Eight game-changing extensions for your Spree storefront

Here is a list of free, open-source apps that can make your Spree ecommerce experience both easier and more profitable.

There’s one thing that all Internet-based businesses have in common: they have something to sell. And getting those products to willing customers is the key to success. Problem is, the web is kind of a tech-oriented place, especially when it comes to dipping your toe in the multi-billion dollar world of e-commerce. Creating an online storefront, hooking up with suppliers, handling payments, and managing all the other things that come with running a virtual storefront can be challenging to say the least.

That’s why Spree is such an incredible tool. It offers budding entrepreneurs an easy, point-and-click way to get their Internet-based business up and running. Even better, it’s so simple to use that even those who can barely operate a mouse can establish their online presence in a few hours. Spree is to web-based sellers what WordPress has traditionally been to bloggers: a way to tap into the worldwide marketplace, not with ideas, but with ballet shoes, blue jeans, baseball bats, and all the other goodies that today’s web-savvy consumers crave.

Of course, any great programming tool is made even better with the right extensions. So here is a list of free, open-source apps that can make your Spree ecommerce experience both easier and more profitable.

1. PayPal Express – PayPal goes with online shopping like cheese goes with pizza, and this extension lets you tap into the vast market served by this oh-so-handy payment tool.

2. Spree wish list – With the holiday season upon us, just about everyone is not just making a list but checking it twice – or three, or four, or five times. This extension makes enabling this ability an easy task.

3. Recently viewed items – Sometimes shoppers find just the right product online, only to lose it in a haze of caffeine-induced shopping frenzy. This extension makes retracing their steps a simple job, ensuring that they get the item of their dreams.

4. Shipping cost calculator – Part of being an online merchant is getting on a first-name basis with the friendly folks from FedEx, UPS, and, of course, the post office. This extension allows merchants to tally the costs of getting their products to eager buyers across the globe.

5. Related products – what good is an iPad without a case to keep it safe from nicks and scratches? This extension allows you to link related products. The effect on your bottom line can be over-the-top, making this a powerful tool to have on hand.

6. Spree Social – A good Facebook campaign is essential for online marketing success. This extension manages the nuts-and-bolts of your social media outreach, letting you focus on the big picture.

7. Store credits – Returns and exchanges are part of the business for any merchant, online or otherwise. This extension allows vendors to manage merchandise credits extended to shoppers.

8. Skrill - Not every shopper uses PayPal. This extension enables merchants to take payments through Skrill, a.k.a. Moneybookers. Here at Netguru, we were very happy to work with Skrill to create an application for online account management!). As more and more players line up to take a chunk out of PayPal’s massive empire, extensions like this one will become ever more crucial to your success.

This is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to free, value-adding extensions for Spree users. To find out about more must-have open source apps for this powerful e-commerce tool, visit netguru/blog/ruby-on-rails-ecommerce. In the meantime, may all your entrepreneurial dreams come true.

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