eCommerce

Selling stuff

We specialize in developing mobile-friendly ("responsive") eCommerce solutions for clients. But this is one area where, sometimes, a native app is not the right solution.

If you think about how potential shoppers find you (on Google rather than the app stores) and that you want them to see your products and check out as quickly and simply as possible, asking them to download your app (they'll probably wait until they are on free WIFI or forget and then they must remember to open it and register) might not be the right solution unless the app can offer something (such as location-services, simplified payment solutions, augmented reality) that a website can not.

That is why we often recommend starting with a mobile-friendly website, which can often be simply converted to an app later on. Our preferred eCommerce platform is Shopify because:

• It is the largest eCommerce platform in the world with over half a million businesses using it to run their stores.
• All Shopify themes are designed to be responsive (i.e. mobile-friendly) across all devices and browsers. There are hundreds of customisable themes (think: templates) that you can choose from.
• It is designed for non-technical people to be able to run their stores day to day. For example to add products, change prices, manage inventory etc. Shopify provides the hosting and security.
• There are easy integrations with local payment gateways, couriers and accounting platforms.
• In addition to the Shopify platform itself there are thousands of Shopify apps for common eCommerce requirements such as loyalty programs, instant chat, discounting, newsletter signup etc.
• Sites are optimized for search engines (SEO) and social media integration and marketing campaigns.
• The upfront development costs and time-to-market are a lot less than building from scratch or more technical platforms such as WordPress/ WooCommerce or Magento.

In 2016 we created a separate eCommerce consulting business, eCommerce Experts. In 2017 we became one of Shopify's first partners in South Africa. In 2018 we were officially recognised as a Shopify Expert (you can view our profile on Shopify's site here). We have built more than 100 eCommerce sites on the Shopify platform and once upon a time we held (what we understand to be) the world record for completing an eCommerce website from scratch in under one hour.

Sometimes an app is a better fit for an eCommerce business, such as when features like location (such as an on-demand service) or push notifications are very important. When we speak to our clients we try to understand and recommend the best option for them.