommerce platforms on the market today, and I don't see that changing any time soon. What makes PrestaShop unique?</h3>
I would say that what makes PrestaShop so unique is its openness, and the amazing Community that results from it. With over 700,000 members, as a PrestaShop user, you know that you can rely on someone anytime if you have questions or need any advice, simply by connecting on our forums or social networks.
The Community is also a great source of input and contribution to the software: we get feedback and features from all over the world, helping us make the most powerful and international ecommerce software.
Further than just being Open source, this openness is also present through our <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/club/">User Club</a>. We’re the only ecommerce solution with a User Club made of merchants and developers, that we consult during the development of a new feature or a significant change within the software to make sure it answers their needs.
PrestaShop is a software made for the user, with the user.
<h3>3. Speaking of PrestaShop being an open-source platform, what does that mean to the average online merchant, and what kind of edge does that give you over proprietary platforms?</h3>
Being Open source means a lot for us because it helped us grow so much, and so internationally. When we launched PrestaShop, it was translated into 15 languages in less than a year, with users in France, Italy, UK, USA but also Indonesia, Brazil etc. Just thanks to word of mouth!
The input that you’re able to get when you’re Open source is remarkable.
For our users this means that they can do anything they want with our software. If they need a custom feature, they can get it by either creating it themselves or by working with a freelancer or an agency. They definitely don’t have to wait for a future release! And that’s what gives us edge over proprietary platforms: the ability to be more reactive, to evolve much faster and more internationally thanks to the input of external developers.
Even after so many years at PrestaShop, I’m still amazed to see that we power online stores on little islands, including Micronesia!
<h3>4. As I covered in a <a href="/a-closer-look-at-prestashops-global-community/" target="_blank">previous article</a>, PrestaShop are big on Community. What does a strong community mean to you, and why is it so important? 
</h3>
To me, a strong Community means a strong product. When you have so many people sharing their feedback with you, your product only can be better and better.
Also, our Community members act as true ambassadors for us and as a great source of ideas and suggestions. It’s thanks to them that we are where we are today.
Our Community is literally our ecosystem: from web agencies to merchants, to developers and designers, our Community is PrestaShop.
<h3>5. Does PrestaShop have any plans to expand its online community in any way? You guys already have a buzzing online forum, but I'm interested in finding out about any other ideas that may be in the works. Perhaps a simple “Off Topic” forum section for members to show some more personality?</h3>
Our product is at the heart of everything and I do believe that our next product release will naturally bring a lot of new members to our Community, especially merchants starting online. They’ll appreciate how they can rely on our active Community for advice and tips from people who went through the same path.
<h3>6. So far, what would you say PrestaShop's greatest achievement has been?</h3>
Our greatest achievement EVER is currently in Beta ?
Our upcoming Cloud solution is really going to shake up the ecommerce industry by breaking all the barriers a merchant can encounter while creating an online store, either financial or technical. With it, we’re truly in phase with our vision to make ecommerce accessible to all.
With that said, so far, I'd say the release of PrestaShop 1.6 was a very exciting journey for us and the success it achieved has been amazing. During the first 24hrs, it was downloaded 17,500 times, i.e every 5 seconds from everywhere in the world. The success of 1.6 has also allowed us to reach our 200,000th online store which was a great step.
<h3>7. The Cloud beta is definitely an exciting step, I can't wait to see it live in action. Version 1.6, as you mentioned, was similarly momentous. In fact, since 1.6 released, I've seen PrestaShop spearheading its way into the spotlight of the eCommerce industry, competing more fiercely with other platforms, free, open-source, hosted, proprietary or otherwise. With that being said, what can we expect to see from PrestaShop in both the near and far future?</h3>
Well, in the very near future, expect the official launch of our Cloud solution.
We’re also working hard on our taxes system, and some key interfaces within the back-office (such as the order page, the catalog page…), these improvements will be included in our next releases.
Worth to mention that we’re also thinking about launching products on ecommerce markets where PrestaShop isn’t present yet.
