Introduction:
Sigma Solve is a trusted Gold Partner of nopCommerce because nopCommerce is the platform chosen for building a custom eCommerce application. When Sigma Solve and nopCommerce join hands, they bring a treasure of experience and expertise in building user-friendly, feature-rich, and future-ready custom eCommerce applications.
Impact of eCommerce on Global Retail Sales
In recent years, we’ve witnessed the growth and transformation of online shopping. We can now shop at the convenience of our own homes, while online sellers can reach a global customer base. Unsurprisingly, this has resulted in a rise in the number of eCommerce platforms.
At the same time, many organizations are adopting eCommerce to not only take up the trend but also drive global sales. The whopping number of platforms available across the internet makes it difficult to choose a reliable, hassle-free, and complete solution to help push your business forward.
One of the most popular and reliable platforms available in today’s market is NopCommerce. The platform elevates the customer experience and will definitely set you apart from the competition. Our developers have helped numerous customers expand and develop their online stores using NopCommerce by building plugins and extensions. Let’s take a deep dive to understand the fantastic NopCommerce platform and highlight some amazing tips to help optimize your sales.
What is nopCommerce?
Before we go any further, what is nopCommerce for the sake of those who might not know? It’s a free and open-source eCommerce platform based on Microsoft’s ASP.NET. nopCommerce is built for enterprises of all sizes, regardless of their field of operation. The platform is GDPR- and PCI-DSS-compliant with built-in SSL and Honeypot support, meaning that it meets security standards for all kinds of businesses.
NopCommerce is a stable, reliable, and easy-to-use platform with unlimited customization options. Having a modular and clean architecture, the platform enables developers to customize the front-end design and back-end functionality without any hassle.
Step-by-Step Guide to eCommerce App Development in nopCommerce
Sigma Solve, in collaboration with nopCommerce, has completed over 100 projects, and therefore, we at Sigma Solve are thorough about the best approach to custom eCommerce app development in nopCommerce. nopCommerce allows developers to leverage ASP.NET’s pluggable architecture to customize the entire application. Walk through nopCommerce’s approach with us.
Initial Setup and Environment Configuration:
nopCommerce is accessible to download and install from its official website. By installing the nopCommerce framework, you will be able to create a conducive environment for custom eCommerce app development. The environment consists of an SQL server, Visual Basic, and other tools essential to develop a result-oriented eCommerce front. We recommend using a git-like control system to manage code.
Understand the Architecture:
Understanding the NopCommerce framework is essential for eCommerce solution developers. NopCommerce keeps design, data, and logic separate. Its layered and modular approach allows plugin integration and customization to enhance functionalities without needing to modify the core system.
Database Design:
E-commerce developers must be aware of the default database schema that NopCommerce offers. Developers may require relevant and custom tables and relationships to develop certain aspects of an application. At Sigma Solve, we leverage the entity framework to access data and amend it as required.
Frontend Customization:
Once the database design is created, the frontend customization begins. nopCommerce enables theme-based customization, which can be used to create an entirely new design or alter the look and feel of an existing theme. It allows micro adjustments to design the interface accurately. Developers can modify CSS and JavaScript files to alter the style and functionalities.
Backend Customization:
Once the user interface is ready, ecommerce app developers move on to the backend to develop custom plugins that help create new features and integrate third-party applications. nopCommerce also allows developers to overwrite existing code according to business logic. Background processes can also be scheduled.
Integration with Third-Party Services:
Once background processes are set, nopCommerce developers can integrate one of the most critical aspects: payment gateways. nopCommerce allows businesses to offer as many payment options as they want. Along with payment options, businesses can integrate shipping options to ship products across the width and breadth. Integrating APIs or extending existing ones to other tools can also be performed during this development stage.
Performance Optimization:
Once the platform is ready, nopCommerce developers can divert their focus from development to enhancement. They deploy caching strategies to optimize the performance of each function. Proper indexing of the data table is vital for improving the speed of query execution. Increasing load speed requires minifying the CCS and JavaScript files.
Security Considerations:
The security of the custom eCommerce app is paramount. NopCommerce developers ensure robust security measures for data and applications by using secure data transmission. Access authentication is another measure that needs to be implemented to prevent unauthorized access. Nowadays, developers can integrate AI solutions to encrypt and protect data.
