In 2019, eCommerce was responsible for 14.1 percent of all retail sales worldwide. By 2023, that market share is expected to reach 22%. If the Wild West economy of this new decade has made one thing clear, it’s that the future of eCommerce is limitless…unless your platform is holding you back.
Growing your eCommerce business is well within reach, provided you have an eCommerce platform that’s fast and flexible enough to keep up. We already covered speed on the ZiftrShop blog. Now, let’s take a closer look at flexibility.
Signs Your Current eCommerce Platform Isn’t Flexible Enough to Sustain Future Growth
Chances are if you’re reading this, you already have a sneaking suspicion that your eCommerce platform just isn’t cutting it. Still, it can be helpful to know specific signs to look for. Here are some of the most common complaints we hear from businesses that are fed up with their current eCommerce platform.
- The platform hasn’t evolved in years
- They’re paying more and more out of pocket—from development costs to platform fees
- It feels impossible to get platform support when they need it
- They dread what a spike in website traffic could mean for site speed
- Integrations are a headache
In summary: the platform doesn’t adapt to fit the needs of their business.
Signs An eCommerce Platform Prioritizes Flexibility
Now that you know how your current eCommerce platform may be holding you back, here are key signs that the next platform you pick prioritizes flexibility.
- It’s API-first. Every eCommerce business is unique—and an API-first eCommerce platform treats them this way. The agility of APIs enable full flexibility so that businesses can take the reins and customize the best experience.
- It supports global expansion. Looking ahead to future growth means being prepared to expand your eCommerce presence into new markets outside the United States. An ideal eCommerce platform should come equipped with multiple languages and currencies to make internationalization as seamless as possible.
- It integrates easily with other systems. A good eCommerce platform does a whole lot, but it doesn’t do everything. Most eCommerce businesses will find themselves needing to integrate with other business systems such as ERPs and CMSs. A flexible platform will allow for easy integrations across the board.
- It has trusted partners to help with support. As you grow your eCommerce business, it’s not uncommon to need some help along the way—potentially on the development side, the marketing side or both. For this reason, it’s smart to choose an eCommerce platform with established partner relationships. In other words, experts who are already familiar with the ins and outs of the platform and can hit the ground running to provide support.
If this sounds like the flexible eCommerce platform you’ve been waiting for, ZiftrShop may be the right solution for you. ZiftrShop is API-first, supports global expansion, integrates seamlessly with other systems and has strong relationships with trusted partners like AirTank.