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What's the nature of working in Software Development for E-Commerce?
I noticed that Developers work in various industries. I'm slightly interested in e-commerce.
I like the idea of building websites and apps to help businesses have a way to sell items.
What is the day-to-day of working in E-Commerce? What is the nature of the job?
Would be nice to hear from software developers, or any professionals adjacent to it: Product Designers, App Developers, UX and UI, etc.
4 answers
Updated
Rana’s Answer
Hey there! As a product designer and developer who once worked on an e-commerce platform, I can definitely offer some insight from my experiences. Though I now work at an agency and get exposed to many different fields, creating that e-commerce platform was a fantastic way for me to dive into the world of product design.
The early days of building an e-commerce platform can be quite challenging, but the growth you'll experience is incredibly rewarding. As a designer, striking a balance between creativity and meeting user expectations can be tough. In product design, we try to present fresh takes on what users are already used to, since, most of the time, people don't want to learn an entirely new digital experience. And how do we figure out what experience to focus on? Research, of course! Sometimes our wild, adventurous design ideas get dialed down a bit to favor usability. However, there are times when our target market is craving that fresh, creative touch.
Design trends come and go, but minimalism has been quite popular in recent years, and it can be seen as somewhat timeless. Occasionally, designers might feel the itch to branch out into more diverse design fields for the chance to explore something new. E-commerce is an industry that's been around since the inception of the internet, so there have been some established design expectations in Western and MENA markets. As a designer, you'll eventually find that many of your daily tasks involve maintenance work, and most companies will not alter their designs for years. There's this unspoken rule of "If it works, don't break it" when it comes to users' experiences.
Since product design is a continuous process, it doesn't just stop at handing a design over to developers. We always have to be aware of new trends and understand when it's the right time to make changes. These changes often look like new features or updates based on feedback. During the early stages of product creation, we're encouraged to consider the most important features and what will provide the most value to customers and the company. As you move forward, more opportunities will come up, and you'll need to ensure that your design can accommodate these changes. For example, even something as simple as adding a wishlist to an e-commerce store requires updating your design elements. Or it could be a larger endeavor, like an entirely new business venture for the company.
E-commerce is really adaptable, and the good news is that big tech companies and startups can approach it in similar ways. I hope this helped in giving you a better understanding! 😊
The early days of building an e-commerce platform can be quite challenging, but the growth you'll experience is incredibly rewarding. As a designer, striking a balance between creativity and meeting user expectations can be tough. In product design, we try to present fresh takes on what users are already used to, since, most of the time, people don't want to learn an entirely new digital experience. And how do we figure out what experience to focus on? Research, of course! Sometimes our wild, adventurous design ideas get dialed down a bit to favor usability. However, there are times when our target market is craving that fresh, creative touch.
Design trends come and go, but minimalism has been quite popular in recent years, and it can be seen as somewhat timeless. Occasionally, designers might feel the itch to branch out into more diverse design fields for the chance to explore something new. E-commerce is an industry that's been around since the inception of the internet, so there have been some established design expectations in Western and MENA markets. As a designer, you'll eventually find that many of your daily tasks involve maintenance work, and most companies will not alter their designs for years. There's this unspoken rule of "If it works, don't break it" when it comes to users' experiences.
Since product design is a continuous process, it doesn't just stop at handing a design over to developers. We always have to be aware of new trends and understand when it's the right time to make changes. These changes often look like new features or updates based on feedback. During the early stages of product creation, we're encouraged to consider the most important features and what will provide the most value to customers and the company. As you move forward, more opportunities will come up, and you'll need to ensure that your design can accommodate these changes. For example, even something as simple as adding a wishlist to an e-commerce store requires updating your design elements. Or it could be a larger endeavor, like an entirely new business venture for the company.
E-commerce is really adaptable, and the good news is that big tech companies and startups can approach it in similar ways. I hope this helped in giving you a better understanding! 😊
Gabriel Fernández
Digital Transformation Leader | Solutions Architect | Pattern Thinker | Artist | Innovator | Servant Leader | Coach | Mentor
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Answers
Updated
Gabriel’s Answer
Working in software development for e-commerce can be a challenging and rewarding experience, requiring a deep understanding of the e-commerce domain, strong technical skills, and the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
E-commerce (short for electronic commerce) refers to the buying and selling of goods and services online through electronic channels, typically using the internet. E-commerce includes a wide range of transactions, from consumer-based retail sites like Amazon and eBay, to business-to-business transactions between companies. E-commerce platforms typically offer a range of features such as online catalogs, shopping carts, payment gateways, and order tracking, among others. E-commerce has become increasingly popular in recent years, with many businesses of all sizes relying on it as a primary source of revenue.
Software development plays a critical role in enabling and enhancing this process. Some key aspects of working in software development for e-commerce include:
* Building and maintaining e-commerce platforms: As a developer in e-commerce, you will be responsible for designing, implementing and maintaining e-commerce platforms, which may include web applications, mobile apps, and other digital channels. You will need to have a deep understanding of the e-commerce domain and be familiar with the latest tools and technologies used in e-commerce.
* Integrating with third-party systems: E-commerce platforms often need to integrate with third-party systems such as payment gateways, shipping providers, and inventory management systems. As a developer, you will need to understand how these systems work and be able to integrate them seamlessly with the e-commerce platform.
* Ensuring security and privacy: E-commerce platforms deal with sensitive customer information such as credit card details and personal or business information, so security and privacy are critical concerns. As a developer, you will need to have a deep understanding of security best practices and be able to implement them effectively in the e-commerce platform.
* Optimizing for performance: E-commerce platforms need to be fast and responsive to provide a good user experience (UX). As a developer, you will need to optimize the platform's performance, minimize load times, and ensure that the platform can handle large volumes of traffic.
