Kasyanenko Yevhen Is Your Guide To The World Of E-Commerce.

Kasyanenko Yevhen is your guide to the world of e-commerce.

Hello everyone. This is Kasyanenko Yevhen, and our topic today is online stores and the world of e-commerce. I will tell you what e-commerce is, what online stores are, and how they are structured. Naturally, we will discuss the strengths of selling through online stores.

What is an online store and how does it work?

What is an online store? It is a separate website or mobile application. Its main task is to sell goods/services online. Users can freely browse catalogs, place orders, pay for them, and receive goods at the specified address. The key feature of online stores is the automation of most processes: from selecting a product to its payment and delivery.

What is e-commerce? E-commerce is the process of buying/selling goods/services on the internet. The term encompasses all commercial transactions that take place online: from retail sales to banking. The e-commerce sector includes the following forms of trade relationships:

• B2C (business to consumer);
• B2B (business to business);
• C2C (consumer to consumer);
• C2B (consumer to business).

And now I will talk about the algorithm of user interaction with the online store.

1.The user can select products and add them to the cart. First, the visitor enters the product catalog, familiarizing themselves with the assortment. The ergonomics of the catalog, proper navigation, and filter system are very important. This simplifies interaction with the site.

After the products are selected, they can add them to the cart and continue searching for other items. In the cart, the customer can edit the quantity of items, add/remove products.

2.Once the customer has chosen everything they were looking for and added it to the cart, they can begin the checkout process. If the buyer already has a profile on the site, they do not need to enter the information, as it will be filled in automatically. The client only checks its relevance.

If there is no profile, the client is presented with a form that is important to fill out. The form requires the following data:

• personal data;
• phone number;
• payment method (from credit card to cash on delivery);
• enter a promo code, if available;
• choose an appropriate delivery method;
• select a post office or courier delivery.

3.After filling out the form, the client goes to the payment page for the product. There, they can double-check all the information, select a payment system, and make the payment. Among the most popular methods will be:

• debit/credit cards Visa;
• debit/credit cards MasterCard;
• PayPal;
• Apple Pay;
• Google Pay.

Payment methods may differ depending on the buyer’s GEO.

4.Then the order processing and confirmation begin. After the payment is completed, the user receives a notification that the order is being processed. When all the data has been verified, the user will receive a notification that the order is confirmed and ready for shipment.  In some stores, users can track the status of their order in real-time.

5.The delivery phase begins. The order is handed over to the post office and sent to the buyer.

6.After the client receives the order, they need to be encouraged to provide feedback. Questions or complaints from customers cannot be ignored. The store’s task is to do everything to ensure that the customer makes a purchase, is satisfied, and returns again. It is important to assist the customer with product returns, exchanges, respond to their questions, and provide support if there are issues with the order.

Main elements of the online store

We have already figured out what an online store is, and now let’s go through its structure. You should have a rough idea of what to expect from the future project.

Frontend

This part of your store will interact with the customer. The frontend consists of:

• design;
• interface;
• catalog structure;
• product cards.

The frontend is responsible for the usability of your site. HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are used to create the frontend.

Backend

This part of the site is not visible to the client and does not interact with it. The backend is responsible for:

• the logic of the online store;
• data management;
• data processing;
• interaction with databases;
• order management;
• payments, and so on.

To implement all these functions, the following technology stack is used: server-side programming languages (Python, Ruby, PHP), database management systems (MySQL or PostgreSQL).

Product catalog

The product catalog has been, is, and will be the foundation of the online store. It displays all the product positions that your store can offer to the buyer. Special attention should be paid to creating the catalog, as the ergonomics and quality of the catalog affect the customer experience. A good product catalog contains:

• product names;
• product categories;
• filter system;
• detailed product descriptions;
• technical/quality characteristics of the products;
• high-quality, unique product photos;
• video reviews;
• system for customer reviews and comments.

Shopping cart

The cart allows customers to collect products without interrupting the payment process. This is convenient and allows the user to spend more time browsing the catalogs. This improves customer retention metrics on the site.

Payment system or payment gateways

The payment system for products should be convenient and flexible. Moreover, it should be adapted to different GEOs. Each country has its popular methods of paying for goods. If, in most European countries, it will be bank cards, in the USA, it will be PayPal, while in Asia, there are other services. This aspect needs to be considered at the stage of integrating payment gateways.

Having a variety of payment options not only demonstrates your customer orientation but also increases the chances of making a purchase, enhancing audience loyalty.

Order delivery system

The same applies to the payment system. Each country and region has its preferred delivery services. Somewhere it will be DHL, FedEx, while in other places, it may be UPS or Royal Mail.

The delivery system should be flexible and diverse. Consider integrating with services in advance to ensure a positive shopping experience for customers.

Content Management System (CMS)

The CMS allows you to manage the content within the store. With it, you can:

• add new products to the catalogs;
• update information in product cards;
• publish news;
• create blogs;
• add guides and instructions.

Which one to choose? It all depends on a number of factors, including the scale of your business. But here are some of the most popular CMS options: Magento, WooCommerce, Shopify. These systems are popular, have proven themselves well, and offer great potential for scaling and personalizing the store. This is all thanks to the modular system and separate stores with plugins and extensions.

Advantages of online stores

And now let’s talk about the strengths of an online store.

1. An online store will be available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. This gives customers the opportunity to place orders and make purchases whenever it is convenient for them.
2. The assortment of goods is many times larger than in traditional stores. If your store was handled by a professional team, then they took scalability into account. This means that the number of product positions on the site is virtually unlimited. The larger the assortment, the more audience you can attract.
3. You can shop right from home using a PC, smartphone, or even a tablet.
4. The pricing policy of online marketplace stores is more favorable than that of physical locations. Why? Online stores do not spend money on renting premises, salaries for consultants, decorating windows, and so on.
5. New opportunities for personalizing offers. Thanks to analytical tools, you can easily learn to understand your customer. Additionally, tools allow you to offer customers products based on their purchase history and behavior on the site.
6. Your online store can easily enter the international market. The key is to consider this factor before starting work on the site.

Why should you turn to professionals?

If you are still pondering whether you need your own online store or even a marketplace, you have come to the right place.

Why do clients choose Kiss.software?

• The team consists of specialists with many years of experience in the field of online store development and e-commerce projects.
• You will see all stages of development and the results of the work.
• Honest feedback and direct communication come first. Honesty and openness during collaboration help make timely adjustments to the project and achieve the desired result.
• We offer comprehensive solutions for creating online stores: from analyzing your business to long-term project support and assistance in scaling.
• We select a stack of specialists and technologies based on the requirements and specifics of the project.
• Our team guarantees long-term support and updates for the project.

Your online store is a powerful, functional tool for business. It opens new opportunities for business: from increasing the number of purchases to entering the international market. But its development requires a team of professionals. And K.I.S.S. Software has such a team.

If you are interested in turnkey online store development, then leave your request for feedback, and we will get in touch with you.