The next generation of eCommerce is all about deeper integrations and connectivity. Technological advancements have landed eCommerce retailers in a position where ultimate flexibility and agility are necessary to keep up with shifting customer expectations and industry trends. There are many more options now when it comes to eCommerce technology. Rather than one monolithic system holding everything together, most eCommerce solutions involve a variety of integrated resources and tools that must communicate with each other seamlessly to support revenue growth.
This can be a challenge for retailers that are starting to outgrow their current platform and tech stack. You may be looking to add functionality that isn’t included with your current platform and evaluating third-party solutions, or even considering building custom integrations from scratch. Regardless of what’s next for your eCommerce store’s journey, an informed strategy is key to making sure new technologies are implemented properly for a smooth roll-out.
Evaluate Current Objectives
The first step when considering adding new technologies to your eCommerce site is to define your goals. If you haven’t already done so, lay out everything you’re currently struggling with and whatever challenges might be holding you back from true eCommerce success.
For example, if you’re looking to appeal to a younger audience, you may want to consider adding alternative, flexible payment options like Afterpay to your checkout flow. If you’re noticing an increase in customers leaving your site just before checkout, you may want to consider integrating a new email marketing strategy with your site to catch those customers and support abandoned cart recovery.
Choosing Technologies
With your goals in mind, you can start researching solutions that match your business needs. There are so many new tools on the market, but how can you distinguish between which products will support your growth and which are simply capitalizing on emerging trends? In order to choose vendors that are functional, improve your site’s performance, and get you closer to your goals, there are many considerations that you’ll need to take into account.
Feature Requirements
The most important consideration is ensuring that potential technologies meet your requirements. Compare vendors against each other to determine which providers offer solutions to all of your business objectives.
Technological Compatibility
Once you’ve found technologies that you’ve confirmed will help your business address certain pain points, it’s imperative to consider whether these technologies will seamlessly integrate with your current platform. Many eCommerce platforms are built to accommodate any new technology you want to add. However, some platforms intentionally hinder this process or require upgrades or proprietary add-ons, rather than custom solutions to prevent their users from searching for alternatives to their own offerings.
Reference Industry Feedback
If you’re still not sure if a technology provider is the right choice for your business, you can find reviews and real-life experiences from other customers to better inform your decision. You can even research industry-specific awards and recognition to gain better insight into which providers have a proven track record for their ability to serve their customers.
Run a Site Assessment
Before you’re ready to start your next eCommerce integration, it’s important to evaluate the current standing of your eCommerce site and all your existing technology. If there are underlying challenges that have flown under the radar for a while, flashy new technology won’t be able to provide all the benefits it should. Virid can run a free site audit on your site to uncover anything that might be slowing you down and preventing you from the revenue you deserve. We’ll cover tech fundamentals, site accessibility, low-friction checkout, product discovery, and next-level optimization, providing a score and strategic recommendations for each step.
Final Thoughts
The most important tool is your eCommerce platform. You can’t accomplish a successful eCommerce integration without a platform that’s built to scale and connect with whatever third-party tools you need to help improve your site’s performance. Before you begin a new project, make sure that your current platform is ready to support your growth, not hold you back. If your current eCommerce platform is draining revenue and limiting your profits, consider a solution that allows for ultimate control over your tech stack and your customer experience.
marketAgility is an award-winning eCommerce platform that provides seamless connectivity with other eCommerce tools. It’s more than just a platform, however, our unified solution combines enterprise-grade technology with agency services and one-on-one, dedicated support to help you reach your eCommerce goals. Set up a consultation today to get started or schedule a free site audit to discover how Virid can help you grow.
