Benefits of Outsourcing eCommerce Web Development?

To start an ecommerce business today, you don’t need to hire a lot of employees and developers. Outsourcing is so popular for ecommerce businesses due to the many benefits it brings. 

Almost any business function can be outsourced, including ecommerce website development. Here are the benefits your ecommerce business gains from outsourcing website development:

Save time – There are do-it-yourself programs for website development, but they can be extremely time-consuming to complete and not really effective. Issues often arise, taking up more time to fix before it causes bigger problems.

Reduce cost – Hiring a web developer in-house to handle your ecommerce website development is great if budget isn’t a problem. Hiring local developers comes with a high price that many startup ecommerce businesses just don’t have. Outsourcing allows you to have access to expert website developers for a fraction of the cost. 

Increase conversions – Let’s face it, it’s a dog-eat-dog world in the ecommerce market. Your website is everything. Consumers make judgments of your company within just a few seconds of being on your website. 

Outsourcing ecommerce website development is putting this critical task in the hands of trained and experienced experts that know what it takes to convert a web visitor. 

Scale – When you outsource website development for your ecommerce business, you can focus on other vital functions and strategies to scale your business quickly while they create your site. 

Also, a professionally developed ecommerce website will help gain credibility and convert as expert developers understand what elements and features are needed to win over your prospects. 

Expert developers – There’s nothing that will make your ecommerce business fail faster than a poorly developed website. In the ecommerce market, your website is the face of your company. It’s how your visitors view your company. 

When you choose to outsource for your ecommerce website development, you gain access to top developers to work on your site for optimal results. 

Outsourcing eCommerce Website Development Tips

Outsourcing website development for your ecommerce business is an excellent decision. To help the process go smoothly, fast, and effectively, you’ll want to follow the best practices to ensure your outsourcing partnership is successful. 

Let’s go over five tips to follow when outsourcing ecommerce website development.

1. Define Wants and Needs 

You probably have an idea of what you want your website to look like, how you want it to function, and what features you want to see. It’s best to sit down and write it all out. Clearly define your goals, vision for your site, and what you are trying to accomplish. You’ll also want to decide on a timeframe you need your ecommerce site completed. 

Once you have all of your needs and wants for your ecommerce website down, you’ll have a better understanding of the skill levels needed to get the job done. 

You can’t start shopping for an outsourcing partner to fit your needs if you don’t know them yourself. 

2. Pick an Outsourcing Provider

When choosing an outsourcing provider for your ecommerce website development, keep in mind, not all are created equal. The outsourcing company you pick is a big deal as they are essentially creating the face of your company. When interviewing an outsource website development provider, you’ll want to ask some questions to determine if they’re the right fit. 

First and foremost, you’ll want to be sure the outsourcing provider has the skill set to complete your ecommerce website development needs. You’ll want to know their experience with creating ecommerce websites and check out their portfolio. 

The outsourcing provider you work with to develop your ecommerce website should have extensive knowledge in user experience, conversions, and consumer expectations today. When interviewing with a provider, they should ask questions about your business, wants, and needs as it shows their genuine interest in delivering a website that works best for your business. 

When outsourcing ecommerce website development, you’re likely to choose an offshore provider for their expert ability to develop highly functioning sites at an affordable cost. 

It’s best to choose a company that speaks fluent English, so there’s no miscommunication. It helps when the company has a similar culture, making for a more pleasant outsourcing partnership.

3. Communication

One thing is certain many outsourcing partnerships have gone sour due to poor communication. Over communicating is definitely the way to go, especially before they get started. You want to give all the project details in length, including the features you want, how you want it to look, and any expectations you have for your website. 

It’s best to nail down means of communication early on and the times to contact since there will be time zone differences. Understanding when and how to contact your website developer will help your website development process run smoothly and quickly and save you from frustration. 

Some outsourcing providers offer project management tools that help communicate and collaborate and to stay in the know of where your website development project stands. After all, your ecommerce business cannot function without a website, so time is of the essence, but a highly functioning site is crucial. 

4. The Contract 

Before you take the leap and sign on the dotted line to hire an outsourcing provider to develop your ecommerce website, read over the contract thoroughly.

