There Is No One-Size-Fits-All: Ways to Apply Cloud eCommerce Solutions
Cloud eCommerce refers to the remote network practice of servers to use applications, store, and process data via the Internet. Let’s explore the technology.
Have you switched to shopping for groceries and other suppliers on your mobile devices? Online shopping has transformed brick-and-mortar stores for various reasons. This shift in consumer shopping behavior has created opportunities for retailers to build their online platforms to drive sales and growth. eCommerce will benefit from cloud computing technology in various ways. Any eCommerce business operation pays attention to how cloud computing saves time and resources.
2022 has experienced dynamic demands and unpredictable events in the market. So eCommerce firms need to optimize their spending and gain insights into their operations. Adopting cloud eCommerce seems to be a feasible solution. Let us explore how cloud eCommerce benefits your store performance.
Market Overview: eCommerce Statistics
Tech-savvy consumers are looking for seamless and quick purchasing options throughout the next few years. We predict US retail eCommerce sales growing 16.1% in 2021, going up to $1.06 trillion in the next year. Business-to-business eCommerce statistics continue growth in 2022. We predict B2B eCommerce site sales will reach nearly $ 1.77 trillion (2022), a 12% increase from 2021.
The global eCommerce market reached 34% in 2020 owing to the covid-19 outbreak. With a forecast of $4.98 trillion in 2021, retail eCommerce sales will reach $5.86 trillion in 2022.
The largest eCommerce markets are China, the United States, and Japan. In Europe, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France are the top countries that have experienced large eCommerce sales volumes.
47% of retail companies state the covid-19 pandemic stimulated the cloud eCommerce adoption process in their business operations. Experts believe that cloud eCommerce has empowered both the retail industry and eCommerce landscapes.
Why cloud eCommerce boosts business operations
Here are some benefits that firms should integrate cloud computing in eCommerce into their operations.
Scalability
Scalability is one of the benefits of cloud eCommerce to boost business performance. Cloud computing helps cater to the dynamic demands of the eCommerce market. It helps scale up and down depending on traffic, business complexes, and seasonality. Besides, cloud eCommerce helps balance workloads and fluctuating demands.
Stability
Another benefit of cloud eCommerce is its reliable performance. Firms have stable and predictable performance in traffic spikes or promotional events. Nowadays, outsourcing software development services build custom apps for eCommerce landscapes. It ensures the stability of eCommerce performance.
Cloud computing security
Each vendor has distinctive offerings; however, cloud computing in eCommerce provides PCI-DSS-certified hosting. It is in GDPR compliance. Besides, cloud eCommerce offers advanced security measures to secure your website from DDoS attacks. When developing eCommerce platforms for online shopping, offshore development teams need to consider security issues.
Enhanced-speed
Consumers tend to use websites that have a fast speed. About 79% of consumers dissatisfied with website performance are unwilling to buy from the same site. The migration to cloud eCommerce solutions allows businesses to improve their eCommerce sites and page speed.
Savings
If planned and implemented correctly, cloud eCommerce solutions lower costs than conventional hosting since businesses pay for the things they use. In most circumstances, expenses are operational, not capital.
How to adopt cloud eCommerce solutions into your business
Despite having benefits, cloud computing in eCommerce might be a challenging process. The eCommerce market has visibility into cloud computing across the organization and provides oversight. Nowadays, firms use outsourcing software development services to integrate cloud computing into eCommerce platforms.
Cloud computing in the eCommerce journey includes five steps: visualization, strategy, planning, implementation, and optimization.
Visualization
First, cloud eCommerce solutions define where you are and where you want to be an essential part.
- What are the primary reasons for using cloud eCommerce?
- Are businesses looking to discover new opportunities?
- Do your business need more flexibility and scalability?
Strategize
Businesses need to examine resources, infrastructure, and architecture. Besides, they think of integrating cloud eCommerce software into existing software applications.
- Evaluate Saas solutions.
- Think of Infrastructure-as-a-Service and Platform-as-a-Service choices.
