The way of doing business has changed entirely than what it was a decade earlier. Now, the internet is within reach of a majority of the population. This development has forced entrepreneurs to scale up their processes. Online marketing to online shopping, everything is changing! E-commerce has emerged as a trendy option with users. It is now giving traditional retail a run for its money. With more and more customers going online, the prospects for e-commerce industry are immense as per recent reports. The global e-commerce sales touched the valuation of US $2.77 trillion in 2018.
About e-commerce websites
E-commerce websites are changing the retail landscape globally. They come up with amazing deals and discounts to attract customers. It comes as no surprise when people opt for e-commerce websites for their local stores. More and more businesses are developing an e-commerce website with the help of a custom website development company. With a fully functional e-commerce website, they can even reach those customers who were unaware of their services and products.
Creating an attractive e-commerce website is a challenge in itself. There are so many features and services that one needs to take care of. Improper planning can result in user interface becoming confusing in many cases. As such, it requires someone with expertise in custom web development solutions to create an effective e-commerce website. It should be someone who can understand the website’s frugality and build it without compromising with quality.
There is intense competition in the e-commerce segment. Therefore, it is important that the e-commerce website is optimized for the local market as well. As per a report, about 18% of local searches on e-commerce websites make a sale within 24 hours. By targeting the local market, the e-commerce website can establish its foothold in the market and then proceed ahead.
Programming languages suitable for e-commerce website development
Following are the programming languages best-suited for e-commerce website development.
Java – It is a highly popular object-oriented programming language that’s ideal for e-commerce website development. The website developed with Java works on all web browsers.
JavaScript – It helps in building interactive e-commerce websites which can run on any web browser. It is used for front-end as well as back-end website development.
PHP – The advantage of using PHP is that it is the adaptable and scalable type of object-oriented programming language. It is different from other websites, so it can take time to get the hang of it.
Python – No web development company would be unaware of Python. It is preferable over Java with its ability to convert difficult coding into the easy output.
CSS – It is an offspring of HTML and DHTML and helps in developing vision driven websites. It holds an upper hand over other languages as it helps in faster loading of pages. The code is downloaded and stored in cache memory for faster loading of pages.
The best technology for e-commerce websites
It is entirely possible to build a website with the help of a single language. But it would be beneficial to employ a combination of languages with the help of a custom web development company to bring out better results. Here are some of the leading technologies used in building an e-commerce website.
Shopify
Shopify is a leading e-commerce website development solutions provider. It is preferred by a large number of users for its easy and predictive interface to help with customizing the website.
Using Shopify can be a dream experience for users. It provides the best themes and elaborate features for e-commerce website content. All these features otherwise cost a fortune with many websites building platforms. Shopify’s success can be credited to its simple user interface. Its interface allows even a person is coming from a non-technical background to create a fully functional e-commerce website. With the built-in blogging feature, the user can add many pages to incorporate lengthy and descriptive information.
It would be better to call Shopify as a full-fledged e-commerce management solution platform rather just a website building solution. It is economical too for the base price starts as a mere $29 and goes up to $299 for the enterprise edition where all themes and features are unlocked along with nominal transaction rates.
BigCommerce
It can be considered as a distant cousin of Shopify as it is a paid e-commerce website builder. It is quicker and offers better customization features and themes to beautify one’s website.
They even have a tax set up option that needs to be added through a third-party app on Shopify. This feature is free and has better accessibility as compared to the one on Shopify. The user interface on BigCommerce is predictive and self-guiding. The features are very much out on the screen and easily accessible. The BigCommerce charges $29.95 monthly with no transaction charges.
Weebly
Weebly offers a new drop-and-drop technology which helps with changes in layout design. The drawback of Weebly is that customization is appreciably difficult. The user must select the best website layout with all the necessary features initially itself to avoid hassles later on.
Weebly features are displayed on the very first page along with standard templates to assist in designing. There is a state-of-the-art new sales feature that helps the user to get a discount according to the products placed in the user’s cart.
Weebly is a good option for those users who want their website to be developed quickly and don’t require much customization. Weebly plans start from $25 per month which include a free domain and $100 worth Google AdWords credit.
Wix
Wix doesn’t require any kind of coding for website development. It offers many templates with amazing graphics. Users who want their website to be visually appealing can opt for Wix. There is a feature called Wix ADI which creates a website with custom text after asking some basic questions from the user. This offers the users complete independence and peace of mind.
Wix is user-friendly with many plugins to improvise the website. The support on the platform is available during all business hours. But there’s a lack of 24/7 service with live chat. This can be disturbing for the client as the glitch can occur at any time. Wix plans starts at $25 month.
Magento
It is open-source software, making it free of cost for users. It needs to be installed on the domain hosted by the user through another service.
Since it’s open-source software, it requires greater knowledge than other website building platforms. It lacks live chat and technical support for trivial issues and thus, can pose problems in case of any upgrades. It helps in full customization for its open-sourced technology. Magento is preferred mostly by designers with better skills. There is the availability of paid themes as well as free themes like other platforms.
WooCommerce & WordPress
They are both the same thing. WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin that needs a user’s domain and service for hosting. For using WooCommerce, one needs to install WordPress which is a content management system.
For content dealing sites, WordPress helps with developing the website while WooCommerce helps in dealing with the finances. Since it is open-sourced like Magento, it is free of cost too. There are many themes available in comparison to other platforms with WordPress. Users might need services of a custom web development company for setting up, as WordPress is a little complicated. For true customization, the user will need expert web development services. WordPress is user-friendly and free, but certain extensions demand money.
While developing an e-commerce website, AI integration must also be considered. This will make the website future-proof. As per a report, by 2020 over 80% of online customer interactions will be handled by AI.
Development of an E-commerce website is very important for businesses involved in the sale of products and services. With careful planning and proper execution, the benefits that can be accrued are significant and are well worth the effort.
Guest article written by: Amit is the Co-Founder of Signity Solutions – A technology-oriented company with the vision of delivering high quality, scalable and highly reliable solutions/services in the space of digital enablement, spanning across mobile apps, web & social media presence along with enterprise productivity solutions/integration. A tech-evangelist, he has an uncanny ability to synergize and build associations, thriving teams, and reputable clients. His vision to grow his decade-old company as per global standards, and his deep analytical skills to foresee market trends, as well as global challenges, has enabled his company to come up with products and services best suited not only for local, but global markets as well. His sharp skills and first-class business acumen have helped him in building successful sales and product management teams to ensure increased brand awareness and demand generation.
Thank you for sharing this information.