10 Best Tools for Custom Ecommerce Website Development

Introduction

Have you seen those eCommerce websites that simply leave you stunned? With great enthusiasm, you check out every page and stay awestruck with each click & scroll on the webpage. 

If you are wondering how those businesses design such captivating web pages then here’s the secret. 

These eCommerce websites utilize custom e-commerce development to create striking web stores and enjoy a wide customer base, high sales, and good product reviews. 

An e-commerce website solves all of your business problems, from listing your products on virtual shelves to increasing your customer base to accommodate them on your website with scalability and many more. 

By selecting a builder for custom e-commerce website development, you can implement your creative vision and build one-of-a-kind online shop. The unique brand impression combined with seamless UI will increase your sales. 

In this blog, we will discuss how to select the right website builder and its features and give a list of our top 10 recommendations for custom e-commerce website development tools. 

Choosing the Right Tool for Your Needs

When embarking on finding the correct custom e-commerce website development tool, choosing the right one is crucial for success. 

With so many options available, it can be overwhelming to determine which service provider or tool is the best fit for your specific needs. 

In this section, we will explore the factors to consider when selecting an AI e-commerce website builder and the pros and cons of two popular approaches: e-commerce platforms and headless commerce.

Factors to Consider

Evaluating your specific requirements is essential before diving into the different types of custom e-commerce website development tools. Consider the following factors:

Scalability

Can the custom e-commerce website development tool grow and scale the website to meet your business’s growing requirements? 

Choosing a B2B e-commerce website development tool that can accommodate increased traffic, product offerings, and customer demands as your e-commerce venture expands is important.

Budget

Take into account your budget limitations when considering different custom e-commerce website development tools. Some tools may have upfront costs, while others may require ongoing payments or subscriptions. 

Determine what you can afford to invest in your website development. There are some free AI e-commerce website builders available too. 

Technical Expertise

Assess your own or your team's technical expertise. Some tools may require coding knowledge and advanced technical skills, while others offer user-friendly interfaces and require little to no coding experience.

Suggested Reading : 10 Best Ecommerce App Development Companies in 2024

E-commerce Platforms Vs. Headless Commerce

Regarding custom e-commerce website development, e-commerce platforms and headless commerce are two popular approaches. Let's examine the pros and cons of each:

Pros and Cons of E-commerce Platforms

E-commerce platforms, such as Shopify and WooCommerce, are all-in-one solutions that provide a range of custom e-commerce website development tools and features necessary for building and managing an online store. 

Here are some advantages and disadvantages to consider:

Pros: 

E-commerce platforms offer convenient and comprehensive solutions for custom e-commerce website development. They often include user-friendly interfaces, pre-designed templates, and various pre-built features like shopping carts and payment gateways. 

These platforms also provide robust customer support and resources for troubleshooting and expanding your online store.

Cons: 

The main drawback of e-commerce platforms is potential limitations regarding customization. While they offer flexibility within their pre-existing frameworks, there may be constraints on design and functionality. 

Additionally, some platforms charge transaction fees or limit the number of products or variations you can have, impacting your scalability.

Pros and Cons of Headless Commerce

Headless commerce is a more flexible and customizable approach that decouples the frontend design from the backend functionality. Here are the pros and cons:

Pros: 

Headless commerce allows for more control and flexibility in custom e-commerce website development. By separating the front and back end, you can create unique user experiences and tailor the website to your exact specifications using the AI e-commerce website builder. 

This approach also enables seamless integration with various third-party services and APIs, providing limitless possibilities for customization and innovation.

Cons: 

The main challenge of headless commerce is the need for more technical expertise. Custom e-commerce website development and maintenance require more advanced coding skills as the front and back end are separated. 

Additionally, initial setup and configuration can be more complex and time-consuming than e-commerce platforms. Furthermore, ongoing updates and support may require more development resources.

Top 10 Custom E-commerce Development Tools

This section provides an overview of the top 10 custom AI e-commerce website builders available to businesses looking to create an online store. 

It covers both e-commerce platforms and headless commerce solutions, highlighting their advantages and limitations.

1. AppsRhino

AppsRhino’s SaaS platform offers a comprehensive solution for on-demand mobile app development. It includes customizable modules for customer apps, field apps, admin dashboards, and analytics tools. 

The custom e-commerce website development platform integrates with Stripe, AWS, Google Maps, and Twilio. This creates robust, scalable, and feature-rich applications tailored to businesses in grocery, food, alcohol delivery, and more.

AppsRhino supports features like customizable themes, payment integrations, inventory management, and order fulfillment. Its flexible architecture and customized themes enable unique e-commerce websites tailored to your brand’s identity. 

Their AI e-commerce website builder uses modern technologies for scalability and speed. 

With AppsRhino, you get secure payment gateway integration, third-party API flexibility, marketing automation tools, customer support, and analytics tools, enhancing convenience and improving conversion rates. 

