When it comes to eCommerce website development, there are plenty of platforms at your disposal. Depending on your requirements, you can track down software that offers you a whole host of exciting design features, but one of the best programmes we at Positive Web Design have come across for the purpose is Magento.
There are a number of reasons why Magento has begun to dominate the eCommerce web design community and is receiving praise from designers and site owners alike. The software itself has only been in existence for several years and was developed by Varien, a company now known as Magento Inc. Its open-source functionality allows it to remain ‘for the user, by the user’, a philosophy which has enhanced its rapid development since 2008. It’s defined as open-source because there are no restrictions as to how the software can be modified and distributed, allowing freelance developers to share tricks and personal tips with no limitations. This also means that those new to the software are able to understand Magento simply by conducting a little research and listening to the advice and guidance of those more experienced.
Using the EAV database model (entity-attribute-value) and based on PHP, Magento is highly regarded as the only platform that is exceptionally customisable. Its features, including its shopping cart, can be modified as you wish, allowing you to create a site that is unique in every sense of the word. Design code is as far removed from traditional code as possible, allowing you to make your changes without affecting the internal structure and setup of the site itself.
In practical terms, Magento supports a huge number of payment options and even foreign currencies, which means that your users’ shopping experience will be as smooth as possible. Your users can filter their search according to their requirements. For example, as an owner of a larger store, you’ll want to present consumers with the option to narrow down their search with specific categories to make it easier for them to locate the product they’re looking for. Magento makes this possible with the use of its multi-layered navigation functionality. And, once your customer has made their choice, the special dynamic AJAX interface is able to calculate additional costs such as postage and packaging in real-time, reducing the time it will take for your user to check out and complete the transaction.
Magento is also famed for its unbeatable commitment to increasing your ROI. The programme has been built with the growth of your business in mind and makes it possible to adjust your existing web features as and when you need to. The software also sits comfortably with any search engine optimisation work that has been undertaken by you or your SEO company, thanks to its conversion tracking features and ease of use (a website that is simple to navigate and easy to understand attracts consumers because of its sheer convenience).
If you have an eCommerce site already built in another platform, it’s easy to transfer your creation over to Magento with minimum hassle. Experiment with the software’s advanced features and discover for yourself why Magento is considered by many to be the world’s leading eCommerce platform.
