E-commerce Website Development is the process of developing, designing & maintaining an e-commerce portal. The world has witnessed the transformation of traditional into technological and with the intervention of the internet, things have only switched into the fast lane. Businesses big & small have switched or integrated their verticals with the reach of the internet in some way or the other. What was once called “commerce” is now a global concept wrapped by the fabric of the internet aptly called “e-commerce”. Just like every business has a development process, e-commerce website development deals with the nitty gritty of an e-commerce platform.
The internet has made buying, selling & advertising online easier and more accessible, this acted as a catalyst in boosting E-commerce activities across the globe. As e-commerce took off so did the demand for e-commerce website development. Developing a well-planned website and maintaining it for a smooth user experience is a crucial part of running an e-commerce website or business. This is where the need for professional e-commerce website development services comes into play. By choosing the right e-commerce website development partner you can give your business a competitive edge in the short term as well as the long term.
E-commerce Website Development explained
The process of developing the technical aspects like operations, user interface, and payment gateways fall under the mantle of E-commerce website development. With an explosion of activity in the e-commerce sector, there are millions of brands that are offering various types of products and services to the online consumer. E-commerce website development plays a major role in grabbing the attention of the consumer & provides a user experience that will leave the customer happy & businesses profitable. Before we get into the details of E-commerce website development let us try to understand the world of e-commerce first. Just like a business can be classified into various types, business done on the internet can be classified into different categories as well.
There are four major types of E-commerce business models:
1. Business to Consumer (B2C)
In a business-to-consumer model, businesses directly interact with the customers & it is the most common business model on an e-commerce platform.
2. Business to Business (B2B)
In a business-to-business e-commerce model, businesses sell or interact directly with other businesses.
3. C2C (Customer to customer) & C2B (Customer To Business)
An e-commerce business model where a customer sells to another customer is called a C2C or Customer to Customer business model. Cases where a customer sells their product or services to a company fall under the C2B (customer to business) e-commerce business model.
Before commencing E-commerce development, it is important to understand the start-to-end process of developing an e-commerce portal. Understanding the process will not only help in familiarizing yourself with the technical terms but also help in designing a website that suits your preferences. Let’s get a better understanding of the process of E-commerce Website Development.
1. Start with a plan:
It’s important to form a plan before you start E-commerce website development. Having a plan lets you get a better understanding of how you want the website to look and feel; this can accelerate the E-commerce website development process & avoid unnecessary delays and confusion that arise from lack of planning.
2. Pick your business model:
Picking the right business model that suits your business is an important step when it comes to E-commerce website development. Picking a business model lets you formulate your revenue system, customer interaction, product or service placement & form funnels.
3. Choose the right platform & purchase the domain:
The second step of E-commerce website development would be choosing the platform & purchasing the domain which corresponds with your business interest. After finalizing the brand name & branding it’s advised to proceed with purchasing a domain under your business’s name. An E-commerce website development platform allows the user to create a website from scratch and offers a wide range of customization options.
4. Create a layout:
One of the most crucial elements of E-commerce website development is creating the layout for your E-commerce website. The layout of the website determines the look, feel & user experience. It is important to keep in mind to keep it simple, and crisp & use media wherever necessary to keep the user engagement. Using the right colors can also add an aesthetic look and feel to your website.
5. Review your website:
E-commerce website development is an ongoing process but once your website is live, there are some things that cannot be changed. So it’s very important to review your website thoroughly before you launch it, better safe than sorry!
6. Launch your website:
You have reviewed the website & things seem to be going just like you planned, it’s time for the website to go live! Run a few tests before you launch to check if everything is responding correctly. Once you get convincing test results, it’s time to launch the website!
What are the benefits of E-commerce Website Development?
Switching to the latest trends & staying up to date with concepts like E-commerce & E-commerce website development will always prove to be beneficial, especially in terms of growth. There are numerous benefits of E-commerce Website Development some of them are as follows:
1. Helps in creating a good impression for your business:
E-commerce website development helps in creating the first impression within the minds of the customer or the website visitor by following & implementing a well-thought user interface experience protocol. By studying user behavior & current market trends it is possible to create an E-commerce website that helps in creating a good first impression for your business.
