An ecommerce business without a website is like a car without it’s fuel.
It’ll still work - but really slow(yeah! get two guys to push it for you), with a lot of unnecessary extra effort!
No points for guessing that you agree, because otherwise you wouldn’t be here to glance through the nitty gritty of ecommerce website development.
[...In case you’d also like to explore the ABCs of ecommerce mobile app, luck is all yours today, you have it just one click away! ]
Well, ecommerce business might look like a no-brainer concept, as to the outsiders it’s just as simple as..
“People place order online from home’s comfort and all you have to do is to deliver it to their doorstep”
..But insiders know the struggle and the truth is, to build a ecommerce website it demands a fair share of that struggle. Luckily, you are at the right place skipping that struggle straight up to the meat of it. So without further ado, jumping onto the ‘what’ to ‘which’, ‘how’ to ‘how much’ and more!
What is ecommerce website development?
Ecommerce, the traditional brick-and-mortar store established online, is not an unknown concept to you for sure or arguably to anyone in today’s date (courtesy, COVID-19). But when linked with the term ‘website development’, a fair chunk of factcheck needs to be ticked off if you have execution in mind.
Put simply, ecommerce website development is basically developing an website for your ecommerce business in a way that covers every aspect of an offline business from ‘product browsing’ to ‘payment’ with more efficiency, less redundancy, leading to improved revenue - all while minimizing manual efforts with maximum automation.
Types Of Ecommerce Website
So while planning for ecommerce website development one of the basic requirements is to figure out whom your product or service line is meant for. Like you can’t put PhD lessons in a kindergarten sketchbook, you have to know your offering type and your target well to know what will appeal to them rightly. The common entities that are considered while classifying the ecommerce types are : Business (B), Consumer ( C ) and Administration (A).
Now, let’s have a look at the types of ecommerce website :
[1] Business-to-Consumer (B2C)
B2C websites facilitate transactions between a business and a consumer. For example, an individual purchasing a pair of jeans from GAP is a B2C type of ecommerce and so, a website tailored to effectively carry out such business processes are B2C websites.
[2] Business-to-Business (B2B)
B2B, as the name suggests, has businesses in both the sides - to & from. Ecommerce dealing with two businesses is a lot different than a B2C, as the approach, marketing etc. i.e. In short, the entire business lookout changes prioritizing the value added through the product / service, meaning, showy packaging, ornamental ads don’t help much. And that’s exactly what a B2B website is developed to carry out end-to-end, effectively.
[3] Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C)
Consumer-to-Consumer, commonly called C2C, also is one of the most native forms of ecommerce, encompassing the sale of products / services between customers. Amazon, eBay are classic examples of such C2C websites.
[4] Consumer-to-Business (C2B)
C2B is just the reverse of what the traditional ecommerce model states, i.e. products or services are kept on sale from the customer’s side for business buyers.
The website called iStockPhoto follows one such business model where customers’ stock photos are put up for purchase for business usage.
[5] Business-to-Administration (B2A)
Slightly different from the others, B2A allows transactions between e-businesses and public administrations. Any website selling products related to legal data material, social security, etc comes under this model.
The third party businesses helping in online corporate tax compliance are classic examples of B2A websites.
[6] Consumer-to-Administration (C2A)
C2A is close to B2A as a model, but with ‘consumers’ in place of ‘businesses’, selling products /services to a public administrative organization. Online education consultation, online taxation, etc examples of such services provided by C2A websites.
For example, the website that enables online parking ticket generation or renewing government IDs.
How to build an ecommerce website step by step?
For an ecommerce business, a website is imperative.
Why?
Primarily, to capture the ever-booming online market and grab the attention of the increasing number of people taking a trip to the browser, ditching the malls & offline stores.
So, if global or even national brand expansion is on your cards, and so is a better reach, to build a ecommerce website is your best bet. However, effective ecommerce website development Is no overnight miracle and requires careful execution of sequential steps. Here’s how!
[1] First Things First, Strategize!
Without a plan, you’ll still reach somewhere but with a plan you’ll reach right where you want. No one starts a business without a goal in mind, but especially for an ecommerce business where competition is almost like a synonym, proceeding without a plan will only be as much possible as Sheldon casually sacrificing his seat (his spot!). So for your custom ecommerce website development , first :
- Estimate Acceptability : Do a market research so that your offering doesn’t end up being a porcelain store to a bull or, a supercomputer to a zoomer
- Define Your Competitive Advantage : Look for your competitors & identify the fault in their functioning so yours can come off as an improved version, not another identical copy with the same drawbacks
[2] Build Your Ecommerce Website A Home [Don’t Rent One!]
It could just be Amazon.Just_Another_Hosting_Platform.com or Flipkart.Yet_Another_Hosting_Platform.com but why do you think it isn’t like that?
Well, simply because, custom domains help you cover THAT extra mile which have a direct impact on your bottom line, here’s how!
