The secret to winning the e-commerce battle lies in displaying an online presence that matches the expectations of potential clients and compels them to convert into loyal customers. To reach that goal, your business needs a website and/or an app that is visually stunning and conversion-focused.
At this point you can exploit abundant ready-made and easily-customizable solutions or choose to develop a custom e-commerce website instead. Which option should you choose? What are the stumbling blocks? What is better from the perspective of your business?
Let’s get answers in this article.
When to Choose a Custom E-Commerce Website Development
Nearly half of all of the 1,271,920,923 websites online use a content management system (CMS). The reasons behind this choice are clear:
- Out-of-the-box platforms save time and money
- Website platforms offer quick and simple integration
- Store builders come with extensive customer support
Creating an e-commerce website using website platforms takes only several hours. In a single day, you can have a small-sized but fully-functional online store with the first orders coming in.
But to start with, you need to solve the most difficult riddle – which e-commerce platform to choose? There are more than 20 e-commerce website platforms that offer different levels of customization, design options and subscription plans. It’s easy to get lost.
Later on, as you continue fine-tuning your store, difficulties are likely to pile up, especially on the technical side. Thus, website platforms aren’t such a great cloudless solution.
Custom e-commerce website development is much more suitable for the most extravagant needs. It pays for itself in the form of greater control, flexibility, and scalability. And yes – it requires a solid investment of time and funds.
How much does it cost to develop an e-commerce website?
The costs of building a custom online store depend on the size of the business and its website. Small-sized local websites come in around the $15,000 price range. Development of medium-sized websites with up to 100 pages and ‘pro’ features usually comes with a $15,000 – $30,000 price tag. And fully custom online stores with high traffic loads and custom programming would be not less than $35,000.
The telltale signs that you need a custom e-commerce development solution that usually involves a high cost of building an e-commerce platform are:
- the need for a unique site design
- an expectation of unlimited project scaling
- a plan to implement coupons
- unique reporting needs
- a desire to offer unique shipping options
- the need to integrate with backend software
Summary
If you have a fair scope of highly specialized products, an average client base and you’re thinking about increasing your sales in the future, it’s smarter to search for ready-made solutions that can help you to reach your current objectives and will not leave you wondering how much e-commerce website cost.
If you have a wide number of products, a large client base and you’re settled in the market, you need to consider a custom website for your enterprise business.
Custom e-commerce website development requires either a separate in-house development team or an agency specializing in e-commerce platform development with robust functionality.
When to Choose Custom E-Commerce Application Development from a Software Development Company
Most websites these days come with mobile optimization. However, relying on a website alone restricts your marketing potential.
Mobile apps can propel an online store by quantum leaps. They are usually 1.5 times faster than mobile websites, provide instant online and offline connection, and increase customer engagement.
According to a study by Criteo, customers view 4.2 times more products per session on mobile apps than on mobile websites. Moreover, conversions on mobile apps happen to be 3 times higher than on the mobile web.
But not every company can afford e-commerce mobile application development and not every e-commerce app is justified in terms of the investment required. There are two cost-effective solutions for budgets under $10K:
- hiring a freelance e-commerce app developer
- using Software as a Service (SaaS) platforms
However, these options are risky as well. In the first case you risk engaging a low-profile freelancer, and in the second case you might end-up with an app that has shallow functionality.
If you have a healthy budget, you should go for the benefits a mobile development agency team will bring to your project.
How much does it cost to build an e-commerce app with a software development company?
The cost of developing an e-commerce app with basic functionality will cost around $25,000. Average complexity apps will cost between $40,000 and $70,000. The cost to build an e-commerce app with complex solutions usually exceeds $70,000 and can reach $170,000.
When should your online business consider app development with a software development company?
- When you have the resources to create it
- When the majority of your traffic is coming from mobile
- When you decide you don’t want to get left behind
Summary
Experts expect that mobile e-commerce will comprise 54% of overall e-commerce.
Creating a mobile application with great UX experience is a fundamental step for business owners. In order to distinguish your online store from the rest and increase your sales, it’s necessary to give your customers the shopping experience they want.
Our team is ready to assist you with that. We offer a wide range of e-commerce app development services and are ready to share our expertise to help you build the app that will amaze your clients.
