How to Build a Fast and Scalable E-commerce Store with Nuxt.js & Strapi

Imagine launching an e-commerce store that’s fast, scalable, and easy to manage. Sounds exciting, right? With Nuxt.js and Strapi, that dream is within reach. These two powerhouse tools can help you build a dynamic, high-performing store with ease. 

Whether you’re a seasoned developer or just starting out, its simplicity and flexibility make the process smooth. Ready to dive into building an e-commerce store that works seamlessly across all platforms? 

Let’s explore how this tech stack can get you there!

Understanding the Tech Stack

Nuxt.js

Nuxt.js is a powerful, free framework that uses Vue.js to make development faster and smoother. It provides an easy, extendable way to create type-safe, fast, production-grade, full-stack web apps and websites with Vue.js. 

Moreover, it offers a structured approach to Vue.js development, simplifying common tasks and providing features that improve performance and SEO.

Some key Nuxt.js features:

• Server-Side Rendering (SSR): Nuxt.js renders web pages on the server before sending them to the client. This improves initial page load times, SEO, and user experience.
• Static Site Generation (SSG): Nuxt.js can generate static HTML files at build time, making your website incredibly fast and efficient.
• Progressive Web App (PWA) Capabilities: Nuxt.js provides features to create PWAs, offering offline functionality, push notifications, and more.
• Plugin Ecosystem: Nuxt.js has a rich ecosystem of plugins and modules, extending its capabilities for various use cases.

Strapi

Strapi is a headless CMS that lets you manage website content without a traditional frontend. It acts as a backend hub, enabling easy content creation, editing, and publishing through a simple dashboard. 

Its API-first design ensures smooth integration with Nuxt.js, offering customization for your store. The dashboard simplifies content management. Additionally, you can add payment gateways, shipping, and other e-commerce features.

Some key features of Strapi:

• Open-source and Self-hosted: Strapi is an open-source headless CMS that you can host yourself, giving you complete control over your data and infrastructure.
• Headless Architecture: Strapi separates content management from the front end. This offers flexibility in how you develop your app.
• Custom Content Types: You can easily create custom content types and fields through a user-friendly interface or by writing code.
• RESTful and GraphQL APIs: Strapi automatically generates RESTful and GraphQL APIs for your content, making data handling more flexible.
• Flexible Database Support: Strapi works with databases like MongoDB, PostgreSQL, SQLite, and MySQL. You can choose the one that fits your project's needs.

Benefits of Using Nuxt.js and Strapi for E-commerce

Now that we’ve introduced the core technologies, let’s explore the combined benefits of using Nuxt.js and Strapi to build your e-commerce store.

• Flexibility: Strapi's headless CMS allows seamless integration with any frontend, including Nuxt.js, providing full customization freedom.
• Developer-friendly: Both platforms offer a developer-first experience, making customization and development straightforward.
• Rapid development: Strapi's auto-generated APIs and Nuxt.js's built-in SSR accelerate both backend and frontend development.
• Scalability: Strapi’s plugin system and Nuxt.js’s modularity enable easy feature expansion and scaling as your store grows.
• Performance: Nuxt.js enhances frontend speed with code splitting, while Strapi's API-first approach ensures fast content delivery.
• Open source: Both tools are open-source, offering flexibility, extensibility, and freedom from vendor lock-in.

Let’s dig deeper...

With a clear understanding of Nuxt.js and Strapi, we can now dive into the actual steps to build your e-commerce store.

Steps on How to Build an E-commerce Store with Nuxt.js and Strapi

Prerequisites

Node.js and npm installed on your system

Basic information of JavaScript

Basic knowledge of Vue and Nuxt.Js

Node.js & npm installed; npm comes with Node.js by default now, so you can download Node.js from the Node.js professional site if you have not already.

Step 1: Set Up the Project Environment

The first step is the correct configuration of your project environment to ease the development. You’ll need Node.js and npm installed on your system. These will enable you to create and manage both the frontend and the backend of the store.

Install Node.js and npm

Make sure you are running the latest versions of Node.js and npm. If not, download them from the official Node.js website. To verify your installation, run:

node -v

npm -v

This will print the versions of Node.js and npm installed on your machine.

Create Project Directories

Next, create two separate directories on your Nuxt.js frontend and Strapi backend. This separation guarantees modularity and higher venture management.

mkdir my-ecommerce-store

mkdir my-strapi-backend

Now, go to these directories and proceed to set up your projects by following the steps below.

Step 2: Initialize Nuxt.js and Strapi Projects

Now, let’s initialize both the Nuxt.js frontend and Strapi backend. This will give you the base structure for your e-commerce store, and you can follow this guide from Audacity.

Nuxt.js Initialization

To initialize a Nuxt.js project, run the following command inside your my-ecommerce-store directory:

npx create-nuxt-app my-ecommerce-store

Nuxt will indicate it's ready for setup and offer templates, languages, and extra options. Choose what's best for your project. For an e-commerce site, pick the default theme and enable server-side rendering (SSR) to boost speed and indexing.

Strapi Initialization

For the Strapi backend, navigate to the my-strapi-backend directory and run:

npx create-strapi-app my-strapi-backend

Follow the installation instructions to create your Strapi project. You can either make a unique template or choose from available ones. However, starting from scratch offers the best flexibility.

After the setup is done, you can start running both projects to check that they work properly.