Key Features: 

• AppsRhino offers a customizable SaaS platform for custom e-commerce website development, integrating Stripe, AWS, Google Maps, and Twilio.
• Their AI e-commerce website builder ensures scalability and speed, with secure payment gateway integration and third-party API flexibility.
• The platform supports customizable themes, payment integrations, inventory management, and order fulfillment for B2B e-commerce website development.
• AppsRhino's architecture enables tailored e-commerce solutions for grocery, food, and alcohol delivery businesses.
• It includes marketing automation tools, customer support, and analytics to enhance conversion rates and user convenience.

2. Shopify Plus

Shopify Plus is a popular e-commerce platform that offers B2B e-commerce website development to businesses for an easy-to-use, scalable solution to create an online store. 

It's particularly useful for small to medium-sized businesses with minimal technical knowledge to build an effective online presence. 

The app store provides a range of plugins, making adding new features to your website easy. However, customization options may be limited compared to other platforms, which may disadvantage some businesses. 

Key Features: 

• Shopify Plus offers omnichannel capabilities, enabling sales across 20 online social channels and integration with over 6600 mobile apps.
• Customizable and faster checkouts in Shopify Plus enhance conversion rates, with mobile-first designs and Shop Pay for 60% faster checkouts.
• Shopify Plus reduces transactional fees to 0.15%, which can boost profitability for your businesses compared to the higher fees on standard Shopify plans.
• Unlimited staff accounts in Shopify Plus enable seamless team collaboration, crucial for managing various aspects of custom e-commerce website development.
• Shopify Plus ensures high performance and speed, handling up to 11,000 checkouts per minute with 99.99% uptime, essential for high-traffic campaigns.

3. Magento Commerce

Magento Commerce is an open-source e-commerce platform that provides businesses with a highly customizable solution for custom e-commerce website development. 

It's an excellent choice for larger businesses that require extensive customization options and a platform that can accommodate their specific requirements. 

Magento provides robust features and a flexible architecture, but it may be complex for beginners, and customization may require significant developer expertise.  

Key Features: 

• Magento Commerce lets you create highly customizable e-commerce websites tailored to your business needs and growth plans.
• It's perfect for B2B e-commerce, offering advanced features that integrate smoothly and enhance your business operations. 
• Being an open-source platform, it allows for extensive customization options and integration with various AI e-commerce website builder tools.

4. BigCommerce

BigCommerce is an e-commerce platform that offers businesses a comprehensive solution to build, manage, and scale an online store.

 With its AI e-commerce website builder, businesses of all sizes can avail features such as multi-channel selling and built-in SEO optimization. However, transaction fees may disadvantage some businesses, and customization options may not be as extensive as Magento Commerce. 

Key Features: 

• With BigCommerce, you will get unlimited catalog storage space for your needs. 
• AI-powered e-commerce website builder facilitates multi-channel selling and integrates built-in SEO optimization for enhanced visibility.
• BigCommerce boasts an impressive 99% uptime rate, which is an important detail for sales and for building customer trust. 
• For sellers using the “Plus” plan and above, BigCommerce can classify customers by group, also known as segmentation.

5. WooCommerce (WordPress Plugin)

WooCommerce is an open-source e-commerce plugin that integrates with the WordPress CMS. It is an easy-to-use and flexible solution that provides businesses an affordable way to build an online store. 

WooCommerce is a popular choice for small businesses and startups. A custom e-commerce website development with WooCommerce may require some knowledge of WordPress. 

Key Features: 

• Beyond the basics plan, WooCommerce offers 140 region-specific gateways to choose from and integrate with; subscriptions and deposits are also supported.
• Using WooCommerce and leveraging your knowledge of WordPress, you can customize your store as per your choice. 
• The Woo Marketplace has hundreds of free and paid extensions that add features and functionality to your store.
• WooCommerce supports integration with AI tools and other extensions.

6. Headless Commerce Solutions (CMS + API)

Headless commerce is an approach to e-commerce that separates the frontend design from the backend functionality. 

It enables businesses to create unique user experiences in their online stores, but it requires significant development resources and technical expertise. 

Implementing a headless commerce solution involves setting up a CMS and API, which usually requires developer knowledge.

Examples of Popular Headless Commerce Platforms

Some popular headless commerce platforms including Contentful, Prismic, and Commercetools. 

Key Features: 

• Headless commerce solutions are deal for B2B e-commerce website development, providing scalability and efficiency for managing large-scale, complex business operations. 
• These solutions separate frontend and backend systems, enabling highly flexible and custom e-commerce website development. 
• Supports seamless integration with AI e-commerce website builders, allowing for advanced personalization and multi-channel user experiences.

7. Big Cartel

Big Cartel is a platform designed specifically for artists and creatives. It offers an easy-to-use interface, affordable pricing, and a strong focus on visual presentation, making it an excellent choice for individuals or small businesses looking for custom or AI e-commerce website builder. 

However, larger businesses may need more advanced features and customization options, which may not be available on the platform. 

Key Features: 

• Big Cartel's affordable pricing plans are ideal for small businesses and individuals seeking budget-friendly e-commerce solutions.
• It focuses on strong visual presentation, effectively allowing users to showcase their unique products and artistic creations.
• Big Cartel offers a variety of themes to choose from. You can customize the HTML, CSS, and Javascript for a more unique look.

