Finding an ecommerce platform is the foremost requirement for running an ecommerce firm. However, when there are many options available choosing the right ecommerce platforms becomes challenging. Shopify, WooCommerce, OpenCart, BigCommerce, and Magento, are some important ecommerce platforms available.
As a thumb rule, if you are a small or middle-sized ecommerce company working in the USA, OpenCart would be an appropriate choice. It is free and open source and offers an immense space for customization. Furthermore, thousands of integrations available would add additional functionalities and features to best meet your business and operational needs. Though OpenCart is easy to use but you must hire the services of a professional OpenCart development company to design and implement OpenCart solutions for you. Why should you need it? Let’s discuss this answer before moving ahead to suggest actionable tips.
Why Should You Need to Work with OpenCart Development Company?
You can get multiple benefits by working with an OpenCart Development firm to develop OpenCart solutions for your businesses.
1-Extensive Set of Expertise:
As stated earlier that OpenCart is a feature-rich and customizable ecommerce platform. A typical company offering OpenCart development services has expertise and experience in design, development, customization, API integration, support and maintenance, and more areas. They know how to effectively deploy OpenCart features and functionalities to deliver the OpenCart store having optimum performance and excellent user experience.
2-Customization:
Customization is another benefit that you can accrue with the help of OpenCart Development. This ecommerce offers wide-ranging customization capabilities. A development company can leverage these customization features to deliver an ecommerce store that aligns with your needs and requirement. You can add create and develop a personalized store that reflects your brand identity and business objectives with the help of a well-qualified team of OpenCart developers, project managers, and maintenance working under an OpenCart development company.
3- Time and Resource Efficiency:
You can save both time and effort by partnering with a development company. The OpenCart experts of an IT firm have mastered online store development through OpenCart. They know how to develop and deliver feature-rich and optimum ecommerce stores quickly and efficiently. Therefore, in comparison with developing an OpenCart ecommerce store from scratch, it is far better and highly commended to outsource them to a professional IT company offering OpenCart development services.
4- The Benefits Go On!
Post-deployment technical support, scalability and growth, SEO-friendly ecommerce stores, and integration capabilities are some other benefits you can get by working with an OpenCart development company.
But how you can maximize your return on investment and make sure that you are working with the right IT company? Don’t worry, this blog will give some actionable tips that make sure that your investment would produce the maximum return.
Actionable Tips for Getting the Best from Working with An OpenCart Development Company:
Here are tips to make your partnership and collaboration with an IT company more productive and efficient.
Tip #1: Do Your Research and Define Your Requirements:
Before contacting any development firm, do extensive research about what you want to achieve, what types of features and functionalities you wish to have in your ecommerce store, and more. Furthermore, you should be clear about the budget you can afford and the timeline you can allow for completion for the project.
The more you are clear about the goals, expectations, and requirements, the more effective you are in communication with the OpenCart development firm.
Tip#2: Check Out the Experience and Expertise:
Make sure that the company you are going to work with has a proven track record of completing OpenCart projects. Their portfolio and testimonials from customers should also be factored in before finalizing a particular IT company.
In addition, the company in question must have expertise in your niche and customers have shared positive reviews and testimonials in this regard as well. The proven capabilities in customization are also important. You should make sure that the company under consideration has the capabilities to customize the OpenCart ecommerce store as per your requirements.
The OpenCart team should have experience to deliver innovative and out-of-box OpenCart solutions. you can confirm these capabilities by viewing remarks, reviews, and testimonials shared by clients.
Tip#3: Be Flexible in Your Goals and Objectives:
Working with the OpenCart platform is not an easy task. Many challenges and restraints sometimes appear that call for changes and adjustments in the original plan. You should share your mind with the team of OpenCart developers, but be ready to accept any new ideas and solutions that can further improve your project. Be flexible and open-minded and remained committed to the broader objective of standing out eminently in the market to earn a steady income.
Tip#4: Communicate and Collaborate with OpenCart Team:
First, choose a developer company that prioritizes open communication with clients. You should maintain responsible and transparent communication with the IT company as it is key to having an online store that meets all of your requirements.
