As an e-commerce business owner, you know that a custom ecommerce website can take your business to the next level. But what are the advantages of hiring a dedicated e-commerce developer?
A custom ecommerce website will allow you to have full control over the look, feel, and functionality of your site. This means that you can create a unique shopping experience for your customers that reflects your brand identity. Moreover, with a custom site, you’ll be able to add any features or integrations that you need to run your business effectively.
Of course, building a custom e-commerce website from scratch can be time-consuming and expensive. That’s why many businesses choose to hire a dedicated developer. By working with an experienced professional, you can save yourself both time and money while still getting all of the benefits of a bespoke website design.
What is a Custom Ecommerce Website?
A custom e-commerce website is a website that is specifically designed for a particular business or organization.
The website is designed to meet the specific needs of the business, and it usually includes features and functionality that are not found on other types of websites.
Custom e-commerce websites can be very complex, and they often require the use of specialized software and hardware.
Remote Developer Onboarding Checklist
The most popular e-commerce platform is Shopify with a 29% market share. With over 3.7 million users, you can rest assured that your e-commerce site is on a platform that will be stable and secure for many years to come.
One of the coolest things about using Shopify is how easy it is to manage all of your store’s content from your products to your orders and your landing page.
With Shopify, you can rest assured that your website will always be up-to-date with the latest security patches and software updates.
Shopify is a great eCommerce platform for businesses of all sizes. One big advantage it has over other platforms is that it requires very little maintenance. This is a huge time-saver, especially compared to open source platforms like Magento which can be quite complex to keep up to date.
Outsource Your Shopify Development
If you do not know how to set up your Shopify store from scratch, you can hire a remote developer.
These professionals are experts in creating custom designs for Shopify websites. For a fee, they will build for you an e-commerce website that lands at the top of Google searches.
Responsive design is important for all e-commerce websites because it optimizes your website for the best possible user experience on any mobile device.
Your remote contractor will work with you through every step of the process, from initial discovery and research to design and development, to training and launch.
How Much Are Ecommerce Platform Fees?
It can get a little tricky with e-commerce platforms as they charge for their services differently. There are three kinds of fees you may have to pay for an e-commerce website.
Monthly fees. This is anywhere from $0 to $300 and goes directly to the platform. Most of the platforms have a basic plan that costs $30.
Payment gateway fees. These are the costs you incur when you accept credit card payments. The fees are normally 2.9% + $0.30, although these go down with volume. Some website builders like Wix and Shopify have their own payment portals, while other platforms use services like Paypal and Stripe.
Transaction fees. Another percentage-based fee on top of any gateway fees. Many payment providers claim they have no fees, but what they really mean is they don’t charge you a percentage on top of the transaction. Other companies may add a 1% or 2% fee if you don’t use their own payment gateway.
Let’s look at Shopify’s current pricing. A basic plan costs $29 per month but on top of that, you are required to pay 2.9% + $0.30 for each transaction. Plus, there’s an additional 2% transaction fee if you want to use a different payment gateway.
B2C vs. B2B Ecommerce Websites
Both B2B and B2C websites have the same goal — to sell.
But the means of achieving that end are slightly different.
For business-to-consumer companies, brand recognition is the top priority. A well-known, reputable company with a visible online profile means more market share.
For business-to-business companies, the most important goal is generating new sales. Since their target market is smaller and purchases take longer, it’s imperative to keep a steady stream of potential customers in the pipeline.
Custom Ecommerce Website Development Cost
Custom e-commerce website development cost consists of multiple factors.
If you plan to showcase around 10,000 products on your e-commerce website, then expect to pay around $70,000 for web design and development, and about $15,000 for annual maintenance.
These numbers are rough estimates, but they give you an idea of how the process works.
As for the customized e-commerce solutions, they encompass:
- Custom website development
- Custom CMS development for portfolio management
- Hosting
- Design
- Integrations with various third-party business intelligence and marketing tools
It is difficult to estimate the cost of developing a custom e-commerce website accurately as prices vary depending on the list of required features. However, each of these services has its own cost that should be considered when budgeting for this type of project.
