How to Hire eCommerce Developers: Key Tips

Have you ever bought something online? Or at least have you ever looked for any products online? We are sure that you will say “Yes”. And that’s quite clear. The eCommerce industry is growing extremely fast, and more and more customers prefer online shops to traditional stores. As a result, we can observe a jump in demand for custom eCommerce development services from the side of businesses that have decided to go online.

In 2021, in the US, over 74% of people bought goods online, and it is forecasted that in 2025 already 80% will be engaged in online trading.

Currently, on LinkedIn, there are only 5.5K open positions for eCommerce developers in the US, and over 20K positions are available globally.

What are the responsibilities of eCommerce developers?

When you are planning to hire eCommerce developers, you should understand what tasks they can perform on your project. The range of their responsibilities can include:

• Building websites that are user-friendly and have intuitively clear navigation to ensure the best shopping experience for users;
• Designing websites;
• Maintaining a structure of websites so that they will be compatible with different devices and browsers;
• Building online stores using one of the eCommerce platforms like Magento, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, or Shopify;
• Creating and updating an online catalog;
• Creating and implementing processes for integrating a website with backend systems, including pricing, inventory, and client databases;
• Ensuring the security of websites and apps by timely identifying vulnerabilities and preventing possible risks;
• Monitoring system performance indicators to make sure that they fully meet the requirements;
• Participating in the discussion of new functionality that can be implemented;
• Training business owners on the proper use of the system.

Of course, depending on your project requirements and team composition, some tasks and requirements for eCommerce developers can differ. For example, if a company plans to implement Magento functionality, the major part of the tasks will be related to this technology. Therefore, hiring a Magento eCommerce developer with relevant experience will be sensible.

Do not forget to make sure that you check all the necessary skills and qualifications in advance so that there won’t be unpleasant surprises after you have already started your cooperation with developers.

Basic skills of eCommerce developers

Below you can find a list of skills that eCommerce developers usually require.

• Excellent understanding of such programming languages as Java, Python, and C++;
• Experience in working with HTML, CSS, and SQL;
• Expertise in user experience (UX) design;
• Skills in testing websites;
• Knowledge of front-end and back-end programming;
• Good understanding of the latest tendencies in web development;
• Experience in working with eCommerce platforms.

But when talking about eCommerce developers, we must emphasize that these specialists should have strong technical skills and a solid knowledge of the industry’s peculiarities. To build an online shop that will attract buyers, developers should also understand marketing trends and SEO principles, as launching an eCommerce product is a much wider task than just coding.

How to find the right eCommerce website developer?

So, what are the main rules you should bear when looking for a software developer (actually, they are applicable regardless of the specialization you are interested in)?

A good CV you can receive from a candidate is an important component that will influence your decision, but it is not the only one.

• Ask for a portfolio and try to make sure that you see the real portfolio of the candidate and not just a downloaded file from the internet.
• Look through the reviews (if you are going to hire an eCommerce development agency or a freelancer) and the recommendations (if you are hiring an in-house engineer).
• HR specialists usually ask only general questions to candidates. But we recommend you invite technical experts to the interview. They can ask questions that will check the technical knowledge of a candidate.
• Don’t try to save money on engineers! Yes, it’s clear that we all want to plan our budget feasible, but if the rate of a candidate is significantly lower than the market average, that’s the reason to think twice. For example, in the US, the average rate of an eCommerce developer is around $30 per hour.

Where should you hire eCommerce developers?

There are always several options when you are planning to build a software product and need to hire developers. Let’s consider them all so that you will be able to make the right decision.

In-house developers

This option is a good one for companies with IT departments, and they are sure they will be sensible to extend their team. However, if you have a small startup or a company that has never dealt with software development, you should think twice before creating an in-house team of developers.

On the one hand, it is always very convenient when you have developers by your side who are fully controlled and managed by you. But on the other hand, you should not forget that even when your product is built, and you have in-house specialists, you still have to pay them their salaries. Moreover, there are also some expenses related to the onboarding process, vacations, sick leaves, etc.

Freelancers

This variant is popular today. Many companies choose it. You can forget about sick leaves and vacations. However, you will have no control over them. Many responsible and skillful programmers prefer to work as freelancers, but the risk of finding someone who can let you down is high. 

Moreover, once a software product is built, your cooperation with a freelancer usually ends. And if in the future you need some help or technical support, it can happen so that this freelancer will be unavailable or just too busy with other projects.

Dedicated team

Outsourcing is another good idea for your business. You can establish cooperation with a dedicated development team ready to meet your needs. You can add new skills or reduce the number of team members at any moment. It means that you always pay only for the services you need.

The team is managed by you and is fully focused on your project. But at the same time, you can relax during hiring, onboarding, and solving administrative tasks. This model of working with eCommerce developers combines all the benefits of working with freelancers and hiring in-house specialists.

There can be small pitfalls like different time zones or a language barrier (by the way, when you work with freelancers, the same problems are possible). But when you start cooperating with an outsourcing company that will create a dedicated team for you, you can note the language skills of developers as a requirement, and you will have specialists with whom you can communicate without any language barrier.

At Geomotiv, we have a rich talent pool and can build a dedicated eCommerce development team strictly following your requirements. Our developers work with platforms such as Magento, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, and Shopify and can build an eCommerce website of any complexity for you.

Our solutions stand out from the row for their trendy UI/UX design, easy navigation, and multi-functionality. For safe transactions, we can integrate different payment services based on your preferences and work region. We are always open to new ideas and are not afraid of complicated tasks. Vice versa, we like challenges! And we are confident that we can build an eCommerce solution for you that will help to boost your business growth.