'PRO' version ever considered?

[james123]

I have been using VM for about 3 years now and although free I have spent a TON of time working things out. After leisurely looking at the backend of redshop pro and Tienda I think VM needs to implement something like this to get some money for future development. In my opinion neither redshop or tienda are ready for production site (at least not mine) but once they are it will put VM on the back burner as far as built in SEO, store stats, single page checkout, more robust discounting etc...I think this is horrible as VM has been here for so long. I know i for one would have no problem paying a few hundrad a year for a pretty much bug free robust cart where i don't have to use components such as sh404sef, coupon components etc....

Just a thought...

[IntraX]

I dont know what clientele you refer to as main user base. When you refer to small shops that just want to sell a few products on the side they are good with a hosted shop solution for 10 bucks a month, support included.

As you can see in the live section and also elsewhere, people spent money into this system to make professional shops that are even better as a Magento store. This is not a out of the box system as you mention too, so I do not think that some redshop will pull away the important VM users at all.

Yet if VM was a paid shop and redshop would have some things that make it easier to use for some people, there may be the need to worry, but as the stakes are not related to making a fortune with selling VM I do not see the point for a Pro Version.

What shall a pro version include as default config?

You can make a shop like Amazon (speaking about the functions not the multi-vendor system) or Newegg with VM. Best example, any template club offer a template with Jomsocial so that everyone can make a site like Facebook. And what? Honestly 1% of those site later become good ones, the rest is the people who honestly but without offense think they can become a 2. Facebook with a 150$ site on a shared hosting. So why a Pro Version for VM in eCommerce? I dont think that it makes sense to build a shopsystem for countless dropshippers that later close the shop after 3 month as their 150$ site is not making any sale.

This business is a bit more challenging as to go with a Pro Version everyone can theoretically use to become a second Amazon. Sorry, but this is how it is, if pro version or this version, without spending countless hours and money on a shop you will not come close to it.

I think you all that already but I see no use for a pro version for pro users, if then a easy version for casual users. Pros are good with this one already.

When you talk about competition with other systems, if paid or not, you can say that this is no competition, as VM dont play the game.

[james123]

I say this respectfully but I think you are missing my point.

The facts are VM is good but could be great! More resources could help with this ($$$$). I currently pay for extensions that extend VM when I should be paying for VM. Making donating available helps but I'm sure when it comes down to it the contributions are probably minimal.

Let's say for example the free version is what's available now. A 'pro' or paid version would include all the solutions aravot has created and selling at virtuemart-extensions.com plus maybe a built in SEO system etc.

Look at how far sh404sef has came by changing the business model.

[IntraX]

And you use those extensions out of the box? Not one extension I buy can I use out of the box, and so it makes no sense that there would a VM with all extension pre-installed, as I still would have to change the whole store. Now take a look a tiendra cart, this is nothing in comparison to what VM is offering you, yes you get a wishlist and a compare function out of the box, but where is the rest? This is what I refer to, what shall a pro version bring?

I use some of Aravots extensions and they are very good, clean, well written and not even expensive, but I still have to change a lot on those manually, as for features I require for my specific needs and those specific needs also could never be satisfied with a pro version, people would rather say they pay for something that is not perfect and so Magento IS FREE TOO, as it is not possible to satisfy everyones needs AND the enterprise edition costs 9K$ a year. I also used hosted solutions and the most topics in their forum is that so many features are missing, that you simply dont get for 20 bucks a month and with no access to php you can wait for the provider to one day make changes. Well, most the users even say they rather have no features like this but do not have to be techies or spend money on coding, so they say also when others specific needs are not satisfied they are still satisfied.

So I think also you would have to make changes to a VM with that functions built-in and actually I have the feeling that when VM 1.5 will come out it will have such features included but will you be satisfied with the out of the box version AND IF IT WOULD BE A PAID VERSION, with the stuff you paid for? I rather spend money on extensions I can choose from which I want or which not, that makes sense.

I dont know, VM is the basis and great and perfect with extensions or custom coding, I do not know why VM now is good and not great, just because it hasnt wishlist, on sale banners, compare page and ajax checkout by default? That cant be it