The Future of Ecommerce: How to Create a Winning Node.js Ecommerce Platform

Ecommerce revenue is estimated to reach $4.5 trillion in 2020. Customers tend to rely on the Internet and their gadgets more than ever. Why go to the store on the outskirts of the city and stand in long lines when you’re one click away from a purchase? The evolution of eCommerce has been meteoric. We went from eCommerce being far-off future to getting everything from cars to food online in a blink of an eye. 

 

Selling things online is no longer eccentric or new; it’s the standard.  No wonder, the competition in eCommerce is cut-throat: everyone wants to get ahead of the pack. Entrepreneurs make sure their app is the fastest, the most relevant, and the most appealing one. How do you keep up with the competition? Check out our article to find out. Here we will discuss the future of eCommerce and how to get there following our Node.js eCommerce tutorial. 

The Evolution of Ecommerce 

 

1995 turned out to be a pivotal moment in eCommerce. Amazon sold its first book via the Internet and eBay was brought into being. Year by year online sales generated more and more revenue:

 

• In 2000 the revenue from online sales in the US grew over $25 billion

 

• In 2012 B2C sales via the Internet surpassed $1 trillion 

 

Ecommerce market growth never seems to cease. In fact, another record-breaking milestone was reached in online sales on the 29th of November this year. In 2019 consumers splurged $7.4 billion on online purchases on Black Friday only. Worldwide eCommerce sales are predicted to grow to at least $3.9 trillion in 2020. 

The Future of Ecommerce: Trends to Watch for

 

• One-Click Mobile Payments and Orders

More customers tend to make online purchases using their smartphones. If truth be told, over 40% of eCommerce revenue came from mobile users in 2018. Tedious and complicated checkouts make online shoppers leave halfway. From 50 to 80% of online customers abandon their shopping carts. The one-click feature makes it easier for users to get from point A (adding a product to the cart) to point B (buying it).    

 To learn more about the upcoming mobile development trends, read our Top 7 Mobile App Development Trends in 2020 article.

• Personalization

Real-time customization of user experience based on buyer personas is one of the most promising ways to boost customer retention and sales. Dynamic content, personalized offers, and tailored calls for action can attract a more diverse audience and increase sales. Special offers, featured products, ads, banners, shipment rates, currencies, etc. can be customized live for customers of all groups all over the world. 

Since the majority of online customers prefer brands that offer a personalized experience, businesses following this trend will gain a foothold in 2020. 91% of online shoppers would go with the brand offering customized recommendations and deals. 80% of online customers would rather buy from businesses that provide a personalized experience. With a Headless Store Frontend, businesses can effortlessly implement real-time personalization to deliver exceptional user experiences.

• Product Content Syndication

 

Product content syndication is an automated sharing process of the product-relevant content across multiple sites and platforms. Content syndication software makes it easier to update or edit such data since it’s centrally managed and controlled in one place. Product Content Syndication proves to benefit both B2C and B2B enterprises with: 

• smooth partnerships with resellers and distributors
• effortless in-house management
• maximum exposure of your brand and products
• higher search ranking
• increased traffic and more customers 

• Augmented and Virtual Reality 

AR/VR 3D models help customers visualize the product and decide what’s best for them. VR fitting rooms and AR try-on features have long been a reality. Tech experts believe the implementation of AR/VR tech will only grow in 2020 and penetrate more niche eCommerce markets from retail to healthcare. 

Source: Sephora Virtual Artist 

Sephora Virtual Artist app is a perfect example of how AR/VR can be applied in eCommerce. The AR-driven application helps customers try make-up on before buying it. Needless to say, such a flashy feature impressed a lot of make-up lovers and enhanced engagement with the brand.    

 

• AI Chatbots

 

While chatbots are all about simulation and guessing, AI Chatbots are good at identifying user intent and carrying out specific tasks. Technologies used in AI Chatbots make interactions as similar to human conversations as possible. Such chatbots can help users with the choice of the product and provide relevant information about it. 

 

The key benefits of using AI Chatbots in your eCommerce application boil down to:

 

• reducing customer service costs
• making the user experience memorable
• improving customer and sales services
• facilitating product optimization and evaluation 

Want to Be Part of the Future? Node.js’s Got Your Back

What’s Node.js and How Can It Benefit Your Business?

Node.js is a free-to-use runtime environment. It’s a cross-platform solution that enables JavaScript execution outside of a browser. Node.js makes it possible to build server-side and networking applications and make them fast and scalable. Node.js is best suited for developing data-intensive real-time apps that can run on numerous devices.

 

Because Node.js is built on Google Chrome’s V8 JavaScript engine, code execution is strikingly fast. Node.js doesn’t buffer any data but outputs it in chunks. Its asynchronous and event-driven architecture, as well as high scalability, won the hearts of developers all over the world. Node.js has been the tech of choice for multiple corporations: Amazon, Netflix, PayPal, LinkedIn and more. It also powers the backend of eBay and AliExpress.

