Cloud-Based eCommerce Platform: Benefits, Features & Development

If we explore some of the latest developments in the retail ecosystem, the concept of the “smart cloud” deserves special attention.

Cloud computing is enabling eCommerce businesses to grow more quickly and profitably.

Retailers now have an enormous potential to expand their online presence and business thanks to the change in consumer shopping behavior in online purchases. E-commerce has profited dramatically from cloud computing technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Businesses wishing to expand or enhance their operations can save time and money using a cloud-based eCommerce platform.

It won’t come as a surprise if you’re thinking about developing a cloud-based eCommerce platform. We’ll go over all you need to know about developing cloud-based eCommerce platforms in this blog.

We will discuss advantages, features, development tips, best technologies, and more. So, let’s start!

What Is a Cloud-Based eCommerce Platform?

A cloud-based eCommerce platform is an all-in-one platform that enables online businesses to manage their sites easily, marketing, sales, and operations. A quick, scalable cloud-based solution improves your operational effectiveness, delivers remarkable customer experiences, and opens incredible growth potential.

Moving ahead, let’s talk about,

Why must businesses consider cloud-based eCommerce platform development in 2022? Top reasons & benefits.

Benefits of Cloud-Based eCommerce Platform

The following are some advantages of using a cloud-based e-commerce platform. Take a look!

Scalability

The e-commerce industry’s dynamic needs are catered for by cloud computing. It enables businesses to adjust their IT needs in response to traffic, business difficulties, or seasonal fluctuations. Additionally, it aids with task balancing and demand volatility management.

Speed

Although cloud computing may ensure unmatched speed, on-site physical IT infrastructure for e-commerce sites cannot. According to research on speed and performance, almost 40% of online buyers are likely to leave a website if loading takes more than 3-6 seconds.

The business’s bounce rate may rise as a result of this. Customers may switch to a competitor’s website, which could be harmful to the overall health of the business.

Cost-Effective Maintenance

You can avoid physical infrastructures by using the cloud. You don’t have to spend massive costs on new equipment, employ individuals, or pay for upkeep, power, etc. While it’s possible that your business could require more later, a cloud-based eCommerce platform can offer all those resources and services as needed, with customers only having to pay for the help they really need.

Your initial investment will be substantially lower as a result. Compared to conventional stores, a cloud-based eCommerce platform has cheaper maintenance costs. Additionally, the ability to pay for cloud services based on usage lets you utilize them as you need them, which reduces costs.

Also, a cloud solution could help a business avoid the expenditures of developing static environments scaled for traffic peaks and the associated hardware, which may only be used occasionally throughout the year.

Security

Data storage in a virtual infrastructure ensures uninterrupted operations. It lowers the danger of failures, thefts, or cyberattacks, which is crucial for any e-commerce because the loss of data can result in a host of organizational and legal issues. Another reason for an e-commerce business to use a cloud-based eCommerce platform is that it prevents system crashes, which could otherwise result in a bad reputation and fewer sales.

Automation

In all areas of the sales and marketing process, automation enables business owners to accomplish more with fewer resources and lowers the risk of human error. Cloud-based eCommerce platforms can be customized to process transactions and payments automatically, send email and text message confirmations and reminders, send predefined customer care responses, and assist with logistics, among a plethora of other functions.

Moving ahead, let’s delve into the details and uncover what features to consider while developing a custom eCommerce solution for your business.

Top Must-Have Features of Cloud-Based E-commerce Platforms

Key features that you can include in your cloud-based eCommerce platform are: –

Security

Using the cloud eCommerce platform, you can collect, store, and analyze business data. As a result, it must constantly guarantee your data’s security and integrity. Additionally, when processing reports, it must also be accurate and quick to extract data.

Easy Payment Solution

Customers must be able to pay for products and services in a quick, safe, and dependable manner, whether they are individuals or other businesses. Primary online payment methods like credit/debit cards, net banking, and many others should be supported by the platform. Additionally, you need to confirm that you can maintain the accuracy and security of the customer’s payment details.

Push Notifications

One of the key components that affect how effectively an eCommerce platform performs is a push notification. These notifications increase interaction and help tell clients about deals, referrals, offers, and other information.

Product Management

An administrator can manage listings and upload products to the platform using this functionality. Bulk uploads, product categorization, mapping, and the creation of dynamic catalog filters like sorting, price range, colors, size, and others.

Search Bar

The product search bar is used by customers to quickly and easily find the products they are searching for among the hundreds or thousands of listed products. It is essential for boosting the sales of eCommerce platforms and improving user interface quality.

