E-commerce businesses are heavily reliant on technology. Different tools and software are what collectively make e-commerce businesses a success. While there are several software solutions, e-commerce businesses need to know exactly which ones to integrate into their business – and this task is no cakewalk.
As a business owner, if you're looking to pick an ideal e-commerce technology stack for your business, here are a couple of essential aspects you need to know. We've covered the essential questions you need to know about building a robust, user-friendly e-commerce tech stack – let's find out more:
1. What is a Tech Stack?
A technology stack is nothing but a blend of tools, platforms, apps, frameworks, and programming languages used to create a website or an app. All these components are layered (or stacked) one on top of the other to create a website or app system, which is why the setup is called ‘tech stack.' Every tech stack comprises two main aspects: the front end and the backend. The front end is customer-facing, whereas the back end is server-facing.
2. What should my approach toward choosing a tech stack be?
Before choosing a tech stack, list your requirements – these requirements can be for a particular project or a complete website. Also include the drawbacks of your business or the areas you're currently struggling with. Both these aspects would help you understand what type of tech stack would be the right fit for your business.
Many options are available, so you must look for the best for your business. While looking at the value-adding aspect, consider the budget part. You can then zero into the list of the tools you think would work best to enhance your business workflow and invest in them.
3. How much would an e-commerce tech stack cost you?
The cost aspect ultimately depends on the type and scale of your business. There is no set rule regarding the ideal number of tools in an e-commerce tech stack. A small business would do fine with 5 tools, whereas a larger one may require 30 plus tools too! The cost would vary depending on the number of tools you invest in.
4. What are the other essential factors to consider?
Yes, of course! You need to create a digital system that can be effortlessly incorporated into the existing system mechanisms. Preferably, look for tools that are easy to understand and use. These solutions' compatibility and benefits are of utmost importance, so the focus must primarily be on them, not the learning curve. A smaller learning curve is always beneficial, but even if the tools require some time to understand and work on, that's completely okay too.
Apart from this, scalability, too, is a fundamental aspect to consider. E-commerce businesses can boom quickly, so you need to have a tech stack prepared for quick scalability too. If the tech stack cannot scale up as quickly as required, you will only end up losing money, time, and effort. So have a comprehensive outlook before you make a pick.
5. For which business processes can you opt for a tech stack?
A tech stack can cover different aspects of your business. You can use them to track orders coming in from different sales channels and also for inventory management. Likewise, many software solutions help efficiently manage payment processing, which is a high-risk area in any e-commerce business. Shipping and logistics, too, can be handled by software solutions.