8. OpenCart

OpenCart is a free AI e-commerce website builder which is open-source and has a large community. It includes various extensions and themes, making it easy for businesses to customize their online store's look and functionality. 

However, OpenCart may be complex for beginners and may require some technical knowledge to set up and custom e-commerce website development. 

Key Features: 

• It includes numerous extensions and themes, allowing easy customization of online stores to meet any specific business requirements.
• OpenCart provides flexibility and control over the e-commerce store's design and functionality, which makes it Ideal for custom e-commerce website development.
• Its complex interface often requires some prior technical knowledge to set up and manage. 

9. PrestaShop

PrestaShop is an open-source e-commerce platform that provides businesses with a feature-rich solution for B2B e-commerce website development. 

It has a large user base and a marketplace of modules, making it easy to customize your online store's features. 

However, it may have a steeper learning curve than other open and free AI e-commerce website builders and may require some development knowledge to set up and customize. 

Key Features: 

• PrestaShop supports custom e-commerce website development with unlimited product listings, which is ideal for businesses with extensive product catalogs.
• Advanced in-built SEO capabilities help manage meta titles, descriptions, and URLs, enhancing visibility for custom e-commerce websites.
• Multiple store management and multi-language support in PrestaShop are perfect for B2B e-commerce website development across global markets.
• It also allows for integration with numerous payment options like PayPal, Skrill, and Stripe, ensures flexible and secure transactions for customers.

10. Wix E-commerce

Wix E-commerce is a custom e-commerce website development platform that offers businesses an easy way of building an online store. 

It gives businesses a drag-and-drop feature, making it easy to customize and manage their online store's layout and design. However, customization options may be limited, and transaction fees may disadvantage businesses with high sales volumes. 

Key Features: 

• The powerful drag-and-drop editor of Wix allows for easy custom e-commerce website development, letting you design your site exactly as you imagined.
• Wix has over 500 editable templates that provide endless options for creating a unique online store tailored to your specific business needs.
• Wix offers a personalized SEO plan, which helps you optimize your website for search engines and effortlessly enhance your online presence.
• Wix ADI, an AI e-commerce website builder, guides you through the process of building and customizing your online store.
• Wix has mobile optimization features that let you design and manage a separate mobile version of your website for optimal performance.

Additional Considerations for Custom E-commerce Website Development

When delving into custom e-commerce website development, several additional factors deserve attention to ensure a successful and sustainable online store. 

From security and payment processing to ongoing maintenance, these considerations play a crucial role in the long-term success of an e-commerce venture.

Security and Payment Processing

Ensuring robust security measures and seamless payment processing is essential for any custom e-commerce website development. 

Implementing SSL certificates, secure payment gateways, and compliance with industry standards such as PCI DSS are paramount. Every customer transaction must be safeguarded to build trust and protect sensitive information.

Ongoing Maintenance and Support

Maintaining a custom e-commerce website is an ongoing task that requires regular updates, performance monitoring, and troubleshooting any issues that may arise. 

This involves keeping the platform, plugins, and security features up to date and providing responsive customer support to promptly address user inquiries and technical difficulties.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Capabilities

A custom e-commerce website's SEO capabilities directly impact its visibility and discoverability. 

Leveraging SEO best practices, including keyword optimization, meta tags, and user-friendly URLs, is essential for driving organic traffic and improving search engine rankings. 

Additionally, integrating with analytics tools and leveraging structured data can provide valuable insights for continuous SEO optimization.

Conclusion

In conclusion, custom e-commerce website development requires careful consideration of the tools and approaches available. 

Whether opting for an e-commerce platform or embracing headless commerce, businesses must assess scalability, budget, and technical expertise, customization options, pricing range, marketing and analytics tools, third-party API integration etc. 

The top 10 tools, including AppsRhino, Shopify Plus, Magento Commerce, and headless commerce solutions, offer varied features and customization options to suit diverse business needs. 

Ultimately, successful custom e-commerce development depends on addressing critical considerations such as security, ongoing maintenance, and SEO capabilities to ensure a robust and sustainable online presence. 

Hope that our top 10 list and listed factors will help you choosing the correct tool for the custom e-commerce website development for your business endeavours. 

Suggested Reading :  How to Choose the Right Ecommerce App Development Services

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are the best tools for custom e-commerce website development?

The top 10 tools for custom e-commerce website development include AppsRhino, Shopify Plus, Magento Commerce, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and headless commerce solutions like Contentful and Commercetools.

What factors should I consider when selecting a tool for custom e-commerce website development?

Businesses need to consider factors such as scalability, budget, and technical expertise when selecting tools for custom e-commerce website development.

What is the difference between e-commerce platforms and headless commerce?

E-commerce platforms are all-in-one solutions that provide businesses with a range of tools for building and managing an online store. 

Headless commerce separates the frontend design from the backend functionality, providing businesses with more control over the user experience.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of e-commerce platforms?

E-commerce platforms offer pre-built features, convenient solutions, and robust customer support. However, they may limit customization and charge transaction fees or limit the number of products.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of headless commerce?

Headless commerce provides more control and flexibility over the user experience and enables businesses to integrate with third-party services easily. 

However, setup and maintenance require more technical expertise and development resources.