Testing and Quality Assurance:
Once the performance is optimized and security measures are implemented, the eCommerce solution should be tested for technical glitches and developmental bugs to improve its overall quality. A user acceptance test must also be conducted to ensure that users can utilize the application without any hurdles.
Deployment and Maintenance:
Once quality is ensured and user-friendliness is established, the eCommerce solution should be deployed and integrated into the existing system. Once the application is employed, it should be constantly monitored for all the parameters to perform. nopCommerce ensures businesses can consistently update their applications with security patches and framework updates.
Top Nop Tips for nopCommerce Development
Now that we know what nopCommerce is let’s examine some tips and tricks for effective development.
1. Use Existing Plugins and Extensions
Before you start developing your online store, be sure to check out the nopCommerce marketplace and see what extensions, plugins, modules, and features are already available to minimize development time. Most developers waste a lot of time during development instead of utilizing the platform’s support and features. There’s a healthy variety, meaning that you can experiment with different combinations to verify that your specific needs are met.
2. Avoid Modifying/ Erasing Source Code
In the tech field, things change and evolve rapidly with constant patches, updates, and bug fixes. To avoid complications with other extensions and future nopCommerce updates, we strongly recommend making changes and customizations only at the theme/plugin level. In the case of proprietary modifications, ensure that you use partial classes in separate, easy-to-identify directories if needed.
It’s best practice to recreate the directory tree in a single subdirectory to allow easier access and approach when upgrading the nopCommerce multi-store setup in the future. However, in a unique scenario where you can’t accomplish your needs without altering the source code, we suggest that you submit your change to be included in updated versions of nopCommerce.
3. Implement Cache Management
With performance in mind, consider carrying out Entity caching with ICacheManager (per request) and model caching with IStaticCacheManager in instances that seem right. During implementation, it’s a good rule of thumb that your first resource for best practice is not source code. The catchy features offered by nopCommerce website development make it easier for developers to ensure their plugins’ performance.
4. Make the Most of Event Consumers
Rather than overriding something in nopCommerce, services use a consumer as a less invasive method for customization. By utilizing customers, you can add different functionalities without running the risk of breaking other installed plugins. You can check out the usages of IEventPublisher on nopCommerce’s source to see what’s available.
5. Utilize AttributesXML
A quick and effective way to associate non-searchable information to any BaseEntity is through generic attributes. Nonetheless, they usually require additional data calls to work well. The solution to eradicating this performance hit is to store information in AttributesXml whenever possible.
6. Test Your Website on All Major Web Browsers
One major issue that web developers face is incompatibility after the website is finished. Different web browsers use different default values for various CSS properties. You should run multiple tests for your website on major browsers like Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, and Opera.
Most of these top web browsers will even offer developer tools to help you. Both Chrome and Firefox offer Chrome DevTools and Firefox Developer Tools, each valuable tool that allows you to edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live on any web page.
7. Automatically Copy Views to the Output Directory
With plugin development, one of the bottlenecks for developers is the need to rebuild your project after every view/CSS/script file update. A pro tip is to build a console app whose sole purpose is to monitor specified plugin directories and automatically push any updates to the output directory (such as a git repository) upon saving. This will help you work your way around this holdup and improve your development speed.
nopCommerce has taken the eCommerce world by storm, gaining quick popularity for its embedded, out-of-the-box plugins, extensions, and innovative features like live chat, SMS notification, multiple language support, etc. As an open-source platform constantly offering cutting-edge solutions for ASP.NET Core, nopCommerce offers rich value to consumers.
Conclusion
Sigma Solve delivers end-to-end eCommerce development solutions using nopCommerce. As a leading nopCommerce development company, we help our customers take their eCommerce to the next level using next-generation tools and technologies. Get in touch with us today and leverage our 15 years of industry experience to transform your business for maximum output.
Collaborating with Sigma Solve ensures you have highly secure and intuitively functional custom eCommerce applications to transform your business from ordinary to extraordinary. Being your technology partner, Sigma Solve ensures your business scales new heights and breaks records of revenue generation. Whether you are looking for a customer eCommerce web app or an eCommerce mobile app, Sigma Solve is a gold partner of nopCommerce. Contact us online or call us at +1 954-397-0800 for a consultation.
