Good e-Commerce web developers make it look easy. After they’ve worked their magic, you have a stunning website that both your customers and your team members love. But keep in mind that balancing your business needs, your customer needs, and current technology together in a nice, neat package isn’t easy. You need the right person for the job.
You can follow along to learn everything you need to know to find the perfect fit. Let’s dive into why you need an e-commerce web developer, what they do, how to prepare, and where to find one.
Why You Need an eCommerce Website Developer
If you have amazing marketing but a clunky cart, you’re wasting those advertising dollars. If your site takes 5 seconds to load instead of 3, you will see bigger bounce rates. If your customers can’t use your site on their phones, you’ve lost a huge section of the market. And that’s all before you think about your CRM integration, inventory management, and backend security.
There are literally millions of e-commerce sites out there right now. Some are great, some are terrible, and many float in between. Your site needs to be 1) recognizable as your brand 2) eye-catching & engaging 3) easy to use.
Your web developer e-commerce expert knows how to balance these needs and what platform will work best.
What Do eCommerce Website Developers Do?
E-commerce web developers build websites that sell products or services. Some specialize in front-end: usability, aesthetics, and flow. And some are experts on the backend: speed, integration with your business systems, and security. Ideally, you need to work with someone who knows both or a team of people who can deliver in those areas.
You could 1) Build from scratch or 2) outfit a current website with e-commerce. After you tell them what you need (more on that later), they will suggest a framework for the project.
How to Prepare Your Project
From WordPress to Shopify to open-source, SaaS, and APIs, this is their expertise and they might throw around a lot of jargon you’re not familiar with.
You don’t need to have in-depth knowledge of any of that. If you’ve got a list of your wants and needs, development team can translate that into web dev-speak. But you need to communicate clearly the “what” and “why” of your requests. What might seem like a small change to you could mean huge overhauls for them. Platform changes later in the process will slow you down.
Know what you need first
Detail your wish list and must-haves, prioritize them, and have a clear vision of the end product.
How will it function for your team members? Will you use AI chat support or hire humans? What are some challenges you foresee? Any inspiration from competitors or niche neighbors?
Know your customer
You’ve probably already examined this for your marketing campaigns. Take another look at your customer now while you focus on your website.
Where do your customers live and what are their online habits? Trends show that more and more customers use their phones for purchases. Make sure you look toward the future as well as your current customer actions.
Know the law
There are legal, tax, security, and shipping implications depending on where you are and where your customer is. Since ease of use causes lower bounce rates, having more payment options means getting more sales. Each payment option needs to be secure and compatible with your internal systems as well.
Know your budget
Some of your wants might have to change based on your project price point. This is where prioritization comes in handy.
Where to Find an eCommerce Website Developer
Now that you have your project outlined, you need to find that perfect team. Start with:
- Referrals: if you have an in-house team with connections or a first-hand referral, check them out first. A developer doesn’t need to be a “big name” to have extreme talent.
Depending on your niche and your business ecosystem, you may be able to ask for recommendations from businesses that inspire your own site.
- Website Development Companies / Software Development Solutions: Google is full of website development companies. You can find almost any combination of specialties from all around the world.
Paring all those choices down to the team you really want to work with is the real challenge. Time zones, communication, and business-culture matching are a big part of your choice.
With all hiring, ask for examples of their experience. Are they familiar with SEO, integrating payment options, and user experience (UX)? Do they have a portfolio that showcases these skills? Do they have testimonials or can you contact their former clients?
Wherever you go to find your devs, a clear plan and an understanding of quality development will benefit any project. And if you need an agile, experienced e-commerce web developer team, our team at WillDom is always happy to help. Reach out to us at WillDom or connect with us on LinkedIn.