- Decide whether your business does this in-house offshore development teams or outsourcing software development services.
Plan
Business owners need to know what to do, when, and how. It is critical for an eCommerce market in the cloud. Make plans for integrating cloud eCommerce software into existing applications.
- Scope of work.
- Explore cross-system dependencies.
- Clear acceptance criteria.
Implement
You will set in infrastructure and move software applications to cloud computing or redevelop your product.
- Follow plan.
- Stick to acceptance criteria.
- Show results such as during demos, etc.
Optimize
Cloud computing in eCommerce adoption does not end with the deployments to the cloud.
- Develop operational dashboards.
- Keep logs in handy.
- Remember DevOps pipelines.
What are the best cloud eCommerce solutions for your business?
Dealing with cloud eCommerce seems like an easy task; however, there are many things to consider. Thus, business operators need to find feasible cloud eCommerce solutions.
Cloud computing in eCommerce includes software-as-a-service, platform-as-a-service, and infrastructure-as-a-service. Many businesses use technology in eCommerce by developing cloud eCommerce software solutions to support performance.
Software-as-a-service (SaaS)
SaaS is one of the best cloud eCommerce solutions for your business. By applying SaaS, business operators receive a service rather than a platform and hardware. It defines the application server, operating system, and database. For example, outsourcing software development services build custom applications to provide expected availability and performance.
Advantages of SaaS in cloud eCommerce
- Update to the latest version. Cloud eCommerce platforms release new features and introduce them to users.
- SaaS provides monthly subscriptions on a specific day of the month.
- SaaS providers take responsibility for maintenance, hosting, performance, and speed.
- It is easiest to launch an eCommerce website.
Disadvantages of SaaS platforms
- SaaS lacks customization owing to the predetermined features, tools, and themes. You need to make it with existing systems.
- SaaS solutions come pre-packed with some features that you may not need.
- SaaS platforms work with a B2C sector, so there is little to no B2B support.
Platform-as-a-service (PaaS)
Vendors provide clients with a platform to develop and manage an application without the infrastructure. The service is responsible for the application server, runtime, and database. Here are some advantages of Platform-as-a-service:
- Simple and cost-effective software development and deployment.
- Scalability and stable performance.
- Customizable to clients’ needs.
- Support automation tools.
- Offer migration to the hybrid deployment models.
However, if you need additional customization, PaaS vendors may fail to provide it. You might also have restricted deployment rights for a third-party application.
Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS)
The IaaS is a cloud-based alternative to the on-site infrastructure. You select what software applications to run and which configurations to apply. Besides, IaaS providers offer flexibility to deploy and configure a corporation-level eCommerce site. Nevertheless, you need to have clouds and ask DevOps experts to help you through this transformation.
What are the differences between Self-Hosted vs. Cloud Computing in eCommerce?
There are two ways to eCommerce sites such as self-hosted and cloud computing in eCommerce. Using technology in eCommerce will bring lots of benefits to business operators. Here are some significant differences between the two approaches to eCommerce sites.
Self-hosted eCommerce platforms
Self-hosted eCommerce needs to find hosting, implement installations, and update manually. In-house developers or offshore development teams should maintain and update eCommerce sites, which is costly and time-consuming. The self-hosted eCommerce platform benefits businesses by controlling online retail sites, data visibility, and security. However, business operators can deal with high expenses and lower revenues.
Cloud computing in eCommerce platforms
Cloud eCommerce platforms also offer to host clients off-site solutions such as Amazon Web Services. The cloud eCommerce platform manages time for businesses. Cloud computing in eCommerce helps lower costs as you don’t have to pay any related maintenance. Moreover, business operators will receive support from hosting service providers. Nevertheless, cloud eCommerce solutions have to pay a license fee. Businesses have less control over servers.
There is no one-size-fits-all cloud eCommerce platform for your business. Nevertheless, we hope we have given you beneficial information about cloud eCommerce that helps benefit your business operations.
Special thanks to Tremis Skeete, Executive Editor at Product Coalition for the valuable input which contributed to the editing of this article.
