TL;DR
E-commerce is selling products and services online. Modern online store needs features, payment integrations, order management and SEO optimization. Here's how to build effective store in 2026.
Who this is for
- Online store owners
- Companies planning e-commerce
- Developers building stores
Keyword (SEO)
e-commerce, online store, store features, payment integrations, order management
Key store features
1. Product catalog
Basic features:
- Product list with filters
- Product pages with description, images, price
- Categories and subcategories
- Product search
Advanced features:
- Product variants (size, color)
- Related products
- Recently viewed
- Recommendations (AI-powered)
2. Cart and checkout
Cart:
- Add/remove products
- Edit quantity
- Save cart
- Promotions and discount codes
Checkout:
- Simple process (max 3 steps)
- Guest checkout (no registration)
- Save data (for returning customers)
- Order preview before payment
3. Payments
Payment methods:
- Credit/debit cards
- Bank transfers
- Online payments (PayPal, Stripe)
- Installment payments
- Digital wallets
Security:
- SSL/HTTPS
- PCI DSS compliance
- Card data tokenization
- 3D Secure
4. Order management
Admin panel:
- Order list
- Order statuses (new, processing, shipped)
- Order history
- Export orders (CSV, PDF)
Automation:
- Order confirmation email
- Status change email
- Shipping email (tracking)
- SMS notifications (optional)
E-commerce integrations
1. Payments
Stripe:
- Cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay
- Subscriptions
- International payments
- API: REST
PayPal:
- PayPal and cards
- Popular worldwide
- Simple implementation
Square:
- Payment processing
- Point of sale
- Good for US market
2. Shipping
Courier integrations:
- FedEx
- UPS
- DHL
- USPS
Features:
- Shipping cost calculator
- Package tracking
- Shipping labels
- Automatic notifications
3. CRM and email marketing
HubSpot:
- CRM for e-commerce
- Email automation
- Customer segmentation
Mailchimp:
- Email marketing
- Campaign automation
- Abandoned cart emails
4. Analytics
Google Analytics:
- E-commerce tracking
- Conversion tracking
- User behavior
Facebook Pixel:
- Conversion tracking
- Retargeting
- Lookalike audiences
SEO for e-commerce
1. Product optimization
Title and description:
- Unique for each product
- Contains keyword
- Compelling (CTA)
Images:
- Alt text with keyword
- High quality
- Lazy loading
URL structure:
- Readable URLs
- Categories in URL
- Keywords in URL
2. Content marketing
Blog:
- Product articles
- Guides
- Case studies
Category pages:
- Category descriptions
- SEO-friendly content
- Internal linking
3. Technical SEO
Sitemap:
- XML sitemap with products
- Categories in sitemap
- Regular updates
Structured data:
- Product schema
- Review schema
- Breadcrumb schema
Performance:
- Fast loading
- Core Web Vitals
- Mobile-first
Conversion optimization
1. UX/UI
Simple checkout:
- Max 3 steps
- Progress indicator
- Guest checkout
Trust:
- Security certificates
- Customer reviews
- Return guarantees
Mobile-first:
- Responsive design
- Touch-friendly
- Fast loading
2. Social proof
Reviews and ratings:
- Product reviews
- Star ratings
- Customer photos
Trust badges:
- Security certificates
- Payment logos
- Guarantees
3. Promotions
Discount codes:
- Easy to use
- Visible on site
- Email marketing
Campaigns:
- Black Friday
- Holiday promotions
- Seasonal sales
Store management
1. Admin panel
Product management:
- Add/edit products
- Manage categories
- Manage prices
- Manage inventory
Order management:
- Order list
- Change statuses
- Print invoices
- Export data
2. Reports and analytics
Sales:
- Revenue
- Number of orders
- Average order value
- Conversion rate
Products:
- Best selling
- Least selling
- Category analysis
Customers:
- New vs returning
- Lifetime value
- Segmentation
E-commerce costs
Development
- Simple store: $3,000 - $7,000
- Medium store: $7,000 - $15,000
- Advanced store: $15,000 - $30,000+
Maintenance
- Hosting: $30 - $150/month
- Payments: 2.9% - 3.5% per transaction
- Shipping: depends on volume
- Support: $150 - $600/month
Best practices
1. Security
- SSL/HTTPS
- Regular updates
- Data backup
- PCI DSS compliance
2. Performance
- Fast loading (< 2s)
- Image optimization
- CDN
- Caching
3. Mobile-first
- Responsive design
- Touch-friendly
- Mobile checkout
- Mobile payments
4. Customer service
- Quick response (chat, email)
- FAQ
- Returns and complaints
- Live chat (optional)
Summary
E-commerce is a complex system requiring features, integrations and optimization. Key features are product catalog, cart, checkout and payments. Important integrations are payments, shipping, CRM and analytics. SEO and conversion optimization are key to success. Investment in good store pays off with increased sales.
Want to create online store?
- Contact – tell us about your project
- See our implementations – examples of stores
- Check our process – how we work