Blog Category: eCommerce Development

CodeIgniter is an open-source framework that is mainly designed to function with the PHP framework. There are many attributes in the PHP web framework that successfully contributes to its wide acceptance. Let’s look at the top 10 reasons that explain why CodeIgniter development services are being predominantly used. 

Tops 10 Reasons for Choosing CodeIgniter Development Services

To start with, a CodeIgniter is reliable, lightweight, and a well-designed toolkit that is used for developing web solutions that are par excellence. It has so much to offer for web development services, and so there is rising demand for CodeIgniter development company in the USA. Let’s see some of the benefits of going ahead with CodeIgniter for developing web solutions.

Stress-free error handling:

Handling errors are pretty straightforward with CodeIgniter as it requires you to write only a single line code. It will help you look at all the errors in front of you, thereby helping to rectify them instantly and effortlessly perform the development process. Furthermore, the interfaces are user-friendly and help the user immensely to sort out the errors in the application without a problem.

MVC based development:

The Model View Controller MVC-based development empowers swift application development. The MVC architectural pattern divides the application into model, view, and controller, and they all are mutually dependent. CodeIgniter lets you make use of the MVC structure effortlessly for application development by writing clean codes. Moreover, the whole process is reasonable and practical, giving you a good management process with the MVC-oriented framework.

Tough security:

Several inbuilt functions will guide you in selecting the intensity level of the security that your application will require. You can transfer the data securely in decrypted format. It offers enhanced security features like remote code execution, SQL injection, XSS attacks, and many other features that offer a safe and secure web solution.

Vast community support:

PHP is one of the most widely held and sought-after scripting languages and has a vast community for support worldwide. The CodeIgniter community is a well-established forum that mainly deals with all the development problems and extends support to all the CodeIgniter developers who have trouble during the development process.

No installation required:

This framework does not have to be installed. Upload the files to the server and commence work. It saves you from PEAR packages and server modification, thus making the development process time-saving and easy.

Easy to understand:

Understanding the various aspects and features of CodeIgniter is straightforward. It is a user-friendly PHP framework that enables configuration, organization, and customization a very smooth process. Depending on your requirements for the website, may it be for your organization or for rendering eCommerce development services in the USA, you can customize easily with CodeIgniter development.

Huge selection of library:

Benchmarking classes, email, calendar, validation, zip encoding, uploading, form validation classes, shopping cart class, pagination class, and output classes are some of the features present in the inbuilt library. Also, CodeIgniter is loaded with several libraries that you could directly use. Furthermore, one can create their own library for a more advantageous development process.

Executes at a more incredible speed:

The function execution speed is one of the primary reasons that made it the most popular and sought-after PHP framework. This framework possesses the fastest execution time when compared to the rest of the PHP frameworks. The migration from one database to another is an easy process and also marks its capability to implement functions at a more incredible speed. Additionally, you only need to type fewer lines of code for execution which subsequently saves much of your time and effort.

Simple testing process:

Testing the resultant code need not have to wait until the completion of the project. You can test the functionality and performance of the project from the commencement the project. The easy testing lets you identify the errors at every single stage of the entire development process.

Easy configuration and customization:

The CodeIgniter is complemented with an easy configuration process. Thus, it becomes more advantageous for the developers to set up the framework according to their system configuration. Coding the config.php, loading the library, arrays, and database for the development process can be carried out efficiently. CodeIgniter lets easy access to create applications and edit the files as per the requirements in terms of customization.

Final thoughts

Those, as mentioned earlier, are certain prominent benefits that spread out the glory of CodeIgniter. On top of these, a simple template solution, easy documentation, a great user experience, and accessible server to server hosting are yet other merits of using this framework for CodeIgniter development services. Its user-friendly framework and quick response delivery make it a boon for web developers. It also lets them develop eccentric web solutions that are par excellence and improve the developer’s performance. 

You must have probably heard that many eCommerce businesses are still thriving while all the other brick and motor stores face closure due to major global lockdown. There has been a spike in the online users count recently. It includes new sign-ups from customers who are using the site for the first time. It is a chance for the online eCommerce retail service providers to experience a significant boost if they survive this current rocky economic situation.

Many online retailers are looking at this crisis as an opportunity. As more and more customers flock to eCommerce shopping sites for their essentials, it seems inevitable for a future boom. The customer mindset is changing, or we can say it is forced to change. Those who felt that they wouldn’t buy a tomato without touching it are the ones who are purchasing it online with no other option. People are whiling away with their internet now.

It’s not something new. JD.com and Alibaba had survived and seen significant growth during the 2002-2003 SARS crisis. So, it is better to have an online presence if you only own a brick and motor store. So, before you end up with choosing an eCommerce application development, here are some of the pointers that you should check out.

Economical

The eCommerce portal web and mobile application development should fall within your budget. Even though it is the most suitable investment at this hour, make sure all the necessary features are included and do not exceed your budget. Discuss your requirements with experts to arrive at the best feasible solution.

Customizable

Your eCommerce portal should be flexible to be customized later on as per the advancements of your business needs. If you are a newly established start-up, then you probably don’t want to risk non-customization.

Scalability

You will have to handle more website traffic, large volumes of orders, and manage a vast supply chain in the long run. You will want to monitor a lot more than you were handling earlier when you started. Incorporating more analytics would mean more lines of code and changes in the user interface. Your site should be scalable so that it does not affect the loading time or the user experience in any way.

These are some of the essential points to look out for, including apt technical development and support, API integrations, and many more. At Tops Infosolutions, we have the best team of skilled developers and consulting experts with experience in varied segments of business. We can help with setting up an online storefront that is entirely customizable according to your business requirements. Also, our eCommerce retail solution services enables you to handle your inventory management, dropshipping, orders management, vendors management, warehouse management, all from one single platform.

