KNOWLEDGEBASE

Ecommerce websites

Ecommerce shopping basket displaying products with quantities and prices
Ecommerce shopping basket displaying products with quantities and prices

By

Bethany Walker

09.07.25

/

12 min.

What is ecommerce website development?

If you want to run an ecommerce business, having products to sell online isn’t the only thing you need to think about. The real challenge, and exciting opportunity, is creating an online store that builds trust, is enjoyable to shop from, and that ultimately ensures you get money coming into the business. If your site is clunky, confusing, or slow, your customers will leave before they've even thought about adding a product to their basket.

Whether you’re a small business owner launching your first product line or a growing brand looking to scale, understanding ecommerce website development is an important step. It's what turns your ideas into a fully-functioning online business, one that not only looks good but also attracts your target audience and potential customers.

So, what does ecommerce website development actually involve? How is it different to standard website design? And why does it matter so much to the overall shopping experience?

In this blog post, we’ll break it all down. From the technical to the creative decisions, we’ll explore what goes into building a high-performing ecommerce website, and how it can make or break your customer’s journey.

Ecommerce website on screen with products and shopping cart icon visible

TD;LR: What is ecommerce website development?

Ecommerce website development is the process of building and optimizing an online store where people can browse products, complete purchases, and engage with a brand. It goes beyond standard website development by integrating the most important features like:

  • A shopping basket

  • A checkout process

  • Product pages

  • Secure payment methods

It also includes all the standard website development bits, like choosing a domain name, setting up an SSL certificate, and having privacy and cookies policies.

Why is it important?

There are a huge number of ecommerce websites on the internet, so you need to stand out. A thoughtfully developed site doesn’t just look good; it sets you apart from everyone else out there.

Getting it right ensures you can...

Create a frictionless shopping experience

Online shoppers expect things to be fast, intuitive, and easy. From the moment someone lands on your homepage to the second they hit “place order,” every click should feel natural.

Clear website navigation, a smart search bar, well-organized product categories, and quick load times all contribute to an online shopping experience that keeps customers engaged, not frustrated.

Building customer trust and loyalty

Trust is everything in ecommerce. If your site feels outdated, glitchy, or insecure, people are going to think twice about putting their credit card details in.

A secure checkout process, transparent policies, professional website design, and authentic customer reviews all help build the kind of credibility that ensures first-time customers hit that buy button.

Reduce cart abandonment

An abandoned cart is the biggest L in ecommerce.

Cart abandonment could be caused by anything from poor user experience to surprise shipping costs or limited payment methods. Whatever the case, a well-designed ecommerce site reduces friction by ensuring you're not doing anything to turn your customers off. Guest checkout, Apple Pay integration, and visible free shipping signs are all ways to ensure your customers don't do a runner on you.

Improve search engine optimization

A fast, clean, mobile-optimized website pleases your customers, and those pesky search engines, too. Elements like keyword-rich product descriptions, logical site structure, and optimized meta tags help boost your visibility in search results, driving more organic traffic and reducing your reliance on paid ads.

Convert more potential customers

At the end of the day, great ecommerce websites turn browsers into buyers, so you really can't afford to sleep on this.

By combining beautiful website design with smart functionality, enticing product images, a streamlined shopping basket, and SEO best practices, you'll improve conversion rates and support your long-term business goals, which is always a good idea.

Essential ecommerce website features

1. User-friendly design

It might sound obvious, but you'd be surprised how many business owners forget this. Your website should be designed for your users, not yourself.

When designing an ecommerce website, it's tempting to lead from the front, thinking about what you like the look of and how you want it to work. But this isn't the right approach. If you want other people to use your site, it needs to be user-friendly to the masses, not just to you. A beautiful site that doesn’t meet your users' needs is like a flashy shop with no doors, no one’s getting in. If you want your online store to perform, it needs to be intuitive, accessible, and aligned with how your target audience actually shops.

That's where market research comes in, and the earlier you jump on this, the better. Doing a bit of investigation upfront will save you time, money, and a lot of guesswork down the line.

Clean online store layout with easy navigation menu and search bar

Here are a few ideas of what to research:

How does your audience shop online?

  • Do they browse mostly on mobile devices or desktops?

  • Are they tech-savvy or less experienced online?

  • Do they prefer fast checkouts like Shop Pay, or do they want multiple payment methods?

What information matters to them?

  • Do they rely heavily on product reviews or social proof?

  • Are detailed product descriptions important, or do they prefer short and visual content, like demo videos?

  • Do they expect to see free shipping clearly promoted?

What design styles resonate with them?

  • What competing brands do they love, and why?

  • Are there specific layouts, website design elements, or even colors they respond well to?

  • What kind of tone (professional, playful, minimalist) do they connect with?

How do users actually interact with your site?

Once you’ve launched, tools like heatmaps, user session recordings, and A/B testing can help you refine your user experience by showing exactly how people are using your site, and where they’re dropping off.

The goal is to remove any barriers between the visitor and a completed checkout. Whether it’s making your search bar more visible, simplifying your checkout process, or improving website navigation, your users will show you what they need. All you need to do is listen (or watch).

2. Product pages that sell

Your product pages are (arguably) the single most important part of your ecommerce website.

They are where decisions are made, trust is earned, and sales either happen or don’t. No matter how beautiful your homepage is, if your product pages aren’t pulling their weight, your business won't take off.

High-converting product page displaying images, reviews, and pricing

So, down to the nitty gritty, what should a good product page include?

Value-driven descriptions

Good product descriptions don’t just describe an item; they sell it. Go beyond listing features and explain how your product solves a problem or improves your customer’s life. Make them feel like they can't live without it. Use easy-to-read formatting like bullet points, short paragraphs, and clear headings. Include relevant keywords for search engine optimization, but keep a human tone.

High-resolution images

Your product images are usually the first thing a shopper will be looking out for, and nothing's going to turn them off quicker than photos that look like they've been taken on a Nokia brick phone. Poor quality images can have a real negative impact on customer trust, so invest in some professional photos. Show the products from multiple angles, and where relevant, include lifestyle shots.

Customer reviews/social proof

Including customer reviews and product reviews on your product pages builds immediate social proof, which makes people feel more confident about buying.

Include star ratings at the top of the page, and if possible, show photos from real customers. You can also highlight standout reviews to build customer trust and reduce hesitation during checkout.

Just make sure they're real; people can spot a fake review a mile away.

Visible pricing/shipping info

Nothing kills a sale faster than confusion or surprise fees. Make your pricing crystal clear. If your product comes in different sizes, colours, or bundles, make those options easy to select, ideally with visuals.

If you offer free shipping, shout about it. Display this information clearly on the page, preferably near the price or add-to-cart button. This small detail can make a big difference in conversion, especially if your potential customers are comparing you to other sellers.

3. Secure shopping and checkout

Your shopping basket and checkout process are where the magic happens, or where everything falls apart.

You’ve done the hard work of attracting visitors, guiding them through your product pages, and getting them to put their favorite item in their basket. Now, the hard part. You need to make checkout feel effortless.

Secure online checkout form with trust badges and multiple payment options

Keep the shopping cart user-friendly

Your shopping basket should be easy to access, simple to update, and clearly show the product name, image, price, quantity, and total. Shoppers should be able to edit their cart without starting over.

Adding little touches like “Only 2 left in stock” or “You’re $10 away from free shipping!” can also give people that extra push to order, or add more to their basket.

Make checkout quick, clear, and flexible

Customers should be able to complete their purchase in just a few clicks, without unnecessary steps or distractions. Offer guest checkout options for those who don’t want to create an account, and make form fields as simple as possible. Use progress indicators (like “Step 1 of 3”) to show where they are in the process.

Also, offer a range of payment methods, like credit cards, debit cards, digital wallets, or even 'pay later' platforms.

