Ecommerce Developers

Choosing the Best Ecommerce Developers

A Detailed Overview of Our Evaluation Methodology

There are hundreds of developers that claim to specialize in ecommerce. However, finding the ones that actually have the right experience and expertise requires a deeper examination. When compiling our table, we considered multiple aspects, from the services they offer and customer satisfaction to the team’s skillset and the technologies they’re proficient in. Here’s a detailed overview of the evaluation methodology supporting our rankings:

Website Visit & Testimonials

Our first stop is the company’s website. We take a look at the clients’ testimonials, which help us uncover what points the ecommerce website developers are strongest in. It should be noted that we don’t settle only for the testimonials found on a company’s website — we also analyze reviews from past clients and employees on third-party sites and directories. 

Furthermore, we scout each agency’s portfolio to establish its team’s experience and expertise. More specifically, we check how successfully they met their client’s goals, and whether they were able to customize solutions according to the client’s preferences. Going a step further, we visit the websites they’ve created and test them to uncover the quality of their work.

The Primary Features of the Top Ecommerce Sites

Security Certificates

Security is one of the most important features telling of ecommerce website developers’ competency, as its absence puts both the store owners and their customers at risk of payment fraud. Also, customers want to do business with brands they can trust with their information. So if we notice that the website doesn’t have an SSL certificate, it raises a red flag, and we leave it immediately.

Mobile-Friendliness

Sales made using a mobile device will account for more than half of all ecommerce sales by the end of 2021. What’s more, Google already announced that sites that are not mobile-friendly will suffer SEO consequences. To ensure the ecommerce web developers on our list have experience providing sleek, mobile-friendly sites, we test them on a mobile device.

A Clean, Sleek, & Intuitive Design

Sites with robust UX leave a better impression and provide a seamless shopping experience, helping customers feel comfortable shopping. With this in mind, each ecommerce website development company must deliver the following:

Straightforward and Well-Thought-Out Navigation

You want to make it easy for customers to find what they’re looking for, filter the results, or go back to the homepage regardless of the page they landed on. Also, the search bar needs to be easily accessible, and the menu labels should be descriptive.

Effective Product Presentation

The product pages shouldn’t be overloaded with information that overwhelms users because doing so could distract them from making a purchase. Companies specializing in ecommerce web development services should analyze the target audience and provide the essential information they require. This means describing the specific products or services while maintaining the right balance of data for a single screen. Additionally, product pages need to contain professional-looking, optimized images that entice users to buy.

CTAs That Trigger the Right Response

Without a powerful CTA, one can’t expect high rates of conversion. That’s why we take special note of the agency’s ability to create compelling CTAs that seamlessly lead the reader to complete the desired action.

A Fast & Smooth Checkout

34% of shoppers have abandoned carts because they were required to create an account to complete their checkout. So ecommerce web developers are expected to deliver a fast checkout process without any unnecessary glitches. Additionally, the company should provide a guest checkout option while also focusing on a mobile checkout UX.

Secure Payment Gateway Indicators

Storing credit card numbers in your database leaves you vulnerable to hackers and malicious attacks. To be on the safe side, the ecommerce web development process should include the security of payment gateways. Most developers use third-party processing systems like PayPal, Skrill, and Stripe.

An In-Depth Analysis of Ecommerce Development Services

After an initial appraisal of the services offered, we move on to a deeper analysis. We try to determine the agency’s industry focus and the size of the businesses they work with. More often than not, this info isn’t provided on the website — we contact them directly in such cases. Then, we uncover the details associated with the relevant services.

Ecommerce Websites Based on the Participants’ Needs

Ecommerce involves two parties: a business and consumers. Considering this, there are several types of ecommerce websites, all of which require a different marketing approach as well as different technical and UX requirements. A few ecommerce website development companies will deal with them all, which is why we make sure to uncover what areas they specialize in.

Here are the specifications of the most important ecommerce website types:

• B2B commerce refers to the process of selling goods and services between businesses via an online sales portal. Generally, this involves wholesale distributors or manufacturers selling goods to retailers.
• B2C describes transactions from a business to an individual consumer. Typically, it involves online retailers selling products directly to consumers.
• C2C is a business model that involves commerce between customers. Essentially, this type of commerce connects people who are trading products or services.
• C2B enables individuals to sell products or services to businesses and organizations. Usually, it involves a consumer placing requirements that a business then fulfills.