- By strengthening your brand’s identity, making it look like solely YOURS
- Helping people reach out to you via professional email ID
- Enhancing monetisation opportunities through ads
- Improving Google Search Rankings
[3] Find The Right Software Development Partner To Develop Your Dream
A great plan can also fall flat like a beer bottle kept in the air, if not developed well. So, finding an expert as well as experienced development team is just as important as validating the product / service idea. How to choose the ‘right’ one amongst the crowd of self-proclaimed number-1 software development companies? Long story cut short, research is the key - pay close attention to their testimonials & portfolio, get in touch with their previous clients for better clarity.
[4] Discuss Your Ecommerce Website Tip To Toe Err “Look ‘n Feel” To “Features”
Before you approach the development partner, have your basic requirements ready in a sharable, written form, so you can communicate better and thus, clarify the scope faster. Don’t miss out on any of your thoughts, from how you want your website to appear to how you want it to behave!
[5] Break The Scope Into Achievable Milestones
Once the entire scope is determined, break them down to micro sized, feasible chunks containing a set of features each. That way, the entire development process goes smooth and transparent, without any chance of a last minute blunder. Smelling value for money yet?
[6] Consider Consistent Communication & Feedback On Regular Updates
Communicate with your development partner as much as you can, verify every developed part’s effectiveness and provide feedback. Re-check after the modifications are worked on. Repeat. And voila! That’s how you have your foolproof development done & dusted.
[7] Market Your Offerings
No product / service sells itself off, marketing does that. So, once your development is done, the next step is to focus on marketing, so your idea ignites its need in your target audiences’ heads.
[8] See Your Business Grow Left, Right & Centre!
That’s all..
A well played development-game. Checked.
A well strategized marketing plan execution. Checked.
And there goes your growth graph, up & up!
Features Of An Ecommerce Website
‘What are the features of an ecommerce website?’
This is like that question in school that everyone could write something about, but not many could write the complete answer for! And only those who could, made it to the rank 1. So, that’s the key to keep your head up without slipping in the shoes of a victim in the cut-throat competition going into this ecom industry.
Seamless checkout.
Great UX.
Clear categories.
...These are all that 9 out of 10 Google results will tell you.
Here’s what they won’t tell you, but our all-in-one ecommerce features guide has covered end-to-end.
Secret to prefix your ecommerce website with ‘successful’
There’s a thin line between owning an ecommerce website & owning a ‘successful’ one and here are the tips for that, to make sure the ecommerce website development you put your brain and bucks into, fruits right!
[1] Get up, close to your customers
Marketing theories will tell you customers are the king and that’s one fact that you can lean on to, for sure. Focus on quality research, whether be it what they are engaging in social media over (from ‘Pride Month’ to ‘Black Friday Sale’ to alike topics you never knew are drawing attention!) to what current happenings (did you read ‘hashtags’?), what they’re flooding with their opinion or any such thing that helps you get their pulse. Mould your approach accordingly for best results!
[2] Peep into the competitors’ SEO
What’s ‘sneakers’ to you, might be ‘tennis shoes’ to some, ‘trainers’ to others, ‘sneak’ to the zoomers..and a lot of such names to others but as a footwear brand launching its new sports series should capture them all, right? Not as easy as playing Pokemon Go, but solid keyword research can help you ace the task. So, if showing up across your target market on the web is your goal, keep an eye on the SEO aspects like meta title & description, image alt tags, formatting etc
[3] Up the content game
Creating content isn’t tough these days with almost every bit of information at the fingertips, the challenge is to make the lines engaging yet factual. While plagiarism kills chances of attaining a good SEO rank, a piece tricked with a good SEO and barely any grey matter work out, is sure to nullify the ranking advantage.
[4] Keep your marketing cap on even off your site
Post your ecommerce website development , you’re able to retain the audience base you’ve already captured. But what gets you new traffic adding up to your revenue? That’s what you need off-site marketing targets altogether. You show up where your target people are and instead of that usual self promotion through and through, be one among them, leave a mark without coming off as desperate to do so! (remember Nike going ‘For Once Don’t Do It’ for the Floyd cause?)
[5] Make ‘Repeat’ A Part Of Process - Think Consistent Feedback!
What was fab half a month back might just be considered as a fussy fad now - courtesy, the evolution of the digital world. Based on the up and down of impacting factors, from ‘trends’ to ‘to-do challenges’ to the happenings in your industry and around it, feedback and upgrade should be your business process’ BFF (Best Function Forever!).
BinaryFolks’ Star Modules In Successful Ecommerce Website Development
15 Countries.
Companies of varied size - from cutting-edge startups to “Fortune 50” companies.
Striking software modules complementing workflows and translating into competitive advantage.
That’s the difference BinaryFolks has been making!
Here’s a glimpse into some of our special input into ecommerce website development that got most of our clients (94% of them, to be precise!) getting back to us for their future development needs!
