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80-Plus IndieCommerce Sites Now Benefit From New Drupal Platform
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Since migrating to the new, open-source Drupal platform, 84 ABA IndieCommerce sites are experiencing greater stability and better performance. The overall result has been an increase in both traffic and sales for migrated sites. In addition, the IndieCommerce program as a whole has reached a tipping point: more consumer traffic is now going to the sites on Drupal than to the sites that have yet to migrate.
Among the bookstores now reaping the benefits from the Drupal platform is McLean & Eakin Booksellers in Petosky, Michigan. The store's Matt Norcross recently sent a note of thanks to ABA for keeping indie booksellers up to date on the digital revolution.
"As a newcomer to an IndieCommerce [Drupal] website, we are overjoyed with its wealth of features," Norcross wrote. And, although there were many features that have made "a huge difference," there were five in particular he wanted to mention:
- Having every book in print (and some that aren't) searchable on the site
- The flexibility and expandability of the Drupal format
- The addition of e-books!
- The sliding shelf display of bestsellers and Indie Next List picks
- Inventory quantities displayed on the site
In addition, he said, "I have been blown away by how many customers have used this last feature.... Our store is in what you'd consider a rural community. We don't think of our customer base as 'tech savvy.' But since this feature has been activated, we have had customer calling to have items held, others doing it through the website, or, better yet, they print out a copy and come to the store, and ... it even indicates the section number! This feature is driving sales in our store -- PERIOD!"
Norcross believes that "there is no greater obstacle we face than increasing our members ability to compete online" and that "we have only scratched the surface of what these Drupal sites are capable of."
The 84 stores now on the new Drupal platform are: