Custom e-commerce development for an Estonian company when the existing platforms are too narrow and you need a solution that takes into account your business needs, processes and goals. Over 20 years of experience with WooCommerce and custom development.
E-commerce development differs from traditional e-commerce in terms of depth. It’s not just about setting up a ready-made template, but a solution built around your business processes, integrations and user experience. Web Systems has created dozens of custom e-stores for Estonian companies where a standard WooCommerce solution alone was not enough. In this guide, we’ll talk about when custom development is needed, what technologies we use and how the process works.
Table of contents
What is e-commerce development and who is it for?
E-shop development means creating a technical solution for your online shop, either by adapting an existing platform, such as WooCommerce, to your needs or by building a completely custom solution. It’s more than just installing a ready-made template: it’s combining business, technology and user experience into a fully-functional e-store.
E-shop development is particularly suited to companies for whom a simple off-the-shelf solution is no longer enough. For example, when integrations with business software (Directo, Merit Aktiva, Erply), complex pricing rules for B2B customers, multi-language and multi-currency operation or a specialised user experience that cannot be created with standard templates are required. For a broader overview, see also the e-commerce service, which includes both standard and customised solutions.
How is development different from typical e-commerce?
A typical e-store is built on top of WooCommerce or a similar platform, often using a ready-made template. Ecommerce development goes deeper than that. Here are the main differences:
Kohandatud kood
Arendus tähendab koodi kirjutamist Sinu konkreetse vajaduse jaoks: uued funktsioonid, mida valmis mallis ei ole. Nii ei pea äriloogikat platvormi piirangute järgi painutama.
Sügavad integratsioonid
E-pood saab vahetada andmeid CRM-i, ERP-i, laosüsteemi, logistika ja makselahendustega, vajadusel reaalajas, kahesuunaliselt ja konkreetsete ärireeglite järgi.
Kohandatud kasutuskogemus
Lahendus ei piirdu valmis malliga, vaid kasutajateekond kujundatakse Sinu klientide järgi. Näiteks B2B konfiguraatorid, hinnakalkulaatorid ja kohandatud filtrisüsteemid.
When custom e-commerce development needed?
Not all businesses need custom development. A smaller e-store with a simple product catalogue and a normal shopping flow can often do very well with off-the-shelf WooCommerce solutions. Custom development becomes necessary when at least one of the following situations occurs:
- B2B complex pricing rules: special prices for contract customers, volume discounts, prices based on customer groups or VAT tax breaks for foreign companies.
- Products through the configurator: not only ready-made SKUs, but the possibility to build a product based on options, sizes, materials and accessories. The price is calculated dynamically.
- Multiple warehouses or multiple markets: products are held in multiple warehouses and shipments move according to stock levels or to the nearest delivery point. In addition, multiple currencies and tax regimes may come into play.
- Deep ERP integrations: an e-shop needs real-time synchronisation with the ERP. Orders go into ERP, stock comes into the e-shop and price changes are automatically synchronised.
- High-volume product catalogues: 10 000+ products, many variants and a sophisticated filtering system. In such cases, performance and data structure need special attention.
- Customised order flow: multi-step purchasing process, project-based orders, RFQs or bid management.
- Subscriber maintenance and recurring orders: recurring orders, recurring order recovery, recurring orders or automatic generation of invoices at fixed intervals.
If your needs fit within a ready-made platform, we are also WooCommerce e-commerce store development specialists. We will choose the right approach after mapping your needs.
WooCommerce development vs a fully customised solution
In practice, for e-commerce development projects, we usually choose one of two approaches: a WooCommerce customisation or a fully customised solution. Both have their own strengths and a suitable use case:
WooCommerce kohandus
Aluseks on WooCommerce, mille peale ehitame Sinu ärile vajaliku spetsiifika: kohandatud teema, pluginad ja integratsioonid. Sobib paljudele Eesti ettevõtetele kuni keskmise mahuni. Arendus on tavaliselt kiirem, SEO-võimekus hea ja palju lahendusi saab ehitada olemasolevale platvormile.
Täielikult kohandatud
Loome lahenduse nullist, näiteks Laravelil, Node.js-il või kohandatud andmebaasil. Sobib suure mahuga, keerukate reeglite või erilise jõudlusvajadusega projektidele. Vt ka tarkvaraarenduse teenust.
The majority of Estonian SMEs’ e-shops fit into the WooCommerce framework. A fully customised solution is a larger investment and is particularly suited to larger companies or projects with very specific needs. During the first free consultation, we will help you choose the right approach. If you are interested in the price structure, please see the e-commerce price list.
Integrations with Estonian systems
Integrations are often at the heart of e-shop development. This is where customised development delivers the most value. For more than 20 years, we have been interfacing e-stores with many of the systems used in Estonia:
Majandustarkvara
Directo, Merit Aktiva, NOOM, Erply, SAF, Eeva, Excellent. Tellimused liiguvad vajadusel reaalajas, laoseis sünkroniseerub ja arved genereeritakse automaatselt.
Logistika ja pakid
Itella SmartPost, Omniva, DPD, Venipak, Bring. Pakikaartide loomine, saadetiste jälgimine ja kullerpäringud saab tuua otse e-poe töövoogu.
