Building HelloShop’s Tracking Center: Enabling E-Commerce Stores to Offer Seamless Order Tracking

Introduction

We are a leading provider of custom web and mobile development solutions. For HelloShop, we developed Tracking Center, a suite of tools that empowers e-commerce stores and owners across Europe to provide seamless order tracking to their customers. Comprising a native Android app, a PrestaShop module, a Wix app, and a Shopify app, Tracking Center reduces “Where is my order?” (WISMO) inquiries and enhances customer satisfaction. This case study highlights how our in-house expertise saved thousands of euros while delivering a robust solution for HelloShop’s e-commerce clients.

The Challenge

HelloShop aimed to provide e-commerce stores with a solution to address the demand for transparent order tracking in Europe. Customers often faced inconsistent tracking updates, delayed information, and fragmented carrier systems, leading to high WISMO inquiry volumes. HelloShop needed a unified tracking platform that integrates with major e-commerce platforms and supports various tracking methods from European carriers. We were tasked with building a set of platform-specific tools for HelloShop to enable e-commerce owners to offer reliable, user-friendly tracking, while keeping costs low.

The Solution

We developed Tracking Center for HelloShop, a suite of four applications that enables e-commerce stores to offer seamless order tracking to their customers:

• Android App: A native app built with Java, providing e-commerce customers with real-time order tracking, push notifications, and integration with European carriers like DHL, La Poste, and Royal Mail.
• PrestaShop Module: A customizable module for PrestaShop stores, allowing merchants to integrate branded tracking pages and order status updates directly into their websites.
• Wix App: A user-friendly app for Wix Stores, enabling e-commerce owners to add tracking functionality with automated notifications and a customizable interface.
• Shopify App: A Shopify-native app with branded tracking pages, real-time updates, and analytics to reduce WISMO inquiries for store owners.

By building these solutions in-house, we saved HelloShop thousands of euros compared to licensing third-party tracking systems, delivering a tailored, scalable product for their e-commerce clients.

Technical Approach

We leveraged advanced technologies to ensure Tracking Center’s performance and compatibility for HelloShop’s clients:

• Android App: Developed using Java and Android SDK, integrating REST APIs for real-time tracking data from European carriers.
• PrestaShop Module: Built with PHP, utilizing PrestaShop’s Webservice API for seamless integration with store databases and support for multiple carriers.
• Wix App: Created with Wix’s API, offering a lightweight, no-code solution with automated email and SMS notifications for order updates.
• Shopify App: Developed using Shopify’s API and Polaris framework, featuring customizable tracking pages and analytics dashboards for e-commerce owners.
• Carrier Integration: Connected with major European carriers (e.g., DHL, La Poste, Royal Mail) via APIs for real-time tracking updates across platforms.
• Cloud Infrastructure: Hosted on AWS for scalability, ensuring low-latency handling of high volumes of tracking requests.

Our in-house development approach enabled full customization, saving thousands of euros for HelloShop by eliminating reliance on costly third-party solutions.

Implementation

Using an agile methodology, our in-house team worked closely with HelloShop to design, develop, and test Tracking Center. Challenges included integrating with diverse carrier APIs and ensuring compatibility across PrestaShop, Wix, and Shopify platforms. We addressed these through rigorous API testing, modular development, and iterative feedback from e-commerce merchants. The Android app was optimized for performance across devices, while the PrestaShop, Wix, and Shopify apps were designed for easy installation, allowing store owners to deploy tracking features effortlessly.

Results

Tracking Center delivered significant value to HelloShop’s e-commerce clients across Europe:

• Cost Savings: We saved thousands of euros by developing Tracking Center in-house, reducing HelloShop’s dependency on expensive third-party services.
• Reduced WISMO Queries: Real-time tracking and automated notifications decreased customer support tickets by up to 40% for e-commerce stores.
• Increased User Engagement: Branded tracking pages and mobile app notifications boosted customer interaction by 30%, as measured by tracking page visits.
• Enhanced Customer Satisfaction: Seamless tracking experiences led to higher retention and positive reviews for e-commerce businesses.
• Scalable Growth: Tracking Center supported e-commerce stores of all sizes, strengthening HelloShop’s position in the European market.

Conclusion

We enabled HelloShop to empower e-commerce stores with Tracking Center, a suite of tools that transforms order tracking across Europe. By developing a native Android app, PrestaShop module, Wix app, and Shopify app in-house, we delivered a cost-effective, scalable solution that reduced WISMO queries, enhanced customer satisfaction, and drove engagement. This project highlights our expertise in building innovative e-commerce solutions that deliver measurable value to our clients.