Things to consider when choosing an ECommerce Solution

Updated! This is an updated version of the original article. Last Update: July 20, 2021

Following technological trends and driven by the demand of consumers, the evolution of eCommerce has gone through many strict, but beneficial phases. We think that the best eCommerce website builder of 2021 should be customer-oriented, but at the same time, built for optimal performance, security, and usability. These are the robust requirements that are also universally valid for either B2C or B2B eCommerce. Whether the eCommerce platform is used by a business partner or an end client, both would prefer a quick loading speed, secure checkout, and the opportunity for business scalability.

If you are in a search for the best eCommerce website builder, here’s a list of factors we think are not only a must-have feature, but also highly influential to the determination of success, for staying competitive, and for maintaining a substantial future sale potential.

Mobile Commerce

In 2021, having an online store is a good start, but decoupled from a mobile version is a clear indicator for something not done right. eCommerce mobile apps are crucial for achieving optimal conversion rates, and not only because people tend to prefer phones than a personal computer. Even customers who purchased through desktop may have previously used mobile for research and comparison. The power of mobile potential in eCommerce is currently unmatched, and it’s just a matter of time before it becomes an industry standard.

Loading Speed

Most web users expect a website to load within a few seconds and will otherwise quickly move on to the next one. Optimizing websites for loading speed depends on factors like product pages layout, image quality, or data volume. A dependable web hosting, for example, can contribute to a smoother data transfer. However, even the best hosting provider won’t matter if the product pages are not optimized for fast and clean content performance.

Scalability

Some eCommerce platforms are great for supporting new or location-based businesses in their attempt to extend services online. Often, new companies become a success only to find out that the platform they are based on does not support the scalability needed to take that next step. Your ideal commerce platform should technically support growth. This includes options for growing locally or globally, without having to adapt your business processes to what the site’s back-end is designed to allow. The best eCommerce platform should support an easy initial setup, as well as future upgrades that complement how the business naturally improves and develops over time.

Integration

Online businesses that are ready to bring their operations onto a more capable commerce platform are the ones that benefit most from a framework that supports a flawless functionality integration. Whether it’s during a commerce migration, or building a brand new online store, the quality of the bi-directional communication between products and the back-end tools that help present them to the end clients is crucial to success. The most suitable commerce platform should employ an internal management system that allows for the company’s core goals to naturally extend to the website, and not be restricted by its capabilities.

Design and UI

Any visual representation (UI/UX)of a website is tightly related to its potential for brand exposure and has a proven positive effect on the product perception and the decision making of customers. A successful eCommerce website design is one that influences how shopping scenarios are set up and optimized, as well as how the consumers perceive product quality and benefits.

Security

Online shopping allows customers to order and receive merchandise from the comfort of their own home, or while they are on the go. Although web stores usually support a variety of quick online payment options, any form of transaction carries the risk for exposing personal and financial information of the parties involved. As an established eCommerce website builder, we believe that the security surrounding the checkout process must be sound. Protecting clients’ privacy should be a top item on the to-do list of every successful merchant.

eCommerce solutions with Shopware 6

The profile of eCommerce shoppers is diverse and always changing, driven by popular demand or emerging technology. Requirements for a useful eCommerce website change all the time, but some things remain in constant need. Customers of eCommerce adhere to a minimum standard that can be maintained, even co-created with the help of the vendor. Shopware 6 supports the idea that through a collaborative effort of both - sellers and buyers, an online solution will bring more significant benefits for both sides.

Shopware 6—the alpha watchdog of eCommerce—uses best practices and latest technologies to set up an environment where vendors and customers can enjoy greater mutual benefits through a transparent and enabling relationship. This possibility is part of the reason we believe this online tool is presently one of the best headless eCommerce website builders around the block.

Our platform enables a clean and effective product presentation that matches the expectations of your new and existing clients. The platform allows for highly customizable sales channels and supports a delivery process that is continuously refined by a tightly knit community of developers from all over the world. Shopware represents an eCommerce solution that is developed to maximize sales profits through functionalities that work best as a bundle. When used right, Shopware can produce the type of customers’ journey that gives birth to high-valued brands and services.

Shopware 6 has the innovative power to turn any eCommerce project into a well-grinded sales machine where every opportunity for increased revenue is sought out. While shopping in a traditional physical store has a more intimate connection with products, online commerce compensates for the lack of the material feel of merchandise with a simplified and optimized version for everything, including browsing, comparison, research, payment, or delivery. With multi-faceted options for personalization of every step of the way to checkout and beyond, our commerce platform can seamlessly merge the buying process with the busy lifestyle of today’s shoppers.

Upscale your eCommerce into fully functional and easy to use online business, using the advantages brought forward as a result of community effort.

A Shopware-powered eCommerce website can help vendors manage and promote their products with the aid of visually stunning design layouts and features, and support for the necessary detailed product customization. Shape up your storefront in ways that perfectly match the original look and intent behind your business goals and brand value. Product lines or services can be spread around meaningful categories and pages, where every product feature or advantage can be further tuned-in to showcase all product benefits and advantages properly.

Personalize delivery options – all major carriers are supported by Shopware 6, and opportunities for custom delivery options always remain an open possibility. Define your checkout process to fit all necessary steps that are part of your specific sales scenario. Detailed shipping estimates, real-time tracking, and other customers retention-based personalization are possible with Shopware.

Manage your product line with visually stunning design features and support for product customization.

Shopware framework has the flexibility to support eCommerce that targets either end customers or other businesses. We understand the value of strong partnerships when using strategies to grow and expand market influences beyond current limits. One of the symptoms for healthy B2B commerce is the security level on the checkout stage. Customers are very likely to drop an item from their shopping cart if their favorite payment method is not supported. Shopware can integrate all major payment options, providing the security protocols for a safe shopping experience. With a full cover on payment preferences, growing business globally has never been such an enabling opportunity for entrepreneurs.

Customize your storefront to match the intention and the image of your business and brand.

In 2021, multichannel sales options quickly became an essential building block of any competitive eCommerce site builder, and Shopware 6 is not an exception to that rule. Since multichannel sales are impossible without the touch of mobile, we also developed a custom eCommerce mobile solution for Shopware 6, aimed to maximize revenue achieved through a hand-held device. Our Shopware-powered mobile app combines the positive effects of both web and native apps, and as a result, brings the fastest and most intuitive online shopping experience yet.

With Shopware, location is hardly a factor - you can set up and manage your eCommerce business and potential target customers no matter where they are. Although eCommerce has adopted several changes since the origin point, a global reach remains one of the most prominent signature features of online shopping. Shopware 6 carries the unique experience that has been accumulating for all these years of progress. The flexible platform enables a broad spectrum of business opportunities, supported by detailed customization for flawless product presentation and equipped to keep up with oncoming demand trends.

Author

David Dorr, Head of eCommerce

David is the Head of e-Commerce at CodeCoda where he is responsible to lead several teams of eCommerce specialists. In his previous role as a data scientist for London Metropolitan Police, he was developing deep learning NLP algorithms as part of the Crime Prediction initiative. He then switched over to combine AI with e-Commerce.
He received a B.Sc in Physics from the University of Surrey, Guildford in 1996. With this scientific background, he switched relatively early in his life towards Neural Networks and e-Commerce and has ever since been fascinated with what AI and Machine Learning can do for Online Commerce.