Makselahendused
Montonio, Maksekeskus, Stripe, EveryPay, MakeCommerce. Ostuprotsess peab olema turvaline, kiire ja nõuetele vastav. Vajadusel lisame ka korduvmaksete toe.
CRM süsteemid
HubSpot, Pipedrive, Salesforce, Bitrix24. Kliendiandmed liiguvad e-poe ja müügisüsteemi vahel ning aitavad müügivihjeid paremini hallata.
E-kirjasüsteemid
Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Klaviyo, HubSpot Marketing. Automaatsed e-kirjakampaaniad ostukäitumise põhjal ja personaliseeritud sisu vastavalt kliendi tegevustele.
Eriotstarbelised süsteemid
Paljudes valdkondades kasutatakse erisüsteeme, näiteks BIM ehituses või MES tootmises. Liidestame ka neid, sageli eriarendusena. Loe ka tööprotsesside automatiseerimisest.
The e-shop development process step-by-step
A successful e-commerce development project needs a clear process. During the initial consultation, we will map your needs and prepare a specific offer based on these.
1. Vajaduste kaardistamine
Tasuta konsultatsioon, kus räägime Sinu äri eesmärkidest, sihtgruppidest ja tehnilistest vajadustest. Kaardistame integratsioonid, erireeglid ja töövood.
2. Tehniline kavand
Valime sobiva platvormi, näiteks WooCommerce’i kohanduse või täielikult erilahenduse. Paneme paika arhitektuuri, integratsioonid ja saadame pakkumise koos ajagraafikuga.
3. Disain ja UX
Loome kasutajateekonna ja disainiprototüübid Figmas. Vaatame läbi ostuprotsessi loogika, mobiili- ja desktop-kogemuse ning olulisemad konversioonipunktid.
4. Arendus iteratsioonidena
Ehitame e-poodi 1–2-nädalaste etappidena. Iga etapp näitab kliendile reaalset progressi ja tagasiside liigub järgmisse arendusringi.
5. Integratsioonid ja testid
Liidestame ERP-i, CRM-i, logistika ja maksed. Testime tavapäraseid ostuvooge ning erijuhtumeid. Enne avaldamist kasutame staging-keskkonda.
6. Avaldamine ja hooldus
Käivitame e-poe live-keskkonnas. Pärast avaldamist jätkame vajadusel hooldusteenusega: uuendused, varundused ja järelarendused.
What is the difference between us and other providers?
20+ aastat kogemust
Oleme arendanud Eesti ettevõtetele e-poode üle kahe aastakümne. See kogemus aitab vältida tüüpilisi vigu ja valida lahendusi, mis toimivad ka pärast avaldamist.
Arendus + hooldus käsikäes
Sama tiim, kes ehitab e-poe, saab seda ka töös hoida. Nii on üks kontakt, selgem vastutus ja parem ülevaade kogu lahenduse tehnilisest taustast.
Eesti süsteemide tundmine
Directo, Merit, Erply ja teised Eestis kasutatavad süsteemid on meile tuttavad. Paljudel juhtudel saame liidestamisega kiiremini alustada, sest varasem kogemus ja korduvkasutatavad lahendused on olemas.
Web Systems’ e-shop development goes hand in hand with SEO service and maintenance if required. This way you get a solution that covers build, visibility and day-to-day operations.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between developing an e-shop and making an e-shop?
E-commerce is a broad concept, covering both a simple e-shop with a ready-made template and a more complex solution. More specifically, e-commerce development refers to technical development, such as a WooCommerce adaptation or a fully customised solution. Development projects are usually larger and involve deeper integrations. Read also about the e-commerce development service.
How long does it take to develop an online shop?
It depends on the size of the project. A customised WooCommerce e-shop with simpler integrations can be completed in around 6-10 weeks. Larger projects with complex ERP integrations and special rules can take 3-5 months. For a fully customised solution, you can expect around 5-9 months. We can give you a more precise timeline during the first free consultation.
Can we connect the e-shop to our own business software (Directo, Merit, etc.)?
Yes, we have interfaced e-shops with many of the business software used in Estonia, including Directo, Merit Aktiva, NOOM, Erply and SAF. We have previous experience and reusable solutions for several systems. If your system is not on the list, we will assess the API capabilities and build a separate interface if necessary.
Is WooCommerce sufficient for custom development?
Mostly yes. WooCommerce is a flexible platform on top of which you can build many different solutions. A fully customised solution is worth considering especially for very large volumes, strict performance requirements or very specific business rules. See also WooCommerce e-commerce solutions.
What happens after the e-shop is ready?
After publication, we can continue to provide maintenance services: updates, security, backups and further development. See also our website maintenance service, which is also suitable for e-shops. For larger projects, we will agree on a contact person and, if necessary, SLA terms.
Is your e-shop SEO-friendly?
Yes, we build e-stores with SEO in mind: well thought-out structure, schema data, fast loading and mobile-friendliness. If you would like active SEO work, such as keyword analysis, content creation or link building, we can combine maintenance with an SEO service.
How to get started with an e-commerce development project?
The easiest way is to fill in a contact form and ask for a free consultation. At the first meeting, we will map out your business needs, expectations for integrations and give you an initial plan: what approach to use, what timeframe to consider and what size the project could be.