Open source software is very familiar to a lot of business owners and decision makers. Users will pay for a license to use the software and may even elect to make changes to it so it better suits their operations.
On the surface, open source software can seem more economical than a SaaS-based platform that usually requires a subscription, but a one-time licensing fee is not all you’ll pay to maintain an open source program.
If one has a knowledge of coding and development, making changes to open source software isn’t much of an undertaking. However, if you aren’t qualified to make such adjustments and you simply want a solution that works, you’ll need to hire a developer or seek out a third-party resource to modify the platform as required.
You will also need to account for the extra expenses of hosting, infrastructure, and support, which could be considerable if you require an especially large, enterprise-level e-commerce platform. These unexpected costs, and all of the added requirements to truly customize a solution for a specific business, is why the top enterprise e-commerce platforms are now Cloud-based, SaaS offerings.
More businesses have come to value transparency when it comes to the expense of implementing, maintaining, and customizing an e-commerce platform. A SaaS solution—with a specific monthly cost that covers hosting, support, and everything you need to customize and scale to your business—is favorable for knowing how your e-commerce capabilities will factor into your budget.
In addition to knowing what you’ll pay, a Cloud-based solution can be far more cost-effective when you want to customize, update, and increase capabilities. Since you don’t need to change the version of the software just to stay up to date, you’re avoiding additional time and money needed to move your modifications over.
The modular nature of a comprehensive e-commerce platform allows you to add features as you need them and scale accordingly without the need to hire a developer. If you find you need to expand your enterprise capabilities, the necessary features and modules can be added seamlessly.
These are just a few of the advantages that amount to considerable costs savings in an enterprise e-commerce platform. To learn what’s included with our Cloud-based solution and what it will enable you to do, you can arrange a time to speak with us and take a look at a demo of WebJaguar.