<h3>8. In particular, the Intelligent Merchant KPI and forecasting features of PrestaShop 1.6 seriously impressed me. Can you expand on those features, and explain why PrestaShop felt they were important to introduce?</h3>
The Intelligent Merchant KPIs come from our commitment to give merchants the power to know exactly what’s happening in their business, in real time, and help them to make the right decisions.
Sometimes merchants just look at their sales and think they’re doing well, but the real answer hides behind the customer acquisition cost, the shipping cost, the transaction fees, the merchandise price… That’s why we have made this information accessible at a glance on the dashboard. Our merchants don’t have to calculate anything, they get the insights in real time, are able to make smarter choices in their business and become more successful.
<h3>9. PrestaShop 1.6 also brought about a revamped back office user interface. Was the facelift just as important as the more technical implementations?</h3>
Yes! Our users’ everyday experience with the software must be smooth, efficient and appreciable. It was time for us to implement a new interface, totally responsive for our merchants on the go, and super easy to work with. People love it, and so do we. To me PrestaShop 1.6 is the most beautiful version we’ve ever released and the feedback we got was amazing.
<h3>10. Now, back to the cloud. You guys recently announced the beta for PrestaShop Cloud, something I'm personally pumped to see in action. What can you tell us about PrestaShop Cloud? What makes it different to “normal” PrestaShop?</h3>
I can say that our Cloud solution will shake up the market! Basically, you’ll be able to create an online store in minutes thanks to a super quick onboarding. Plus, this store will be hosted for free, and will offer the same powerful features as a “normal” PrestaShop. We’re committed to break the barriers that e-merchants encounter while creating an online business. That’s truly ecommerce for all!
Regarding the hosting, we know that site speed and performance is key to maintaining a successful online store. That’s why we’ve teamed up with a powerhouse in quality hosting, OVH. OVH has over 700,000 customers worldwide, and their servers (based in Europe and Canada) are equipped with the latest Intel processors and high performance SSD hard drives to ensure your store will be quick to take orders and make sales.
The question that we usually get is “How can we make it free?” Well, the same way PrestaShop is completely free, through our trusted <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/en/industry-partners">partnerships with industry leaders</a> and the thousands of <a href="http://addons.prestashop.com/en/">Addons</a> extra features. These partnerships and Addons give you access to tools aimed at making your online store successful. It also allows PrestaShop to remain free forever.
If you can’t wait to see it in action, sign up for <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/en/beta">our exclusive Beta program</a>! It is the best way to start using our hosted solution before anybody else.
<h3>11. Finally, with the 2014 CMS Awards almost over, is there anything else you would like to add? </h3>
I’d like to add that our whole team is very thankful for the mission we accomplish every day: helping our merchants be more successful. It’s a great feeling to see people selling more and more, and expanding their business. Winning this Award would make us even more proud.
To find out more about PrestaShop, <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/" target="_blank">check out their website</a>.
Or, explore more of <a href="/products/prestashop/" target="_blank">PrestaShop via our CMS Directory</a>.

An Interview With Sabrina Marechal: Director of Product Marketing at PrestaShop

Love is in the air, but there are no poems or love notes being exchanged. Instead, the numbers are doing all the talking.
Ever since the release of version 1.6, <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/" target="_blank">PrestaShop</a> has been head over heels in love with statistics. As a result, PrestaShop users have been enjoying some unique stat-based benefits, all from the comfort of their PrestaShop back office (otherwise known as the admin panel).
So far this year, PrestaShop – an eCommerce platform with a <a href="/a-closer-look-at-prestashops-global-community/">buzzing global community</a> – has taken a number of big steps to improve itself, achieving <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/cms-critic-awards/">nomination in two categories for the 2014 CMS Awards</a> in the process.
One of those steps was to make statistics an integral part of the PrestaShop experience. Let's explore how.
<h2>Real-time Margins</h2>
Perhaps the most interesting feature of PrestaShop's statistical relationship, is the real-time profit margin reporting.
The PrestaShop back office dashboard sports a number of useful graphs, including the “Net Profit” graph, which allows you to keep track of your takings in real time.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/profit.png" alt="PrestaShop" />
Merchants with busy online stores will naturally find this feature extremely useful. In fact, since the profit margins change minute by minute, it could even become an addictive graph to stare at.