With the coronavirus pandemic spreading like hay fire, it is a serious loss for brick and motor stores. If you are looking for building an eCommerce retail solution services, we are there to help you. We, Tops Infosolutions, are the best web development company in the USA. We are well-equipped and always stick with our commitment to cater our clients, no matter what. To know more, do give us a call and our experts will be there to guide you 24×7. Dial: +1 408-400-3737

As per the HubSpot research report, 56% of people would rather chat than call customer service and 53% of people are more likely to shop with businesses they can chat with.

Chat is the new email and as I’m sure, most people have noticed over the last few years messaging and chat applications have come to the fore. Most millennials or people who are slightly older tend to use chat rather than email.

Chat is the Natural Form of Conversation

One of the reasons why chat or messaging has become so prevalent is this that it’s a natural form of communication. If you’re using it from a mobile application, it works seamlessly from a mobile platform. The other thing is that you know messaging and chat has come a long way. We are a generation grownup in the heels of SMS messages, AOL Messenger and now WhatsApp. We are accustomed to the conversational UI that the previous generations.

Surprisingly, Baby Boomers (age 55+) are more likely to expect benefits from chatbots than Millennials (age 18–34). 83% of online shoppers need support during shopping. 71% of people use chatbots to solve their problem fast, a HubSpot research report indicates.

A Chatbot is more Intuitive than an App

Messaging is probably one of the most popular forms of communication for our generation and before it. Chatbot are virtual assistants for communicating via messaging or chat. On the surface, they are yet another program, which communicates to a user through messaging or a chat interface. However, they don’t really issue commands. They give you a response you talk to it as you would a normal person. Chatbots target a particular use-case, provide a particular service, or focus on answering particular types of questions.

Conversational Commerce in Action

 

 

Isabella wants to use a chatbot to order some new business cards to reflect a new role in her organization. The type of conversation she might have is fairly free-form. She’s not issuing commands. She’s typing in what she wants to do so her interaction is in the blue and because she’s interacting with a chat bot which has context, it knows who she is and what she wants to do to an extent it can provide smart suggestions.

The suggestions make the whole interaction a lot simpler, slicker than it would be if you’re going to an application which you’ve never used before.

Chatbot can ask things like you know I notice that your role has changed in the HCM system would you like to use your new role in your new business cards. It gives the opportunity to reply yes or no. Moreover, it also previews a card with Isabella’s new role.

Then it would nicely ask, “do you want me to place the order now I’ve modified the business card for you” and “do you want me to place the order and send them to you. If she answers affirmatively, it gives her the opportunity to say where she wants the business cards to be sent.

Did you notice? The chatbot made the whole process quick, simple and easy. To order business cards, she did not have to log in to any specific applications, learn how to use any particular applications and could converse with it in natural language.

Significance of Conversational Commerce in the World of Mobile Commerce

What you’re trying to get away with chatbot is the traditional user interface. You’d see with applications you issue commands, which are very mechanical. Chatbots make the experience of electronic commerce a more natural experience and with that, they bring some other concerns.

There’s no such thing as a free lunch. You make it easier to use but then you introduce other things when you’re dealing with an application, which are screens, gestures, menu, etc.

On the other hand, when you introduce a chat bot you actually feel like you’re talking to someone. You feel like they have a personality there. Other things come into play, for instance, you know you have to think about the customer sentiment. Certain tasks may not be suitable for a chatbot. if you have a chat bot to support customer support desk of your ecommerce business, it will have to handle complaints, which will make you think how the customer are going to react and how should the bot should respond appropriately.

An Opinionated Chatbot is Better Suited for Conversational Commerce

There are all sorts of different things you need to start thinking about and you might want to give your chatbot a personality. Many ecommerce brands give their chatbots names. In a sense, they’re trying to make them appear like an actual person. The usual practice with chatbots is to be very upfront with users: you’re talking to a machine, not a person.

However, inevitably people start to think the actual even though they know it’s an actual machine they’re talking to. They tend to assume that they are talking to a person but you can do clever things.

If you’ve got some context about the person you’re communicating with, you can fashion the style of conversation accordingly and build a personality around the chatbot. If they are younger, maybe they will be more formal. If they’re older maybe the type of conversation you’re having requires a different type of personality.

AI, Machine Learning, Natural Languages Processing, and Chatbots

Among the things that has led to the rise of chatbots and increased interest in them is the increased interest in artificial intelligence as well as providing a simple user  interface to have a conversation to achieve typical ecommerce tasks like payment and adding shipping address.

The improvements or the greater availability of toolkits and services around artificial intelligence have helped develop very simple messaging application to make them much more sophisticated and two areas of artificial intelligence which played a big role in this are natural language processing and machine learning .

The two areas of artificial intelligence: Machine Learning and Natural Languages Processing allow to break apart the conversation or the questions that a person is asking to find out which pieces of that text are important and to determine what their intent is. Chatbots allow you to have that conversation with them because you can deduce—what they’re saying, what they actually want you to, what you want to do, what information they seek from you.

Of course, chatbots are great and can actually be fun talking to rather than just typing in and clicking on menus, etc.

A chatbot isn’t a person after all, no matter how hard it tries

There are times when no matter how good the artificial intelligence, which sits behind a chatbot is, chatbots are going run out of answers. The questions become more ad hoc, complicated or the chat bot starts to ask things, which the chatbot was never designed to deal with and at that point you need to really hand off to a real person.

All that matters

That process of actually interacting with someone via chat and then handing over to a real person, to a real service representative, to deal with customer’s questions needs to be as seamless as possible.

You need to pass the context on so that the person doesn’t have to go and ask the customer what they wanted, again. They have to go through the whole rigmarole of explaining their problem.