The outsourcing provider should provide you with a written agreement outlining the details of your ecommerce website development project, costs, and projected done date. 

A contract protects your investment to ensure everything is on the up and up. 

5. Split It Up 

Commonly development teams have an agile process where big projects are split into smaller chunks to reach specific milestones. The cost is split up for each phase and gets paid after completing each step.

6. Get Ready to Provide 

Once you choose which company you want to outsource website development for your ecommerce business, the next step is to get your ducks in a row. What I mean is, get your product details and images together, including any pictures you want on your website. If you are planning a bio on your ecommerce website so your clientele can feel more connected to you, then have that ready. 

The faster you can get everything to your outsourcing website development team, the quicker your ecommerce site will be ready to hit the market. The beauty of outsourcing ecommerce website development is once you provide the developer with the things needed, they take over from there, and you can get back to other essential tasks. 

The benefit of outsourcing ecommerce website development is that you can scale quickly. If you decide mid-way through a project you want to add more or remove something, it can get done easily by you with just a simple email to your developer.

6. Dedicated Project Manager 

Having a project manager to oversee your outsourced ecommerce website development is a great idea, especially for a complex site. They will ensure your project runs smoothly and on time, problem solve and keep everyone in the loop with updates, changes, or issues. 

Having a dedicated project manager will save you a lot of time and stress as you will always know where the project stands and can just chime in when needed. You can also collaborate with your project manager on specific features to ensure you get the best website for your ecommerce business. 

The Rollout

OK, now you have a spanking new shiny website showcasing your products. What you do next is what matters. You have to get out there and let the world know about your ecommerce business and all the awesome products you offer. 

Excellent marketing, including social media and positive word of mouth, is an ecommerce business’ best friend. Providing exceptional customer service is key. The truth is, consumers today have higher expectations when it comes to customer service. 

If you want your ecommerce business to succeed, you must deliver first-class service and satisfy your customers. Otherwise, they probably won’t return and will buy from a competitor. Sounds harsh, but it’s the truth in the digital world we live in. 

Just one unhappy customer can cause quite a bit of damage to a brands’ reputation with negative online reviews and word of mouth. On the other side, one happy customer can become a brand advocate and do quite a bit of marketing for your ecommerce business. Satisfied customers typically tell several people about a positive experience with a brand. 

Many ecommerce businesses outsource their customer support to provide excellent customer service. When you outsource customer service for your ecommerce business, you gain access to a team of professionals dedicated to delivering exceptional care to meet customers’ needs. 

There are many advantages to outsourcing ecommerce customer services, such as:

• There Are Lower Costs since you avoid having an in-house customer service team on payroll needing office space, technology, and supplies. 
• Improved customer care comes with outsourcing customer service since you gain a dedicated team of agents that are pros at delivering first-class service. 
• Your availability is around the clock when you outsource customer service as agents are available 24/7 to service customers. 
• Provide multi-channel service through whichever means your customer chooses, whether phone, SMS, email, social media, in-app or online chat. 
• Scaling your ecommerce business is the goal of most, and outsourcing customer service is a cinch when your service needs increase. 

In Closing

Outsourcing ecommerce website development is a choice of many disruptive ecommerce startups. Having a team of experienced developers who know what it takes to gain credibility and convert visitors is a huge advantage to outsourcing website development. It also gives you the freedom to work on other critical tasks needed to get your ecommerce business off the ground and hit your targets. 

You must choose the right outsourcing provider to develop your ecommerce website. Remember, communication is key to a successful outsourcing partnership. It’s best to be upfront and clear about your wants, needs, and expectations to give the development team the best chance to succeed. 

Are you ready to outsource ecommerce website development to a company with the experience to develop a highly-functioning website that converts? Look no further. Contact Awesome CX today, and let’s chat. We’re super friendly. 

Sources:

American Express Study Shows Rising Consumer Expectations for Good Customer Service Inc.com

The Secret Ratio That Proves Why Customer Reviews Are So Important | Inc.com

Why Every Business Needs a Referral System | HuffPost.com