2. Makes Marketing Easy:
One of the major advantages of E-commerce website development is the ease of marketing. With the help of the internet, companies can interact with millions of consumers irrespective of geographical factors. This allows companies to implement marketing strategies that are not limited to a particular region or country. It’s possible to tap into international markets with a limited marketing budget with the help of proper planning & E-commerce website development tools.
3. Beneficial To Any Business:
Businesses need to understand the fact that integrating existing business models or processes with the latest technology will prove to be extremely beneficial to any business. This is because by implementing a relevant practice like E-commerce website development, businesses can take advantage of the competitive edge and accelerate their growth.
4. Helps you understand the customer:
E-commerce website development lets businesses understand the customer like never before. With the help of numerous tools that study, analyze & even predict customer behavior businesses can understand the customer and develop products & services that will suit the current market trends & requirements. With the help of this data provided with the help of E-commerce website development, businesses can even forecast a need & design a product by studying customer data.
Importance of E-commerce website development
Considering the current world scenario where tech is being integrated with businesses at a rapid pace the importance of E-commerce website development is rather implied. We are going through a trend where gradually things are shifting to the online space and that includes traditional forms of commerce as well. This switch has given birth to concepts like “E-commerce” & “E-commerce Website Development” that are the part and parcel of carrying out business in the online space. The internet boom has given rise to countless online brands & the customer activity from these E-commerce portals has been increasing rapidly. Hence, E-commerce website development is an essential process that ensures the smooth functioning of businesses & development of E-commerce portals online. The importance of E-commerce website development has been further explained in detail in the following points:
1. Design A Safe & Secure E-commerce portal:
E-commerce website development all the concepts related to developing an E-commerce portal and that includes the safety & security of a website. When participating in commercial activities online customers are worried about the data security and the safety levels of the website. E-commerce website development helps businesses develop a safe & secure E-commerce portal where customers can participate in commercial activities without the need to worry about data risk.
2. User experience:
It’s important to understand the importance of E-commerce website development & how it affects the growth of an e-commerce portal before getting into the nitty gritty. As it rightly said, “First impression is the last impression” & it applies when it comes to user experience & E-commerce websites. Based on the first experience of the user, we can determine the growth & potential of an E-commerce website & this is where a thoroughly planned E-commerce website development strategy comes into play. A website with a good user experience will set a benchmark for other businesses to follow & guarantee a better business-to-consumer eco-system.
Conclusion
With the world experiencing a technological boom & with the internet being a part of our daily lives more than ever, the switch of commercial platforms to E-commerce was bound to happen. E-commerce website development is at the crux of commercial activity that is being carried out online since it deals from the pre-production to the post-production of an E-commerce website. If you are looking to take your business online choosing the right E-commerce website development partner would decide the future of the business & cement its roots in foundations that will support tremendous growth. Gather some information by yourself first & cross-verify it with potential E-commerce website development partners to pick the best possible collaboration for your business.
FAQ’s
1. How do I create an E-commerce website?
There are numerous steps involved in creating an E-commerce website development. These processes include selecting a platform, purchasing a domain name, finding the right developer, picking a theme and setting the brand palate, integrating a payment gateway, reviewing the website & launching the website.
2. What is E-commerce website development?
E-commerce website development deals with all the processes involved in setting up an e-commerce website. These processes include setting up the website, maintaining the website & securing the website.
3. Why is E-commerce website development important?
E-commerce website development lies at the crux of commercial activity that is being carried out online since it deals from the pre-production to the post-production of an E-commerce website. Hence, it is an important element of E-commerce portals since it’s the foundation of the entire process.
4. What are the benefits of E-commerce website development?
E-commerce website development comes with a wide range of benefits like brand building, easy marketing, better customer interaction, customer data analytics, ease of business & worldwide reach.