How Web Hosting Impacts Costs
Hosting costs are one of the most predictable and least variable expenses when it comes to e-commerce. SaaS offerings typically include some level of hosting in their packages, so you can be sure that your hosting costs won’t fluctuate too much month-to-month.
Make sure to check the limits of the hosting plan, such as how much storage space, bandwidth, number of visitors, etc. are included.
As your eCommerce business grows, so will your hosting costs. You can expect to pay at least $20 to $250 per month for a SaaS solution, but these can become more expensive as your sales volume and needs increase.
If you require a custom eCommerce system, you may need to budget around $300 per month for quality service and support. However, this option may not provide true PCI compliance.
For a site with high traffic, you’ll need a dedicated server, which can cost $1,000 to $2,000 per month.
Things to Consider Before Building a Custom Ecommerce Website
- Do your research. Before beginning the e-commerce website development process, it is important to conduct thorough research and analysis of your business industry and target audience. You need to understand your customers’ preferences and demographics to develop effective categories, product descriptions, payment portals, and images for your products.
- Pay attention to your target audience’s needs. Once you understand your customers, it is now time to identify which of your prospects you should prioritize. To do this, you have to understand the culture, location, demographics, and buying habits of your potential customers. The best way to accomplish this is by collecting feedback from them, which will allow you to create an appropriate response that will, in turn, allow you to design your e-commerce website.
- Determine your branding and content strategy. Branding and content marketing are incredibly important, and without them, you’ll never be able to reach enough people. Just look at companies like Apple and Amazon and their brilliant logos, product videos, visual images, and emotional connotations that make them so successful. Choose a voice for your company and establish a strategy for growth.
- Stick to your budget. It is easy to get carried away with your budget and end up spending more than you initially intended. This is why you should regularly review your marketing budget and make adjustments accordingly.
- Keep an eye on the competition. To stand out from your competition, it’s important to analyze their marketing techniques. Look at what social media platforms they’re on, what e-commerce sites or blogs, and what tools or software they use. Also, look at their website design, what domain names they have, what CMS or e-commerce platform, and what other tools or plugins they have.
- Create an MVP. An MVP is a test version of your e-commerce site that allows you to assess the viability of your business idea. By building an e-commerce website, you aim to have an excellent shopping experience for your customers, as well as a high conversion. But to do so, you need to build an algorithm that provides the best customer experience and products.
- Train your team well. If you want your sales team to grow over time, you need to invest in your SDRs (sales development reps). Before launching a project, make sure your team has the skills and experience required. If your team isn’t performing as well as you’d like, you should invest more in training and coaching.
Benefits of Custom Ecommerce Website Development Services
An off-the-shelf e-commerce solution may seem cheap and easy to implement, but in the long run, it can cost you more.
The advantages of custom e-commerce software development are as follows:
- Better bounce rate and conversion. With a custom e-commerce platform, you can serve your customers’ needs better than with a generic platform. This will lead to more sales, greater customer satisfaction, and a greater sense of loyalty.
- Improved SEO. An off-the-shelf e-commerce site is developed with general features that cater to the needs of all businesses. However, with customized development, you can tailor the features of your e-commerce platform to your specific needs.
- Better handling of unique processes. E-commerce platforms have a variety of frontend and backend requirements for users. For instance, a user may want their credit card to be vetted before making a purchase, or they may want a credit to be verified before completing a larger purchase.
- Seamless business integration. Integrating your business model and your e-commerce strategy is essential when using an off-the-shelf platform. It’s possible only with custom platforms and not with generic ones.
- Better looking interface. With a custom e-commerce platform, you will be able to customize your website with high-definition pictures, a user-friendly interface, and seamless check-out options, among other things, for desktops, laptops, smartphones, and other mobile gadgets.
- Better user experience. Outdated technology and software on your e-commerce website can slow it down and make it difficult for customers to use. By upgrading your e-commerce, you can keep up with the latest technological trends and provide a better user experience.
Why You Should Outsource Your Custom Ecommerce Website Development
Here are the main reasons:
- Cheaper. The main reason why most startup businesses tend to go under is because of financial constraints. Fortunately, though, you can outsource development to an offshore company and not have to worry about paying salaries, renting office space, or any of the other expenses that come with running an office.