Ecommerce Websites Based on the Type of Platform

The ecommerce platform represents the software that runs the website. Ecommerce developers have skill sets that vary depending on what platform they use. Each platform has different features, as well as a different infrastructure and procedures to set them up. In the sections below, we elaborate more on each of them:

SaaS

Saas, or software as a service, refers to software that’s available for the end-user, typically via a web browser interface. It’s a type of cloud computing program hosted by a third-party provider. Essentially, it offers a ready-made solution that just needs to be set up with your business info and products. This also includes website and store management. Shopify and Volusion are some of the best-known SaaS ecommerce platforms. They come with their own backend, which developers then extend depending on the clients’ requirements. 

The ecommerce developers on our list dealing in this kind of service are verified for their skills with the following:

• Custom theme development
• Custom app development
• Existing online store migration from and to the SaaS

What This Means for You

• You get a fully functional website sooner.
• The design process can often be skipped.
• The SaaS provider handles the server hosting and maintenance completely.
• Your sole access to the store is a web-based backend.
• Customization can be limited.
• Along with the ecommerce website developer fee, you’ll have ongoing monthly and/or annual expenses for the software itself. This increases as you scale your business.
• There’s often an additional fee for each transaction made in your store.

PaaS

PaaS, or platform as a service, is an advanced cloud computing option good for handling complex aspects for even the large teams of ecommerce developers. On it, customers can develop, run, and manage apps without the complexity of building and maintaining the infrastructure. Users can therefore also install apps and data sets without this hindrance. Magento, XCart, PrestaShop, ZenCart, and OpenCart are some of the best PaaS ecommerce options.

The companies on our list that deal with ecommerce platform development are verified for the following:

• Custom theme and overall frontend development
• Custom module and plugin development
• Existing online store migration from and to the platform in question
• Hosting and maintenance

What This Means for You

• You get bigger flexibility in customization than what SaaS provides.
• You’re responsible for maintaining all the aspects of your software, like security patches, software updates, and hosting services.
• You can avoid your online store’s transaction fees.
• Ecommerce web developers might offer pricing models ranging from completely free or up to $15,000 a year all the way to pay-per-use or fixed fees.

Open-Source Platforms

An open-source platform makes its program code available, allowing developers to modify, improve, or re-engineer it. The best examples of an open-source platform are WooCommerce, paGO, and VirtueMart from Joomla, Drupal, CS-Cart, and JugoShop. These often come with a backend that can be fully customized.

The ecommerce website developers on our list dealing with this kind of service are verified for the following:

• Frontend, backend, and/or full-stack coding capabilities
• Existing online store migration from and to the platform in question
• Hosting, security, and maintenance

What This Means for You

• There are endless customization options and a great potential for scalability.
• You get complete control over your online store.
• There are no additional expenses, except for hosting and development.

Custom Developed

Custom-developed platforms make it possible to build online stores from scratch, top to bottom. The ecommerce web developers offering this will be experienced in the Phalcon, Symfony, CodeIgniter, and Zend frameworks. They need to be able to code anything for the storefront as well as all of the backend functionalities, not to mention a custom CMS.

What This Means for You

• You have full control over your online store.
• It’s the most expensive option of all.
• You get unlimited custom ecommerce development and scalability opportunities.
• It takes a very long time to develop a fully customized site.

Additional Services

Our research has shown that some companies offer extra services, so we analyzed those too. While it isn’t mandatory, the companies that provide them get a boost in our rankings.

Design

Although a dedicated web design company can handle the design, some of the entries on this list also specialize in ecommerce website design companies. Since design is a vital aspect of building an online store on PaaS or open-source platforms, having it done by a team who can bring it to life is always a better choice. If we determine that the agency offers design services, it undergoes scrutiny based on the criteria we employed for evaluating web design companies.

Content

A good content strategy should give users all the product information they need in a concise manner that’s relatable. Usually, ecommerce web design companies provide lorem ipsum content that then needs to be filled in. However, there are some that provide custom content. When it’s the latter, we evaluate their ability to follow the best practices as content marketing experts. Most importantly, they need to be able to support your specific business goals.

