When you hire an experienced OpenCart developer, you ensure that your eCommerce store will work appropriately and meet your demands. OpenCart is powerful software; however, customization of the software requires a special set of skills. Here are the aspects you will require to look into while hiring an OpenCart developer and how you can check his/her work.
Key Skills An OpenCart Developer Should Have
Following are the Opencart developer traits:
Experience In OpenCart Development
- A qualified developer will have hands-on experience in OpenCart, specifically:
- In-depth understanding of the core structure of OpenCart.
- Knowledge about OpenCart modules and extensions.
- Familiarity with the admin panel and customization options of OpenCart.
Strong Knowledge Of PHP
- Since OpenCart is basically designed in PHP, the developer will be required to have good knowledge of:
- Writing extremely efficient and clean PHP code.
- Application of the MVC (Model-View-Controller) architecture in OpenCart.
- Debugging PHP errors and optimizing performance.
Expertise In HTML, CSS, And Bootstrap Framework
- To be in front-end customization, the developer will have:
- Strong knowledge of HTML and CSS to manipulate layouts and styles.
- Experience with the bootstrap framework for developing responsive designs.
- Ability to create mobile-friendly and user-friendly interfaces.
OCMOD And VqMod Customization
- A good OpenCart developer would have a good grasp in:
- Using OCMOD (OpenCart Modification System) for smooth, efficient code modifications.
- The knowledge of VqMod (Virtual Quick Mod): to override core files without making direct changes.
Understanding Of Server-Side Issues
- Most OpenCart stores are hosted on servers using cPanel with an added advantage of Apache. The developer should know about:
- How to configure the .htaccess for SEO friendly URL and security upgrades.
- Responsible for managing Apache configuration and troubleshooting server-related issues.
- How to handle MySQL database operations to optimize speed.
How to Validate OpenCart Developer’s Work
Once you hire a developer, you should assure quality in their work. Some ways of validating this work include:
- Code Quality and Best Practices
- You want to assure that the code is in compliance with the OpenCart development guidelines.
- See that OCMOD/VqMod are being leveraged rather than modifying core files directly.
- Check that the code is well-commented and structured.
- Performance and Security Checks
- Test page load speed to ensure no unnecessary slows.
- Check the security measures, like protection against SQL injection and CSRF.
- Verify .htaccess security and SEO configuration.
- Functionality Testing
- General testing should confirm custom features function properly.
- Check compatibility with existing extensions and themes.
- Cross-browser testing for responsiveness using a wide range of devices.
- SEO and URL Structure
- Make sure that SEO-friendly URLs have been established properly.
- Check for meta-data, alt tags, and structured data setting up.
- Test OpenCart built-in SEO features for completeness.
- Backup and Documentation
- Check for post-change backup from the developer.
- Request for documentation of customizations worthy of future reference.
- Assure rollback plans for the issue at hand.
Conclusion
Finding the right OpenCart developer for your customizations will require assessment in technical capability, knowledge of OpenCart architecture, and addressing server-side tasks. Testing, checking performance, and documentation around the work done becomes essential in ensuring a smooth and efficient eCommerce experience. Keep focus on these factors and maintain a secure, scalable, and high-performing OpenCart store to suit your business needs.
