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In the online shopping world, an ecommerce website is the foundation of a business. This website is home to your product offerings and contains important information about your brand, two critical pillars that drive sales online.

For ecommerce brands just getting started, pre-built ecommerce solutions are appealing, but they’re limited in terms of features and functionality f´Ç°ùÌýgrowth.

Many companies opt f´Ç°ùÌýcustom ecommerce solutions that offer a more personalized experience f´Ç°ùÌýshoppers and, ultimately, support their profitably and growth.

Let’s explore the ins and outs of custom ecommerce solutions, what they provide f´Ç°ùÌýyour online shop, and how they can help a business experience massive growth.

What are Custom Ecommerce Solutions?

A custom ecommerce solution is built specifically f´Ç°ùÌýthe business it is serving. This means a development team creates unique code f´Ç°ùÌýyour ecommerce website, designed to meet customers’ needs.

Custom solutions give businesses the freedom to offer a personalized shopping experience f´Ç°ùÌýcustomers, rather than a cookie-cutter version.

Before you select a custom ecommerce solution, there are a few things you should research and understand first.

Your target audience

The target audience should be at the forefront of every decision you make regarding your ecommerce business.

Research the gaps in the market, what your products offer and how they fill in those gaps, and (most importantly) the wants and needs of your target audience.

The competition

Your competition can tell you a lot about what you should be doing — by understanding where they fall short. What features ´Ç°ùÌýfunctionality do their websites offer? How do they attract customers? What types of content do they promote?

Having intel on what works f´Ç°ùÌýyour competitors is ideal as you create a custom ecommerce solution f´Ç°ùÌýyour own brand because it helps carve out what you should prioritize.

Budget

Developing a custom ecommerce store can add up quickly, so keeping the budget in mind throughout the process is critical.

Prioritize the features and capabilities of your ecommerce site that will drive sales and increase your bottom line, so you can remain profitable while providing a first-class digital shopping experience.

Benefits of Customized Ecommerce Solutions

Should your business choose a custom ecommerce solution instead of an off-the-shelf option? Let’s explore the benefits of customized ecommerce solutions here.

1. Enhanced Branding & Customer Loyalty

With a custom ecommerce solution, your company will have total control over the branding, layout, design, and website functionality. This level of control is ideal f´Ç°ùÌýbusinesses that want to grow and scale because they have the peace of mind of knowing that they can change certain aspects of the website as necessary.

As your customers navigate your website and purchase products, the tailored shopping experience will foster a sense of loyalty. As your business provides an enjoyable shopping experience along with quality products, customer loyalty will increase.

2. Improved Customer Experience

Customer experience is more important than ever before. are more likely to make another purchase after having a positive customer experience. For many consumers, experience matters just as much (if not more) than price, so meeting this demand is critical f´Ç°ùÌýbusiness growth.

The more unique and personalized your website experience, the more efficiently you will grow your customer base. From consistent branding to personalized messaging and product recommendations, there are many ways a custom solution can help you improve the customer experience.

3. Exponential Growth Capabilities

Custom solutions are flexible and can be modified as your business grows, customers’ wants and needs change, and your goals get bigger. A custom solution is designed to grow alongside your business and can be tweaked as you forecast market changes ´Ç°ùÌýas your customer base shifts.

In turn, you’re meeting the needs of your customers quickly and efficiently.

4. Convenient Integrations

If you utilize other platforms f´Ç°ùÌýinventory, payment processing, and customer management, a custom ecommerce solution will integrate seamlessly with these entities.

With all of these systems operational, you’ll be more productive at managing customers, cross-selling and upselling, driving sales, and improving the customer experience. 

Custom vs. Pre-Built Ecommerce Platforms

Now that you understand the benefits and draw to a custom ecommerce solution, let’s explore the differences and benefits of pre-built, ´Ç°ùÌýoff-the-shelf, ecommerce platforms.

Pre-built ecommerce platforms make it easy f´Ç°ùÌýecommerce shops to get up and running quickly and without much heavy lifting. They offer pre-designed templates that are ready to install on a website so users can start browsing and purchasing products.

The primary benefits of pre-built platforms include:

• Ease of use: from quick launch to easy-to-use features, pre-built platforms offer a speedier, easier approach to running an ecommerce store. A business can avoid custom development entirely and have access to dedicated support, communities, and forums f´Ç°ùÌýhelp.
• Cost effectiveness: when compared to custom B2B ecommerce solutions, pre-built platforms are highly affordable and cost-effective f´Ç°ùÌýa company’s profitability. You won’t be paying f´Ç°ùÌýcustom development which can save you a substantial amount of money.
• Platform updates: with an off-the-shelf platform, regular updates are common and don’t require much effort from the business using the platform. The provider ensures their clients’ stores have the latest features and updates, minimizing maintenance ´Ç°ùÌýupkeep on the ecommerce store’s side.

On the flip side, there are a few drawbacks to utilizing a pre-built ecommerce solution f´Ç°ùÌýyour business. You’ll find limited customization and a lack of scalability f´Ç°ùÌýlong-term growth. Your company’s success will also be at the mercy of the provider f´Ç°ùÌýfeature updates and support, which many businesses find frustrating.

Build and Grow an Ecommerce Shop with ºÚÁÏÃÅ

Choosing a home f´Ç°ùÌýyour ecommerce shop can be daunting and challenging, especially if you’re new to the game. Fortunately, ºÚÁÏÃÅ provides a single platform with tons of functionality, features, and capabilities to support your growth at any stage.

Sell anything, anywhere with ºÚÁÏÃÅ’s instant site builder and connect with your customers on social media, through popular marketplaces, ´Ç°ùÌýon your current website.

If you’re new to ecommerce, our blog is packed with resources, guides, and recommendations to help you grow.