If you’ve decided to start an e-commerce business to sell products online or if you want to take an existing business online to reach a wider audience, it is important to consider the realistic timeframes for such a decision.
With more and more people choosing to shop online exclusively, it has become important for businesses to make their products available to this audience and take advantage of the benefits of an e-commerce website.
The time taken to build an e-commerce website is anywhere between one day to several months. This is because of many factors such as the complexity of the website and the number of developers that contribute to the project. Businesses must ensure there is a fine balance between including multiple functionalities and the build time.
The time taken to build an e-commerce website also depends on your specific requirements, the area where your business operates, your business model and the type of products you sell. However, irrespective of these factors, be rest assured that e-commerce can serve you well and there are several options you can choose from to get your online store up and running.
E-commerce website advantages
Before taking a website live, there are also several aspects that need to be taken care of. These include, but are not limited to finalizing a domain and hosting, identifying the right software to process payments and integrate it into your website. You’ll also need to check on logistical aspects such as product packaging and shipping (finalizing your distribution network or partner) and payment gateway platform.
Since the nature of e-commerce businesses is to interact with customers, it is also important to integrate a robust CRM software for managing all customer interactions centrally.
In recent times, readymade e-commerce platforms such as Shopify and BigCommerce provide off-the-shelf themes and integrations that can help you build a basic store and go live within 3 days. These platforms also provide several options to partner with services that take care of many operational aspects – which is one of the main advantages of e-commerce websites.
But if you are not familiar with them, you may be better off partnering with an e-commerce or CRM software development form that can perform these critical integrations for you. For certain businesses, partnering with a professional firm would be a better and quicker option as they they have the necessary technical nous and experience to understand which solutions are best suited to serve your needs.
There are several platforms that provide readymade themes and integrations based on your brand which can be useful if you want to take your store live within days or even hours. However, in the long run, it is better to identify specific aspects of your business that need to be highlighted and taken care of and build tailor-made solutions for them. This is another area where an e-commerce software development firm would be the best option.