Wishlist

Buyers typically add products to their wish lists at the end of each month when they have little left over for purchases. If they find something they want but can’t afford right now, let them add it to their wish list and buy it later. For eCommerce businesses, the wishlist functionality increases sales.

Profile

For a variety of reasons, customers prefer personal profiles when using e-commerce platforms. They can update their orders, addresses, payment options, and favorite items on their profile. Add this feature by collaborating with top DevOps implementation services to allow users to customize their profiles as you build your custom eCommerce platform.

Analytics

Businesses should have a system for monitoring access, with regular growth and advancement. If you have a comprehensive picture of your business’s actions, you can grow and improve your client-persuading strategies. Therefore, implementing precise analytics features aids in documenting and monitoring consumer behavior and interaction data to improve the user experience.

Also Read- What is Cloud Business Intelligence and How It Helps Businesses Grow?

As you’ve seen the benefits & must-have features of cloud-based eCommerce platforms, let’s talk about,

How to Develop a Cloud-Based eCommerce Platform?

Follow the below-mentioned steps to build an efficient cloud-based eCommerce platform!

Define Your Audience

Finding out who will ultimately utilize your platform is the next stage after you’ve established what you want from your cloud-based e-commerce platform and decided to hire DevOps engineers to build your platform.

Any business that wants to interact with a customer effectively must have a clear understanding of who that customer is. Analyzing the clientele of your rivals is one method of finding out this. Here are some considerations to make:

• Establish the demographics, including gender, age group, income level, and level of education, among others.
• Communicate with customers to better understand their preferences through feedback, recommendations, and reviews.
• Utilize social media to find out who is interested in your brand or offer based on their likes & follows.

Choose a Platform

Your e-commerce platform’s size and complexity depending on your project’s complexity. Let’s now examine the fundamental e-commerce platforms:

• Shopify
• Open Cart
• WooCommerce
• Magento

If none of the solutions is suitable for your business, think about developing a custom eCommerce platform. But you will need to find & hire DevOps developers in this case.

Also Read: How to Hire SaaS Developers for Your Business Idea?

Choose the Best Custom eCommerce Development Company

You are prepared to get in touch with a custom eCommerce development company that can put your idea into practice once you have worked out the specifications for the e-commerce solution.

The company must be highly rated and have a proven track record of developing e-commerce platforms. They should ideally be able to counsel you before your actual cooperation starts, offer continuing assistance, and offer UX/UI design services.

You can hire DevOps developers who can advise you on the structure of your solution. You can indeed choose from a number of options, depending on the findings of your research, the budget, and your goals.

Design

Customers can be excited by an eCommerce platform’s design components, moving them toward the bottom of your sales funnel. Customers may spend more time on your platform depending on a variety of factors, including the landing page, icon design and relevance, drop-down menus, and the caliber and positioning of graphic material.

To communicate the company’s goals accurately, e-commerce experts typically devote more significant resources to brand logo image development.

Make sure to position the footers and sidebars to encourage user involvement thoughtfully. You can design captivating call-to-action buttons that resemble clickbait and send readers straight to the checkout page.

Start the Development

At this step, DevOps implementation services build the back-end structure of your platform while considering the security, consistency, and scalability of your custom cloud-based eCommerce platform. They also develop your platform according to the features decided earlier. Due to the intricate coding and integration of functional components required for building a platform, the development process is the one that requires the most time. 

Also Read: MVP Development for Startups

Do Test Your Product

E-commerce platform testing is a crucial next stage that must come after or even concurrently with cloud-based eCommerce platform development. Testing is essential to ensure a positive purchasing experience because it examines usability, consumer convenience, checks for defects, and more.

Testing typically takes place across platforms, devices, and various browsers. Manual, automatic, or both two methods can be used to test platforms.

The value of testing cannot be overstated. Ecommerce platforms have suffered losses due to unhappy consumers who leave because of sluggish loading of websites, bad navigation, broken links, and glitches.

How Much Does a Custom Cloud-Based eCommerce Platform Development Cost?

Well, it’s a bit difficult to quote specific costs associated with eCommerce platform development. The cost depends on various factors like: 

• Features & Functionalities
• Tech stack used
• The hired custom eCommerce development company
• Complexity

If you want the exact cost to build a Custom cloud-based eCommerce platform, then you need to contact a top custom eCommerce development company with all your requirements.

Conclusion

The e-commerce industry is adapting more successfully than any other modern-era industry, and smart solutions are becoming more prominent simultaneously. The most excellent option for any eCommerce business to reach out to more clients is thought to be through a cloud-based eCommerce platform.

Hire a custom eCommerce development company with experience guiding eCommerce businesses and expertise in how cloud technologies can help users gain a deeper understanding of industry dynamics.