eCommerce is a widely growing industry that has doubled in size over the past few years and is worth $5.55 trillion. The primary reason for this boom is the COVID-19 pandemic that pushed people indoors. Even though the pandemic has ended, people continue using smartphones as their primary shopping medium. If you haven’t explored eCommerce, now is the time to grow your business.
Starting an eCommerce business or shifting your current brick-and-mortar business to eCommerce requires a robust website/store that allows your customers to shop effortlessly. This can be achieved with the help of various eCommerce tools and technologies to build your eCommerce store from scratch.
Tech stack for eCommerce is a wide range of programming frameworks, languages, platforms, and tools that offer pre-made solutions to help you create an eCommerce store or website. There are two parts to this tech stack, front-end, and back-end. If you’re new to the eCommerce world and unsure which to choose, here’s a detailed guide to help you.
Tech Stack: Front-End
Front-end development tools are used to create the parts of an eCommerce website that a see can use and use as per their wish. This includes everything from how your website looks to the filters and product details available. Some commonly used tools for front-end development are as follows:
- Vue.js
Vue.js is a progressive open-source framework that is JavaScript based and used to develop single-page web user apps and interfaces. Vue.js development services are commonly used to create lightweight or small eCommerce websites.
Most developers prefer Vue.js over other JavaScript frameworks because it’s incredibly flexible and easy to learn for Angular and React developers. This framework requires no extended code writing and can be integrated with other frameworks.
- Next.js
Next.js is a server-rendered framework based on React that requires little to no configuration. Next.js has become increasingly popular since it makes it easier for developers to build SSR-friendly full-fledged applications. So, if you’re interested in making an SEO-friendly website or app that generates HTMP during the build-time, next.js should be your choice. Here are some additional benefits of next.js:
- It offers better search engine optimization since it uses all the desired functionalities to help you fulfill your SEO needs.
- With next.js, you can enjoy better-looking URLs with added features to improve the social media booting of the app.
- Developers can enjoy enhanced performance and provide a better user experience when creating apps using next.js.
- Angular
Angular is another front-end development framework used for building mobile apps, dynamic web and desktop apps; This is considered one of the most comprehensive and robust created and supported by Google ever. Many companies, freelancers, and agencies prefer Angular development services for eCommerce websites and stores because:
- It offers two-way binding data that reduces development time and eliminates the necessity to create additional codes.
- It offers directives that help software developers create rich and dynamic content using HTML extensions and DOM structures.
- Angular offers dependency injections since code components are easier to test, manage and reuse, increasing the speed of software development with minimum errors.
- React.js
React.js is another very popular JavaScript framework that is used for front-end development. It can help build many interactive elements of a website and is usually used by large corporations, such as Tesla Motors, Walmart, Hayneedle.com, and Shopping.com.
React.js can be quite a handy tool due to the many advantages it offers, such as:
- React.js is very easy to learn and implement since there is a wide range of tutorials and documents to understand how each function works.
- React.js offers reusable components to help developers and businesses reuse previously written codes.
- The virtual DOM features help to carefully consider the structure of the future website or web app to make effective decisions. This ensures you need the least time to create the best-performing app.
Tech Stack: Back-End
Back-end development tools are used to build the server side of the architecture that handles back-end work, such as shopping cart products, order management, catalog products, website page edits, payments, SEO settings, user registration, and much more. Some of the most common back-end tools preferred by companies, freelancers, and agencies include:
- PHP
PHP is one of the most commonly used open-source, back-end software development languages for web app solutions. PHP uses a general-purpose scripting language that is ideal for eCommerce store development. Some additional features of PHP include:
- PHP is cost-efficient since PHP is a very common framework, so many freelancers and agencies offer PHP development services.
- PHP is compatible with multiple operating systems, such as Linus, macOS, UNIX, and Microsoft. It integrates swiftly with many databases, such as MySQL, MongoDB, Oracle, etc.
- PHP also offers a wide range of frameworks that can speed up the software development process while making it consistent and less bug-infused. Some known POP frameworks include Laravel, Zend, CakePHP, Symphony, and Codeigniter.
- Python (Django)
Unlike other back-end frameworks, Python is an object-oriented and interpreted programming language with fast-to-learn syntax and simple processes. It also supports code modularity, allowing you to resume it multiple times throughout development. Some advantages of python include the following:
- Python is fast and offers developers a wide range of tools that can accelerate their development process.