Why you should back up your eCommerce app with Node.js:

 

• Since Node.js is an open-source solution, you’ll be able to save most of your app development budget 
• With Node.js cross-platform development becomes easy and affordable since all your developers need to know is Node.js
• Performance is an essential aspect of an eCommerce application, and Node.js offers remarkably slick functioning. Learn how to improve Node.js productivity with C++ addons in our step-by-step guide 
• Because Node.js has become a standard for enterprise-level organizations, you get to savor immense support from Node.js community

• The asynchronous event-driven architecture of Node.js helps you to build a scalable eCommerce platform
• If you build a website with Node.js, you’ll be astonished by the speed: it’ll be significantly lightweight and load exceptionally fast
• With numerous Node.js plugins, you can elaborate your eCommerce website without a hitch and build a polished Node.js shopping cart

How to Build An Ecommerce Platform with Node.js

 

Building a website with Node.js is a challenging but rewarding experience. Follow our Node.js eCommerce tutorial to get the most of the platform:

#1. Set up a great development team

To build a Node.js eCommerce website that would make a splash, you’ll need a strong and dedicated team of tech professionals. A typical Node.js development team would usually include: 

• BA (Business Analyst), a person who analyzes your business and comes up with custom solutions and strategies 
• Node.js developers, people who are responsible for tech
• QA (Quality Assurance) Engineers, who make sure the application works as intended 
• UI/UX designers, who develop designs and make user interfaces easy to use
• PM (Project Manager), someone who monitors the team and controls the project 

#2. Implement Agile software development approach 

The 12 principles behind Agile are perfect for building dynamic eCommerce platforms: 

#3. Choose a Node.js framework 

There are countless Node.js frameworks out there. Let’s find out which one can benefit your e-commerce business most:

	Meteor.js is an open-source JavaScript framework written in Node.js. Meteor.js is the framework of choice for eCommerce businesses willing to deliver cross-platform mobile apps and websites.  To build a Meteor eCommerce app you only need one language - Javascript Building real-time applications on Meteor.js is a piece of cake   The framework is easy to learn and use Meteor eCommerce web apps can be converted into mobile apps using Cordova. No sweat
	Total.js is a Node.js framework that will help you to build powerful real-time eCommerce apps. Total.js is an excellent dependency-free server-side and client-side solution for enterprises.  Total.js offers stability, low maintenance costs, easy scaling, and great performance It supports localization, media streaming, and themes   Total.js works on ARM architecture and requires low CPU and little memory
	Koa.js is an open-source web framework for Node.js that claims to be a more robust foundation for APIs and web applications. Koa.js was built as a platform for fast and enjoyable server writing.  Koa.js provides better customization and a wide choice of modules It’s light, flexible, and fast Koa.js allows developers to ditch callbacks, decrease error probability, and improve error handling
	Reaction Commerce is an eCommerce platform built using Node.js and Meteor.js. Reaction commerce platform takes care of product  & inventory management, cart & checkout, shop management, shop customization and more.  Because Reaction Commerce is modular, you’ll be able to respond to consumer behaviors faster  Reaction Commerce platform is built using a modern stack of technologies It allows you to monitor and manage your sales in real-time
	Ymple is a responsive open-resource  Node.js framework. It targets eCommerce development specifically and provides a seamless web and mobile eCommerce experience. Ymple eCommerce Node.js framework offers integration with Stripe and PayPal It’s fast to set up Ymple’s custom templates are fully responsive and can be used on any device
	Schema.io is an eCommerce platform and API built on Node.js for online stores. Schema.io is an alternative to the frameworks that don’t let you customize the data model. Schema.io Node.js eCommerce platform assures your data is easily accessible and available everywhere  It lets you customize everything from database fields to formulas Schema.io’s API lets you control and scale your platform

Find out more about building a stable Node.js project architecture and best practices for Node.js development here.  

Which Node.js eCommerce should you try? Expert opinion

Vadym Vorobel, web-developer at Apiko 

“I have used Reaction Commerce (RC) platform to create a few e-commerce applications. This is an open-source platform that provides a bunch of tools for creating your e-commerce store easily. Also, it's very customizable. You can update and extend the core functionality by adding any feature you need. Reaction Commerce platform uses a modern technology stack based on Node.js and GraphQL. And the main reason you may want to develop your e-commerce app with RC - it's a huge and friendly community. You can ask your questions via Gitter messenger or submit an issue to the main repository - and it will be solved.”

Learn more about Reaction Commerce and its benefits here. 

#4. Manage your project with Scrum 

 

Scrum roles

Each person present during such meeting has a role: 

• Product owner

A person responsible for the successful implementation of your app

• Scrum master

Someone who makes sure the dev team follows Agile methodology through every development stage  

• Team member 

Developers, QA Engineers, UI/UX designer, etc. 

 

In a Nutshell…  

If you want your business to corner the market, Node.js should be the technology of your choice. It’ll provide a strong server-side backbone of the application and let you implement all of the latest trends in eCommerce with ease. 

Once you’ve set up the development dream team, building a website with Node.js becomes a no-brainer due to the efficiency of Agile and Scrum techniques. The beauty of Agile is in the continuous delivery of the ready-to-use product. With Agile, you will be able to take a glimpse of your Node.js demo in just two weeks. Most importantly, with scrum project management you get to be in the driver’s seat and fully control the process. 

You could do it by the hook and use one of the many ready-to-use Node.js eCommerce frameworks or go the extra mile and hire a tech-savvy team to customize your experience. Touch base with the Apiko team to build a website with Node.js how you want it.