Prioritize security to earn customer trust

Your customers are handing over valuable credit card information and sensitive data, so they need to feel confident that it’s protected.

Make sure your ecommerce website uses SSL encryption (https), is PCI compliant, and displays trusted security badges at checkout. Being transparent about your privacy policy and how you handle customer data further builds customer trust, especially for first-time buyers.

Even a simple trust signal like a padlock icon in the browser or a short note like “Secure checkout” can reassure users that their credit card numbers are safe.

4. Mobile optimization

A 2023 report from Statista found that mobile e-commerce sales reached $2.2 trillion in 2023 and now make up 60 per cent of all e-commerce sales around the world. Plus, Google research shows 53% of mobile users abandon sites that take more than 3 seconds to load.

So, responsive design and mobile optimization are essential.

But what does mobile optimization actually involve for ecommerce sites?

It means designing your ecommerce website with the mobile user in mind at every step. Your layout should adjust seamlessly to smaller screens, fonts should be readable without zooming in, and buttons must be easy to tap without misclicks. Navigation should be simplified, your search bar should be easy to find and use, and product pages should load quickly and clearly show product images, descriptions, and customer reviews.

On top of how your site looks on a phone, mobile optimization also means making it quick and easy for people to actually buy something. That includes things like fast-loading pages, secure checkout, and mobile-friendly payment options like Shop Pay. Features like autofill save your customers from having to type out all their details on a tiny keyboard, which means fewer drop-offs and more completed purchases.

If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, it’s going to rub people up the wrong way, and that's bad for sales. People will leave before buying, your store won’t show up as high in Google search results, and your overall customer experience will take a hit.

Shopping on mobile device with responsive design and quick checkout

Choosing the right ecommerce platform

Your choice of ecommerce platform, whether it’s Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Catalyst Dev, or something else, plays a big role in how your ecommerce store works behind the scenes. It affects everything from how your site looks and feels to how much control you have over the design, checkout, payments, and extra features.

Some platforms are designed to be beginner-friendly, while others give you more freedom to customize, but might need a bit more tech know-how. So, how do you choose the right one?

Here are a few things to think about:

  • Your budget: Some platforms are all-in-one and include things like free hosting, while others might require you to pay for extras like plugins, themes, or security.

  • How much flexibility do you need: Want to change every little detail? You'll need something highly customisable, or maybe even bespoke. Want something quick and simple? Stick to a more guided setup.

  • Built-in tools and features: Look for ecommerce features like built-in shopping carts, product filters, customer reviews, or discount tools.

  • Integrations: If you want to use tools like Shop Pay, ecommerce marketing apps, or inventory software, make sure your platform plays nicely with them.

If you're just getting started and want something easy to manage without needing a developer, an ecommerce website builder can be a great place to begin. It helps you launch quickly without sacrificing the essentials, so you can focus on growing your business instead of getting stuck in the tech.

Comparison of Shopify and WooCommerce dashboards on laptop screen

Ready to set up your ecommerce store?

As you've seen throughout this guide, ecommerce website development isn't just about putting products online, it's about creating an experience. One that feels smooth, secure, and enjoyable from the moment a customer first lands on your site to the 'Thanks for your order' message. From intuitive design and mobile optimization to secure checkout and trust-building product pages, every detail plays a role in whether your visitors stick around and put their card details in to make a purchase.

Our ecommerce website features list PDF

Got to the end of this article and still wondering "What is ecommerce website development?". Well, whether you're just getting started or reworking your current site, there's a lot to think about. But you don’t need to figure it all out from scratch. To save you some serious time, we’ve put together a free ecommerce website features list PDF, a handy downloadable PDF that covers everything you need when setting up a new ecommerce site. It includes all the must-have features we’ve talked about (and a few extras), so you can build with confidence and avoid the “wish I’d known that earlier” moments.

Click here to get it. Print it out, tick things off as you go, and keep it on you at all times, whilst you build a store that's ready to convert.