Had you been asleep for the past four years and just woken up - you'd be shocked by how much online shopping has changed. The entire e-commerce industry has undergone serious changes due to rapidly changing trends, technologies, and software. In addition, customer behavior and shopping habits have transformed since the pandemic. E-commerce businesses are faced with the challenge of how to adapt quickly, keeping their customers, and winning over new ones.
Introducing new software in the shape of apps, products, and services for customers is inevitable. The only question is- should you buy off-the-shelf software or go for custom-made? What does each option mean, and what are the benefits of the latter? We'll give you all the answers below.
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What Are the Main Challenges in 2023 E-commerce?
Let's start by defining some of the most challenging areas of doing business in e-commerce today. This will help us understand the need for new solutions, digital transformation, and improved agility.
Here are the main areas that are causing e-commerce businesses to reconsider their business model and make room for changes:
- rapid growth of competitors
- building strong branding
- logistics and inventory
- need for hyper-personalization
- harnessing huge amounts of data
- need for continuous innovation and changes
It's clear that e-commerce businesses are in need of innovative software that can keep up with all the changes without placing a burden on their budget or workflow.
What is Off-The-Shelf Software?
E-commerce businesses have the option to go for off-the-shelf software that would fit their current needs and thus quickly solve the issues they're facing. An off-the-shelf solution is:
- readily available
- made for the public
- mass-produced
- not customized
This means that you can find a solution quickly, but it won't be a perfect match for your business. There might be features you don't need at all or features you need but aren't there. This could force you to combine two or more off-the-shelf solutions to complete all your needs.
What is Custom Software?
As opposed to off-the-shelf, custom-made software is designed specifically for your business and the needs you have. Such a solution offers you:
- only the features you need
- specific services for your customers
- integration with your existing system
Naturally, such a solution is a bit more time-consuming than going off-the-self and can be more costly. Still, when you consider the benefits, it is obvious that it's worth it.
What are the Benefits of Custom Software for E-commerce Businesses?
For an e-commerce business that is constantly on the lookout for new trends and changes, custom software can bring numerous significant benefits into the picture. Apart from the obvious and main benefit that it's customized to fit the needs of the business, we present you several other ones.
Integration
When you're introducing new software, you don't want to change your entire operation flow. Instead, you want to integrate it with your existing system and make minimal changes for all your teams. Custom software integrates seamlessly with your system and leaves you as efficient as before.
Scalability
The changes in e-commerce don't stop just because you've got new software. Sooner or later, you'll need to introduce new changes to your system. Custom software supports the ongoing need for scalability. Thus, it's able to adapt to whatever it is you're facing- traffic increase, more sales, new products, etc.
Data Analysis
When you need specific data to analyze and specific metrics to measure, custom software can be designed to do exactly that. You can set it to collect the data you need and help you get better insight into the activity and behavior of your customers.
User Experience
Finally, all of this leads to improved user experience. As your services are customized to the needs of your customers, they’ll feel more comfortable, natural, and appreciated when interacting with your business. Plus, you’ll be learning about them through data analysis which will further deepen your understanding of their needs.
Final Thoughts
The benefits of custom software for e-commerce businesses are as clear as day. Although it costs more than setting up an off-the-shelf solution, it pays out in the long run. You can have this system for years, upgrading it and adapting it to new trends without having to build a new one.
We hope we've helped you understand just how valuable and efficient custom software can be for an e-commerce business.