The Journey of T3Planet - TYPO3 Marketplace!

T3Planet - Your First-Ever TYPO3 Marketplace! Are you excited to know how the exciting story from how the T3Planet project was initiated, developed and maintained? We want to share a detailed case-study of T3Planet - An Initiative to Grow TYPO3 Ecosystem. I hope You will be pleased to read and explore it.

The Journey of T3Planet - TYPO3 Marketplace!

Are you excited to know how the T3Planet project was initiated, developed and maintained? We want to share a detailed case-study of T3Planet - An Initiative to Grow TYPO3 Ecosystem. I hope You will be pleased to read and explore it.

The journey of our dream began at TYPO3 Conference 2019 17th Oct, T3Planet venture was launched in the TYPO3 community at Hague - the Netherlands. The excitement levels of Team T3Planet’s were on peaks, as because within just a span of 6 months each and everyone has been working hard, day-n-night on the dream project with lots of passion and dedication

One of the major goals of T3Planet is to build a better TYPO3 Eco-system.

T3Planet had fruitful visions with this platform, TYPO3 developers or agencies - aka vendors to have expanded access to showcase their resources and new opportunities to leverage building and selling more TYPO3 resources online.

Whereas buyers will have access to a range of high-quality TYPO3 templates and extensions, specifically built for the specific platform.

Ultimately resulting in a fruitful sharing and caring TYPO3 ecosystem.

The Dream Before Years Ago - The History

“It's not because things are difficult that we dare not venture. It's because we dare not venture that they are difficult.”
- Lucius Annaeus Seneca

With our long journey with TYPO3, our story begins in 2010, when we initiated our journey with TYPO3. Our founder, Nitin Chauhan and Sanjay Chauhan dreamed of creating a platform for TYPO3 developers, designers, and agencies to sell and share their TYPO3 products to an audience they might not otherwise reach. 

After an experience of one decade in TYPO3, The dream was realized in 2019 when we began work on the original platform, T3Planet. 

Over time we worked hard to launch the platform and TYPO3 products for T3Planet at TYPO3 Conference 2019. It took six months to design and build the first version of the T3Planet Marketplace. In true visionary fashion, T3Planet is one of the first TYPO3 Marketplace ever!

Market Research - Why TYPO3 Marketplace?

Before we start anything, we want to make sure and get answers to many questions, like;

  • How important is the Marketplace for TYPO3?
  • What and how other OpenSource CMS Marketplaces developed and performed?
  • How Marketplace lead the roles to grow Marketshare?
  • etc.,

If you take a look and analyze the history, OpenSource projects which have a strong eco-system are well survived and grown compared to other projects such as WordPress, Joomla, Magento, etc.

Market Share of OpenSource and ClosedSource CMS

Source

Let’s have a quick study of WordPress because most of the TYPO3 websites are migrated to WordPress.

IMHO, WordPress grows well not because of CMS-core, but due to having a strong Eco-system.

WordPress has hundreds and thousands of stores, marketplaces, themes, plugins, hosting, SaaS, services providers, etc.

Quick Facts
“More than $143 Billion: Annual WordPress Building Market Size
“Imagine this, Avada Only one WordPress template has earned over 12 million dollars in sales.”

Case Studies & References
The marketing team of T3Planet analyzed many existing popular platforms like

According to our experience, Marketplace needs one-central authority with all skilled teams like marketing, sales, production, support, etc., for better planning, development, strategy, and decision making - to initiate and grow.

IMHO, The marketplace project is a bit difficult to develop and maintain by the OpenSource community. In our research, we did not find such a single store or marketplace which is driven by the community.

We observed all of the Marketplaces are driven by one company or entity.

Question: Is TYPO3 “only” for Enterprise-level Websites?

No! Not at all!

When it comes to Market share, there are always debates about CMS-level. TYPO3 has always been promoted as “Enterprise Level CMS”.

