Keeping up with the needs and demands of consumers can be a tough, never-ending task. Technology is developing at unprecedented speeds, and today's best solution may not be the best tomorrow. Depending on how e-commerce platforms are built, this can either mean underperformance over time or the ability to mix and match technologies to remain competitive easily.
Enter composable commerce - an agile, future-proof solution.
Composable commerce is an approach to creating e-commerce platforms where you select best-of-breed components for your technological architecture, focusing on your business's and its customers’ needs. This approach involves choosing different applications for various functions, such as one for carts, another for product management, a third for search functionality like Relewise, and so forth.
These applications integrate via APIs to create a customized e-commerce solution. Combined, these applications are often referred to as the e-commerce tech stack. While there's no universally perfect tech stack, certain principles are essential to keep pace with the continuous growth and shifting trends in e-commerce.
Collectively, they are often described as the MACH architecture (Microservices-based, API-first, Cloud-native, Headless).
Consequently, you may end up with inferior built-in applications. Moreover, the interconnected front-end and back-end mean that any changes can disrupt your storefront, potentially costing you revenue during implementation.
E-commerce businesses built on MACH principles, which emphasize constructing systems from independent, interchangeable components, don't face the same difficulties with updates and innovation. These businesses adapt easily to market changes, integrate new technologies easily, and scale specific components as needed.
This agility and flexibility provide a significant competitive advantage, allowing companies to respond swiftly to customer needs and emerging trends.
The modular nature of composable commerce allows e-commerce businesses to continuously innovate their platforms without disrupting the entire system or spending enormous resources on development and deployment. This means that if the need for new technologies or services arises, choosing any MACH-compatible product will make the shift faster and more efficient compared to e-commerce businesses built on monolithic principles.
When customers feel understood and valued, they are more likely to return and recommend your business to others. By putting the customer at the center of your composable architecture, you not only enhance their experience, but also build loyalty that translates into long-term success.