Not only is this an immensely powerful feature, it's also completely exclusive to PrestaShop.
And yet, the stats love-in doesn't end there.
<h2>Intelligent Merchant KPIs Here, There &amp; Everywhere</h2>
Following the release of PrestaShop 1.6 back in July 2014, PrestaShop users have had the pleasure of seeing Intelligent Merchant KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) on numerous pages within their back office.
These indicators are handy, non-obtrusive metrics which appear on pages such as “Orders” and “Customers”, giving relevant stats where-ever they appear.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/kpi700x0.png" alt="PrestaShop" />
For example, the Intelligent Merchant KPIs found on the “Orders” page display conversion rates, average order values and net profit per visit over the last 30 days, along with abandoned carts per day.
Meanwhile, the “Customers” page offers up gender and age demographics, as well as average orders per customer and newsletter registrations. All highly relevant information, presented in a simple way.
But still, the numeric romance continues.
<h2>Forecasting &amp; Yet More Integrated Stats</h2>
Forecasting is another notable PrestaShop reporting feature.
Located on the back office dashboard, the forecasting graph shows merchants their predicted metrics for traffic, conversions, average cart values, and sales. The forecast for each value is based off of current and previously recorded stats.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/forecast.png" alt="PrestaShop" />
Further to these powerhouse features, PrestaShop also offers statistics via a dedicated “Stats” page, where merchants can study their best-selling products, most valuable customers, newsletter registrations, and much, much more.
The back office dashboard, home to the real-time profit margin graph and forecasting feature, also hosts a wide range of metrics, including online visitors, active shopping carts, and more. You can even integrate Google Analytics to take things a step further.
So, I think it's safe to say that PrestaShop's relationship with statistics is a strong one.
With real-time features and relevant KPIs scattered around the back office, PrestaShop offers merchants a unique statistical experience that is not only pleasing to look at, but also genuinely helpful in terms of increasing revenue and understanding customers.

PrestaShop's Love Affair with Statistics

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For years, <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/" target="_blank">PrestaShop</a> has been well-known for its free and open-source eCommerce solution.
So well-known in fact, that the Miami based company has just been <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/cms-critic-awards/" target="_blank">nominated in two categories for the 2014 CMS Awards</a>; Best eCommerce Solution for SMB and Best eCommerce Solution for Enterprise.
Not to mention, the platform currently boasts well over 4 million downloads to date.
Since the <a href="/hands-on-with-prestashop-1.6/" target="_blank">release of Prestashop 1.6</a>, the platform has been presenting itself in a new, more merchant-friendly light. For example, along with a slick new interface, the newly introduced <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/blog/en/prestashop-v-1-6-back-office-whats-new-and-improved/" target="_blank">Intelligent Merchant KPI</a> has given PrestaShop merchants a statistical edge in their ever-evolving battle for conversions.
Now, although these recent improvements are important, Prestashop has another dimension which is all too often missed by those from the outside looking in.
That dimension, is a thriving global community.
<a href="http://www.prestashop.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/download.jpg" alt="PrestaShop" /></a>
<h2>PrestaShop Worldwide</h2>
Thanks to the work of their excellent community management team, headed by Benjamin Utterback, PrestaShop has a lofty reputation in almost every world continent.
They have stores based in 163 countries, a global network of certified agencies and have recently expanded their empire by <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/en/press-releases/2014/07/17/prestashop-announces-plans-to-expand-throughout-europe/" target="_blank">appointing a new community manager</a> to operate in Belgium, Luxembourg and The Netherlands.
As a result of this global presence, there aren't many eCommerce platforms with user bases as diverse as PrestaShop's.
The Prestashop online forum for example has dedicated sections for a myriad of languages, including French, Spanish, Italian, German, Bahasa, Polish and Turkish. Plus, a host of mini-communities exist within the wider forum community, accomodating Japanese, Lithuanian, Arabic and Urdu speakers. Now that's diversity.
And yet, the PrestaShop forum isn't just a multi-ligual chat room. It is much, much more.
