What Are The Steps Involved In Custom E-commerce Solutions?

In general, e-commerce solutions are the tools and technologies that help e-commerce businesses sell and grow online. With custom e-commerce solutions, an e-commerce brand can design a tailored website from A to Z to meet its custom needs and business goals without depending upon an existing platform.

The benefits of a custom e-commerce website include brand personalization, improved customer experiences, enhanced journeys, and a highly optimized and Google-friendly online store. However, achieving all these benefits isn’t that easy. It requires expertise from a team of technologists, digital marketing experts, performance marketers, and most importantly, web developers. Also, it entails a huge set of steps to build custom ecommerce solutions.

Discussed below are the major steps every e-commerce brand goes through when looking to build their custom e-commerce store online.

1. Understand the E-commerce Brand & Its Needs:

The foremost step to building any custom digital solution is understanding the need. Therefore, the e-commerce solution providers or web developers must first understand the business goals, mission, and vision to build a new and tailored e-commerce solution from scratch. From knowing their brand elements to their sales benchmark, every aspect needs to be understood.

2. Analyze Various E-commerce Solutions & Platforms:

Based on the business needs, the solution provider then analyzes various solutions 100% platform-based, 100% custom solution, or 50-50 customization. This varies from one e-commerce brand to another depending upon the requirement, budget allocation, timeframe, etc. This step also includes the theme, layout, and wireframe designs for the custom e-commerce website.

3. Pick the Right Technologies for Integration:

Once the mode of e-commerce solution is finalized, the next step is to identify the right set of digital tools and technologies that help boost e-commerce sales and revenue. It includes aggregators like payment gateways, checkout solutions, cart sliders, story highlighters, quick view options, and a lot more.

4. Design the E-commerce Products & Collections Pages:

After the wireframe approval, the experts begin designing every product and collection page for the online brand. This includes header and footer design, product image upload, catalog/description writing, adding product reviews, interlinking, SEO keyword addition, updating discount banners, bundle offer pop-ups, etc.

5. Create Unique Customer Experiences & Journeys:

This is the most important step in building custom e-commerce solutions. Because the very need to opt for a custom solution is improved customer experiences and responsiveness. This is what influences the website user’s or customer’s purchasing decision to buy from the e-commerce brand.

6. Integrate the Essential Tools:

Tools including CRM, ERP, logistics, OMS, payment gateway, etc., are essential for an e-commerce brand to run its regular operations. Among these, some tools may provide brand customization which can be utilized.

7. Optimize the E-commerce Store:

E-commerce website optimization is crucial for the brand to rank higher on top of Google searches. Also, it plays a key role in fetching the relevant products based on the customer’s search terms. On-page and off-page SEO optimization, interlinking, guest posting, etc have to be taken care of.

8. Quality Test & Launch the Custom-Developed Website:

Beta testing of the custom e-commerce website or online store is to be performed to ensure all the bugs are fixed, the journeys are improved, the responsiveness is enhanced, order placements are successful, and payments are reflected.

Now comes the last step the launch of the newly built custom e-commerce solution catered to the needs of the e-commerce brand.

Conclusion

As a newcomer in the e-commerce industry, new brands might think about building custom solutions with an in-house team. However, this could be challenging as it requires varied expertise as said earlier. As a beginner, it is more strategic and convenient to go for a 50-50 custom solution that uses the already built platforms, as well as customize a few specifics.