Ecommerce Website Development – Step-by-Step Guide

eCommerce is not just a trend; it’s a revolution. According to research, eCommerce accounts for 19.3% percent of all retail sales worldwide, and it’s expected to grow even more in the coming years. After the explosion of eCommerce websites over the past few years, online shopping has become the latest trend.

In such scenarios, even retailers in prime locations want to capture the online channel for growth. They are investing in eCommerce website development as they realize that eCommerce is here to stay.

 

You need a website that stands out and attracts your target audience to succeed in the online marketplace. But how do you do that? What functionality to consider? In this ultimate guide, we will answer all these questions and more. We will walk you through the eCommerce website development process step by step, from choosing your niche and domain name to launching and marketing your site. Let’s get started –

What Is eCommerce Website Development?

eCommerce website development is about building, developing, and maintaining an online platform or store that promotes purchasing and selling goods. This website development focuses on providing customers with a seamless and user-friendly experience to easily and securely browse, select, and purchase products.

A well-developed eCommerce website has essential elements like an intuitive user interface, responsive design, efficient navigation, and secure payment gateways. It also includes product catalogs, shopping carts, customer accounts, and order management systems to streamline online shopping.

eCommerce website development requires ongoing maintenance and updates to ensure the platform remains secure, up-to-date, and compatible with the latest technologies and industry standards. This includes monitoring site performance, addressing technical issues, and implementing new features to improve user experience.

What Are The Major Benefits eCommerce Web Development?

In this digital age, an eCommerce website offers global accessibility, 24/7 availability, cost-effectiveness, etc. An eCommerce site development for your business can provide major benefits. Here are some of them –

1. Simple Process

In today’s world, building an eCommerce website has never been simpler. Technology has advanced rapidly, and online shopping has become increasingly popular. One of the primary reasons for this ease is the availability of user-friendly platforms and website builders. These platforms come equipped with intuitive interfaces and pre-designed templates that do not require extensive coding knowledge.

You no longer need to be a tech-savvy expert or use website development ecommerce services to create a professional-looking online store. With a few clicks, you can set up your website, customize its design, and sell products or services to customers worldwide.

2. Lower Operational Costs

A lot of capital isn’t required to start with an online store. Moreover, any investment is much less than required in a brick-and-mortar store. eCommerce websites eliminate many expenses, such as rent, utilities, and maintenance costs.

By operating online, businesses can significantly reduce spending, making it easier to utilize that money elsewhere. With an online store, businesses can automate many processes, reducing the need for a large workforce, which translates to lower labor costs. Moreover, eCommerce websites enable businesses to reach a wider audience at a lower cost.

3. Increased Profits

eCommerce websites allow businesses to reach a wider audience and generate more sales, increasing revenue and profits. An eCommerce website empowers businesses to sell their products and services globally, surpassing geographical limitations. Businesses can augment their customer base and boost sales by broadening their market reach.

Additionally, eCommerce websites allow businesses to operate 24/7, providing customers the convenience of shopping around the clock. This implies that businesses can generate sales despite closing their physical stores.

4. Customer Convenience

One of the most significant benefits of having an eCommerce website is its convenience to customers. With the rise of online shopping, consumers can now purchase products from the comfort of their homes without waiting throughout the week for the weekend, traveling to the mall, and buying from the limited options available out there

eCommerce websites allow customers to shop anytime, anywhere, and on any device. Customers can conveniently explore various products, effortlessly compare prices, and swiftly complete purchases with just a few clicks. They can also avoid the inconvenience of lengthy queues, parking troubles, and the burden of lugging around heavy shopping bags.

Moreover, eCommerce websites have made it easier for customers to access products from different parts of the world, expanding their choices, helping bridge the gap between customers and sellers, and creating a seamless shopping experience for both parties.

5. Scalability

Scalability is one of the biggest benefits of an eCommerce website. As your business grows, an eCommerce website can easily scale to handle increased traffic and sales. Since eCommerce websites are hosted online, you can quickly ramp up your hosting and bandwidth to accommodate more visitors. This allows your site to remain fast even during traffic spikes and high-volume shopping periods like holidays.

A successful eCommerce website also makes it easy to scale your product catalog. You can add new and fresh stock whenever you want without redesigning your site. You just upload new product images and details, and your site automatically incorporates the new products, allowing you to start with a few products and expand to hundreds or even thousands of products over time.

