Many experts will argue that the notion of electronic commerce (e-commerce) has existed since the earliest days of the Internet. This term became commonplace as early as the late 1990s with the advent of online shopping portals such as Amazon and eBay. Since then, millions of consumers from all walks of life rely upon virtual shopping in order to purchase everyday goods and services. This would hardly be possible without the presence of e-commerce platforms.
However, the technology behind these bundles is advancing at a breakneck pace. Methods and options that might have seemed all but fictional a handful of years ago are now realities and this leaves us to wonder what the near future may have in store. Let us examine how the role of e-commerce has changed over time so that we can better appreciate what to expect.
A Simple and Yet Not-so-Simple Solution
It did not take long for forward-thinking software development companies to appreciate the role that e-commerce would play within the online retail industry. Namely, vendors did not often possess the in-house means to create these packages. This gave birth to a handful of firms that specialized in providing one-size-fits-all solutions that could be quickly implemented in real-time scenarios. While this was initially sufficient, it soon became clear that more targeted platforms would be required. After all, each business was associated with its own unique set of logistical requirements.
The Beginnings of a Viable Digital Marketplace
Although larger sites such as eBay and Amazon dominated the online marketplace during the early years, this began to change in the 2000s; particularly when dial-up Internet was largely replaced by broadband services. Two paradigm shifts inevitably occurred:
- Internet speeds were dramatically increased.
- Due to consumer demand, the prices for Internet packages were reduced.
In other words, the average consumer could enjoy access to the online community within seconds and for a fraction of the price that was previously required. This opened up an entirely new marketplace and as a result, the e-commerce sector was forced to adapt yet again. This came in the form of more efficient point-of-sale bundles which provided vendors with a host of unique options.
All About Customised Solutions
Perhaps the most appropriate term that can be used to describe the current state of the e-commerce sector is “customization”. Developers began to realize that so-called “cookie-cutter” solutions would no longer suffice; especially when dealing with smaller online shops that we’re unfamiliar with technical concerns such as HTML coding. A more hands-on approach was necessary.
While do-it-yourself systems were still offered, we began to witness the advent of user-friendly packages that had been engineered for the business professional as opposed to the IT expert. This helped to increase the popularity of the e-commerce sector and as a result, even start-up firms took notice. Within a relatively short period of time, such programs were being downloaded by millions of enterprises across the world.
Leading the Way
Similar to any industry, the e-commerce community relies upon the simple principle of supply and demand. Steady increases in demand signified that consumers were becoming more choosy than in the past. As opposed to settling for an out-of-the-box solution that might not entirely suit their needs, businesses performed research in advance to compare and contrast what different services had to offer. This led to the emergence of the so-called “big three” companies:
- Shopify
- BigCommerce
- WooCommerce
While each of these firms shares a number of traits in common, they approach the notion of e-commerce in different manners. Still, the main takeaway point here is that they all provide a flexible hierarchy of services based solely on the needs of the end-user. Furthermore, their systems can be upgraded (or even downgraded) as may be necessary for the future. Such traits were hardly possible when dealing with more traditional bundles.
Bespoke Solutions for Competitive Times
While the agile nature of the e-commerce community is certainly one of its most defining characteristics, there are other features that businesses require before they enter into a partnership with a reputable IT outsourcing provider. Here are a handful of questions that are often addressed:
- Can the platform be quickly implemented without incurring any downtime?
- What types of customer support solutions are available in the event of an issue?
- How is this platform rated in comparison to its competitors?
- Will any knowledge of coding be required?
- How often are updates carried out and do these include security patches?
As we can see, these concerns signify that average business owners possess much more knowledge in regard to e-commerce when compared to the past. However, it should also be noted that the rise of the tech-savvy consumer has also had a massive impact on the entire industry.
Smart Packages to Address the Needs of Smarter Consumers
Online shoppers do not want to wait for minutes until an order is processed. They need to be presented with a host of different payment options. If they have a question, a live representative is much preferable to a page devoted to the most common queries. In other words, customers are looking for a much more personalized experience. E-commerce bundles have therefore begun to develop what can only be called a slightly “organic” flavor.
This has been augmented with the presence of even more advanced software options such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and augmented reality. In other words, these bundles have been forced to become smarter due to the demands of the shoppers themselves.
In the future, we can expect the trends mentioned above to continue at an even more frenetic pace. Not only will e-commerce platforms become highly customizable, but their appeal to enterprise-level organizations signifies that their presence is indeed here to stay. Whether you have just entered into the online business community or you currently own a multinational digital retail outlet, the impacts are equally impressive.