- Python offers multiple security features such as SQL injections, host head validation, XSS, and other hacking attack prevention features.
- Python has numerous add-on options compatible with multiple libraries to cater to large businesses.
- Node.js
Node.js is a cross-platform and open-source tool for back-end development with JavaScript runtime libraries and environments that are run outside the client’s browser. It is best used for creating server-side web applications and is perfect for data-intensive apps.
- It is built on Google Chrome’s V8 engine, making it fast and efficient. Here are some reasons why developers love Node.js:
- It offers more than 50,000 bundles for Node Package Manager, allowing developers to import any package per their needs.
- It’s super easy for developers who already use JavaScript since it’s a JavaScript framework.
- Groovy on Grails
Groovy is an object-oriented back-end language that is used to strengthen Java. Groovy can be useful for creating web applications and other apps built using Java Virtual Machine (JVM). This tool can make Java super flexible while enhancing the unique features with which the app was made.
On the other hand, Grails is a framework that runs on Groovy and helps with web development. Unlike other frameworks, Grails has an entirely different approach to development. It eliminates the use of XML configurations that help save time spent on petty tasks such as configuration and focus on the core features themselves. Moreover, it also eliminates dependencies by preparing the application by itself.
Complete Development Tools
The development tools mentioned above are worth the time and effort since they can help with the most robust front and back-end development. However, sometimes that’s just too much work that could have been done another way, such as using complete development tools like Shopify, Adobe Commerce, BigCommerce, or WooCommerce.
You might know these as eCommerce platforms. They are also complete development tools that can help you create premium eCommerce websites and stores without having to deal with front and back-end development. These tools have minimized the work for you. Here’s what you need to know about them.
- Shopify
If you’re planning to enter the eCommerce industry and you want to create a Shopify store and have been researching for a while, it’s impossible not to have come across Shopify. This eCommerce platform has an incredibly strong market presence while offering the benefits of handling security, PCI compliance, and solid uptime. Here are some benefits of using Shopify:
- Leading the eCommerce market by hosting millions of global stores
- More than 4,100 app integration options to choose from
- Over 70 responsive and professional themes to choose from
- BigCommerce
BigCommerce offers a comprehensive suite of tools, from analytics to marketing, with high-caliber designs and plenty of support from the BigCommerce community. It is one of the leading SaaS eCommerce platforms for companies of all sizes. Big as well as small companies can enjoy its benefits. Some of its benefits include
- Built-in and intuitive features
- More than 65 different payment solutions, unlimited bandwidth, 600 app partners, and zero transaction fees.
- 24/7 expert customer service.
- Adobe Commerce
Adobe Commerce, formerly known as Magento, is an all-in-one eCommerce platform offering premium SEO features, real-time inventory control, multi-store functionality, and marketing automation tools. However, with Adobe Commerce, you must heavily depend on developers and designers to make the most of the platform. Some advantages of this platform include the following:
- Pre-built integrations for Adobe software.
- Supports Progressive Web Applications (PWAs)
- Thousands of extensions, ranging from free to $15,000.
- WooCommerce
The last of the lots is WooCommerce, an open-source and easily customizable WordPress plugin that can help merchants transform their blogs and websites into online storefronts. It also offers a wide range of SEO features, multichannel options, and payment gateways. Some other benefits include the following:
- Free to download and use
- Completely built-out integration for WordPress
- The idea for large and growing extensions and application stores.
The Bottom Line
There are many ways you can build a robust eCommerce platform for your business, whether store or website. However, the main factors influencing your ultimate choice include pricing, time at hand, and what you’re looking for.
Commonly there are three ways you can go about this; (1) an in-house team, (2) freelancers, or (3) a development agency. The first two options require plenty of micromanagement to ensure you’re getting exactly what you need and a plethora of finances. We recommend opting for reliable eCommerce web development services, such as Trango Tech.
They are a digital transformation company with over 200 in-house developers who excel at Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Adobe Commerce. But if you want to invest in separate front and back-end development, they can assist you.
If you have an idea in mind that needs to be brought to life, contact them now to get started!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Junaid Mohsin is a marketing enthusiast with over a decade’s experience. After spending years working for some of the finest marketing pioneers, he is now sharing his wisdom through blogs and articles to guide newbie marketers and entrepreneurs.
