Anyone who wants to build an ecommerce site from scratch probably isn’t going to do it themselves; that’s what ecommerce web developers WebCitz and the other top brands are known for. The question is, will the company you choose fulfill your expectations, or give you a sub-par result because they weren’t actually as good as they said they were? If you’re trying to choose an ecommerce development company that won’t let you down, there are a few characteristics they need to have.
Most importantly, they need to feel like a good fit for your specific ecommerce site. Even if an ecommerce development company ticks all the technical boxes, this doesn’t mean that they’re the best one for the job. You also need to pay attention to your own preferences. For example, maybe it would work better for your budget if you opted to get value for money, and you’ve found someone who can make it happen…but you also want to work with someone who can keep up with your fast-paced schedule. So do you choose the company that promises a low price, or the one that offers speed? That’s the kind of decision that depends on you, not so much on the website.
Punctuality
Whether or not you want the process to go as quickly as possible, an ecommerce development company should be able to deliver on time. Granted, there’s always the possibility of unexpected delays, but aside from that you should expect them to adhere to deadlines.
This isn’t just a matter of holding them to their word; delays will almost certainly cost you more money, and that’s something to avoid no matter how big your budget. Plus, if you’re building an ecommerce website, that probably isn’t the only plate you’re trying to spin – and if one plate goes down, some of the others probably will too.
A qualified team
It’s all well and good to have highly qualified leadership within the team, but what about the other people who’ll be spending hours creating your site? What you want is for the whole team to be certified for developing ecommerce websites.
On the flip side of the coin, you should also ask for a team that’s experienced. Certification is important, but without experience you don’t really know what you’re getting. In fact, it wouldn’t hurt to confirm what they’re experienced in; if the technologies or platforms that they’re skilled in don’t apply to your site, the company probably won’t be a good fit for you. Building an ecommerce site is an integral step in booting up an online business, so this is the last place you want to cut corners. You’ll be paying an ecommerce development company regardless of the kind of work they do, so it only makes sense to pick someone who can deliver exactly what you need.
Good reviews
Looking at someone’s portfolio can give you a pretty good idea of the kind of work they do. It allows you to not only get acquainted with the quality of their projects, but also their sense of style and creativity. However, you need more information than what you can get from a company’s portfolio, and that’s why you should also check out their reviews.
A portfolio will show you the end result, and the reviews will tell you what it was like to get that result. You can find out if the ecommerce development company was easy to work with (or not), whether they completed the work on time, or how willing they were to collaborate with their clients. Keep in mind that nobody’s going to have perfect five-star reviews; after all, you can’t make everybody happy. That being said, it’s still pretty easy to tell if the complaints follow a pattern. If multiple people mention having the same problem with a certain company, it’s time to continue your search elsewhere.
Transparency in the budget
It’s one of the classic rip-offs – you discuss a budget, make the plans, and then discover that they expect you to expand the budget halfway through the process. And guess what? The thing you’re paying extra for is necessary for your plans to work. From bathroom repairs to buying a car, it happens all the time, and ecommerce development companies are no exception.
Fortunately for you, most of them will follow the same template: they present you with an incomplete package (leaving out one or two things that are vital for your website to function), then inform you later that you’ll have to cough up some more cash. And since you’ll be past the point of no return by then, you won’t have much of a choice. If you’d prefer for this not to happen, simply look over any contract they present to you and confirm that all the necessities are there. Any package they offer should come with a list of what it includes, so if you know what to look for, it’s pretty easy to find out if something’s missing.
A relevant unique selling proposition (USP)
Most ecommerce development companies will have their own USP. In fact, you can usually sort them into distinct categories: customization, guarantee, originality, specialization, speed, service, convenience, selection, price, and quality. The question is, which one would serve you and your site best? Maybe it’s important for the ecommerce site to be up and running by a certain date – in that case, a company that’s known for being fast would work well, or one that guarantees that they’ll finish on time. It could be that you want the site to be really special, and you have plenty of time and money to make it a reality; you’d be better off with a company that focuses on quality or originality.
In conclusion
The ecommerce development industry has a lot to offer no matter what you’re looking for – from expertise to originality, if you want it, there’s probably someone who’s offering it. If you haven’t found someone that seems like a good fit yet, don’t stop searching – they’re out there somewhere!