Search Engine Optimization

When opening a brick-and-mortar store, you won’t just fill it up with products on the shelves and wait for the customers to pop in — you need to let potential customers know where and how to find you. The same applies to online stores. SEO specialists can position your store in the right location, so customers can easily reach you when they’re looking to shop. An ecommerce web developer can offer a basic on-site SEO setup or full-blown packages.

Digital Marketing

Digital marketing is all about promoting a product online with the end goal of satisfying your target customer’s needs and influencing them to take action. The power of digital marketing is undeniable — you could reach millions of potential customers within just a few hours. Some ecommerce website developers also offer in-house digital marketing packages, in which case they need to tick all the boxes in the evaluation criteria we developed for digital marketing outfits.

An In-Depth Analysis of the Required Skills and Technologies

The ability of an ecommerce web development firm to perform specific tasks, code, and understand multiple programming languages is just as important as the services they offer. So if you’re looking for an accomplished agency, here are the aspects we consider during our in-depth analysis of the skills and technologies it should offer:

Programming Languages, Frameworks, and Technologies

Being proficient in certain programming languages, as well as the relevant frameworks and technologies, is paramount, especially for developers dealing with PaaS and open source. On a company level, they need to be able to deliver ecommerce web development services and have full-stack capabilities, from making a design live all the way to database connectivity.

Frontend Development

This is what your end-user sees. It’s what entices them to give your site a chance. Therefore, UI/UX designers work to make the website look great, load fast, and increase responsiveness.

Languages

• HTML provides the building blocks to all sites, making it possible to format the appearance of images, text, page layouts, and so on. Experience in this is a no-brainer for any professional ecommerce developer.
• CSS is a markup language used to create an appealing ecommerce site. This style sheet language controls the look and feel of the content written in HTML. The main benefit of CSS is faster page loads and improved performance.
• JavaScript is an essential programming language with dynamic capabilities, and virtually all web browsers support it. Usually, it’s used for more interactive elements like drop-down menus and contact forms.
• JQuery is a feature-rich JavaScript library that serves for HTML document traversal and manipulation, animation, event handling, and more. 

Frameworks

The best ecommerce developers use various frameworks — like Bootstrap, Angular, React, or Vue — to make the task of building an online store easier while enhancing the site’s usability and functionality.

CSS Preprocessor

A CSS processor is a program that makes it possible to generate CSS from its own unique syntax. Preprocessors serve to extend the default capabilities of CSS, making it easy to automate repetitive tasks, reduce the number of errors, ensure backward compatibility, and create reusable code snippets. Sass, Stylus, and LESS are the most popular CSS preprocessors among ecommerce developers, all with great advanced features unique to their own ecosystem.

Testing Frameworks

Testing frameworks are sets of guidelines regarding coding standards, object repositories, test-data handling methods, and more; all used to create and design test cases. Each testing framework comprises a combination of tools and practices designed to help QA professionals enhance their testing during the ecommerce software development process. The most popular frameworks for JavaScript are Jasmine, Jest, and Mocha.

Git Version Control

Version control is a special system that records changes to a document. It involves distinguishing a series of draft documents that lead to the final version. Git is an open-source version control system that can efficiently handle both small and large projects with multiple branches.

Browser Developer Tools

Browser developer tools are beneficial as they audit the HTML, JavaScript, and CSS, pointing out which assets the page has requested and how long they took to load.

Web Performance Automation Tools

Many of the best ecommerce developers use web load testing tools like Grunt and Gulp. These tools create a repeatable workflow that ensures the app performs even in maximum traffic conditions.

Backend Development

Languages

• Java is a multipurpose programming language mainly used for enterprise-level sites. Large companies are often turning to Java development companies to help them build backend systems and desktop apps.
• PHP provides robust CMS opportunities, and it’s perfect for ecommerce store development. Additionally, it has well-organized documentation, intuitive syntax, and logic. Its official resource provides ready-made
• PHP solutions to simplify the coding process.
• Ruby on Rails represents flexible and dynamic scripting languages used for building clean and high-quality apps with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files.
• Python has a simpler syntax than other backend languages, and it includes a variety of modules and packages, ensuring great flexibility.  

Frameworks

• .NET is developed by Microsoft and includes a large class library and reliable code, which makes it a popular choice for ecommerce website developers.
• Django is a high-level framework written in Python. It’s open-source and best known for encouraging clean and rapid development.
• Express is used to build web apps in Node. It provides a suite of robust features for creating multi-page or single-page web apps. 

