The digital age has led to a boom in online transactions across various e-commerce websites. Several entrepreneurs have jumped onto the eCommerce bandwagon expecting a quick RoI. Similarly, several traditional businesses have set up online shops to improve their revenues. However, you must choose a robust digital commerce platform for your website. According to Quadrant Knowledge Solutions, over 75% of enterprise applications could be cloud-native by 2022. It can go beyond 90% by 2023. (Source: SPARK Matrix)
The platform you choose must be scalable and provide you with the strategic objectives required for growth. Your business must capitalise on the platform’s robust capabilities to unlock business value. It is essential to choose the right platform for your business. We will discuss the factors to consider when selecting the right platform for your business.
Factors to Consider when Choosing the Right eCommerce Platform for your Business
Website Security
Your consumers are wary about the security of the website. They will be entering their financial information before making a purchase. They will not buy from you if they aren’t sure whether they are buying from a secure website. You must also adhere to the PCI-DSS guidelines to accept online payments. It means you must move to an HTTPS platform.
You must utilise object-oriented programming language as they have several inbuilt security features. It is more crucial when you undertake B2B transactions through your website. You must understand the security risks to your eCommerce website. You must move the website to a secure infrastructure to thwart cyberattacks. Have better access control mechanisms and use technology to protect customer data.
Address User Experience Requirements
We know that the top eCommerce brands focus more on providing an enhanced user experience. These websites are simple to use, can be easily navigated, have new interfaces, etc. The website must have an intuitive interface. It is essential to deploy the services of UI/ UX experts to create engaging environments.
You must also consider this factor for B2B eCommerce websites as they will have a different customer journey. The digital commerce platform must serve your customer journey. For B2B marketers, the buyer personas may vary, and you must be critical about their content composition characteristics.
Scalability and Speed
Your business will grow in future, and considering long-term goals is crucial for your business. The eCommerce platform must be enabled by documented and open APIs, allowing you to include superior features in the website. Assess the scalability of the platform before choosing it.
You must assess the platform’s speed and its ability to support peak traffic. Have a validating procedure to know the maximum visitor load it can withstand. It is necessary for B2B websites where visitors rarely wait for the website to load. You can choose one of the cloud based eCommerce platforms which are flexible and scalable.
Responsive Design
Studies show that around half of all website visits are through mobile phones. Google also priorities websites tailor-made for mobiles. Hence, making purchases easy for visitors through their smartphones is essential. It is more cost-effective to have a responsive website than a separate website for mobiles and desktops.
Business customers will rarely give you time and make their purchase decisions fast. The decision-makers prefer to make their decisions while on the move. You must ensure that your platform is responsive. You can provide them with an optimised experience, and the visitors too can save time in their internet search.
Headless Commerce
Several advanced technologies can help your business, and headless commerce is among them. The visitor can shop from any device and can rely on headless commerce. It can provide a seamless experience across the customer journey, and developers can offer a dynamic, fast, and personalised UX.
The pandemic has accelerated B2B buying online. You can allow rapid communication and social commerce to corporate clients. While rigid models will not allow you to engage customers better, the use of headless commerce can help you bring new functionalities faster. It can enable innovation, and you can contact business buyers over various touchpoints.
Enhance Outreach
A critical ability of eCommerce platforms is the ability to increase outreach. The platform must support various marketing features to help enhance your brand awareness. Do adequate background research to assess whether the platform supports the proper marketing activities required to draw more business.
The b2B ecommerce platform must support various marketing activities. It must support carrying out email campaigns to ensure high-quality leads for your business. Several platforms have specialised SEO modules which can provide improved search engine rankings. The platform must be compatible with BI tools which allow for better decision-making.
Robust Order Management System
Your eCommerce platform must have a powerful order-to-cash workflow which can prevent the leaking of orders across the value chain. Speedy B2B orders can ensure brand equity and further enquiries in future. Your order management workflows must be simple and provide accurate information about the orders when needed.
There must be seamless communication between the inventory and order management systems. It helps to throw light on the availability of the products in the inventory. The buyer can quickly ascertain the presence of the items in your stock before making the purchase. Easy API-based integration with other critical software like ERP, CRM, etc., is preferred.
Comprehensive Product Management System
Several eCommerce websites require elaborate product management features to design a better shopping experience. The product catalogue is the basis of your business, and the platform must have detailed features to help you control the product catalogue better. It must be easy to update the products, for example, components for the automotive industry.
The store functionality must be robust and have a bulk product upload feature to increase employee productivity. Advanced features which categories, shipping options and dynamic filters can provide a better user experience for buyers. The platform must provide the administrator with the power to design a robust online store to enhance revenues.
Support for Multiple Payment Options
Your eCommerce website must have multiple payment options to prevent unnecessary customer dropouts. There can be some eCommerce platforms which may not support all payment options. It can lead to a severe loss of revenue, especially for B2B websites. You must also allow wire transfers, ACH payments and paper checks for your business customers.
There must be secure payment gateways, and there must be all options available to the customer to make a purchase. Also, validate the security features of the platform. It can help by ensuring customer satisfaction and enhancing your revenues.
Adequate Personalisation Features
You must use advanced features to provide a better customer experience than your peers. It can help influence the buying decision in your favour. For example, several next-gen eCommerce platforms come with an inbuilt recommendation engine. It can dynamically show possible options based on their demographics.
Modern b2c eCommerce platform deploy next-gen features by using AI and machine learning algorithms. It can help provide additional features on the website and allow visitors to decide faster. Augmented Reality and an advanced search mechanism can lead to better brand awareness and unlock business potential.
The HCL Digital Commerce Platform can be Suitable for Your Business
The largest enterprises trust the HCL Commerce Platform for their eCommerce websites. It is agile and supports both B2B and B2C business models. It supports multi-site implementation and has a flexible catalogue feature.
The platform supports headless commerce and exposes REST APIs’ functions to enhance customer experience. It can empower businesses by providing the right features to ensure growth. You have comprehensive control over data with more cloud portability.
The HCL Commerce platform has secured strong ratings in the SPARK Matrix analysis of the global B2C Digital Commerce Platform market. It is among the technology leaders in the 2022 SPARK Matrix of the B2B and B2C eCommerce platform market.
Conclusion
You must undertake comprehensive research to ascertain the features available in the digital commerce platform of your choice. Check for any severe limitations which might hinder your growth path. One of the cloud based eCommerce platforms can be an ideal option.
The HCL Commerce platform can be an ideal option for your online store. It can help quickly build a better customer experience and support by ensuring a faster time to market. It can guarantee a speedier page load and lead to a manifold increase in revenues.