Think about this, a CMS like WordPress-core does not have the full potential to create an enterprise-level website BUT mostly using 3rd party solutions they did it well for Enterprise to Fortune 500 companies.

Then, Why TYPO3 as an Enterprise level CMS can not do Small to Medium level websites? Yes, it can be achieved.

It’s time to take a good piece of Marketshare and moreover, TYPO3 holds the extreme potential.

TYPO3 is a truly feature-rich OpenSource CMS, there are good opportunities to spread it for Small to Medium to Enterprise level websites.

How T3Planet Got Its Name?

The vision of T3Planet - One-stop TYPO3 Solutions. We were looking for a name as the last destination - And word Terminal clicked! Connecting TYPO3 sellers and buyers.

I've been in TYPO3 for years and exchanged thoughts with many TYPO3 people. For the TYPO3 Marketplace topic, most of them say “Indeed, TYPO3 really needs such a platform and we are very much late for such a solution”.

The Long-awaited Platform For TYPO3 People

For years, TYPO3 was looking for a platform where people can do business and grow themselves.

For TYPO3 Vendors

  • The TYPO3 Agencies, Developers, and Integrators can sell their PRO products, solutions, and services.
  • In the long journey of many TYPO3 people have developed great premium TYPO3 solutions which might be not shared for FREE.
  • I know and met many TYPO3 people who have such good TYPO3 products.
  • It is the platform where they can sell and generate revenue by earn and care philosophy.
  • One the other hand, TYPO3 vendors will be more responsible for the documentation, guidance, support, up-to-date releases, make compatible with future TYPO3 versions.

For TYPO3 Buyers

  • In the current scenario, the end-customers have very limited choices of premium TYPO3 products.
  • Most of the TYPO3 buyers or customers have the only option for customized services which is not cost-effective solutions for them.
  • With the platform, TYPO3 buyers can take peace of mind by receiving good support, get compatible with future TYPO3 versions, well-documented, etc., from TYPO3 vendors.

Initiation of the TYPO3 Marketpalce Venture

At the starting of March 2019, We have initiated the project. And, the team aimed to launch at TYPO3 Conference Oct 2019 into the TYPO3 community.

We have defined two major goals, 1st TYPO3 Store and 2nd TYPO3 Products.

Initiate the project, by defining the scope of work, prepare requirement specification, create the proof-of-concept design, etc., Everything was divided into two teams.

Team Magento
Responsible for the TYPO3 store to develop and maintain the Marketplace. Fortunately, within a short span of time, we were able to make a good team.

Team TYPO3
Responsible for the development of initial TYPO3 extensions and templates from our team. After good R&D on what people most looking for TYPO3 premium solution? Based on that, Prepared the specification of TYPO3 extensions and templates.

Decision of Technologies

Source

TYPO3 Marketplace needs a robust e-commerce platform.

We were looking for many OpenSource and Cloud-based SaaS solutions too which fit best for our B2B & B2C store.

We choose OpenSource!

  • Magento 2 - Community Edition Because it’s robust, secure, and extendible.
  • CED Commerce - For TYPO3 Multiple Vendors
  • Customization of Magento according to needs
  • Design and Integrate Custom Magento Template Integration
  • Optimized for Speed & Performance
  • Improve Security Matters

Created Private Composer Server

TYPO3 community loves Composer based TYPO3 core and extensions installation.

Composer Support Free TYPO3 Extensions
People already use the most popular Packagist https://packagist.org/ for their free TYPO3 extensions.

Composer Support Premium TYPO3 Extensions
Initially, we thought to go with Private Packagist but it’s not a cost-effective solution, as well as we require our custom and extensible solution for a composer.

