The number of ecommerce sites has skyrocketed in recent years. In 2017 it made up just 18% of global retail sales, but is forecast to hit 41% by 2027, according to Boston Consulting Group. More businesses than ever are going online to reach a wider audience, whether for business-to-consumer or business-to-business commerce.
It’s easier these days for online businesses of all types and sizes to set up shop, thanks to ecommerce platforms making short work of it. Many offer off-the-shelf solutions consisting of templates, themes, and integrations. But when premade solutions don’t have the features or third-party integrations customers require, you may need a custom ecommerce platform.
Learn more about custom ecommerce development: what it is, the benefits of custom ecommerce, and how to develop a solution to suit your ecommerce business.
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What is custom ecommerce development?
Custom ecommerce development is the process of planning and implementing a unique online store tailored to specific business needs. It often provides greater flexibility and control compared to off-the-shelf software. Custom development applies to both the front end (user interface) and the back end of a website (server side). A custom ecommerce development company or an in-house software development team can manage the development process.
Custom ecommerce websites typically include:
- Uniqueness. A custom ecommerce website isn’t chained to a single platform, so you can modify it any way you want. This empowers a brand to stand apart from a crowded field of generic-looking websites.
- Scalability. As the online business grows, a standard ecommerce solution may hit limits with traffic handling and performance optimization. With a custom approach, there can be more control over the scaling process.
- Higher upfront costs. Custom ecommerce solutions typically involve significant upfront development costs. After that, you’ll pay only for ongoing maintenance, hosting, and domain registration.
- Integration. When multiple business systems need to talk back and forth, custom ecommerce software can bring them together.
How to develop a custom ecommerce website
- Analyze business processes and requirements
- Design an intuitive user interface
- Add functionality
- Test and optimize
- Deploy, maintain, and scale
Customization is about having options and fitting them to your store’s brand and business model. Some of these steps will require more custom tweaks than others.
Analyze business processes and requirements
Before embarking on a custom ecommerce solution, develop a clear understanding of your customer base, business processes, and growth plans. This will help guide the custom ecommerce website development so it serves both business needs and customer demand. Ultimately, you should decide whether you need to build from scratch or use a custom vendor solution.
Some key questions to ask:
- Product specs. How will you categorize and organize products on your site? What information do you need for each product (e.g., description, images, pricing, shipping)?
- Inventory management. How will you manage inventory levels and track stock? How will the custom website sync to an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that maintains accurate inventory levels, preventing stockouts and overstocking? Will your system save customer addresses and purchase history? How does data on sales, taxes, and payments get integrated for reporting and analysis purposes?
- User experience. How will you handle customer registration and login? What payment methods will you accept? How will you handle shipping and returns? By mapping the user journey, you’ll have a better sense of which enhancements are most necessary.
- Marketing. Which marketing tools and custom integrations for customer relationship management will you need to promote products and attract customers? Do you require custom software to integrate with CRM systems? Does a unified omnichannel marketing approach to customer experience—using many channels, such as social media, email, and SMS, to reach a customer—make sense?
- Analytics. Which analytics tools will you add to gather and analyze data, track sales, site traffic, and customer behavior?
Scrutinize the crucial factors and develop a project plan that outlines the specific functionalities for your custom ecommerce website.
Design an intuitive user interface
User interface (UI) design is about creating an appealing and user-friendly interface that allows customers to seamlessly navigate the website and make purchases. Your development or design team can use wireframing and prototyping tools to visualize the design and gauge customer feedback before moving ahead. Key considerations include designing the grid layout, color scheme, typography, and overall aesthetic. A clean and intuitive design that harmonizes with your unique brand identity is easy to use and recognizable.
Next, apply responsive design principles for a consistent user experience on desktop and mobile apps. Choose a responsive and mobile-friendly theme. Use compressed images to reduce load times. Keep the navigation menu simple so it’s easy to use on mobile devices. Make sure call-to-action buttons are easy to tap on mobile devices.
Then add accessibility features. Use tools like WebAIM and WAVE to identify and fix accessibility issues. Follow WCAG guidelines to provide alternative text for images, use semantic HTML, and ensure keyboard navigation is possible. Consider using color contrast tools and screen reader testing to optimize your site for users with disabilities. Apps from the Shopify App Store can enhance your store’s accessibility.
Add functionality
Most of these functions are part and parcel of any ecommerce store’s standard functionality, but you can shape them to fit your particular requirements.
- Registration process. Add multiple registration options like social media logins (Facebook, Instagram, Google) and traditional email or password sign-up. Phone number verification can be added as an extra security layer. You can cement trust with customers by offering two-factor authentication (2FA) for enhanced security.
- Product descriptions. Craft detailed product descriptions to attract and convert customers. A product description is an opportunity to tailor language to the target audience, highlighting key features and benefits in a clear and concise manner. Accompany descriptions with high-quality images and videos to showcase products. Add customer reviews to build credibility and social proof. Customers expect transparent information on shipping, returns, and refunds, so provide those details, too.
- Live chat. Add a live chat feature to interact with customers in real time, answer their questions, and provide support. By offering immediate assistance, you can gain loyalty with customers. Consider a live chat app like Tidio or Gorgias to integrate this feature into your store.
- Checkout. Checkout is the heart of the online shopping experience. Here you’ll set up a shopping cart and desired payment methods such as credit cards and other payment gateways like PayPal and Apple Pay.
- Content management. The content management system (CMS) admin panel is the back end of the website that users don’t see. This is where you’ll manage the product catalog, product pages, blogs, and other moving parts, such as banners and promotions.
- Dashboard. The dashboard is where site administrators track website statistics and analytics. Configure it so you can generate reports with graphs and charts and stats about ecommerce performance and customer behaviors.
Test and optimize
Before launching, run rigorous testing on the website and fix any technical, usability, or compatibility issues. This is the time to check the responsive design—how the site behaves on different devices, especially mobile. Use search engine optimization best practices—relevant keywords and accurate product descriptions—to improve visibility on search engines. Use SEO tools to help your site rank higher in search results.
Deploy, maintain, and scale
It’s time to launch your custom ecommerce site. Make a launch plan to use promotional tools—like newsletters, social media posts, and brand partnerships—to help market the site. Then track performance and make adjustments to the website as you scale up.
Custom ecommerce development FAQ
What is custom ecommerce development?
Custom development involves creating a unique ecommerce store tailored to your business needs. Compared to pre-built platforms, this approach allows greater flexibility and control over your site. An ecommerce custom development strategy can evolve as business requirements change.
How can I create my own ecommerce website?
You can create a website with a user-friendly ecommerce platform like Shopify and its drag-and-drop interfaces. Alternatively, the business owner can hire a web developer for custom ecommerce development services.
Can you customize a Shopify website?
Yes, Shopify has many themes that can be modified to fit your brand’s needs. You can add custom CSS and HTML to further personalize your store’s look and feel. The Shopify App Store hosts a wide range of third-party tools for more custom features and functionality.