An ecommerce website development company may also be familiar with other notable frameworks like Rails, Laravel, Spring, and Zend.

Database Management

Relational Database Management System

An RDBMS is a subset of database management systems designed specifically for relational databases. These store data in a structured format, thereby relating values within tables. These tables can also be related to other tables, which allows users to run queries across different tables. MySQL is the best-known RDBMS.

NoSQL Database Management System

NoSQL stands for “Not Only SQL” and provides ecommerce web developers with an alternative to traditional databases, accommodating a wide range of data models, including columnar and graphs, key-value, and document formats. The best example of a NoSQL DBMS is MongoDB.

Security Technologies

According to cybersecurity professionals, the top developers should follow a number of technologies, including the following:

• SSL for website traffic encryption
• Authentication
• Firewall
• Digital signature
• Hash
• Edge caching
• SSL offloading
• Edge routing for CDN security

Project Management, Communication, and Reporting

Even the most robust skillset means nothing if it’s managed poorly. Ecommerce development companies that implement an agile management method have the advantage on our list. This project management style has proven to produce a more efficient development process than any other method.

Furthermore, effective communication is vital. The person responsible for your project should be available to communicate with you via various channels. Additionally, we expect the project managers to deliver comprehensive and clear reviews on their progress, transparently discussing any problems, ideas, and solutions.

Pricing Model Analysis

Ecommerce website development isn’t cheap, nor should it be. However, we make sure that the companies listed here have reasonable pricing that aligns with the industry standards. Any vertical extremes are a no-go.

It’s worth mentioning that the billing method (i.e., whether they bill by the hour or by project) is not a definitive indicator of the best ecommerce developers as it is mostly a matter of client preference. What’s more, some companies offer service packages for ongoing support and maintenance, as well as training so that you or your team can navigate the new online store.

Choosing the Best Ecommerce Website Development Company

How to Hire Using Our List

We’ve provided you with a list of the best candidates, but it’s up to you to choose the most suitable one for your business and your vision. The first, most important thing to do is shortlist the companies based on the following criteria:

What Type of Website Do You Need?

Based on the nature of your business, you might need a B2B, B2C, C2C, or C2B website. Because these website types require different skills and techniques, ecommerce developers usually focus on working within one or two of these models.

How Much Control Do You Want over Your Website?

Deciding how much control you want to have over your website is important because it determines the type of platform your store will be built on. If you want greater control, you should go for an agency that works with open-source platforms.

How Much Are You Willing to Spend?

Before scheduling a consultation with a potential candidate, you need to define your resources and determine how much you’re willing to spend on your online store. Keep in mind that if you choose an ecommerce web design company that works with SaaS, you’ll have monthly or yearly software expenses. If you aren’t ready to cover those expenses, consider hiring a developer that works with PaaS or an open-source platform.

Do You Need Web Design?

If you need design services, consider full-service ecommerce developers instead of a separate web design company. However, if you have the design sorted out already, you can hire a dedicated developer who will bring your vision to life.

Do You Need Any Additional Services?

We mentioned that we consider any services the agency offers beyond development and design. If you don’t have a digital marketer, SEO specialist, or content creator on your team, you should shortlist the companies that provide these services.

Before Sealing the Deal with Your Ecommerce Development Company

There are a few things you need to communicate with the agencies you’ve shortlisted before hiring one of them.

Introduce Them to Your Goals

During the preliminary interview, you need to make sure to outline your vision and needs. Consider what you already have and what you need to have done. Maybe you already have a great design that only requires solid ecommerce website development services, or you just want specific features added. This step is crucial to laying out a successful plan.

Ask How Involved You’ll Be in the Decision-Making Process

Ask the project manager whether they take a collaborative approach and how involved you’ll be in the decision-making. Any company that wants to present you with the final version of your project and call it good is a no-go. Make sure to emphasize that you expect to have the final say.

Determine How Frequently You Want to Be Updated

This is another aspect that can make or break a deal with an ecommerce web development company. Constant updates followed by transparent talks and problem-solving meetings are the cornerstone of any successful project. Make sure to arrange the number of updates you receive according to your preferences. Finally, it’s always a good idea to ask for an appointed person to communicate with.

What Happens If Plans Change?

Revisions are a normal part of every development process. You need to ask potential ecommerce developers whether they will proactively manage the revision process and whether they have a limited number of revision requests.