Functionality To Consider When Developing An eCommerce Website

Your eCommerce site’s necessary features and functionality will vary based on the specific requirements of your business model. Customizing your website to your and your customer’s needs is critical. Here are some factors to consider:

1. Responsive Web Design

As more consumers turn to their smartphones for online shopping, it’s crucial to have a website that accommodates responsive, mobile-optimized web design. Alternatively, consider having a web developer build a dedicated mobile app. The objective is to ensure a seamless shopping experience for users, regardless of whether they access your site via a desktop or mobile device.

2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Capabilities

Search engine optimization (SEO) features. SEO is an effective content distribution method vital to your website’s design.

Achieving high rankings on Google’s search engine for pertinent keywords can attract traffic to your site from users actively searching online. SEO can naturally bring in potential customers who strongly intend to purchase, making SEO-driven traffic more cost-efficient.

3. Fast and Reliable Site Performance

The faster your site loads, the less likely visitors are to bounce. Quick-loading websites are also better for search engine optimization because Google considers site speed when ranking pages. For these reasons, you should employ eCommerce web developers who can optimize your online store to be attractive, functional, and fast loading.

4. Content Management System (CMS)

A content management system is essential for an ecommerce website since it stores all dynamic content in one place, like blog posts, images, and other blocks of content in your design. With a CMS, you can easily add new content or change existing content, and the updates will automatically appear on your eCommerce site, allowing you to consistently provide fresh content that complements your products.

5. Inventory Management

Consider the store you often purchase from. They likely have a wide range of products in stock, offer various options, and provide discounts and promotions as needed. When building your eCommerce website, it’s essential to include functionality that allows you to add, edit, and manage inventory effectively.

This ensures that your customers consistently have access to the desired products. With the proper inventory management tools in place, you can easily monitor stock levels, track sales trends, and update product listings.

This will enable you to maintain a well-stocked online store, meet customer demand, and drive sales. Therefore, it’s crucial to implement a robust inventory management system as part of your eCommerce website’s overall design and development.

6. Payments and Checkout Processes

In today’s world of cryptocurrency, Apple Pay, PayPal, and mobile wallets, ecommerce businesses can no longer only offer one payment method. Since digital wallets account for 49% of global eCommerce transactions, as reported by Statista, it is imperative to include them in your store. Flexible and seamless payment options speed up the buying process and even prompt customers to spend more. For these reasons, your ecommerce platform should integrate with multiple payment gateways.

7. Website Security Features

When developing an online store, handling sensitive data, such as customer information and payment details, is crucial. Failure to do so could result in financial consequences, loss of customer trust, and even termination of the ability to accept payments. Therefore, it’s essential to meet the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Compliance standards to ensure the safety and security of the site.

While some platforms provide minimum security features, it’s crucial to prioritize proper protection through third-party software or in-house infrastructure.

8. Third-Party Integrations

Integrations are another essential aspect to consider when selecting an eCommerce platform. No platform will have every feature a business requires natively, so selecting a platform that offers customization through plugins and integrations is crucial. Additionally, it’s important to consider how the back office will operate and whether the platform integrates with existing ERP or CRM systems.

9. Marketing Strategies and Tools

A business’s marketing strategy should also be considered while developing an online store. A strategy early in the process will help define the site’s structure and determine necessary features.

Social media advertising may require social sharing options on the website, while mobile commerce may require push notifications or a mobile app. It’s important to consider the marketing strategy when selecting an eCommerce platform to ensure it aligns with the needs and goals of the business.

6 Steps For Developing A Custom eCommerce Website

According to Statista, eCommerce sales in the United States were valued at $768 billion in the previous year and are projected to surpass $1.3 trillion within three years. For those in the retail industry, establishing an eCommerce platform presents an opportunity to tap into this lucrative market.

To help you get started, here are six steps to guide you through building your own eCommerce website:

Step – 1: Identify Your Target Market & Understand The Desired Shopping Experience

Crafting an impactful eCommerce website development begins with a fundamental step: defining and identifying your target audience. Your website is the pivotal channel for your business, where all your marketing efforts converge and conversions occur. To fashion a website that resonates with your customer’s distinct needs and preferences, understanding them becomes paramount.

Contemplating the online shopping experience you intend to offer your customers becomes crucial. It’s worth considering the inclusion of experiential elements, such as –

• Enabling customers to easily filter search results by size, color, or price with a simple button click.

• Facilitating side-by-side product comparisons.
• Providing an optimized, streamlined checkout experience within a single page.
• Presenting promotions, discounts, and other enticing offers.

Reflect on whether your target audience seeks a straightforward and expedited shopping experience, especially for essential consumer-packaged goods.