<h2>The Headquarters</h2>
PrestaShop's online forum acts as the headquarters for PrestaShop users everywhere.
With over 670,000 registered users and 1,700,000 posts, the forum is constantly alive with activity. Questions are being answered, solutions are being found and breakthroughs are being made.
As previously mentioned, the multi-lingual inclusively of the forum makes it a pretty welcoming place – no matter which part of the world you happen to be from. That kind of online hospitality is precisely why PresaShop's community has grown so organically and successfully.
The forum is designed to allow users to discuss general PrestaShop issues, customizations, search engine optimization, third-party modules, themes, and even job offers.
Putting practical usage aside though, when things get tough, it's nice to have such a large community to rely on. PrestaShop users have exactly that.
<h2>A Community Bearing Fruits</h2>
The PrestaShop community wasn't created by accident, nor was it cultivated without reason. It was grown to not only bring users together, but also to improve PrestaShop itself.
Alongside a dedicated <a href="https://www.prestashop.com/en/support" target="_blank">PrestaShop support system</a>, users can naturally refer the the highly experienced community to help solve problems, and that in itself is a highly valuable asset for both PrestaShop as a vendor, as well as for the everyday PrestaShop user.
Also, PrestaShop showcases the “Shop of the Week” on its homepage, giving PrestaShop users an added incentive to hone their stores and make the most of the tools available. Not to mention, a bit of friendly competition is healthy for any community.
The fruits of the PrestaShop community don't stop there though.
PrestaShop doesn't confine the voice of its users to the forum and website alone. They interact and listen to their community members – and then act on their advice.
In July 2014 for example, <a href="/prestashop-1.6.0.9-brings-about-long-list-of-tweaks-enhancements/" target="_blank">PrestaShop released version 1.6.0.9</a>, citing that 69 different users helped them make improvements. Not to mention, <a href="/prestashop-1.6-released/" target="_blank">PrestaShop 1.6</a>, which was a major release, was filled with tweaks and enhancements suggested by community members.
In fact, after repeated requests from the community, a number of previously premium features were integrated into the final release of PrestaShop 1.6, making them completely free. Now that's a community with a strong voice.
The PrestaShop community is one of the most powerful, cohesive and diverse weapons in PrestaShop's arsenal. It gives users a real voice, a sense of belonging and a free, helpful resource.
Personally, I can't wait to see what the PrestaShop community can achieve next.

A Closer Look at PrestaShop's Global Community

<a href="http://www.prestashop.com/" target="_blank">PrestaShop</a> have unveiled a (very) long list of enhancements, released under the name of PrestaShop v1.6.0.9.
The open-source eCommerce platform powers millions of online stores across the globe, boasting a range of useful features out of the box, along with a healthily populated app and theme store. I covered everything you need to know about them in my <a href="/prestashop-review/" target="_blank">PrestaShop Review</a>.
In keeping with PrestaShop's focus on community, they listed to 69 different users to help them compile a list of bugs that needed fixing, and a list of enhancements that needed introducing.
<img style="max-width:548px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/prestashop.png" alt="PrestaShop" /> 
Together with their community, here's some of what they came up with:
<ul>
<li>Smarty update to 3.1.19</li>
<li>Improvements for the Block Layered Navigation</li>
<li>Optimization of the database loading time for large catalogs and categories</li>
<li>Better implementation of HTML Purifier</li>
<li>Mobile detection has been updated for improved stability</li>
</ul>
The remaining bug fixes and improvements – which are well over a hundred in number – can be seen via the <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/en/developers-versions/changelog/1.6.0.9" target="_blank">changelog</a>. Or, you can simply <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/en/download" target="_blank">download PrestaShop 1.6.0.9</a>.
To find out more about PrestaShop, <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/" target="_blank">check out their website</a>.
Additionally, be sure to explore more of <a href="/products/prestashop/" target="_blank">PrestaShop via our CMS Directory</a>.

PrestaShop 1.6.0.9 Brings About Long List of Tweaks & Enhancements

PrestaShop Review

<a href="http://www.prestashop.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> PrestaShop 1.6</a> is now officially available for download after months of development and intense anticipation.
