All You Need To Know About eCommerce Website Development

eCommerce website development may seem complex at first thought. But did you know it’s possible to get started even with zero knowledge?

Yes, it is! That’s why in this article, I’ll help dispel the overwhelm by answering your most pressing questions about the subject matter.

• Definition: What is eCommerce website development?
• Cost: How much does it cost to start an eCommerce website?
• Platform: What is the best eCommerce platform?
• Product/Service: Can I just plug and play my product/service? What do I need to know about positioning it on the internet?
• Partner: Who can help me begin?

Let’s jump right in.

eCommerce Website Development: Defining The New Normal In Doing Business

According to SaaS* giant, BigCommerce, eCommerce is “the buying and selling of goods (or services) on the internet”. Website development, on the other hand, is referred to by HubSpot, a digital marketing pioneer, as “the work that goes into building a website”.

To put it more simply, eCommerce website development is the building of a website for the purpose of selling goods or services on the internet.

But why go online? And aside from all the buzz, what value does it bring to businesses?

*SaaS – software as a service

“Your website is your new point-of-sale“, says Milia Marketing, an eCommerce website developer and top marketing agency in Ohio.

Through eCommerce web dev, Milia Marketing has helped businesses from start-ups to ones valued at $1B+ increase their profits and provide better shopping solutions to customers.

So,  much like how you purchase in-store, do business in person, and market your customers through traditional advertising, so it is with this –except everything is online.

The Cost of Innovation and the Best eCommerce Platform

Pursuing eCommerce is like expanding your business, the difference being is it’s on the web. And part of any business expansion plan is considering the costs it will entail and which platform to use.

So here’s a quick pricing list and description of four established eCommerce platforms to help you choose the right one for you:

• Shopify – starts at $29/month; best for small businesses wanting to pivot to eCommerce
• BigCommerce – starts at $29.95/month; best for businesses leaning towards an eCommerce experience that’s streamlined
• Magento – starts at $1,600; best for enterprises
• WooCommerce – free, used as a WordPress plugin; other costs you’ll have to consider instead are website hosting, themes, shipping, and payment gateways; best for businesses already on WordPress.

Prices are easy on the pocket and cover the following essentials:

• Website and blog
• Unlimited products to display
• Staff accounts
• Website support
• Shipping
• Secure checkout

On the other hand, here’s the quick pricing list of packages businesses with more complex needs and higher sales volumes can consider:

• Shopify Plus – starts at $2,000/month
• BigCommerce Enterprise – you can learn more about their pricing from their sales team
• Magento Commerce Starter – starts at $1,600/month

These packages are tailored-fit to help companies efficiently oversee their operations and scale their success. Here are their core features on top of the ones previously mentioned:

• Automated processes for fulfillment, inventory, and the like
• Priority customer support
• Faster shipping
• Lower credit card rates for payment processing
• Sell through multiple stores
• Customer shopping experience adapted for B2B and DTC

Product and Customer Research As A Part of eCommerce Website Development

One crucial step that can make or break your web development efforts is product and customer research. Why? Because having the insight relevant to the context of the internet will help you make the right decisions. While missing out on it may lead to missed opportunities and losses as consumer behavior has greatly changed last 2020.

These decision points are where they’ll be handy:

• What platform to choose
• What design to pick for your eCommerce website
• What payment options to offer, etc.

Ramin Eivaz, the CMO of successful national retailer, Mattres Firm, shares this in an interview on Google’s The Update:

“We had to rethink everything because the entire marketplace was different. What worked in e-comm maybe a few weeks earlier, wouldn’t necessarily work there,”

In response to the changes in the landscape of doing business, Mattress Firm shifted to decisions that were data-driven using insights from their research and partnership with Google. This led to a 4x increase in their online profits in only 6 weeks and an achievement of their 2-year digital transformation goals in only 3 months.

Just like them, you can leverage on the insights from your research to maximize your present opportunities and achieve the results you need. Winging it is not an option. You can use those insights in two ways:

• To position your product better
• To understand how to best interact with your customers online

A great place to start is Think With Google. Learn the latest consumer insights from the customer journey to customer trends on their website. You can also include search engine optimization in your research. For that one, SEMrush is my recommendation.

Choosing An eCommerce Website Developer

BigCommerce is an eCommerce platform provider that’s helped merchants achieve $25B+ in sales since 2009. They credit their success to the clients who’ve trusted them and most of all, to the partners like Milia Marketing who’ve helped make it happen.

What these partners have done for their previous clients, they can do for you too.

Let them help your business thrive online with their data-driven solutions and expertise. One day as you revel in your success, you won’t regret that you did. I know I didn’t.

So, there you go. I hope the insight I shared on eCommerce website development helped your confidence gain momentum.

Looking forward to your success!