In the last decade alone, the field of e-commerce development has changed significantly and began to generate profits exceeding even the most optimistic expectations with the market revenues for 2021 of almost $5 trillion! However, building an e-commerce business is not as easy as it sounds. One of the main questions that come to mind is choosing the right programming languages for e-commerce websites. Which one is the most frequently chosen by the organizations? Which one is the best to learn if you want to work on such projects? Let’s find out in this article! 

  

The benefits of e-commerce business 

The digital transformation has made Internet presence a key factor that determines the growth and importance of any company worldwide. As a consequence, the eCommerce business has gained even more importance. According to Statista data, in 2021 e-commerce retail sales amounted to approximately $4,9 trillion worldwide. This number is projected to grow by 50% over the next four years, reaching approximately $7,4 trillion by 2025. 

Undoubtedly, e-commerce offers entrepreneurs many benefits, including the ability to reach more audiences, collect more information about customers, and more effectively adapt their business to rapidly changing trends. Moreover, it opens up more opportunities to “sell”. Companies can do it simultaneously through different online channels and promote the brand more effectively. Another significant advantage of having an e-commerce business is the ability to scale faster due to the greater flexibility of operations and communication in the online market. 

 

 

Programming languages for e-commerce 

Choosing the best programming language for the e-commerce website is one of the major indicators of the success of the e-commerce business. It has an impact on customer experience and conversion rates. It can also provide users with convenient and friendly shopping while responding to their concerns and needs. 

While there are many programming languages ​​suitable for e-commerce development, choosing the best language for your project can be a difficult task. After all, each programming language is unique and has its advantages and disadvantages. Choosing the right one can be critical to your business success and customer needs. 

Below we have compiled a list of the 8 most popular languages ​​to help you build a safe and reliable e-commerce website in 2022! 

 

1. JavaScript 

JavaScript is one of the most popular and leading programming languages ​​in the world for e-commerce websites. It is a simple, highly scalable and versatile programming language. It allows you to add dynamic functionality to web pages beyond their static capabilities. One of its biggest benefits is that most web browsers support it. Thanks to this, it eliminates the need to write cross-platform code. It also reacts very quickly to client-side browser requests and gives end users a better user experience (UX). JS can be used to build both e-commerce back-end and front-end. It comes with a wide variety of modules and libraries that allow you to create virtually any feature. 

NATEK specialists, under the supervision of our Software Development Support Engineer Encho Enchev, have decided to choose JavaScript for a project related to the implementation of lightweight e-commerce solutions for one of the most famous advertising agencies in the world. Our team has built and supports one-page e-commerce applications that allow large internet retailers from the US and UK to experiment and optimize their online offers, as well as adapt their services and model their business to new circumstances resulting from constant changes and technological progress.  

Are you a JS developer? Click HERE to discover all our open JS positions!

 

2. Python 

This programming language is another common choice among e-commerce website builders around the world because of its flexibility and versatility compared to other languages. It focuses on performance and readability, making it ideal for building complex and large e-commerce sites. That’s why leading companies like Instacart use it to manage their e-commerce companies’ data. It offers ready-made solutions and perfect compatibility with all databases. Python is also a good choice because it can make your online store dynamic, user-friendly and highly intuitive. In addition, Python’s syntax is quite simple and easy to understand, so it doesn’t require any complicated coding skills.  

Browse through our positions with Python HERE and let yourself grow in the e-commerce industry!

 

3. PHP 

PHP is probably the most used programming language among e-commerce website builders worldwide. One of the major e-commerce platforms, Magento, has been developed in PHP. It should be the language of choice when it comes to speed and performance. Its scalability features make the website load quickly regardless of the number of visitors at any given time. It is easy to learn which makes it popular with e-commerce website builders. PHP is an excellent choice for e-commerce also because of its most important features, such as easy integration with other programming languages. It also offers cross-platform compatibility and access to massive community support. Additionally, the use of PHP will significantly reduce the cost of maintaining the store. 

Get more info about our open PHP Development positions HERE.

 

4. Java 

Java is an object-oriented language that offers high performance, reliability and security. Unlike other programming languages, Java has many features that make it easy for the user to build reliable and efficient e-commerce websites with a user-friendly interface. One of its main advantages is the ability to run on various platforms. Most developers use it to build effective e-commerce websites that run on various browsers, enabling them to work cross-platform. It is a server-side language for creating large-scale projects. Leading giants like Amazon and Flipkart are using Java for their e-commerce sites. 

If you are a Java developer, see our open vacancies HERE.

 

5. Ruby on Rails 

Ruby on Rails (RoR) is an affordable web application development framework. E-commerce businesses use it because of its performance and flexibility. Many developers consider this an ideal choice as it allows you to easily create complex websites with a wide range of features in a very short time. While its performance may not be as good as some of the other options on this list and is not supported on all browsers, it is ideal if you need a customized online store that can handle heavy traffic with ease. A few examples of using Ruby in the e-commerce platform include Airbnb, Bloomberg, and Dribble. 

 

6. CSS 

CSS is a popular choice among developers who focus on creating websites that are visually driven. It is a powerful stylesheet that is used to manage the look and feel of HTML content. It helps to create a visually attractive look for the e-commerce website by manipulating texts, headers, images, colors and other web design elements. The key advantage of building an e-commerce platform using CSS is faster page loading and increased efficiency. One of the most popular e-commerce platforms Shopify uses CSS to edit and customize themes for online stores. 

Check out the positions with CSS skillset HERE.

 

7. MEAN 

MEAN is a development stack that is robust, powerful, and capable of handling complex coding like e-commerce. It can be used to write web application code, client-side code, and database code. Some website builders say it is the best language for e-commerce websites as it effectively manages a complex and long codebase and allows the easier building of both front-end and back-end. Its popularity has grown significantly in the last few years. To the point that tech giants like Google, PayPal and Uber are taking advantage of it. 

 

8. C++ 

C ++ is one of the most complex programming languages ​​to learn. However, it is also one of the best programming languages ​​for e-commerce. Why? It supports most backend languages. C ++ is a low-level language and has many syntax options that provide easy scalability, security, and flexibility. This language is also eagerly chosen by developers because it makes it easier to analyze and understand online consumer data. Therefore, it is beneficial for scalability and providing a user-friendly interface. 

The popularity of C++ is reflected by the number of projects, for which C++ specialists are in demand. Review our projects with C++ HERE.

 

 

How to choose the right programming language for e-commerce website development? 

As you can see, there is no one-size-fits-all language solution for e-commerce. Each language has its own unique advantages that can be used to meet the specific needs of your business. 

Regardless of the number of programming languages ​​at your disposal, adopting a language that best reflects your organization’s business vision is key to standing out in the still competitive e-commerce sector. Therefore, when choosing a programming language, do not limit your decision-making criteria to business requirements. Make sure the stack you are adopting is flexible, secure, has a good support community, and is compatible with other frameworks. 

  

 

If you are still unsure which language is best for your e-commerce websites, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team! NATEK supports the e-commerce projects of many leading brands on the market. We will be happy to share our experience and expertise with you! 

 

If you want to join the ever-growing world of e-commerce and develop the e-commerce of the future, be sure to check out our current job offers and #workITwithus!