What is Custom E-Commerce Development?
The fact is that in the world of software, off-the-shelf solutions are rarely one-size-fits-all. Nowhere does that ring truer than in the area of e-commerce. Software vendors want everyone to believe that selling a product fits into one single mold, and that their off-the-shelf solutions make the most sense for the majority of users. In some cases, it's true, and off-the-shelf product databases and shopping carts do make sense. But, in many cases, a more sophisticated approach is necessary.
Benefits of Custom E-Commerce Development
It would be ridiculous to say that all e-commerce projects need to be custom built. In many cases, off-the-shelf solutions work just fine. But, there are benefits to building custom e-commerce projects which business owners should consider.
- Flexibility: Off-the-shelf solutions require businesses to run within the mold of how the software was developed. Even "extensible" software doesn't necessarily help, despite having libraries of plug-ins and extensions aimed at meeting almost any requirement. A custom e-commerce system allows business owners to match the software to their precise requirements, thus enhancing how they present products, allow for payments, and manage their business on the back-end.
- Security: Any software off-the-shelf will always have some level of security concerns that come along with it. Custom software can be secured beyond industry standards, providing a level of safety to both your customers and your own company as you build and manage your business.
- Ongoing Costs: Custom software oftentimes can avoid the maintenance game off-the-shelf software vendors subject their customers to. There are no planned upgrades or updates, nor will the underlying software change on you suddenly, forcing unexpected costs (often at the worst time!).
- It's An Asset! Custom software is an asset to your company rather than a liability. It enables you to make the optimizations your competitors can't,