I had the pleasure of carrying out a <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/hands-on-with-prestashop-1.6/#.Uygj0vl_vvU" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> hands-on preview of PrestaShop 1.6</a> last week, where I explained some of its key new features and gave you another peak at the sleek user interface.
The PrestaShop team have worked hard on bringing in some major enhancements to do with general usability and statistical store monitoring in particular.
Additions have also been made to the PrestaShop Front Office, where an array of design improvements and functions have been introduced to make the end user experience better than ever.
<h2>Another Look at What's New</h2>
Although I covered PrestaShop 1.6 extensively in my <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/hands-on-with-prestashop-1.6/#.Uygj0vl_vvU" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> hands-on preview</a>, here's a quick re-cap of the changes made to PrestaShop's new Front Office:
<ul>
<li>Redesigned and Fully Responsive Front Office Default Template.</li>
<li>The front office template is now mobile responsive, allowing your online shop to display perfectly when accessed from a mobile and tablet device.</li>
<li>The powerful and popular Rich Menu module has been integrated into the default theme.</li>
<li>New Quick View feature has been added to let customers add a product to their shopping cart without ever leaving the page.</li>
<li>Attractive promotional banners to help you highlight sales, marketing campaigns and other promotions.</li>
<li>Live Template configurator that lets you to edit the color and font of your shop directly from your front office.</li>
<li>Now customers can use the grid or list option when viewing your products.</li>
<li>Even more brilliant features including integrated product comparison with dedicated URL, new add to cart confirmation with cross selling, instant field format validation and more.</li>
</ul>
As for the Back Office &amp; Admin Dashboard, PrestaShop users can now enjoy:
<ul>
<li>A fully mobile responsive back office, letting you manage your shop from a mobile or tablet device, wherever you are.</li>
<li>Completely new dashboard look that displays information that is important to you, in real time.</li>
<li>Real-time net profit margin, a unique ecommerce feature that you will only find in PrestaShop 1.6.</li>
<li>Intelligent Merchant KPI (key performance indicators) are located throughout select pages in the back office, giving you in depth insight on your shop.</li>
<li>Smart Forecast Statistics Panel allows you to see how your sales are trending and what the outlook is for the future.</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://www.prestashop.com/en/download" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Download PrestaShop 1.6 </a>
<h2>15% Discount on PrestaShop Developed Addons</h2>
To celebrate the release of PrestaShop version 1.6, users can take advantage of a <a href="http://addons.prestashop.com/en/2-modules-prestashop" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> 15% discount on all PrestaShop developed Addons</a> between now and midnight on Wednesday 19th March. All you need to do is use the promo code: PRESTASHOP16.
To find out more about PrestaShop 1.6, visit their <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">official website</a>, or check out their <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/blog/en/prestashop-1-6-is-officially-available-for-download/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">blog announcement</a>.
Additionally, you can explore more of  <a href="/products/prestashop/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> PrestaShop via our CMS Directory</a>.

PrestaShop 1.6 Released

With a release date of March 17 th, PrestaShop version 1.6 is right around the corner.
<a href="http://www.prestashop.com/" target="_blank"> PrestaShop's popular ecommerce platform</a> powers over 165,000 online stores across the globe, throughout 160 different countries.
Version 1.6 promises to bring about an array of new features, including a completely re-designed front and back end.
The team over at PrestaShop recently gave me early access to version 1.6, and with just days to go before launch, I can confirm that PrestaShop users have a lot to be excited about.
<h2>A Revamped Front End</h2>
Before I delve into what PrestaShop admins will soon be enjoying, there are some notable improvements made to the PrestaShop “Front Office” which will drastically improve the shopping experience for customers.
PrestaShop has gone into detail about all of the updates version 1.6 brings to the front office via their <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/blog/en/prestashop-version-1-6-a-look-at-the-redesigned-front-office/" target="_blank">official blog</a>, but I was less concerned about the features list, and more concerned about how it all came together – so I made my way over to PrestaShop's brand new Front Office myself.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/presta7700x0.png" alt="PrestaShp 1.6 Front Office" /> 
First things first, I think that PrestaShop 1.6 brings about one of the best looking default themes offered by any ecommerce platform on the market.
