How To Build A Custom Software For Your E-Commerce Business In 5 Steps

Angelika Tirona January 15, 2021

Expanding your business includes scaling your platform, not just in the physical retail space but also in the online market. When it’s time to move forward with custom software development, you can get started with a few steps and careful planning.

Step 1: Specify your business problem and goals

As with any business decision or project, the first step is always to sit down with your team and identify what you want to achieve with your software. 

Do you aim to increase efficiency or manage your employees better? Are you having difficulty managing your inventory? No matter how small the task, there’s always room for improvement. It’s a matter of finding which solutions to prioritize. After clearly identifying the issues, you can start to outline the ways to create solutions.

Step 2: Brainstorm, brainstorm, brainstorm

The more ideas you have, the better. Get feedback from your team and find out how they want to solve your business problem. They can give you a different perspective that can create an even more effective app than if you were working on your own. 

Here are some brainstorming tips from new research: 

• Allow your team to create ideas by themselves initially
• Encourage every member to sketch out their thoughts and ideas

Step 3: Identify the achievability of your goal

At this stage, your team should start getting deeper into how the software will help you reach your business goals. 

For example: If your goal is to create an online presence for your sports equipment business, you can start listing down the features that your software should include such as Product Category, Online Ordering, and Order Tracking.

Once you’ve identified your software’s requirements, you can decide how achievable it is based on your resources. Refine further until you find the perfect framework to guide your custom software development.

Step 4: Layout as much information as possible

After your brainstorming sessions, you can now sketch a visual representation of your ideas. It can be as simple as a flowchart or as detailed as the software interface. What matters is to transfer all of it onto paper.

Here’s one way to layout information:

• First, write the steps (Example: Log in, explore the menu page, add to cart)
• Create a wireframe
• Sketch the interface

At this point, you can also start to draw inspiration from existing designs and find out if there are details you might be missing. When you explore other software, consider the elements that you might be looking for as a consumer. That way, you can figure out what to include in your software that your competitors might have looked over. 

Step 5: Work with the professionals

With all of your finalized ideas, it’s time to consult with your custom software development team. The building process typically follows four stages: Planning/Wireframing, Designing, Coding, and Deployment. 

Whether you choose to create in-house or outsource professionals for the job, remember to check-in for any concerns or questions they may have. With proper collaboration, you’ll build the perfect software in no time!

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