The present COVID 19 emergency has kicked up a booming market for e-commerce websites. As the situation demands minimum socialization and high isolation, a greater number of consumers are turning to eCommerce platforms.
Similarly, a greater number of IT companies are modifying their working team towards developing e-commerce websites for entrepreneur’s startups and well-established products/service-based enterprises.
You may feel surprised to learn that Amazon’s net sales recorded a whopping 40%+ growth year-on-year Q2 2020 as compared to Q2 2019. This clearly illustrates the values and roles being held by eCommerce portals during the pandemic despite strict lockdowns occurring in multiple countries across the world.
Unlike the development of a regular website, an eCommerce platform needs dozens of customer-centric features and dedicated working hours from an innovative team of developers having years of relevant experience in the field.
Investing in an inexperienced company for your eCommerce website may yield an unsatisfactory result. So, when you need to hire eCommerce developers there are certain Dos and Don’ts that must be taken care of.
Here are Top 7 Do’s that must be followed while hiring eCommerce developer
Do: Analyze your Requirements
Before you proceed with an agency for your website you must be clear with your goals and expectations from the final software product. Don’t worry if you are not much aware of different technologies.
All you need is to focus on the key features for your website, the different platforms you want it to be compatible with, and the budget you can go with.
Do: Go for an Experienced Company
Unlike a simple software application program, an eCommerce website or application is more complex and requires seasoned engineers and technicians. It is recommended to go for agencies and companies that have prior experience in similar projects of launching successful eCommerce platforms.
A little research about the company before you hire developers proves helpful in the long run. Find the number of successful projects and testimonials of the company to get deeper insights about it.
Do: Find the Best CMS for your eCommerce
An efficient CMS (Content Management System) will help you with the easy management of website pages. Based on the key features of the website a web developer will help you with choosing the right one. Magento, WordPress, Drupal are some of the popular CMS technologies available out there.
Do: Research about the Strategy of the Development Team
Ask questions related to the work strategy of the development team. Having clear updates of project completion will ensure fixing dates for pre-launch campaigns and other marketing aspects of the eCommerce site.
Popular work methodologies followed in a dedicated development team depend on the need and suitability of the project. A dynamic group of web developers develops work strategies according to the client’s needs for on-time project delivery.
Do: Find whether the company does In-House or Outsources the Project
An undesirable penchant among many web development companies is outsourcing its client’s project. Well, there may be certain key areas that require specific services from skilled experts but outsourcing a major chunk or whole of the project may be avoided.
When you hire a team of developers that work in-house the chances of its success are fairly high owing to better coordination among the navigation planner, designers, content developers, and other members of the team.
Do: Get multiple Communication Channels Offered
Keeping in touch with the development company is essential for gaining proper updates on the project. Preferable is sticking to formal communication via emails along with phone calls.
Do: Discuss Warranty of the Work
As an investor, you must know the details of the warranty for the project. Ensure that the project manager covers any code issues that may erupt after the product is launched. A professional company provides a long-lasting efficient result to its clientele.
The web development team’s work strategy for an eCommerce portal can be pretty challenging to understand for anyone. This is more likely to occur when you as a client lack technical IT knowledge. Pretending to understand everything and shying away from asking questions can yield a disastrous result. Instead, ask anything that may seem something you are observing for the first time.
Top 7 Don’ts that must be followed while hiring eCommerce Developers
Don’t: Pretend to Know it All
Don’t: Get limited to Local Developers
The urge to hire developers within your proximity or local surroundings may be high but it is best to research globally before choosing one. It is preferable to hire Indian developers as they are skilled and experienced developers and can be easily connected via a few clicks over the internet.
Moreover, a little research online will offer greater insights into multiple technology stacks, price comparison, productivity, etc.
Don’t: Hire eCommerce developers that lack Business Perception
A common myth goes that developers only need to have a sound understanding of the IT department. Although developers are supposed to have sound technical knowledge of coding, they must also possess relevant knowledge and skills related to multiple business models and concerned customers before laying the foundation stone of a project.
Don’t: Take NDA lightly
With so many websites and application developers already on the market, there lies an ample amount of risk for the theft of ideas. Never choose an organization that hesitates to sign NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement).
NDA guarantees the clients the idea and ownership of the eCommerce portal.
Don’t: Choose Pricing over Quality of Work
Although pricing is an important factor, does not compromise the quality of the project. Before finalizing any company or organization, look for relevant experience, the number of successful projects handled by the firm, client testimonials, different working models offered, and then consider pricing.
Don’t: Hire eCommerce developers without Maintenance Policy
An eCommerce web portal be it an application or website needs regular maintenance for fixing bugs, incorporation of exclusively new features, resolving any coding issues, etc.
Moreover, the maintenance of a product is reliable and cost-effective with the development team. Always go for a maintenance policy for at least a short period after the product is launched.
Don’t: Compromise over the key features of the eCommerce Platform
Any eCommerce platform must include search with filters, Wishlist, order tracking, customer service connectivity, etc. For budget constraints, you may slash a few secondary features but don’t compromise with the primary features of the application or website.
Conclusion
A startup or an established business must research well before investing in any company for hiring Shopify developers.
Connect with app development companies in India that offer their clients the rate of application development as low as $15/hr starting and hold years of experience in developing eCommerce platforms for various customers.
I hope the blog proves helpful to the readers. For more such insightful topics keep reading this space.
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