As technology rapidly evolves and organizations expand their e-commerce offerings, systems are becoming obsolete faster than ever — a change that is even more pronounced as consumers and companies alike wade even further into e-commerce waters due to the global pandemic.
Keeping up with ballooning order demand and providing the latest front-end features, such as support for video, audio or free stock photos, can be key challenges for organizations that don’t prioritize cutting-edge e-commerce solutions. However, with the right strategy in place, savvy leaders can get ahead of these and other challenges to drive tremendous growth, even amid significant disruption in the marketplace and the ever-evolving business conditions that come with it.
Evaluating whether the current e-commerce solution still meets the company’s needs
A key driver in evaluating whether the company’s systems need to be replaced or upgraded is determining how well they integrate with other key technologies, provide scalability and allow for customization to meet current demand. Similarly, high maintenance costs associated with legacy systems and a lagging customer experience that is eclipsed by the competition also signal the need for change. If one or more of these factors affects the organization’s e-commerce operation, a major upgrade or new solution may be necessary.
Given the significant costs around e-commerce solutions, management may be tempted to continue using existing systems in order to drive near-term cost savings. Depending on a platform’s integration, scalability and customization capabilities, this may be the most cost-effective approach to keep up with e-commerce expectations and demand. But it is also important to analyze how well the current system will perform in the years to come in comparison to competitors’ platforms. If this analysis suggests that the organization can keep up with tech innovations through upgrades, this may be the most efficient approach.
E-commerce systems should be customizable and provide customers with front-end features and an overall experience that’s as good as or better than that offered by the competition.