One of the biggest challenges in eCommerce is understanding consumer preferences and working around them. The world of eCommerce is fast-paced and therefore adopting trends becomes challenging. But how is this possible? The answer is adopting an agile development lifecycle in eCommerce marketplace development.
By adopting an agile methodology, winning eCommerce consumers and sales become easier which further leads to increased ROI.
In this blog, we discuss agile project management methodology for eCommerce marketplace development and how it helps the growing industry.
Understanding Agile Methodology
Agile methodology in eCommerce marketplace development refers to the process of building an online marketplace where development occurs in phases which are called ‘sprints’. This methodology focuses on an iterative approach that includes feedback, collaboration, and adaptation to emergent changes.
Agile methodology is far from traditional project management approaches, on which a successful e-commerce marketplace platform can neither thrive nor develop. Therefore, whether it is agile vs. waterfall or agile vs. traditional project management approach, agile always stands out.
Agile methodology is built on four pillars: individual over tools, completing production of the product as soon as possible, collaborating with the client, and working on the project’s emergent needs. These key pillars of agile methodology are helpful in quick e-commerce platform development, focusing on quality and transparency throughout.
Scrum vs Kanban Methodology for eCommerce Marketplace Development
When building an eCommerce marketplace, how you manage your project is key to its success. Two popular Agile methodologies—Scrum and Kanban—offer different approaches. But which one works better for your eCommerce development project? Let’s explore both.
Scrum vs. Kanban: The Basics
Scrum is structured around fixed-length sprints and predefined roles, while Kanban offers a more flexible, flow-based approach. Here’s a simple comparison to help you see how they stack up for your eCommerce marketplace development.
| Aspect | Scrum | Kanban |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Organized in time-boxed sprints (usually 2-4 weeks) | Continuous workflow with no fixed timeline |
| Best Suited For | Projects that need regular, incremental updates | Projects needing flexibility and frequent updates |
| Team Roles | Clear roles (Product Owner, Scrum Master, Development Team) | No predefined roles—team members manage their own tasks |
| Plannings and Meetings | Sprint planning, daily stand-ups, sprint reviews & retrospectives | Less structured, meetings held only when necessary |
| Work Prioritization | Tasks are planned at the start of each sprint | Prioritized in real-time as tasks move across the board |
| Progress Tracking | Burndown charts track sprint progress | Kanban board visualizes ongoing tasks |
| Delivery Cycle | Deliver at the end of each sprint | Continuous delivery as tasks are completed |
Why Choose Scrum for eCommerce Development?
Scrum works well for projects with a set vision but flexible requirements. If you’re building an eCommerce marketplace with lots of features that need testing, feedback, and refinement, Scrum’s structured sprints and frequent reviews help keep everything on track. It’s ideal when you want regular check-ins and updates every few weeks.
Why Choose Kanban for eCommerce Development?
Kanban is perfect if you need continuous improvements or have an ongoing workflow of tasks. It allows for more flexibility, letting your team adapt to changes in real time. This method works best if your project has tasks that vary in priority and can be completed independently of a strict schedule.
Why Agile is Ideal for E-commerce Development
In order to catch up with the growing eCommerce industry, agile methodology is essential and crucial. If you are developing an eCommerce marketplace, agile methodology can help you yield better results as compared to other project management approaches. Let’s see how.
Iterative Approach
As mentioned above, agile development welcomes iterative in the process which allows us to adapt to changes as the feedback comes. The agile methodology divides the process into phases or sprints (1 to 4 weeks) in which various product features or functions are developed. With rapid delivery of the product, feedback also comes in which allows for iteration for changes in the products.
Customer-Centric
One of the pillars of agile methodology is putting client collaboration first instead of sticking to the contract negotiations. Being a customer-centric approach, it helps in e-commerce development by having regular check-ins with the client and getting feedback for developing a high-performance eCommerce marketplace.
Doing so also keeps the client updated with progress and results. In eCommerce platform, your user experience matters a lot – it is like your first impression that lasts ever. Therefore, with agile methodology clients can give feedback to get updates in real-time and deliver a seamless customer experience.
Faster Time-to-Market
The development phase in agile methodology is divided into sprints which enable the developers to complete the product in a timeline. Doing so enables clients to launch their products ASAP in the market. You can release a minimum viable product (MVP) while upgrading and updating the app incrementally. It reduces the time between idea and implementation, resulting in faster time-to-market your eCommerce platform/product.
Risk Mitigation
Unlike traditional project management approaches (in which a product is delivered once it’s completed), the agile approach is fast in identifying problems/risks and solving them right there. By leveraging agile methodology, the working team on the project can identify the problems and fix them through regular testing and team collaboration.
Scalability and Flexibility
Clients are automatically inclined towards the service providers who offer scalability and flexibility during the project tenure. However, it is only possible when a team follows an agile methodology for project management. In eCommerce marketplace development, agile methodology allows you to quickly adapt to scaling needs or marketplace changes without having to overhaul the entire project. With this scalability and flexibility, the development process becomes easier, and the team can work seamlessly.