Step 3: How To Create Content Types in Strapi

Now that the backend has been configured, it is necessary to design the structure of the store’s content. Content types in Strapi are the models of data that are going to be necessary for managing products, categories, orders, users, etc.

Access Strapi Admin

Start your Strapi backend by running:

npm run develop

Strapi will launch its admin panel at http://localhost:1337. Sign in using the username and password you entered while installing the application.

Define Content Types

In the Strapi dashboard, create the following key content types:

• Products: For creating all data related to products, such as product name, description, product price, and picture.
• Categories: To categorize all kinds of products that are available.
• Users: For maintaining and functioning customer accounts.
• Orders: To record the order details of each customer and their order status and other details.

It is now possible to specify the fields that are appropriate for the different Content Types.

For every content type, you need to create the fields that are going to store the data. For example, a product content type could have fields like:

Name (text)

Description (rich text)

Price (number)

Image (media)

Category (relation to Categories)

The best thing about Strapi is that you can adapt these content types to your specific needs as a business.

Step 4: Strapi configures its API Routes

By default, Strapi creates RESTful and GraphQL API routes for any content type that has been created. Though you may require specific routes or permission to restrict access to the API.

Custom API Routes

If you want to use specific business logic, you can create custom routes for your API by changing the route configuration in Strapi. This is useful if your repository requires custom workflows or data management.

Configure Permissions

Strapi enables authors to control access based on roles. This means they can limit who can view or edit content. For instance, only authorized users might be allowed to order or see certain data.

These permissions make sure that your API is safe to use while making it easier for the users of your API.

Step 5: Integrate Strapi with Nuxt.js

With the backend geared up, we now need to combine it with the frontend. We'll use Axios to deal with API requests between Nuxt.Js and Strapi.

Install Axios

First, install Axios in your Nuxt.js project:

npm install @nuxtjs/axios

Configure Axios

Next, configure Axios to your nuxt.Config.Js document with the aid of putting the base URL in your Strapi API. This URL may be used to fetch content from your Strapi backend:

//javascript

export default {

  modules: ['@nuxtjs/axios'],

  axios: {

    baseURL: 'http://localhost:1337' // Replace with your Strapi API URL

  }

}

Fetch Data from Strapi

Once Axios is installed, you can fetch information from your Strapi backend. For instance, to show merchandise at the homepage, use the subsequent code to your Nuxt.Js component:

//javascript

async asyncData({ $axios }) {

  const products = await $axios.$get('/products');

  return { products };

}

This fetches a list of products from Strapi and passes them to the Nuxt.js component for rendering.

Step 6: Create the Frontend Using Nuxt.js

The next process that you should follow is developing the front-end of the user interface of your e-commerce store.

Create Vue.js Components

Build components for essential parts of your e-commerce store:Build components for essential parts of your e-commerce store:

• Product Listings: Show the list of products along with the pagination.
• Product Details: Display the specific information about the offered products.
• Shopping Cart: Let customers make changes to the cart, such as adding and deleting items or changing their quantity.
• Checkout: Overall, the ability to deal with the last step of ordering, namely an order confirmation and a payment procedure.

Implement Routing

Nuxt.js has the advantage that routes are automatically generated based on the component’s file structure. This system can be utilized to create your routes for product pages, the cart, and checkout.

Handle State Management

Use Vuex to manage global states like user sessions and shopping carts across pages. Vuex creates a store for state management. This is helpful when users buy items or add them to their cart.

Style the UI

On the appearance of the store, it is recommended to rely on CSS or Sass or use more global UI libraries such as TailwindCSS. Ensure your store is mobile-friendly, well-designed, and easy to find your way around.

Step 7: Integrate Stripe Payments

No e-commerce store is complete without payment processing. For this, we’ll integrate Stripe.

Create a Stripe Account

Sign up for a Stripe account and generate the essential API keys for your challenge.

Install Stripe.Js

To start working with Stripe in Nuxt.js, install the Stripe.js library:

npm install @stripe/stripe-js

Implement Payment Processing

Build a checkout element that handles payment form submission. Use Stripe's API to securely technique bills. You’ll want to create payment intents and handle order confirmations.

Step 8: Use Nodemailer to Send Emails

Once orders are placed, sending confirmation emails improves the user experience. Nodemailer is a great tool for this.

Install Nodemailer

First, install Nodemailer in your Nuxt.js project:

npm install nodemailer

Configure Nodemailer

Navigate to the email provider’s SMTP settings and configure Nodemailer. You can then use it to send transactional emails such as order confirmation mails, password reset mails, or even mails notifying the customer of their consignment.

Step 9: Deploy Your E-commerce Store

The final step is to deploy your store so it’s accessible to the world.

Choose a Hosting Platform

For the Nuxt.js frontend, platforms like Vercel or Netlify work well. For the Strapi backend, Heroku or DigitalOcean are great choices.

Configure Deployment

Each platform has its own deployment process, but generally, you'll need to configure environment variables and push your code to the platform’s hosting servers.

Deploy the Application

Deploy both the frontend (Nuxt.js) and backend (Strapi). Once deployed, your e-commerce store will be live and ready for customers.

Closing thoughts,

Building an e-commerce store with Nuxt.Js and Strapi is an effective combination that offers flexibility, scalability, and an amazing developer experience. By leveraging Strapi's headless CMS structure and Nuxt.Js's Vue.Js-powered frontend, you can create an excessive-performance online save tailored to your particular desires.

Start building your dream e-commerce store today with Strapi and Nuxt.js!