What is a Bespoke Ecommerce Solution?
A bespoke ecommerce solution is a custom built online shopping platform that has been developed to meet the unique requirements of a specific, online business. Unlike off-the-shelf ecommerce solutions such as Shopify or WooCommerce a bespoke solution is designed and developed from scratch and carefully tailored to fit specific workflows, branding and/or functionality.
That being said, not every company needs an entirely custom built platform for their online store. A bespoke solution can also refer to individual custom components integrated into an existing system. These components allow businesses to create a distinctive online experience within the structure of an existing platform, providing the benefits of customised features and functionality with the support and reliability of an established ecommerce system.
Custom Integrations or Fully Custom Solution?
Deciding between customised off-the-shelf platforms and fully bespoke ecommerce solutions depends on a number of factors including budget, complexity and long term goals. Here, we will take a look at the pros and cons to both of them.
Off-the-Shelf Platform with Custom Integrations
This approach involves using a ready built platform like Shopify, WooCommerce or Magento and then adding custom built integrations and features that tailor it to an organisations specific requirements.
The Pros -
- Faster setup – Online stores can be set up quickly
- Lower upfront costs – Upfront costs are much lower due to not needing development resource to set up
- Ongoing support & updates – Online platforms offer regular security patches and feature upgrades
- Reliable infrastructure – Platforms like Shopify handle hosting, payment security and uptime
The Cons -
- Limited flexibility – Off-the-shelf platforms have constraints that businesses must work within
- Plugin reliance – Having too many third party add-ons can cause performance issues
- Subscription fees – These platforms generally charge monthly fees which of course, add up over time
- Ownership limitations – Business's do not fully own the platform meaning they have no control over price rises, policy changes or the speed at which changes are made (if they're made at all)
Best for: Small to medium sized businesses that need a functional store quickly but still want some custom elements.
Fully Bespoke Ecommerce Solutions
A fully bespoke ecommerce platform is built from scratch to a business's specification meaning they have unlimited flexibility and complete control over the features, design and integrations of the system.
The Pros -
- Tailored to exact requirements – There is no need to compromise on what to include and how it should work
- Scalable – Bespoke ecommerce platforms can be designed to grow, adapt and evolve in line with an organisation's future ambitions and expectations
- Optimised performance – There is no unnecessary bloat from unused features or plugins
- Full ownership & control – The company has full ownership of the platform and can make changes at their own discretion rather than relying on a third party
The Cons -
- Higher upfront costs – Developer resource is required to build the solution, therefore, upfront costs will be higher than off-the-shelf
- Longer development time – Following the above custom development takes time so it's not a simple case of plug and play with bespoke software solutions
- Ongoing maintenance – The owning business is wholly responsible for updates, hosting and security
Best for: Businesses with complex needs or those that want complete control over their platform’s future.
Bespoke Ecommerce Features
A bespoke ecommerce system can include one, multiple or all of the following features. Some businesses operate just fine with a ready built platform and maybe a few tailored modifications, whilst others – particularly enterprise grade companies – require a fully customised solution.
Either way, here are some popular custom components that may be present in an ecommerce system.
- Advanced Search and Filtering - Customers expect to find what they need fast. A standard search bar won’t cut it for large inventories or niche products. Tailoring the search capabilities to a business's unique inventory categories such as product attributes or price range can make it so much easier for customers to find exactly what they’re looking for. Auto complete suggestions can also speed things up for customers as can results that are based on previous browsing history.
- Custom Checkout Flow - Modifying the checkout process to fit an audience’s preferences such as a simplified one page checkout, customised payment gateways or subscription options, can help increase conversion rates and significantly reduce cart abandonment. This is a common bespoke component that many businesses add to make the checkout process that little bit easier.
- Personalised Product Recommendations - Using data driven algorithms to generate unique product recommendations or "frequently bought together" suggestions adds a personal touch to the user experience. Tailoring this to a companies products’ specifics and customer preferences can create a much more enjoyable and engaging shopping experience and ultimately increase customer spend.
- Custom Product Configurator - Allowing customers to personalise products i.e. choosing colours, materials or adding engravings with a bespoke configurator can also boost the customer experience quite dramatically. This component can be added to an existing platform to let customers create a version of a product that is truly valuable to them.
- Membership and Loyalty Programmes - Customer loyalty programmes and/or membership models encourage repeat purchases which is of course, just as important as attracting people in the first place. Features including point tracking, tiered membership levels and exclusive offers have been proven time and time again to make customers feel more valued by and loyal to brands.
- Custom Reporting - Off-the-shelf platforms usually provide some form of basic analytics but adding custom dashboards for real time insights, detailed customer behaviour or specific sales trends can help companies make better decisions both immediately and in the future.
- Integration with Niche/Bespoke Third Party Services - Integrating with specialised services that are not typically available for developers to connect to via API such as specific CRM systems, shipping providers or bespoke inventory management software can streamline operations and provide a better experience both internally and externally.
- Branded Email and Notification System - Customising order confirmation, shipping updates and abandoned cart emails with bespoke designs, messaging ad personal information can help reinforce brand identity and make customer communications feel more personal.
How Can We Help?
Here at Cool Code Company, we've developed a number of fully bespoke ecommerce solutions as well as many custom components for existing ecommerce systems. Whether you need our help creating a solution from the ground up or just some help to make your existing system function better by adding in some individual components - we're well placed to help!
And, if you'd like to see a real example of our ecommerce experience in action, why not check out the Westermans International Testimonial.