The theme is sleek, responsive and beautifully presents customizable banners in a way which is eye-caching, yet professional. Also, thanks to Sass Compass technology, you can edit colors, fonts, CSS and much more with just a few clicks using the Live Template Edit feature directly from the Front Office.
Another notable feature I quickly came across was the “Quick View” functionality for all listed products. The feature brings up a “Quick View” button whenever customers hover over a product, which in turn opens up a lightbox presenting key product information, images, pricing, social sharing buttons, and so forth.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/presta5700x0.png" alt="PrestaShop 1.6 Product Quick View" /> 
Changes to the catalog pages also stood out for me. Customers can choose between viewing products in a grid or in a list, with both options looking and working well.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/presta9700x0.png" alt="PrestaShop 1.6 Catalog" />
Furthermore, the catalog pages house a host of search filters, making shopping extremely easy. Customers can filter products by colour, size, materials, styles, price and more with just a few clicks.
Banners make another appearance on catalog pages, allowing you to add some colour and creativity to the page. The sidebar beneath the filter section offers more space for promotion, enabling you to showcase new products, special products, previously viewed products, and so forth. This may sound like a lot of features to include on one catalog page, but thanks to the very light and spacious design of the theme, it all just works.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/presta10.png" alt="PrestaShop 1.6 Sidebar" />
Finally, I can't ignore PrestaShop's brand new and improved Shopping Cart system – which is arguably the most important element of an ecommerce website.
Quick access to the cart is available via the top right-hand corner of the page, but unlike previous versions of PrestaShop, the drop-down menu gives you a large, cleaner window, along with the featured image of the products in your cart.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/presta11700x0.png" alt="PrestaShop1.6 Shopping Cart" /> 
The shopping cart page itself is once again sleek and easy to understand. Check out is separated into five sections: Summary, Login, Address, Shipping and Payment. Pretty straightforward stuff.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/presta8700x0.png" alt="PrestaShop 1.6 Shopping Cart" />
All of these features and modules make shopping on PrestaShop 1.6 a breeze. Customers receive a professional browsing and purchasing experience from the homepage, and all the way through to check out.
Social sharing buttons are common place throughout the theme, catalog filtering is easy to use, and the overall design of PrestaShop's new responsive defealt theme is simply elegant.
<h2>Back End Beauty</h2>
To accompany an impressive new Front Office, PrestaShop 1.6 also introduces an all new modern and user-friendly “Back Office”.
Much like with the Front Office, PrestaShop have documented many of the new features of their new Back Office via their  <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/blog/en/prestashop-v-1-6-back-office-whats-new-and-improved/" target="_blank"> official blog </a> , but I was more interested in perhaps shedding some light where it had yet to be shone.
So I got to grips with its sleek interface, and I have no qualms in confirming that it is indeed a colossal improvement on the current PrestaShop admin panel.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/presta12700x0.png" alt="PrestaShop 1.6 Back Office" />
The top menu, which provides access to latest orders, registrations, messages, achievements, and more, is very neatly laid out and unintrusive, even with drop-down menus. The left-hand sidebar contains the bulk of available features and functions, all of which are listed below a handy search bar.
Quick access to product uploading, profile settings and your store's homepage is provided by the top menu bar, which sits above a secondary tab containing a help button specific for each page of the Back Office.
The sidebar can be minimized too, allowing the main window to take center stage.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/presta2700x0.png" alt="PrestaShop 1.6 Back Office" /> 
PrestaShop 1.6's dashboard itself is a sight to behold. It houses a wide range of statistics, insights, useful links, news and even gives you the ability to add further measurement tools via <a href="https://addons.prestashop.com/en/" target="_blank"> Addons </a> , if you so wish.
All the interfaces I came across in the back office of PrestaShop 1.6 maintained the modern feel I found on the dashboard, with each section offering detailed functionality.