[1] BinaryFolks’ Take On Content Management In Ecommerce Website Development :
How you choose to manage your content in the ecommerce website can make or break your ecommerce website game. To ensure the custom website game is ‘made’ for one of our US-based client’s online grocery business, we focused on :
(i) Easy Administration, as listing and delisting items is a frequent need for an ecommerce website
(ii) Convenient Publishing & Editing Tools
(iii) In-built SEO module because what a person types as ‘zucchini’ might be searched as ‘zuchhini’ by someone else (and capturing both is important!)
(iv) Social Media Integration because that’s where the potential customers’ attention is grabbed at its best
[2] BinaryFolks’ Take On Marketing Through Ecommerce Website Development :
Marketing is double (if not more!) effective when automated correctly. So, when we discussed development of e commerce website with our USA based client who wanted to take his apparel business online, we suggested automating the following (and the client can’t be happier with the revenue boost it has led to lately!) :
(i) Social media campaigns because there’s practically no point appointing a group of people to just post things on time when the machine can do it without a miss
(ii) Sending triggered marketing emails because the system’s up 24x7 without a coffee break
(iii) Customer segmentation based on purchase trends & preference because a non-Potterhead doesn’t want to be spammed with the new ‘Always’, ‘Hogwarts: A History’ slogan Potter series T-shirt launch!
(iv) Customizing emails and sending to respective groups of customers to keep them re-visiting the e-store with curiosity
[3] BinaryFolks’ Take On Reviews & Ratings Through Ecommerce Website Development :
If you don’t ask, they won’t tell! So, to our confused US-based client launching gourmet food DIY kits, we suggested introducing well structured review & ratings module, ideally as :
(i) Pop-Up Survey : The simpler, the better - a crisp survey popping up on your site is the easiest way to capture customer feedback
(ii) Feedback Button : A feedback button placed at a noticeable space within the website
(iii) Self-Selection Of Interests : A personalized experience is what every user seeks and as they pick and choose their interest area among your range of offerings, you get precious insights in return. The key to keep them engaged in the process is to keep the form precise, simple and interactive!
Factors Controlling Ecommerce Website Costs
Like dietary needs vary from one person to another, so does a company’s expectations from its ecommerce website and thus, cost and time for development of e commerce website differ accordingly. Here’s a list of the factors having decent say over the cost you have to pay for your ecommerce website development :
[1] Look Into The Inventory Management System !
Products are the protagonist in ecommerce website development . A well-structured inventory management system acts like a customer magnet, from all things showing up to the visitors without having to inspect through to a smooth delivery experience and an equally seamless execution in between. There are ready-made inventory management system for those looking to go the ‘tried-and-tested’ way, and then there are custom inventory management system for those who want that competitive edge sharpened to stay ahead. So, it’s your desired level of customizations and controls, which decide the cost of your ecommerce website development.
[2] Looks Don’t Matter..Unless It’s Of Ecommerce Website
Ecommerce gained its popularity at lightning speed due to the convenience it brought in and the competition continued regarding who can provide the most convenience while balancing the other factors ! So, how intuitive you make your website plays one of the prime deciding factors in deciding the cost of to build a ecommerce website.
[3] Content Quality = More Bucks
Quite a no brainer, ecommerce businesses are judged a lot based on what’s shown across it - from product images to review videos to product description and more such visual elements. So, the better quality you choose, better will be the impact on customers. Pretty justably, the price will vary depending on what quality you settle down with.
[4] Quality SEO
The goodness SEO holds for ecommerce website development , we’ve already discussed and that much impact, obviously, doesn’t come for free. More so, because SEO isn’t a standalone service and when integrated well with the overall content including visuals, it extracts complete value for money.
[5] Sealing the security
With increasing dependency on ecommerce what’s rising in number is, frauds leading to monetary loss. So, with your ecommerce website you have to ensure 2 things at once - to ensure maximum safety to the end-user while keeping the process hassle free (no one would trade an hour at checkout in the name of safety!). The two coming together definitely impacts the priceline, the higher the amount of convenience you choose with higher safety in verification, higher will soar the cost.
How much does it cost to build ecommerce website
Like every other website, ecommerce website development, too, is controlled by a number of factors and given that, pinpointing over a figure as ‘THE price’ is really close to impossible. Ideally, the price to build a ecommerce website falls within a range of $2K to $200K and beyond. Looking for a more specific range for your project? Find out!
Prime Deciding Factors For Cost Of Ecommerce Website Development :
- Website Design : i.e., starting from a simpler design to an extravagant one the price will rise in ascending order.
- Features & Functionalities : No point for guessing, the more number and the higher complexity you want to incorporate in your ecommerce website development, the pricing will soar up accordingly.
- Integrations : Pretty evidently, the more number of 3rd party integrations you include in your ecommerce website, the development cost will go up in sync with that.
- Interactive Multimedia Elements : Multimedia elements being a tried and tested user-magnet, cuts a significant cost and the more of this you want in your ecommerce, the more cost you’ll have to pay.
Apart from the above, factors like website SEO, quality of copy you choose etc. also play significant role in deciding how much it would cost for ecommerce website development.