Challenges in E-commerce Marketplace Development
The ECommerce marketplace is a competitive industry and without any doubt there will be challenges ranging from complexity of the project to scope, complex integrations and much more. Let’s see what challenges you can face in e-commerce marketplace development process.
Complexity and scale of E-commerce platforms
The eCommerce world is rapidly evolving and with that, the competition is getting strong. ECommerce marketplace development becomes challenging, and scalability gets limited. However, with an agile methodology approach, you can step into the market as soon as possible and provide a robust experience for the customers or visitors.
Rapidly changing customer preferences and market trends
One day the trend is, and the next day it is not. In the eCommerce marketplace, the customer preferences, behaviors, and market trends are rapidly changing. This makes the growth challenging for the merchants especially when they do not keep up with the pace. Agile methodology enables merchants to keep their eCommerce store updated with the changing trends and updates that drive engagement and customers.
Need for continuous integration of third-party services (payment gateways, shipping APIs, etc.).
Another top challenge in eCommerce marketplace development is that you will need to have third-party integration whether it is payment gateways, product delivery, shipping, order management, etc.
In order to make that seamless, you will need to leverage integration services for your store who can get the work done with agility for you. For this, the developers need to follow agile methodology for quick and seamless integration to your eCommerce marketplace.
Best Practices for Agile in E-commerce Marketplace Development
For e-commerce marketplace development, you must know the best practices for implementing agile methodology as it helps in yielding better results. Following agile methodology without knowing the best practices won’t get smarter results. Let’s know the best practices for leveraging an agile approach for marketplace development.
- Conduct regular sprint reviews and retrospectives to have a complete aerial project view. It helps in understanding the track of report and progress of the project from different teams including UI/UX designers, development engineers, and QA testers.
- For eCommerce development, make sure that your agile approach involves product owners and key stakeholders so that they can actively partake in the product feedback, updates, and changes they might need for implementation. Excluding them from your approach will only increase your burden and work in the end, so you’d better not do that!
- Always make sure that you are prioritizing features based on customer feedback and market trends so that they do not think their product is not ‘up to date’.
- Automated testing and continuous integration to improve speed and quality so you should never miss it. Gone are the days when manual testing was used for projects. Now companies are rapidly evolving and using the latest technologies. Therefore, in your agile methodology, leverage automated testing for rapid completion and quick identification of bugs.
Conclusion
Agile methodology is crucial for eCommerce marketplace development especially when you have to be robust. Agile methodology gives you the leverage to showcase your potential to the client and get the best results. In order to be agile for eCommerce marketplace development, make sure that you follow a thorough agile development process for seamless delivery and achieving desired results.
eCommerce Marketplace Development
Agile development process for creating eCommerce marketplaces has become the essential need for today. Therefore, when choosing eCommerce development companies, always go with the one who follow agile methodology throughout.
At BIZMIA, our Magento developers for hire and project managers use agile methodology processes to bring results and develop a seamless product as required. Book a meeting today and develop your eCommerce marketplace with us!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Agile methodology in eCommerce development?
Agile methodology is an approach to software development that emphasizes iterative progress, collaboration, and flexibility. For eCommerce marketplace development, Agile allows teams to break down large tasks into manageable sprints, enabling quicker releases and adaptations to changing customer needs or market demands. It fosters continuous feedback, helping developers refine features and address issues more effectively.
How does Agile benefit eCommerce marketplace development?
Agile offers several benefits for eCommerce marketplace development. It allows for faster development cycles, meaning new features or updates can be launched quicker. Agile also emphasizes customer feedback, ensuring that features are aligned with user needs. Additionally, the collaborative nature of Agile promotes better communication between teams, reducing delays and improving the overall quality of the platform.
How does Agile improve team collaboration in eCommerce projects?
Agile enhances collaboration by fostering communication through regular meetings like daily stand-ups, sprint planning, and reviews. This keeps all team members on the same page, from developers to designers and project managers. It creates a shared understanding of the project goals and timelines, helping avoid miscommunication and enabling the team to swiftly address any challenges.
What are the key stages of Agile in eCommerce development?
The key stages in Agile for eCommerce development include planning, design, development, testing, and review. Unlike traditional methods, these stages are repeated in sprints, which are typically 2-4 week cycles. Each sprint focuses on a specific set of tasks or features, with regular feedback loops to ensure the product evolves in line with customer and market needs.
Can Agile handle large-scale eCommerce marketplace projects?
Yes, Agile can efficiently manage large-scale eCommerce projects. Agile’s iterative process breaks down complex tasks into smaller, manageable sprints, ensuring that even extensive projects progress smoothly. By regularly testing and refining features, teams can avoid bottlenecks or massive rework, which is common in traditional methods. Agile also allows for quick adjustments based on feedback, making it ideal for evolving marketplaces.
What role does customer feedback play in Agile for eCommerce development?
Customer feedback is a core component of Agile methodology. In eCommerce, where customer experience is crucial, Agile facilitates regular iterations that incorporate feedback at every stage. This continuous loop ensures that features are user-focused, addressing pain points and improving overall satisfaction. It helps businesses stay responsive to customer needs, enhancing both the functionality and usability of the platform.
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