To develop an eCommerce website, you’ll need to learn front-end and back-end development, databases, security, payment gateway integration, APIs Integration, Technical SEO, testing, and deployment.
This is a lot for an individual to acquire all those skills. But if you want to specialize in eCommerce Website Development then having basic knowledge of all these and many other are important. But in practice, you have to master at least one.
The goal of eCommerce development is to create a website or platform which enables one or more business owners or companies to sell products and services online.
To create a professional and successful eCommerce website other than the layout, pages, navigation, contact form, and front-end design you need to learn to build features such as an admin panel, product listing dashboard, shopping carts, payment gateway integrations, inventory management, product tracking and many other.
Structure, features, and design also depend on the individuals, business owners, and companies that they want to have for their customers. These things are decided in project planning, budget, and scope.
How to learn?
While these types of websites are not built by individuals, but by a team of web developers and designers or business owners/companies who hire web development agencies to build eCommerce websites.
Every individual has a role in this project. Some will work as front-end developers, others one backend, and someone project managers or leaders.
So, to work in this type of team, a web development agency you need to become good in one thing such as the backend. For this, you can choose to learn PHP + Laravel. For front-end: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
But for the backend, you will be hired or included in a team only if your company or client chooses PHP + Laravel for the backend. Else, if they choose Python + Django then they will hire a person who is an expert in Python + Django.
So, to learn to build a custom eCommerce website or to work in a web development company or if you’re looking for a job then you have to master one thing such as back-end development, or front-end development.
What needs to be learned?
To become a master in eCommerce Website Development you have to learn and acquire the following skills and knowledge. This also depends on the Technology stack chosen to build an eCommerce website. While learning the goal can be to learn the basics of the eCommerce website development stack.
Basic Technology Stack idea to learn eCommerce Website Development:
- Learn Front-End Development: HTML, CSS, JavaScript
- Learn Backend Development: Learn at least one Server-Side Programming Language PHP + Framework (Laravel)
- Database: MySQL or Mongo DB
- Website Security: Customer data protection, Integration of SSL/TLS Certificates, and data handling.
- API Integration: Payment gateway APIs, shipping provider APIs, marketing tools integration etc.
- Having knowledge of Responsive Design, user experience, and technical SEO is important.
More tips:
3 Best Online Courses to start your web development journey
Top 5 reasons to learn Web Development other than Job
Things to Remember:
- Your demand for this type of eCommerce job/project only depends on the technology stack that is chosen by your parent company.
- If you’re a master in PHP then it doesn’t mean you’re only involved or hired for an eCommerce project but you can be to WordPress theme backend development, and in next month to develop a plugin.
- While many students or professionals choose to learn Full Stack Development. I like this, it’s very fancy and good for beginners to learn the basics of Full Stack Development. But when it comes to practice or job then you’re only not hired for everything. You’re hired for a specific role. This is only and specific case in a job or when you’re doing a job.
- As a freelancer, you can be hired or you can take a complete eCommerce project and build both backend/front end systems.
- If you learn Full Stack development, then your demand will be higher as a freelancer. But in a company, they will only hire you for one thing and they will pay for one thing. It’s because they already have teams and projects.
- Once you become familiar with one eCommerce website development stack you can expand your or acquire more knowledge such as Python + Django, PostgreSQL, TypeScript etc.
- If you’re looking for a web development-related job faster than a master in one thing it can be backend, front-end, and database management.
- If you want to specialize in E-commerce website development and in your future plan if you want to start an eCommerce website development service provider agency or want to create eCommerce website development relate content then you can learn all the above.
- To start as a freelancer, you can specialize in the front end or back end. Once you complete at least one front-end development project successfully. Then bid for a backend development project. And once you have experience in both the backend+front end then you can start bidding on full stack eCommerce website development. You can choose and modify the strategy as per your expertise, experience, and market demand.
Ways to acquire eCommerce website development knowledge and skills:
- Online Courses and Tutorials
- Work as Entry-level or junior at web development agencies
- Bid on small and easy eCommerce development related to projects. Even if you do not get hired, try to acquire those skills. So that next time you can pitch more confidently.
- Read eCommerce development-related books and blogs.
- Follow and subscribe to eCommerce website development-related YouTube Channels.
eCommerce website development or creation of an eCommerce website from scratch is one way. But these days there are various other ways to create an eCommerce website that you can also learn. You can learn and explore those in the following posts:
Online Courses to Make an E-commerce Website with WordPress
Ways to build a website to sell products online: Best eCommerce Builders