eCommerce development
shopping cart development
eCommerce Development: How to Choose the Right Online Shopping Platform?
Setting up an online business can be quite daunting especially when you’re in a dilemma which shopping platform best suits your needs. A good business is all about starting right after a dedicated research. There are so many options available nowadays, how do you know which software will be able to fulfill all your needs, not only now but also as you evolve?
Through this article, I intend to put a few important factors in front of you to help you decide what you should go for. I’m not going to promote any of the eCommerce platforms here; instead will provide you all necessary details that can help you have a smooth eCommerce development experience.
Features and Functionality
This is something where you need to spend time when selecting an eCommerce platform. The world of eCommerce is constantly evolving and there are lots of new features and functionalities coming up. Take time in assessing what each platform offers and till what extent they allow customization. Remember, a good platform offers you a lot of flexibility allowing you to add/remove/update any of the features as and when you want.
Security
Security of course is the most important aspect that you need to consider before shopping cart development. The selected platform should comply with all security measures and international quality standards. It should protect your business data as well as credit/debit card and net banking details of the customers that is provided at the time of purchase. Moreover, it should be able to keep all personal and contact details of your customers confidential.
Upgradability
Another factor that you should take into account is how easily it can be upgraded. Obviously you will not want to remain stuck at one design or functionality, wanting to update it as per the customer needs and new technology advances. Not all platforms offer enough flexibility for customization. Spend time in conducting a thorough research about which platform can be upgraded at just a simple click. If your ecommerce platform is not upgradable, it means you will have to spend more money after a few years and purchase more sophisticated software.
Social Media Integration
In today’s time when people are extremely active on social networks, it is important that your ecommerce platform is able to integrate all social media networks that you are present on. Facebook, Google+, Twitter and Pinterest are major social platforms today. There might come other platforms as well as time passes. A good platform should be able to integrate all social networks as and when they come up.
Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization is necessary for any business to make it searchable online by customers. Your business should rank well in order to get into front of as many people as you want. Of course, content of the website is your responsibility but the core structure of the shopping cart should be optimized.
There are other factors as well such as ease of back-end operations, flexibility to upload as many products necessary and convenience of theme customization that should also be considered before eCommerce development.
Kuntal Mehta (KJ) is the managing partner of Seashore Partners, a web development, e-commerce solution and SEO company headquartered in New Jersey, United States. In this article, he suggests companies to consider important elements of eCommerce development and conduct a thorough research to select the best one from among the available ones.