DT

ShopBD 

Duration: 1 month

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Project Overview

ShopBD is a modern e-commerce platform tailored for the local market in Bangladesh. It was developed for practice purpose like how to add payment get-way, user authentication, headless CMS in a project and handle it in a proper way. This case study explores the challenges, solutions, and technologies behind the development of the platform.

Tech Stack:

Next.js 14 (with app routing), TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, Redux, Strapi, Stripe, etc.

Objective:

Build a scalable and responsive e-commerce platform with secure payment integration with stripe, product management, and an admin dashboard by strapi.

Problem Statement

The goal was to create an e-commerce platform specifically for Bangladeshi users, combining ease of use with scalability. Key challenges included

  • 1. Ensuring a smooth browsing and shopping experience across devices.
  • 2. Integrating a reliable and secure payment gateway.
  • 3. Building a responsive and performant UI for product listings and checkout flow.

The client needed a site that could handle a variety of products, provide clear navigation, and make purchasing as frictionless as possible.

Research & Planning

Before starting the project, I conducted research on existing e-commerce platforms to understand what makes a good shopping experience. I focused on the following

Competitor Analysis:

Analyzing popular local and international e-commerce websites for UX/UI inspiration.

User Research:

Understanding pain points from users of similar platforms, such as slow load times, complicated checkouts, or lack of payment options.

Technology Decisions:

I chose Next.js for its server-side rendering (SSR) capabilities, which improve SEO and performance. TypeScript was used to ensure scalability and reduce runtime errors. Strapi for simplicity of admin dashboard. Stripe for secure payments

Project Setup

I set up the Next.js app with app routing, which allowed more flexibility in page management and better performance optimization. I also set up the Strapi headless CMS for managing product data.

UI/UX Design

I implemented the UI using Tailwind CSS for quick styling and responsiveness. For pre-built components, I used Flowbite to ensure consistency and ease of use across different projects.

Homepage:

A clean hero section, featured products for easy navigation.

Product Listing Page:

Product filters (price, category, brand), with lazy loading for smooth performance.

Product Details Page:

Detailed product descriptions.

Cart and Checkout Flow:

User-friendly design with clear CTAs to increase conversion rates.

State Management

For managing the cart, I used Redux state management library to simplify the logic. The cart state included

  • 1. Product IDs and quantities.
  • 2. Total price calculation.
  • 3. Handling of adding/removing items and applying discount codes.

Payment Integration

One of the critical features was the integration of Stripe to handle payments. I created a backend service to generate a PaymentIntent and return a clientSecret to securely manage payments on the front end.

Responsive Design

The site was designed to be fully responsive, ensuring a smooth experience across mobile, tablet, and desktop devices. Using Tailwind CSS, I ensured

  • 1. Responsive grids for product listings.
  • 2. Mobile-first approach for layout, especially in the checkout flow.

SEO & Performance Optimization

To improve performance and SEO, I implemented server-side rendering and static generation for product pages using Next.js' features like getStaticProps and getServerSideProps. This enhanced

  • 1. Loading times for users with slow internet connections.
  • 2. SEO by ensuring that search engines could crawl the site effectively.

Results & Outcomes

  • 1. Enhanced User Experience
  • 2. Improved Conversion Rates
  • 3. Mobile Optimization

Reflection

The ShopBD project taught me the importance of balancing performance and user experience, especially in e-commerce platforms where fast, secure transactions are crucial. I also deepened my knowledge of payment integration through Stripe and refined my skills in managing state with Redux toolkit.

  • 1. Effective use of TypeScript reduced bugs and improved maintainability.
  • 2. Integration of Stripe simplified payment handling and provided a secure solution.

Future improvements could include more automated testing for edge cases, especially in the checkout process.