The following are several stages that an ecommerce website design process must pass through during its development process;
The first stage is the problem definition or concept exploration. Here, the ecommerce website developers identify the needs of the user and try to determine possible solutions to the problem. The ecommerce website designers identify several solutions to the problem.
The second stage is the feasibility study where the developer goes to the field to collect the required information on the desired system to be developed. Some of the methods that can be used to collect data and information include observation where the developer physically goes to the field and sees what is happening and makes his own decision.
He also analyzes the user needs and checks whether they can be achieved. One of the major concerns here is the resources needed to execute the project. The designer must ensure that the budget estimate of the project is within his financial constraints. Time factor is also very important. The developer must ensure that the project is completed within the stipulated time frame.
The third stage is the design of the prototype. The ecommerce website designers come up with an overview of what the system should look like and then present it to the project sponsors and users. If the prototype is accepted, the developer continues to build the real system.
Once the users, sponsors and the designers have agreed on the prototype, implementation takes place where the real system is built. After, testing takes place. The reason for testing is to ensure that the system executes its intended purpose. There are two types of testing i.e. the black box and the white box testing. Black box testing only checks the outside of the system while white box tests both inside and outside the system.
The fifth stage is the integration where the new system is incorporated in the current system. However, if the system is new then it will be deployed to the users. It is important to note that integration takes place only if the project was an improvement of an already existing system.
Release, operation and maintenance are the last stages. The system is now given to the users and sponsors who start to operate it. Maintenance involves checking and troubleshooting any error that may arise from the use of the system.
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