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When COVID-19 hit the world, the offline retail sector in the US suffered a major decline. Most of the consumer activity was shut down, since people stopped eating out, visiting places and going shopping due to lockdowns. The industry experienced a significant downturn in sales during the period from February to April 2020, witnessing a 20% decline. Take clothing and accessory stores as an example: total plunge was 89%, with department stores’ share of 45%. Everything considered, online presence has become crucial for retail businesses – a new era of eCommerce has officially started.
When deciding to open an online shop, entrepreneurs usually opt for out-of-box eCommerce platforms, such as Shopify, Wix, Bigcommerce etc. They don’t require any technical expertise, which enables quick business setup. Moreover, such solutions are usually cheaper than the customizable ones. But are they really better? In this article we will answer this question and explain why a customizable solution is great for your business.
Exploring custom eCommerce solutions
There are so many ready-made eCommerce platforms available for your business, that you may wonder why even bother creating a new one. The truth is that sometimes the basic features of most out-of-box platforms are not enough for a particular business. Let’s take a quick look at one of our case studies to get the idea.
One of our clients with a multi-brand online store on Shopify has outgrown the solution. Their rapidly developing business was gaining more and more demand between customers, meaning that they needed to scale the store up to a global level. As you could’ve realized already, out-of-box solutions and platforms were not an option. Shopify couldn’t handle this much traffic and it was impossible to implement needed features. That’s why the client reached out to us.
Why customizable eCommerce?
Opting for a customizable eCommerce solution may be time consuming, but profitable in the long run for various reasons:
- Tailored User Experience. Such solutions allow you to create a personalized user experience for your customers. By customizing the design, layout, and functionality of the online store, you can align the UI with your brand’s identity, making it more engaging, intuitive, and memorable for customers.
- Scalability and Flexibility. As your needs evolve, customizable eCommerce solutions allow your business to adapt to them. Whether it’s accommodating a growing product catalog, expanding into new markets, or integrating additional features and functionalities, custom solutions can be tailored to meet the specific requirements of the business.
- Integration Capabilities. Customizable eCommerce solutions offer seamless integration with other essential business systems, such as inventory management, customer relationship management (CRM), or enterprise resource planning (ERP). This integration streamlines operations, improves efficiency, and enhances the overall business workflow.
- Competitive Advantage. With customizable solutions, you can differentiate your business from competitors’ by implementing unique features and functionalities specific to your industry or target market.
- Enhanced Security. Customizable eCommerce solutions offer robust security measures. With increasing concerns about data breaches and online fraud, having control over security protocols ensures implementation of the necessary safeguards to protect customer data and build trust with your audience.
- Long-term Cost Efficiency. While customizable eCommerce solutions may require a higher upfront investment compared to off-the-shelf options, they result in long-term cost efficiency. Custom solutions eliminate the need for ongoing subscription fees or additional expenses associated with plugins or extensions, which may be required with out-of-the-box platforms, such as Shopify.
- Ownership and Control. Customizable eCommerce solutions grant you full ownership and control over your online store. Unlike hosted platforms that impose limitations or restrictions, custom solutions empower you to make changes, updates, and optimizations, without relying on third-party approvals or constraints.
How to choose the right eCommerce solution?
With the amount of factors to consider, it can be difficult to choose the right eCommerce platform. Here is a list of steps that can help you make an informed decision.
First, define your business objectives. Where do you see your business in five years? What resources do you need in order to grow? What’s the goal of implementing a customizable eCommerce solution? Answer these crucial questions to yourself in order to get a clear vision.
Secondly, develop an understanding of your customers’ buying patterns and demographics. Who is your client? What features could potentially improve their user experience? What stops them from buying your goods? Knowing your client and taking their needs into account leads to customer loyalty.
Thirdly, research available solutions and their customization features. Explore the market. What do people write in reviews? Are the providers reputable? Are the platforms flexible enough for your business needs?
Also pay attention to integrational features. Will you be able to add your ERP or CRM features? Do they contain analytics tools? Is there a payment gateway?
Here at JetRuby we help our clients analyze such data in order to set up a business on a tailored customizable eCommerce solution or migrate an existing store data to one. Feel free to follow our digest to receive more useful information about eCommerce and marketplaces!
