eCommerce websites are becoming popular by the day among business owners who want to expand their reach in the market. Building an online presence is a complex process but can be easily simplified with the right set of eCommerce software development tools and techniques.
It includes services like designing a user-friendly interface, built-in analytics, personalized recommendations, and many more for a better shopping experience. There are also eCommerce management software tools for efficient inventory management to enhance its functionality.
It comes with tools to augment eCommerce operations such as order processing, customer relationship management, data analytics, managing payment gateways and many more.
There are mainly three types of eCommerce software development services:
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
It is a software solution that is hosted entirely off-site with all the operations controlled by a third party. Here, you need to buy a URL, pay the hosting fee and use the platform for your business while ensuring that the host’s terms of service are not violated. It provides limited access to make changes thus reducing the flexibility.
Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)
Like SaaS, it is also hosted on the cloud, however, it provides comparatively more flexibility as you get access to the physical hardware used. It also allows you to choose between the software solution provided by the host or the one available to you. With this website, you can have direct control of the data and write your own codes. PaaS gives organizations control of the platform, however, it is also the most labor-intensive option.
On-Premise Platforms
This service gives organizations complete control over the platform, both hardware and software hosting is done on-site. With multiple servers located on-premise that can be used to host the software, the whole operation is managed by the organization only. However, it is a complex procedure for it requires the knowledge of building ecommerce websites from scratch.
Benefits of Ecommerce Software Development Services
Taking your business online is beneficial, but it’s also a transformative decision to make. This is why it is essential to strategize and understand what is to gain from this digital shift, doing this will help you see the benefits that you can leverage. Some of them are listed below:
A Better Reach:
With ecommerce websites, you can let your products get discovered by audiences globally and get in touch with potential customers from different cities or countries efficiently. You can also use marketing CRM software to understand clients’ needs.
Efficient Management:
Since everything is digitally registered, everything from order tracking to inventory management to sales and shipping can be managed seamlessly with the ecommerce management software solutions.
Enhanced Customer Experience:
A well-designed ecommerce website improves customer engagement with its smooth framework, reduced loading time and efficient shopping journey.
Increased Revenue:
Building an online presence would make it easier for people to discover your business, thus increasing the customer base which would be limited otherwise.
Going online with your business requires expert software solutions so that you can leverage these top 04 and many more other benefits including accessing marketing tools, saving resources and broadening the payment options for your customers.
8 Tips to Consider for Getting the Ideal Services
There are a variety of eCommerce software development services for different functions based on the client’s requirements, budget and project size. You can choose the fitting one to maximize the benefits for you. A few things to consider when you are looking for the ideal service are:
1. Hosting and Ownership Type
When developing the eCommerce platform, you can consider two hosting options; self-hosted or the cloud.
The self-hosted platform will give you complete control over the website and enhanced security. However, it requires you to find the hosting, handle the installation and manage updates by yourself. It can also get expensive given the technicalities involved.
Cloud, on the other hand, would mean you can get hosting through cloud service providers like AWS. So, the service provider will handle all the technicalities for the platform. It is comparatively cost-effective and provides flexibility. However, you will have less control over the servers.
In terms of ownership, you can choose from three kinds of platforms as per your needs namely; SaaS, PaaS and on-premise platforms. Shoppers prefer a seamless shopping experience that begins with choosing the right hosting platform.
A seamless shopping experience starts with the right platform to host your website. So, make your decision based on how you can achieve the desired goal efficiently. Be it starting from scratch on-premise with your existing resources or connecting with an eCommerce software development company.
An ideal eCommerce platform will give you a competitive edge by building customer trust with its efficient functioning and creation of multiple customer engagement channels.
2. Theme and UX
Your online store is the face of your business which is why it’s essential that you maintain an elegant theme along with an excellent UX. Online shoppers prefer to have an engaging and immersive shopping experience.
Having a simple, easy-to-navigate and inviting UI/UX is essential to provide an engaging environment. Look for a service provider who can provide hosting with a variety of free or subscription-based themes. This is essential to make your platform stand out among other competitors and convert visitors into customers.
3. Integration and Plugins
Building an engaging eCommerce platform is possible with integrations and plugins. These add essential features which enrich your website vastly. You can incorporate popular features like email marketing, customer loyalty programs, payments & shipping information, etc. You can also integrate third-party digital tools for automating systems, CRMs and ERPs for enhancing customer experience.
Not all hosting platforms offer these plugins and integrations, this is why, it is essential that you look for one which offers to add these popular integrations and build you a dynamic platform.
4. Speed and Performance
Nobody enjoys shopping from a slow website. Be it exploring, learning, or buying, a website offering consistently swift loading speed will enhance the user experience. This is essential for business growth.
When choosing a platform, look for general loopholes like slow load time, frozen pages, performance issues, etc. This will help you understand how the platform will behave in case of peak hours, increased traffic and how it will scale.
Going for an eCommerce software development company that offers cloud-based hosting will be beneficial if you want to build a scalable and unique platform with all the required features. This will also centralize the whole system thus augmenting the management and other services offered.
5. Efficient Storage
eCommerce websites store a multitude of data in a variety of formats, this calls for the need for an efficient management system. When choosing the hosting platform, get an insight into their eCommerce management software tools and techniques.
This includes functions like bulk product upload, dynamic filters, categorization, shipping filters, and other advanced features like comparison and activity-based customized suggestions. Proper integration of these features will assist you in building a robust eCommerce platform.
6. Security
With everything going online, the chances of cyber threats have also increased. This is why it is essential to build a secure website to build customer trust. A lot of sensitive data would be from the customer’s end like their address, contact details and also banking details in case of online payments. It is essential that the information shared by them encrypts to ensure confidentiality.
7. SEO Friendly
SEO or Search Engine Optimization is crucial for the success of any ecommerce business. A good service provider would build the whole platform with due consideration of SEO so that it can keep up with Google’s algorithms. So, choose the hosting platform that provides excellent and comprehensive SEO-related solutions.
8. Numerous Payment Options
Online shopping gives the shopper flexibility to choose whether they want to pay on delivery or pay it beforehand via online payment channels. An eCommerce platform offering multiple payment gateways or channels would highly prefer by the customer for an overall seamless experience.
With e-wallets and UPI gaining popularity, having them along with the basic credit/debit card option will be beneficial. So, select a hosting platform that can efficiently provide these options for you.
The payment gateway should integrate keeping the global audience in mind since people from across the globe can access your platform and make a purchase.
Conclusion
Whether you are a small business or a big enterprise, developing an ecommerce platform implies taking your client base from local to global. If partnered with the right ecommerce software development company, this step can take your business to new heights.
With ecommerce management software, you can leverage various tools and techniques tailored specifically to the ecommerce industry. This will help you build a feature-rich robust platform giving you a competitive edge with its efficient functionality.
Between different service providers and hosting options available, finding the ideal one can be complicating. So, make a decision after thorough consideration, rigorous research and planning to make the most of this investment.
Make a decision while keeping these tips in mind and select the fitting ecommerce software solution provider after thorough research and how their services can help your scale your business.
Punit 
Krishan Jangir