* Collaborating with cross-functional teams: E-commerce development often involves working closely with cross-functional teams such as designers, product managers, and marketers. As a developer, you will need to be able to communicate effectively with these teams and understand their needs and requirements.
Realize that there is a significant overlap in the software developer skills required for e-commerce and other software solutions. Many of the fundamental skills required for software development, such as programming languages, software design patterns, database management and technical documentation, are universal and can be applied to any software development project, including e-commerce.
However, as mentioned above, there are some specific skills and knowledge areas that are particularly important for software developers working in e-commerce. Developers with experience in working with complex databases, large volumes of data, integrations with multiple third-party systems, performance optimization, and e-commerce-specific features will be well-suited to e-commerce development.
Also note that e-commerce is a rapidly evolving field, with new technologies and best practices emerging all the time. It's important to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in e-commerce development by reading blogs, attending webinars or conferences, and joining relevant online communities.
Get familiar with e-commerce platforms and tools: To start, you can familiarize yourself with popular e-commerce platforms and tools such as Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce. Try setting up a basic online store and experiment with customizing the platform using plugins, extensions, or themes. This will give you a good foundation in the features and functionality of e-commerce platforms.
Learn relevant programming languages: To work in e-commerce development, you will need to be proficient in programming languages such as PHP, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, among others. You can start by taking online courses or tutorials in these languages and practicing your coding skills.
Understand databases and data management: E-commerce platforms deal with large volumes of data, so it is essential to understand how to manage and query databases. You can learn about database management systems such as MySQL or PostgreSQL and practice building and optimizing queries.
Gain experience with integrations: E-commerce platforms often need to integrate with third-party systems such as payment gateways, shipping providers, and inventory management systems. It is important to have an understanding of APIs and how to integrate with external systems. You can practice integrating with APIs by building small projects or experimenting with APIs from popular platforms such as Stripe or PayPal.
Build a portfolio of projects: As with any software development career, having a portfolio of projects to showcase your skills and experience can be a valuable asset. You can work on personal projects or contribute to open-source projects related to e-commerce, such as plugins or extensions for popular e-commerce platforms.
E-commerce (short for electronic commerce) refers to the buying and selling of goods and services online through electronic channels, typically using the internet. E-commerce includes a wide range of transactions, from consumer-based retail sites like Amazon and eBay, to business-to-business transactions between companies. E-commerce platforms typically offer a range of features such as online catalogs, shopping carts, payment gateways, and order tracking, among others. E-commerce has become increasingly popular in recent years, with many businesses of all sizes relying on it as a primary source of revenue.
Software development plays a critical role in enabling and enhancing this process. Some key aspects of working in software development for e-commerce include:
* Building and maintaining e-commerce platforms: As a developer in e-commerce, you will be responsible for designing, implementing and maintaining e-commerce platforms, which may include web applications, mobile apps, and other digital channels. You will need to have a deep understanding of the e-commerce domain and be familiar with the latest tools and technologies used in e-commerce.
* Integrating with third-party systems: E-commerce platforms often need to integrate with third-party systems such as payment gateways, shipping providers, and inventory management systems. As a developer, you will need to understand how these systems work and be able to integrate them seamlessly with the e-commerce platform.
* Ensuring security and privacy: E-commerce platforms deal with sensitive customer information such as credit card details and personal or business information, so security and privacy are critical concerns. As a developer, you will need to have a deep understanding of security best practices and be able to implement them effectively in the e-commerce platform.
* Optimizing for performance: E-commerce platforms need to be fast and responsive to provide a good user experience (UX). As a developer, you will need to optimize the platform's performance, minimize load times, and ensure that the platform can handle large volumes of traffic.
* Collaborating with cross-functional teams: E-commerce development often involves working closely with cross-functional teams such as designers, product managers, and marketers. As a developer, you will need to be able to communicate effectively with these teams and understand their needs and requirements.
Realize that there is a significant overlap in the software developer skills required for e-commerce and other software solutions. Many of the fundamental skills required for software development, such as programming languages, software design patterns, database management and technical documentation, are universal and can be applied to any software development project, including e-commerce.
However, as mentioned above, there are some specific skills and knowledge areas that are particularly important for software developers working in e-commerce. Developers with experience in working with complex databases, large volumes of data, integrations with multiple third-party systems, performance optimization, and e-commerce-specific features will be well-suited to e-commerce development.
Also note that e-commerce is a rapidly evolving field, with new technologies and best practices emerging all the time. It's important to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in e-commerce development by reading blogs, attending webinars or conferences, and joining relevant online communities.
Gabriel recommends the following next steps:
Wow, your answer is awesome! I appreciate the detailed steps you provided. I will definitely use this as a guide. Thank you so much!
Tianna
Updated
Atul’s Answer
There is highly automation for building websites and many company specializes (shopify) in this space.
My recommendation is do not have a narrow focus but acquire undergraduate in Computer Sc or Eng and get exposures in vast area of the software industry.
With the courses you have taken you may be surprised what you wanted to do and what oppty are out there may change your mind.
Think of AI and BI is the new frontier.
My recommendation is do not have a narrow focus but acquire undergraduate in Computer Sc or Eng and get exposures in vast area of the software industry.
With the courses you have taken you may be surprised what you wanted to do and what oppty are out there may change your mind.
Think of AI and BI is the new frontier.
Updated
Kavita’s Answer
Working on UI or apps is a very broad area and it's important that you don't stick to one technology. Being in IT, it is important that you stay updated with the latest developments out in the market. I would suggest not to keep your target to just do UI or apps, keep an open mind to explore and try all that comes to your way. Software is never about sticking to one platform; you'll be isolated otherwise. Otherwise, it is a good field and there is a huge potential for it.
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