That’s why we made a decision to develop own TYPO3 composer server

  • Easily host private package 
  • Reliable and fast Composer deployments
  • Integrate easily with GitHub and GitLab
composer.json

"repositories": [
    {
        "type": "composer",
        "url": "https://composer.t3planet.com/"
    },
    {
        "packagist.org": false
    },
    {
        "composer.typo3.org": false
    }
],

composer command

composer require vendor/package-name ^1

You can also learn and explore TYPO3 Composer + Satis from 7 Easy Steps to Satis - TYPO3 Private Packages for Composer

Legal & Security Matters

T3Planet deeply cares about the privacy of its visitors and users and is fully committed to protect their personal information and use it properly in compliance with purchase license, GPL, and other data privacy laws.

We have to take care of a well structured and registered legal organization for legal authority, payments, tax, etc., according to the Government of India.

Also, in order to maintain a high-quality resource repository for the TYPO3 audience and ensure Vendors receive great rewards for their work, Vendors must meet our strict quality guidelines and undergo our selection process.

Freemium & Premium TYPO3 Extensions

Although there are hundreds of free TYPO3 Extensions available at TER. At T3Planet, you can publish and showcase your PRO or premium TYPO3 Extensions.

Being a TYPO3 Vendor, you can define your way of TYPO3 License like Sing-site, Multi-site, etc., with different prices.

To give a better user experience and support to the customer, it’s also possible to provide additional support like Extended support, Installation services, etc.,

To get an approval of your TYPO3 extensions, you should prepare documentation, technical/compatibility details, support-composer, screenshots, changelog, FAQ, etc.,

Professional Free & Pro TYPO3 Templates

Surprisingly, we found more and more people are looking for in need of good TYPO3 Templates.

As just like other CMS, TYPO3 has the ability to develop cool ready-made TYPO3 templates and themes.

What are the important factors that are considered while making TYPO3 templates?

  • Should be easily installed and configure - click-n-launch experience
  • Should be automatically imported page tree
  • Should be compatible with latest TYPO3 LTS versions
  • Should be easy to manage pages and content
  • Should be provided LIVE-demo
  • Should be well-documented
  • And many more!

To give the best backend usability, we are working hard on the development of TYPO3 templates. For example, we have developed a special backend module call “Theme Options” for the global configurations.

Documentation

docs.t3planet.com Well-documentation and backend manuals are very important for customers, We always keep up-to-date T3Planet Docs for all the products.

We have created Documentation with Gitlab and awesome Readthedocs, It provides seamless documentation CI/CD integration.

As per the standards of the TYPO3 community, easily create documentation using .rst reStructuredText.

Live Demo Server

demo.t3planet.com created dedicated LIVE-Demo TYPO3 server for customers, so people can feel and take a decision before buying anything.

Setup Support System

Support is very essential for any Marketplace.

Especially for the end-TYPO3 users who are not techniques, always have questions on installation, configuration, guidance etc.,

We have integrated HubSpot ticket system https://t3planet.com/support-submit-ticket/ 

Moderation & Review Team for TYPO3 Vendor’s Products

We have defined a complete moderation system to approve or reject TYPO3 Vendors or their products and services.

Payment System: Trust and Transparency

T3Planet Marketplace is a platform where different vendors come together and sell their products on a commission basis. 

So after deducting admin commission, the remaining payment will be given to the vendor. 

It is the responsibility of the admin to release the vendor payments when the order related to any vendor is placed. Admin will credit the payment to the vendor’s account from the transaction panel.

TYPO3 SaaS - World’s First Click-n-Launch TYPO3 Website

In Jan 2020, we have proudly launched the world’s first-ever Click-n-Launch TYPO3 SaaS solution.

It’s one of the cool T3Planet ventures, where TYPO3 non-technique can build with one-click their website without any technical skills.

In web, SaaS solution is growing fast, What’s current market approach, Which are popular SaaS platform, How TYPO3 international growth strategy with SaaS, Why we build TYPO3 SaaS, Highly recommend to read Say Hello to TYPO3 SaaS: All You Need to Know!

TYPO3 Knowledge Hub Blog

We are writing at least two TYPO3 blogs per week with good in-depth technical and non-technical TYPO3 blog, You can subscribe to our TYPO3 newsletter to get TYPO3 updates.

