Specific Challenges that Occur While Developing an eCommerce Platform

The eCommerce industry is on the rise. Launching an online store to bring your products or services to customers has never been as easy. However, developing such a platform requires advanced skills, planning, and dedication. 

Common challenges occur during such projects that have to do with specific eCommerce functionality. Whether you are a developer, business owner, seo who works on knifes site, or specialist looking for remote online store management vacancies, this article will help you. 

In partnership with Jooble experts, we’ve narrowed down the common issues that might occur with an eCommerce platform. So you can stay informed and prepared to proactively resolve them. 

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Challenges Faced by Developers while Crafting an eCommerce Website

Right Tech Stack 

This is the first consideration for a project. The technology you choose will shape the platform's programming process, functionality, and responsiveness. Sometimes clients come with a clear idea of what they are looking for. But there are cases where they might need your advice. 

The tech stack includes: 

• Choice of the programming language; 
• Decision on CMS (Shopify is great for small stores, Magento works smoothly for large businesses); 
• Database synchronization; 
• Cloud infrastructure and providers (Azure, AWS, GCP, etc);
• Encryption and data protection. 

How to be ready for that? Stay on top of the industry's best practices and solutions. Know the different opportunities particular technologies offer. And consider the scaling up and growth options for the future website.

Accessibility 

A successful store is accessible to customers from any device, OS, or browser. It is the fundamental issue of designing a comfortable user experience. 

Developers must ensure that the platform performs perfectly on various operating systems. It also needs to have a mobile interface. The majority of internet traffic is mobile now. So if your site doesn't work well on smaller screens, you risk losing a lot of potential buyers. 

Data Protection 

Online stores deal with sensitive information such as payment details. The proper protection of customer data is a bridge to building trust. This is a top priority as the number of cybersecurity threats grows daily. 

The site must be credible because people won't make purchases otherwise. It includes advanced encryption, safe payment gateways, proper data policy, and security protocols (HTTPS, SSL). Also, a store might skip spam-like messages and keyword staffing to build trust. 

Payment Options

The shorter the sales funnel is, the better. There should be minimum steps between making an order and checking out. Every additional step lowers the chances of a person going through with the purchase. To make it easier, skipping the registration form and offering to log in with a Google or Facebook account is excellent. 

The payment method should be easy, fast, and straightforward. Ideally, checking out takes one page without asking for any unnecessary information. 

Another concern is to widen the range of options to target all types of clients. Opt for well-known solutions like PayPal, MasterCard, COD, etc. 

Simple and Pleasing UI/UX Design

There is hardly a more crucial element to eCommerce success than user experience and interface. Customers will leave if the site is slow, confusing, or aesthetically unpleasing. 

UI/UX design will be one of the primary concerns during development. It includes:

• Easy navigation; 
• Comprehensive sitemap; 
• Responsive design; 
• Optimization; 
• Loading speed; 
• Aesthetics, branding, and correct colors; 
• Intuitive interface; 
• Visually appealing presentation of products. 

It is always great to start with best practices. For instance, users usually expect site navigation to be on top of the page and the scroll bar on the right. So there is no reason to do otherwise. An intuitive interface means people who interact with other sites can easily find anything they need on your page. 

SEO 

SEO is the best way to attract organic traffic. If people cannot find the store, they cannot make purchases. It is as simple as that. On-page and content optimization is not among the developer's responsibilities. 

But the technical SEO is. It starts with clean site architecture and great loading speed and goes up to image and video optimization. 

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Suitable Functionality 

A lot of challenges developers face are interconnected. Incorporating proper functionality goes in hand with user experience and business goals. 

It should be based on market research, best practices, and business objectives. However, there is a list of standard features any eCommerce platform needs, namely: 

• Search bar with great algorithm; 
• Wish list or ability to add to "favourites"; 
• Log in/register; 
• Manage account and view history or orders; 
• A shopping cart that keeps items in there for a long time; 
• Catalogue or products/services; 
• Product categories; 
• Filter system for viewing products; 
• One-step check-out page; 
• Protected payment gateway; 
• Related items. 

Some additional features help make the user experience even better. These are reviews, chatbots, FAQs, video presentations, and blogs. 

Regular Updates

The constant growth and development are particularly essential to online retail websites. The platform needs to be flexible, scalable, and easily manageable. 

This means that managers can quickly add new products, and the system can track the stock. As new technologies and opportunities arise, one should be able to upgrade the site. For example, going to the cheapest CMS might mean limited scalability. 

Or choosing one cloud provider instead of a hybrid might limit performance. There is no ideal option, but finding the balance between business goals, customer expectations, and a secure version is essential. 

In Summary 

The development of a functional eCommerce website takes time and dedication. It also requires a lot of planning and forecasting. From an appropriate tech stack and up to a comfortable user journey, developers need to keep up with all the factors mentioned. But with a proactive approach, one can resolve the challenges before they disrupt the project.