Step – 2: Choose Your Domain & Content Management System (CMS)

To build an eCommerce website, choose a domain name that connects your online and physical stores. When choosing a name, opting for something uncomplicated to pronounce, spell, and recall while avoiding complex names and excessive capitalization is advisable. Once that’s sorted, the next step is to focus on the CMS, which forms the foundation of any website.

Consider your budget, skills, and needs to choose the right CMS. Here are the most popular options for eCommerce sites:

WordPress: Open-source with many eCommerce plugins. More technical but highly customizable.

Shopify: All-in-one eCommerce platform. Easy to use but less flexible.

Squarespace: All-in-one platform focused on design. Simple but limited eCommerce features.

Wix: Drag and drop website builder with basic eCommerce functionality.

Step – 3: Select Your Store Theme

Once you choose a domain and CMS, select an eCommerce theme to give your site a cohesive look. Both free and paid themes are available for platforms like WordPress, Shopify, and Wix. Premium themes, ranging from $30 to $200, offer unique designs that require less customization.

For a custom look, you can modify a free theme. Either way, your theme establishes the foundation for building your site. After selecting a theme:

Customize the header, footer, and navigation. The header should feature your business name and logo prominently to reinforce your brand. Footers typically contain secondary information like contact details, policies, and social media links. Create a navigation menu leading to important pages on your site.

Step – 4: Create Product Listings

Add products to your eCommerce site so customers have items to purchase. Design an intuitive product listing process that syncs inventory across all your sales channels. This streamlines operation and prevents overselling of products.

When adding products, focus on the following:

Photos should show exactly what customers will receive. This builds confidence in your products and brand.

Include complete details, especially for complex products, including all relevant details like specifications, sizing, and other attributes. Thorough information helps customers make informed buying decisions.

Step – 5: Payment & Shipping

Work with a developer to integrate a shopping cart, checkout, payment gateways, and shipping into your site. Offer multiple payment options for some customers and regions, including “buy now, pay later” for some customers and regions. Choose payment gateways that support your target markets.

Step – 6: Test Your Site

Always thoroughly test your eCommerce site before launching. A buggy, broken site damages your brand and turns off customers. Test for:

The site should load in 2 seconds or less. Use Google PageSpeed Insights to improve performance.

Ensure the site displays well on mobile devices, with large buttons, clear text, and properly loading images. Test across browsers.

Pretend to be a customer navigating the site. You can easily search, add to your cart, checkout, and complete a purchase. The process should be seamless.

A well-tested, high-performing, mobile-friendly site with an intuitive user flow will provide an excellent customer experience. The more pleasing the experience, the more likely customers will return and become loyal shoppers. By choosing the right platform and thoroughly testing it, you can launch an eCommerce website to be proud of.

Top Things To Consider Before Developing An eCommerce Website

Businesses have lost more than $756 billion due to poor eCommerce websites. Thus, having a business idea and realizing the dream of an eCommerce website is not sufficient. It comes to effectively developing an eCommerce Website domain and high-end optimization to manage things profitably. Thus, before jumping into the market and starting to create an eCommerce website, any business should take care of the following crucial points:

1. Determine Your Business Requirements

An eCommerce website is a tool, and hence the functionality of an eCommerce tool starts with understanding your business requirements. Thus, the first step in developing an eCommerce website starts with deeply understanding the customers and the main services. It is important for any business to design, develop, and implement the eCommerce strategy only after making a detailed note of the website’s results.

Identifying your products and their market value and offering different services to a wide range of customers under one roof can be some of the business requirements to keep on priority. Understanding the demographics and related business trends is crucial to overcoming your challenges.

2. Build Your eCommerce Store with the Right Team

After having a clear idea of the eCommerce requirements, it all comes to the shoulders of the development team to realize these business needs. Many times different eCommerce businesses don’t have a dedicated website development ecommerce team.

It is best to outsource eCommerce website creation to a website development agency with a dedicated professional team.

The best eCommerce website development team can handle different features like database compatibility, integration of CRM solutions, and ERP software. Any high-performance eCommerce website is incomplete without a robust backend strategy that is helpful for easy administration.

It is easy for the professional eCommerce website team to offer multiple marketing tools like social media websites, promotional tools, email, analytics tools, etc.

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3. Choose eCommerce Website Builders for Your Business

The best website builder facilitates the process of creating an eCommerce website. The website development team often considers different website builders’ options before selecting their partner in the business. The top options include Shopify, Wix, BigCommerce, Weebly, and Magento.