What T3Planet Customers Says?

Just within a span of a few months, T3Planet got many customers from all over the globe and continuously received a positive response. Here are a few testimonials.

Are You TYPO3 Agencies or Developers? Become a TYPO3 Vendor!

You are still reading, so I’m sure you are interested to become TYPO3 vendor :)

Good thing is that many agencies and developers are connecting and discussing the platform opportunities. Based on their feedback and requirement, we are also working hard to keep improving the platform.

Hopefully, more people will join us soon, What about you? When are you joining us?!

Why T3Planet Is For You?

  • Free to Become a Vendor
  • Platform to promote your TYPO3 products
  • Transparent Business Model
  • Support by dedicated T3Planet team

Explore more and Become TYPO3 Vendor Now!

TYPO3 Buyers: Why T3Planet For You?

Simplifying things for our customers;

  • World-class TYPO3 Products
  • High quality standards
  • Quick support
  • Saves your Time
  • Boost your conversion
  • Suits your budget
  • Install in a Click
  • Easy customization
  • Future upgradable

Success Statistics of Marketplace

Within a span of 6 months short time, As of now, April 2020; T3Planet, has been a one-stop destination for TYPO3 Vendors and Buyers.

Future Of TYPO3 Ventures

“Past performance speaks a tremendous amount about one's ability and likelihood for success.”
- Mark Spitz

But, what’s next?

In the upcoming time, we are planning to launch many exciting ventures at T3Planet. We have a list with vision, Here are the few of them.

  • TYPO3 Training & Education (Videos and Tutorials)
  • TYPO3 Jobs Portal
  • TYPO3 PaaS Platform
  • TYPO3 SLA (Service Level Agreements)

T3Planet Expanding Globally

T3Planet dreams of a flourished TYPO3 Ecosystem to grow TYPO3!

We are getting new customers and their love with an appreciation for T3Planet! We heartily welcome you to be a part of the T3Planet family.

Do you have any ideas, feedback, or suggestions? We would like to keep improving our platform to make it better for you and for the TYPO3 community and eco-system.

We appreciate your feedback, please write to us at Feedback Center.

Announcement: T3Planet Stands Against COVID-19

The recent global Coronavirus pandemic is changing the economy, businesses, and lives of people.

We people at T3Planet think it's high time to contribute to society by spreading awareness and updates about the COVID-19 pandemic by providing the FREE TYPO3 website.

Spread to more people, or Start Your Free TYPO3 Website to fight against Corona virus.

Love Your Feedback & Ideas

Thanks for the reading, I hope you enjoyed, learned and explored.

It’s time to work together for the growth of our great TYPO3 CMS.

Do you have any ideas, feedback, or suggestions? We would like to keep improving our platform to make it better for you and for the TYPO3 community and eco-system.

We appreciate your feedback, please write to us at Feedback Center.

Let’s make a Happy TYPO3 Community + Eco-system!

Post a Comment

×
  • user
    Frank 2020-07-06 at 11:51 am
    I must admit brilliant concept and idea. There was a need of TYPO3 marketplace for premium TYPO3 products and a platform for exchange. Good going guys. Cheers Frank
    • user
      Sanjay 2020-07-09 at 2:07 pm
      Dear Frank, Thanks for your kind words and appreciation. I'm happy you liked our TYPO3 blog.
  • user
    Gabriele 2020-07-06 at 11:50 am
    I appreciate the initiative. Good luck to the team
    • user
      Sanjay 2020-07-09 at 2:08 pm
      Dear Gabriele, Thanks for your appreciation. Makes us happy to keep doing our best
  • user
    Gabriele 2020-07-06 at 11:37 am
    I appreciate the initiative. Good luck to the team
    • user
      Sanjay 2020-07-09 at 2:09 pm
      Thanks Gabriele, I am glad you liked it!