In April of 2014 we launched our very first premium plugin- Product Enquiry Pro.
The goal at the time of launching the plugin was simple, we were going to make PEP the best inquiry plugin for WooCommerce.
A challenging task no doubt.
But with every feature we added- whether it was enquiries in admin panel, the option to filter enquiry records, the customizable inquiry form, multiproduct enquiries, enquiry button on archive page- we made sure we were better than our competition – and we still are.
Today Product Enquiry Pro is THE most popular inquiry plugin for WooCommerce.
So, has the goal changed?
Certainly not.
We’ll continue to make Product Enquiry Pro the best available inquiry and demand analysis platform for WooCommerce store owners, by adding more functionality.
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How QuoteUp came to be…
When the idea of adding a quotation system to PEP was put on the table, there was some debate about adding a quotation functionality to an inquiry plugin.
It seemed like the logical step forward, but then again, we would be diluting the purpose of an inquiry plugin.
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Inquiry v/s Quotation
An inquiry is a question or information request made by your prospective customer on products or services you offer. This could be a price request or general details.
A quotation is an agreement you offer to you customer. A quotation request could be initiated by the customer or the store owner. A quotation contains an offer you make to the customer agreeing to charge a predefined price for a particular quantity of products.
The customer has the option of placing an order within the agreed conditions, or the option to reject the proposal.
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Most plugin users would have too many options, which they wouldn’t need. The inquiry and quotation management functionality would make the plugin heavy.
For example, handling sales or creating an order need not be a part of an inquiry plugin, but it has to be a part of a quotation plugin. A reply to an inquiry would be a set of statements, whereas a quote would be a binding document which would have to be sent to the customer and could be time bound.
The more we thought about it, the more apparent it became, that we were trying to cater to the needs of two different types of users.
It was then that we made a conscious decision to build QuoteUp as an independent quotation management and sales plugin for WooCommerce.
This would help us grow them individually as the best enquiry and demand analysis system (Product Enquiry Pro), and the best quotation and sales platform (QuoteUp), available on WooCommerce.
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Difference between QuoteUp and Product Enquiry Pro
Quotation and inquiry systems are essentially contact options for a customer. So they have some functionality in common.
For example, the contact interface for both the systems is a button that reveals an inquiry request or quote request form. But once the request is sent to the admin, the functionality diverges.
Here’s a look at the difference between the two plugins:
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| Feature | Product Enquiry Pro | QuoteUp |
|---|---|---|
| Enquiries/ Quote Requests in Admin Panel | [just_icon icon_type=”selector” icon=”Defaults-check” icon_size=”24″ icon_color=”#960000″] | [just_icon icon_type=”selector” icon=”Defaults-check” icon_size=”24″ icon_color=”#960000″] |
| Customizable Enquiry/Quote Request Form | [just_icon icon_type=”selector” icon=”Defaults-check” icon_size=”24″ icon_color=”#960000″] | [just_icon icon_type=”selector” icon=”Defaults-check” icon_size=”24″ icon_color=”#960000″] |
| Multiple Product Enquiry/ Quote Request Option | [just_icon icon_type=”selector” icon=”Defaults-check” icon_size=”24″ icon_color=”#960000″] | [just_icon icon_type=”selector” icon=”Defaults-check” icon_size=”24″ icon_color=”#960000″] |
| Enquiry/Quote Button on Shop Page | [just_icon icon_type=”selector” icon=”Defaults-check” icon_size=”24″ icon_color=”#960000″] | [just_icon icon_type=”selector” icon=”Defaults-check” icon_size=”24″ icon_color=”#960000″] |
| Selective Display Enquiry/Quote Request Button | [just_icon icon_type=”selector” icon=”Defaults-check” icon_size=”24″ icon_color=”#960000″] | [just_icon icon_type=”selector” icon=”Defaults-check” icon_size=”24″ icon_color=”#960000″] |
| Selective Display ‘Add to Cart’ Button | [just_icon icon_type=”selector” icon=”Defaults-check” icon_size=”24″ icon_color=”#960000″] | [just_icon icon_type=”selector” icon=”Defaults-check” icon_size=”24″ icon_color=”#960000″] |
| Style Enquiry/Quote Dialog & Button | [just_icon icon_type=”selector” icon=”Defaults-check” icon_size=”24″ icon_color=”#960000″] | [just_icon icon_type=”selector” icon=”Defaults-check” icon_size=”24″ icon_color=”#960000″] |
| Quick Send Inquiry Reply/Quote from Backend | [just_icon icon_type=”selector” icon=”Defaults-check” icon_size=”24″ icon_color=”#960000″] (First response) | [just_icon icon_type=”selector” icon=”Defaults-check” icon_size=”24″ icon_color=”#960000″] |
| Selectively Hide/Display Product Price | – | [just_icon icon_type=”selector” icon=”Defaults-check” icon_size=”24″ icon_color=”#960000″] |
| Auto-Generation of Quote Document | – | [just_icon icon_type=”selector” icon=”Defaults-check” icon_size=”24″ icon_color=”#960000″] |
| Dynamically Add Content in Quote Email | – | [just_icon icon_type=”selector” icon=”Defaults-check” icon_size=”24″ icon_color=”#960000″] |
| Quote Approve/Reject Option | – | [just_icon icon_type=”selector” icon=”Defaults-check” icon_size=”24″ icon_color=”#960000″] |
| Quote Edit/Resend Option | – | [just_icon icon_type=”selector” icon=”Defaults-check” icon_size=”24″ icon_color=”#960000″] |
| One-click Checkout Option | – | [just_icon icon_type=”selector” icon=”Defaults-check” icon_size=”24″ icon_color=”#960000″] |
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And since this is the initial version of QuoteUp, there are a lot more features planned.
On the Features Roadmap
Although QuoteUp is fairly new to the list of WooCommerce quote request and sales plugin, it’s packed with a lot of functionality.
Having chalked out a clear plan* of the features which need to be added to the plugin, we see the plugin sweeping out its competition in the coming months.
- An option for store owners to manually send quotations (for offline quote requests made)
- Add or remove products from quote requests for admin
- Time bound quotes
- Convert quote to order (for offline payments)
- Create account option for potential customers requesting a quote
- Custom ‘Terms & Conditions’ for quotes
- Under Review: Sales representatives for customers
Product Enquiry Pro will evolve* as well:
- Captcha field for spam protection
- Enquiry button as shortcode
- Enquiry reports based on customer queries
- Customized email templates with company branding
- Admin reply option, with custom notes per product (for multiproduct enquiries)
- Subscribe to newsletter option
*Do note, that a timeline has not been set for these features
What about Product Enquiry Pro Users Looking for a Quotation Functionality?
Product Enquiry Pro customers looking to add the quotation and sales functionality to their store, or certain that QuoteUp suits their requirements, can easily move to QuoteUp.
You do not need to pay full price for QuoteUp, just the difference i.e. $20.
🙂
Do note, PEP and QuoteUp cannot be used together. Those looking to migrate can contact us for additional information.
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Your Thoughts?
We encourage you to take a look at both the plugins…
…and send us your feedback. Tell us your thoughts, feature suggestions or comments. Your feedback will help us improve both these plugins and better them for our customers.
