Custom vs Readymade Script Based Online Shopping Website Development
Brick and Mortar businesses are dying. Or at least the competition is making them less and less competitive.
More than 50% of US adults spend their time shopping online rather visiting an offline store.
Above all, on any given day a customer would prefer logging into an online shopping website from the comfort of his/her home than take the traffic-infested route to a retail store. Times have changed. If you want to sell something, putting up a website sounds more logical than renting a space and putting up a cash counter.
Online shopping website development can be done in two ways: custom eCommerce development. In this article we are going to do a comparo of the two alternatives to achieve the common objective: build online shopping website.
Custom eCommerce Website Development
| Pros: Completely personalized online stores Custom-built according to specific requirements No limitations on user base or scalability | Cons: Highly expensive Takes time to build from scratch Finding reliable developers is a challenge Speed-to-market cannot be guaranteed |
Readymade Script based eCommerce Website Development
| Pros: Quick to launch Economical Plenty of plugins to choose from Has almost equal features as custom-built customizable | Cons: Competitors might use the same template Some customizations may not be possible Changing technology or platform is difficult Performance needs to be optimized regularly |
Custom eCommerce Website Development
Custom eCommerce website development is like building a house right from brick one. You have to find a development firm that can help you draw the blueprint that matches your taste, your space needs and exterior appeal. Let’s say building your own eCommerce website might sound like fun and great, but, it is a nerve racking experience. And of course, the cost can shoot through the roof too.
Key Characteristics of Custom eCommerce Website Development
There are certain key characteristics of customer eCommerce website development that is specific to custom eCommerce website development, some of which are detailed as below:
Customization
Custom eCommerce development allows business owner to imagine, design and develop the eCommerce down to the last pixel. Right from choice of the design theme to the choice of font, even the slightest detail can be customized.
As for other matters like product listing, multivendor management and extensions, integrating any kind of addon is possible in custom eCommerce website development.
Post-launch service
Another benefit that custom eCommerce website development that everybody gets impressed with is the post-launch service. Even after the website is launched, the eCommerce development firm will continue to assist in further customizing and modifying the online shopping website with changes in technology, user interface, further addition of features and so on.
Cost involved
Due to the high level of personalization and customization involved, custom eCommerce development is expensive. Resources include thousand plus man hours as well as cost to buy hardware infrastructure including servers, domains and so on.
Readymade Software based eCommerce Website Development
Key characteristics of Readymade Software based eCommerce Website Development
Let’s get back to the example of building a house. What if there was an architect who gave everything starting from blueprint, materials to interior design, everything worked out? You just have to pick up your choices and have your home ready. Simple as it could be.
Customizable
Although readymade scripts are pre-built, they can be customized to make them uniquely fitting for your requirements. For instance, the color theme, display, user interface, scale of operations, etc. can be customized according to your business needs.
No coding. No development.
Readymade scripts save you from the trouble of getting your hands dirty with coding and development. Even if required, it will be in the form of low-key coding which the vendor you buy from can take care of. The script can also be tested for bugs and performance to your satisfaction before it is launched.
Scalability
Most eCommerce scripts are launched as cloud-ready solutions. Cloud gives the flexibility to up scale and downsize storage and hosting requirements as and when needed. Secondly, their performance can also be further enhanced with the help of third-party plugins that otherwise would have to be hard coded in custom eCommerce development.
In the end, both custom eCommerce development as well readymade script based website development has its own share of pros and cons. The key is to match your requirements to the offerings and make a choice that will cater to the needs of the end users.
For business owners who have very little time to spare but want to achieve speed-to-market a readymade marketplace solution would be a safe bet. Moreover, it is cost-effective and does not demand coding skills either.
Check out a list of top readymade software to build a marketplace here.
Author Bio:
Alex Sam is a digital marketer by choice & profession. He munches on topics relating to technology, eCommerce, enterprise mobility, Cloud Solutions and Internet of Things. His other interests lies in SEO, Online Reputation Management and Google Analytics.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexsam986
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alex.sam.9693
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexsamdigitalmarketer/
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