More and more retailers are finding that the cloud is the best place to host their ecommerce solution. Whether you need to scale up or down at speed to cope with sudden fluctuations in traffic (and who doesn’t?), need to stay on top of digital security (as we all do) or crave the versatility of a solution that’s always available everywhere (however your customers want to access it), then ecommerce in the cloud is for you. Here are five reasons why ecommerce is better in the cloud.
In the not too distant past, many organisations felt the need to develop their own ecommerce solutions to try to give themselves a competitive edge. But it’s expensive, resource-heavy, and not particularly effective, so many more are now looking towards proven solutions that can be adapted for specific needs. Those proven solutions that have been developed to maximise the advantages of running ecommerce in the cloud create compelling business reasons for adoption. Here are five reasons why:
Flexible scale
Sales solutions are never static. There are peaks and troughs regarding seasons and special events, perhaps even for a specific product. A strong ecommerce proposition needs to be able to handle those peaks in demand, whether they’re expected or not, by sharing the load through a series of servers. The resources of a cloud solution can flex to accommodate spikes in demand, as well as steady growth as and when necessary. Updates aren’t a problem either, as public cloud solutions will use the latest software innovations as and when they become available, so your solution always has the latest software and insights.
Security and recovery
Cyberthreats and digital extortion are on the increase, and it’s every organisation’s responsibility to make sure they’re as well protected as they can be. Cloud solutions, having a responsibility to a variety of clients, typically ensure they have the latest and most effective security systems to prevent attack. And should the worst happen, either through malign intervention or act of nature, they’ll have secure back-up systems in place to ensure business continuity in the event of a disaster.
Versatility
With your ecommerce engine in the cloud, customers can easily access your site and all its functionality from virtually anywhere in the country, or the world if necessary, and on any device or web browser. Employees can do the same for upkeep, allowing the option of more flexible working. Cloud providers make it their business to ensure their services are available to all and keep up to date with new developments. This can be extremely costly for an organisation, but economies of scale make it essential for providers. A/B testing is also much easier with the versatility of the cloud, so you can optimise and bring new initiatives to market more quickly and effectively.
Manageability
Maintaining a complex ecommerce system at its peak can also be a drain on internal resources. But with a cloud solution, all essential aspects will be located centrally, without the siloing that can often result from the development and introduction of a bespoke internal system. So updates, BAU maintenance and campaigns can all be handled more efficiency. You’ll also benefit from better back-end support – core business functions such as customer service, inventory and order management, search engine optimisation tools and even tax-integrated accounting services can all be incorporated into a single cloud-based solution. Despite your solution being hosted, you’ll still have full control, allowing you to make whatever changes you feel are necessary, whenever you need them.
Predictable costs
Since a cloud solution will typically be a pay-as-you-go subscription model, you’ll easily be able to plan your spend well ahead of time – and predict your investment requirements accordingly. Your initial costs are likely to be much lower because you simply implement the software to your requirements, and scaling up or augmenting your investment will be on a clearly defined payment scale. So you get the kind of solution you want, at the kind of scale you want, for a predetermined price – with no surprises.
Runibex is an MSP specialising in e-commerce with it’s own NGI Commerce Suite allowing you to increase your customers’ shopping experience and delivering unlimited technology, functionality, and flexibility.
Runibex’s NGI Commerce Suite has a modular structure, a fully integrated and PaaS based architecture enabling you to focus on your business perfectly.
While your business is growing, our NGI Commerce Suite provides you with the means to increase your revenue with omni-channel functionality. It prevents you from redundant investments with platform scalability.
Runibex is an MSP specialising in e-commerce, cloud services and SAP consulting. Find out more about how we could help your business.