The collaboration and communication would make sure that your concerns are addressed promptly and that you get regular updates about the progress of the project.
Tip#5: Pay Heed to the Experts’ Advice:
You should understand that the company you are partnering with has expertise and experience in OpenCart development. You should respect their opinion seriously and let them do their job uninterruptedly.
Furthermore, while discussing the scope and functionalities of your ecommerce store, you must seek their advice and guidance on best industry practices to make your website robust, comprehensive, and customized. This bilateral exchange of ideas would make your project further productive and business-oriented.
Tip#6 Prioritize Project Management:
You should make sure that your partner company has expertise in carrying out efficient and collaborative project management. During all phases of OpenCart Ecommerce store development, you should make sure that they keep you in the loop.
First, they work closely to understand your business goals and requirements and set project milestones and timelines for the development phase.
Secondly, the company must thoroughly analyze whether the essential features, design preferences, integration, and any specific customization meet your requirement.
Thirdly, the company must deploy an agile development methodology. They should break down projects into smaller and management tasks termed sprints. They should contact you regularly and share updates with you on the development of the project.
These are some essential features that you should look for in any IT firm specializing in OpenCart development services. During project development, you should keep communicating them with to adhere to these industry-best practices.
Tip#7: Test & Quality Assurance:
The company should have testing procedures in place that is capable of delivering bug-free OpenCart solution by identifying and rectifying any error.
Furthermore, you should also test ecommerce solutions before launching them. You can use various tools such as Google Analytics and Google Search Console to test the performance, security, SEO, and functionality of your online store. You can ask for feedback from customers, partners, and friends to know how they are seeing your project.
If there arise any issues, you can communicate promptly to OpenCart Development company for immediate resolution of the issue.
Tip#8 Launch and Promote Your OpenCart Online Store:
When you have confidence after thoroughly testing and reviewing, you can move to the second stage which is the launching of your online store. Then comes the stage of promoting your OpenCart store to your target audience. Use social media, emails, blogs, and influences to promote your ecommerce store.
You can ask help from your partner OpenCart Developing agency for on tips how to promote your store effectively in the market.
Tip#9: Maintain, Update, and Support:
After launching the store, regular maintenance and upgradation become important. You should make sure that the IT company offers post-deployment maintenance, upgradation, and support services to keep your store running smoothly.
They should have the expertise and experience to provide ongoing assistance to remove any technical issues and update the store when the need arises. Though you can use OpenCart extensions, plugins, and themes to keep the optimum level of functionalities, ongoing support from your partner IT firm is crucial to ensure the continuous and smooth performance of the online store.
Tip#10: Documentation and Ownership:
Last but not least, documentation with OpenCart ecommerce firm should be made thoroughly and extensively to avoid IPR-linked issues in the future. You should demand the following documentation when you work with a developing company.
Documentation of requirements is the first such document. This document enlists your desired functionalities, design elements, and project. This important document can be used as a reference point for both parties in case there is any difference between features incorporated in the project and features demanded by you.
Technical documentation is another important document provided by an IT firm. This document outlines various technical specifications such as architecture, database structure, and coding standards. You can use this technical document in future troubleshooting or modification or enhancement in your online store.
Another document you should ask for is Code Ownership to establish your ownership and IPR on your website. in addition, you should be asking the developing company to provide Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), handover document, training material, and post-project documents to ensure complete ownership and legally-valid control of your online store.
Final Thoughts:
An OpenCart development platform is a good option for small and medium-sized ecommerce firms. It is open-source and free and provides many customization capabilities. But you should hire the services of some well-established and experienced OpenCart development company. In partnership with IT in this regard, you can an OpenCart online store that is aligned perfectly with your needs and requirements.
You should undertake some measures to ensure maximum outcomes when you work with an IT company to develop your OpenCart ecommerce store. These practices such as doing research, maintaining transparent communication, and demanding documents of various types, among others, would help you access an OpenCart solution that reflects your brand personality and messaging.
Hope, you can now navigate the world of ecommerce development with confidence and ease.
Best Wishes!