Further statistics could also be found via the newly introduced “Intelligent Merchant KPI” feature, which displays relevant facts and figures relating to stock levels, profit margins, abandoned carts, and more. These stats are all displayed across the top of different pages and sections of the Back Office.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/presta3700x0.png" alt="PrestaShop 1.6 Intelligent Merchant KPI" /> 
Another feature I noticed, was that certain back-end pages offered me “Recommended Modules”. For example, the “Orders” page recommended me modules pertaining to fraud and feed management systems. Impressively, I didn't even need to leave the lightbox in order to install these modules.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/presta4.png" alt="PrestaShop 1.6 Recommended Modules" /> 
It was these smaller elements which were standing out for me. Each page had its own dedicated help page, a set of recommended modules, relevant statistics and more. All of these features combined to give the entire admin panel a real sense of detail.
<h2>Real Time &amp; Forecasted Statistics</h2>
PrestaShop version 1.6 really is all about the statistics. The dedicated “Stats” page is still around, but with a brand new look. It allows you to get a wide range of statistics from all the nooks and crannies of your store – all of which are automatically measured.
The Stats page offers insights into areas like best product categories, best customers, best sellers, sarch engine kewords, visitors, best vouchers and many more. Although this feature isn't new, the enhanced design makes it feel as if it is. There is so much to monitor, and yet the simple graphs and lists associated with each parameter makes that monitoring easier to do than ever before.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/prestaaa700x0.png" alt="PrestaShop 1.6 Stats" /> 
But wait, there's more.
PrestaShop 1.6 also brings about a truly unique ecommerce feature – “Real Time Net Profit Margin”. As the name implies, it automatically updates net profit margins in real time, presenting you with sales and your profit figures instantly, every minute of the day.
Finally, the “Forecast Statistics Panel”, lets you see how your sales are trending and what the outlook is for the future. Using this tool, you can make smarter business decisions based on current trends and forecasts based entirely on the performance of your store.
These progress measurement tools, accompanied by the “Intelligent Merchant KPI” I mentioned earlier, makes PrestaShop 1.6 a statistical powerhouse, enabling you to monitor various metrics from a variety of helpful angles.
<h2>Newly Integrated Technologies, Seamless Upgrading &amp; More</h2>
Technologies such as Bootstrap 3.0, FontAwesome, Sass Compass and D3 Data Driven Documents have all been integrated into version 1.6 of PrestaShop, putting it right up there with the most technologically advanced ecommerce platforms.
Seamless upgrading for nearly all PrestaShop users is also offered, thanks to version 1.6 having virtually zero core changes from 1.5x – meaning that any 1.5x store can be upgraded with minimal effort.
Additional noteworthy features include integrated product comparisons with dedicated URLs, cross-selling features via the “Add to Cart Confirmation” screen, and more.
<h2>Community Driven Progress</h2>
If you caught my <a href="/prestashop-a-free-feature-filled-online-store-builder-with-a-thriving-community/" target="_blank"> previous coverage of the PrestaShop </a> , you'll know that they are an ecommerce platform who are big on community.
Whilst piecing together version 1.6, PrestaShop have worked closely with their expert community volunteers <a href="https://github.com/PrestaShop" target="_blank"> through GitHub </a> , and have also obtained feedback and suggestions from their thriving online forum which is populated by over 620,000 members.
Because of this community connection, PrestaShop have been able to gather feedback directly from their user base, and implement it into version 1.6.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/prestaaaaa700x0.png" alt="PrestaShop Forums" />
The proof of this community driven progress is in the pudding. For example, PrestaShop have listened to the calls from their community by taking a number of paid-for features from their Addons store, and have converted them into integrated features included as standard in PrestaShop 1.6 – making them completely free of charge for everybody.
Such features include Rich menu navigation, Add to Cart with Cross-selling, Quick Product View and Advanced statistics.
Now that's what I call giving back to the community.
<h2>Just Days Away</h2>
Version 1.6 of PrestaShop has been in development for a while now, but its launch date is now tantalisingly close. Just days away in fact.
There is excitement within the PrestaShop community, with merchants the world over anticipating new ways to sell, monitor and improve their online stores. The first impressions were extremely good, and the platform only grew on me as I explored it further.
I believe many of the new and unique features implemented by PrestaShop will become indispensable for store owners before very long. Many will forget what it was like to run their store without instant profit margin reports or forecasted sales figures – and for those reasons alone, PrestaShop 1.6 is an impressive piece of software.