It is easy to create a scalable online store from Shopify. It further integrates with social media websites like Facebook, Instagram, etc. Wix is an ideal website builder for small businesses and startups and comes in more than 510 options in templates. BigCommerce and Weebly are other highly powerful options in website builders for your eCommerce website. Magento comes as one of the favorites of many eCommerce website developers.

4. Select the Ideal eCommerce Website Hosting Platform

The success of your eCommerce website is based on the right selection of its hosting platform. The server, domain, and hosting platform are essential for high-performing eCommerce websites. It is recommended to go for the high-quality services of any website hosting platform over the cost savings.

The server should offer great speeds with magnificent uptime ratios. You can go through the uptime records of the previously hosted websites. The servers should be highly scalable and offer exemplary security and support features to all eCommerce websites.

Several platforms, plugins, and extensions are available; therefore, developing an eCommerce website should not be daunting. eCommerce web development like Twister, Zepo, and Shopify are some of the top eCommerce platform solutions you can use. However, you must remember that providing the best customer service is necessary to achieve the best returns.

5. Pick an Appealing Theme for Your Online Store

eCommerce business is all about offering the best user experience to a wide audience. Thus, it is crucial to take care of the selection of themes or templates for your website. Going for the template-based development of the eCommerce website reduces the coding requirements that benefit different businesses.

Making the correct decision in template selection is about testing different templates and selecting the one with the best overall looks and highlighted features.

6. Enhance Your eCommerce Website with Various Features

Making your eCommerce website flavorful is never easy as it can be with the top-class and exclusive features for the users. It all starts from the homepage style features and goes up to the selection of the best matching template. The simple and guided navigation of your eCommerce website works as an unpaid advocate for your services. Thus, any navigation menu should have all the required categories for users’ facilities.

The UI/UX design should be appealing and go well with the brand communication strategy. The selection of the text size, font colors, theme color, images, and positioning of the products on the webpage are some of the small but powerful points to consider while developing your eCommerce website.

7. Create Informative Product Pages for Your Customers

The next step after template customization is the product information. Customers will buy your product only after carefully looking at its features, details, and price. Thus, products should never be left alone and only offer all required information on one page. The product descriptions should include different ideas and offer over-the-top solutions to the traditional product information pages.

8. Provide Multi-Currency Options for Global Shoppers

Payment options are the route through which different customers will pay you for the products and services on the eCommerce website. Thus, any eCommerce business should offer multiple payment options that are helpful for global customers.

Many businesses select payment gateway services for their customers, while others use credit card payment options. Integrating credit card payments to the eCommerce website further helps the customers as they don’t have to leave the page to complete the transaction. Many businesses take it to the next level by integrating logistics services into eCommerce. 

9. Test Your eCommerce Website for Optimal Performance

It is crucial to test your eCommerce website before making it live. It is a final run test for the website development ecommerce team. This test thoroughly evaluates the different parameters, like the payment methods and checkout process. It is achieved by ordering and refunding the product. Your eCommerce website should be compatible with leading browsers and offer clean and elaborative designs.

All these testing of the features and functionality of the newly created eCommerce website should take the customer requirements on priority. Testing teams often create a testing strategy from the customer’s viewpoint only to find the best areas of improvement.

10. Optimize Your eCommerce Website for Enhanced Security

Any eCommerce website should have SSL encryption for the best data encryption. Cybersecurity is a hot topic globally. Thus, while creating your eCommerce website, you can’t ignore the best security features useful for your customers. Further, an eCommerce website developer must reduce the downtimes of their services. Adding the JavaScript and CSS resource files in a single file adds to the optimized eCommerce website performance.

11. Ensure Mobile Compatibility Of Your Online Store

A great chunk of online buying and selling is achieved using mobile devices only. Thus, it is equally important to make your eCommerce website highly mobile-friendly. It is almost impossible to imagine the success of any eCommerce website without considering the revenues from mobile device-based customers. Thus, making your eCommerce website efficient for mobile devices is crucial.

Also read: 10 Best Ecommerce CRM Software for Your Business

Wrapping Up

The eCommerce industry is booming like never before, as many shoppers prefer to buy at odd times while staying at their place only. Any business can seek the help of the eCommerce web development strategies mentioned above to eliminate the basic bottlenecks in the industry. It includes understanding the business requirements, optimizing the website content, and offering the best services to attract customers. 

Any eCommerce website should have a deadly combination of user-friendly interfaces for different smart devices, high-resolution visual content, offer user reviews, and be mobile-friendly. The leading eCommerce site development agencies handle different online business requirements. They are the best sources of correct planning, precise execution, and profitable optimization of eCommerce sites.