- Hire global professionals. For an e-commerce business, you will need to hire the best web developers from across the world. This is necessary as you will have to compete with other e-commerce sites, and you will need the help of these experts.
- Focus on your core business. When you hire offshore development teams, you save money that you would have otherwise spent on things like office rent, salaries, and employee benefits. This extra money can then be spent in more productive ways.
- Increased productivity. While working with an offshore developer can save you money, it can also help you increase your productivity. You won’t have to spend time and money on developing their skills, as they already have the skills you need.
- Flexibility. As a startup, it is essential to scale your team with new technology in a short amount of time. However, this is impossible with an internal team of employees. Hiring outsourced workers will give you more flexibility in running your business.
Factors That Can Impact Your Budget
Based on your budget, you can decide which features and designs you want for your website. Do you want to build a custom website from the ground up, or do you want to improve the security of an existing site, add new features, or integrate with a CRM system?
When you have a clear understanding of what work needs to be done, you can more accurately estimate the time required for development and the size of the team needed to complete the task. To get an accurate estimate for your website budget, keep these essential points in mind:
- Type of e-commerce website
- Employment type
- E-commerce developer rates
- UI/UX development
- Front-end and back-end development
- Development team size
- Web architecture complexity
- Website hosting, domain name, SSL certificate, and PCI compliance costs
- Third-party integrations
- SEO optimization and audit
- Maintenance
- Development time
How Much Does it Cost to Hire an Overseas Programmer?
Finding a programmer with a wide range of experience, at a reasonable salary, is a difficult task. For instance, the average programmer in the United States earns about $59,475 a year.
In Great Britain, the average salary for an e-commerce programmer is £23,945 ($31,058.34).
Germany, where average salary is €50,220 ($59,392.43).
In France, the average salary is €39,073 ($46,212.61).
The only cost-effective and efficient way to hire an e-commerce developer or a team of people is by hiring them from other parts of the world.
According to BusinessInsider.com, some of the best places to outsource software development are the Philippines, China, Vietnam, and Taiwan.
The hourly rate of an e-commerce developer in other regions is as follows:
Eastern Europe
- Czech Republic: $34
- Romania: $26
- Bulgaria: $34
- Ukraine: $37
- Belarus: $28
Latin America
- Chile: $50
- Uruguay: $55
- Bolivia: $30
- Mexico: $55
Asia
- Nepal: $25
- Bangladesh: $25
- Sri Lanka: $25
- Philippines: $25
Africa
- Nigeria: $40
- Egypt: $20
- Morocco: $20
- Kenya: $20
Hiring developers is an expensive process, but the price can vary depending on several variables, such as location, experience, language, and frameworks.
When hiring in-house developers, you will need to take into account additional costs such as taxes, office payments, electronic devices, bonuses, benefits, and other extra expenses.
Tips for Hiring Offshore E-Commerce Developers
For the best e-commerce web design, this is how to go about selecting your team.
- Check their credibility. You need to figure out if the outsourcing company is reliable. You can talk to past customers to learn more about their experience with the firm.
- Clarify their workflow. Be sure to ask about how communication is handled with clients and how developers are assigned to projects. Also, be sure to ask about their flexibility in working with freelancers.
- Get access to the latest codes. Always make sure that you have access to the rules and regulations that are being generated by your company. This is because the company might not give you the code later on because of some internal conflicts. Therefore, always keep them with you.
- Stay active. You need to show your leadership skills and work well with your remote team members. Don’t make them feel like they’re being alienated.
- Don’t go for the lowest rate. Be wary of companies offering cheap services. Remember, your goal is to be cost-effective. If you hire a company providing a low quality of work, you will, later, have to hire another company to do corrections, which will cost you more.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been an increase in online shoppers. That, in turn, has increased e-commerce sales, which has triggered the need for effective e-commerce solutions.
Custom e-commerce website development has numerous benefits, especially when you hire the right offshore team.
Conclusion
If you’re looking to take your e-commerce business to the next level, then a custom eCommerce website is the way to go. By working with a dedicated eCommerce developer, you can enjoy all of the benefits of a bespoke site without having to worry about the time and expense involved in building one from scratch. So why not get started today? Your business will be glad you did!