PrestaShop 1.6 is set to be released on March 17th at 12:00pm EST. To find out more about PrestaShop, visit their <a href="http://www.prestashop.com" target="_blank"> official website </a> , or check out the <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/en/progress-1-6" target="_blank"> PrestaShop 1.6 progress page </a> .
Additionally, you can explore more of <a href="/products/prestashop/" target="_blank"> PrestaShop via our CMS Directory </a>

Hands-on With PrestaShop 1.6

When you build a website – or in this case, an online store, it's nice to feel the support of a community behind you. <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/" target="_blank"> PrestaShop</a> recognise, and facilitate that.
The free to use, user friendly online store builder boasts a <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/forums/" target="_blank"> fully fledged online forum</a> with discussions spanning a range of topics related to PrestaShop itself, and the wider prospect of selling online.
But there's more to PrestaShop than just a thriving online community. In fact, the platform is bursting at the seams with features.
<h2>Online Store Features Galore</h2>
PrestaShop has over 310 built-in features and functionalities, accompanied by over 3,500 modules and templates. Naturally then, building a unique online store with the platform should be a piece of cake.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/presta1700x0.png" alt="PrestaShop" /> 
The admin dashboard is simple, yet it doesn't leave much out. After signing in, you'll be presented with vital store information relating to sales, page views, and other statistics. All areas of your online store can be accessed and modified within the dashboard, giving you complete control over how your store looks and works.
Some of the general features you'll eventually come across in PrestaShop will allow you to optimize your website for search engines, create marketing campaigns, review website statistics, and more.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/presta2700x0.png" alt="PrestaShop" />
Additionally, <a href="https://addons.prestashop.com/en/?utm_source=prestaEN&amp;utm_medium=Modules&amp;utm_campaign=prestashop" target="_blank">PrestaShop's Official Marketplace</a> provides pretty much everything you need to make your online store the best it can possibly be.
With a myriad of themes and modules to choose from, you can go about implementing new payment options, marketing tools, customer service functions, and so forth.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/presta5700x0.png" alt="PrestaShop" /> 
The PrestaShop Official Marketplace even holds regular sales, giving its worldwide community a chance to grab high quality modules and templates at discounted prices.
<h2>A Professional Helping Hand</h2>
With so many features to learn and implement, <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/en/training-prestashop" target="_blank">PrestaShop offer a range of training courses</a> to help you get the hang of their platform.
PrestaShop's dedicated training courses are held online, in English, at various points throughout the year. The online courses offer two days worth of helpful content, offered in three packages to target different user types, from complete beginner to aspiring PrestaShop expert.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/presta3700x0.png" alt="PrestaShop" />
The help doesn't stop there though. You can also <a href="http://addons.prestashop.com/en/35-guides-training-official" target="_blank">purchase further guides and training packages</a> from the PrestaSgop Marketplace.
So, whether you're a brand new online merchant looking for some professional advice, or if you simply want to optimize your store and your selling skills to the best of your ability, PrestaShop can offer the helping hand you need.
<h2>A Sense of Community</h2>
As previously mentioned, PrestaShop offers an interestingly active online forum community, where users can ask questions, share strategies and learn about the extensive features within the PrestaShop platform.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/presta4700x0.png" alt="PrestaShop" />
The forum allows you to discuss general PrestaShop issues, third-party modules, themes, and even job offers.
Some of the discussion boards within the PrestaShop community hold thousands upon thousands of topics and replies. Hence, finding solutions to problems, and ideas for improving your store should come very easily. Not to mention, it's nice knowing that  you have a like-minded community to fall back on if you were to face any issues.
Also, to accommodate PrestaShop's international user base, the forums have dedicated sections for a very wide range of languages and regions, allowing you to connect not just with other PrestaShop users, but local ones too.
 Does PrestaShop sound good? Find out more about <a href="/products/prestashop/" target="_blank"> PrestaShop via our CMS Directory</a>. Or, check out their website to <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/" target="_blank">download PrestaShop</a> for yourself.

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