Using a platform with built-in support of core features is a great way to save time and energy when starting eCommerce. As a matter of fact, for a long time, committing to a single provider of e-commerce platforms was the only choice.
While it would make sense to have a tightly integrated front- and back-end, many standard eCommerce systems limit your options. You may need to consult a professional expert to ensure you don’t “break” anything while customizing a particular feature.
Composable trade is most useful at this time. The solution you create with composable commerce is made up of the individual parts you select rather than the predetermined capabilities provided by the vendor.
Learn how composable commerce may help your e-commerce marketplace by reading on.
What is composable commerce?
With composable commerce, e-commerce teams may create the best-of-breed commerce solutions for their specific needs.
Composable commerce uses cutting-edge technologies and methodologies like MACH (Microservices, API, Cloud, Headless) and JAMstack (JavaScript, APIs, and Markup) to meet the unique requirements of each organization in light of the dynamic nature of the modern and future retail markets.
By focusing on the needs of the company rather than those of IT, business centricity frees up IT employees to concentrate on other priorities.
Modular design allows for quick iteration, product launches, and enhanced user experiences across all channels.
With composable commerce, e-commerce teams may create the best-of-breed commerce solutions for their specific needs.
Composable commerce uses cutting-edge technologies and methodologies like MACH (Microservices, API, Cloud, Headless) and JAMstack (JavaScript, APIs, and Markup) to meet the unique requirements of each organization in light of the dynamic nature of the modern and future retail markets.
By focusing on the needs of the company rather than those of IT, business centricity frees up IT employees to concentrate on other priorities.
Modular design allows for quick iteration, product launches, and enhanced user experiences across all channels.
By providing access to a wide range of accelerators, third-party apps, pre-composed solutions, and industry best practices, an open ecosystem enables companies to build the best solutions.
According to Gartner, “Composable Commerce” is the use of PBC (packaged business capabilities) to create digital commerce experiences with durability in mind.
What is a PBC?
PBCs are the foundation on which your online shop is constructed. In this sense, each PBC may be viewed as an independent option. Simply said, it’s not a subsystem of some bigger platform but rather a stand-alone service that interacts with the rest of the system via application programming interfaces.
While “microservice” and “PBC” are sometimes interchangeable, this is not entirely correct. A single service is the building block of a microservice architecture. In contrast to monolithic software applications, PBCs are composed of multiple microservices that work together to provide a specific need for the business.
Composable commerce: How is it altering the e-commerce experience?
Instead of depending on a single vendor to deliver a standard functionality that is expected to operate for everyone, composable commerce promotes using the best-in-class technology from several vendors.
A composable stack would typically consist of a collection of top-tier services for a wide range of use cases.
The basic principles of composable commerce are:
1. Multiple sales channels
Companies that sell through several channels, such as the web, mobile devices, kiosks, and social media, need a platform that can grow your business.
2. Cost control
According to Pro Business Plans, business owners may save money by carefully selecting just the services and supplies they use.
Specialization. Best-in-class capability at an affordable price may be found in cloud-based services like product suggestions, customer analytics, and site search.
3. Modular construction
With the use of universally accepted technical standards, composable Commerce makes it possible for disparate systems to communicate with one another.
This allows for a modular, modular platform with essential, foundational features. The end result is less costly, carefully developed, and takes a shorter time to market.
Advantages of composable commerce
- Freedom and adaptability
Composable commerce gives companies the ability to select the individual elements that will form their e-commerce stacks. This improved flexibility is important for the overall experience of the front end and the design of the back end. It entails choosing the proper tools to go along with an e-commerce solution or creating a front-end interface.
- Cost reduction
Composable commerce may help e-commerce retailers reduce expenses in a few different ways. Initially, it can help prevent vendor lock-in and make it possible for these companies to choose just the software solutions necessary for their operations. Composable commerce makes it easy to use no-code technologies that decrease modern stores’ resources to create customer-focused commerce experiences.
- API-based Architecture
Modern commerce relies on API-based architecture. They integrate best-of-breed technology to build commercial experiences for practically any channel.
Another important advantage of composable commerce is that it has a design that is built on APIs. This architecture is future-proof, which means that new technologies and channels are possibilities for e-commerce businesses rather than obstacles.
- Omnichannel Experiences
Customers often do not limit themselves to shopping through a single channel nowadays. The customer journey may occur through various channels, including in-store, online, social media platforms, and other Internet of Things devices. Composable commerce makes it easier for businesses to provide omnichannel experiences for their users, which is essential for operating businesses today.
- Allow for seamless e-commerce experiences across all platforms.
- Create unique e-commerce experiences that get people excited about your business.
- E-commerce customization campaigns designed to retain at-risk customers from churning can be an example of a problematic business requirement that can be enabled for use in e-commerce experiences.
- Use your ability to quickly respond to changing customer and marketing preferences to act based on the competition.
Disadvantages of composable commerce
1. Interaction with a variety of suppliers.
Integrating products and services from different providers is an essential aspect of creating an adaptable and expandable commerce platform. Doing so requires interacting with a plethora of sales and support teams and consenting to and integrating with the software of other businesses.
2. Service level agreements.
Dealing with inconsistent and unpredictable service levels is made more difficult by using products and services from different providers. Some sellers, for instance, are better equipped to deal with high volumes of traffic than others. Every prospective vendor has to have a long discussion about service level guarantees.
3. User interface.
Composable Commerce facilitates interactions between several suppliers, compelling business owners to develop a single front end in response to this new architecture.
It is costly and time-consuming to build and keep up the system. And every time a new vendor is added, the process starts over again.
Packaged Business Capabilities (PBCs) are the building blocks of a commerce platform that can be easily assembled and configured.
Top 5 Platforms for Composable Commerce
You may easily develop and launch your own composable eCommerce server application with the help of a commerce platform that supports composability. Some of the most powerful composable commerce platforms are listed below.
1. Commercetools
The commercetools platform adheres to the MACH (microservice-based, API-first, cloud-native, and headless) architectural style. With this system, you can easily combine the many microservices that your company needs.
Any and all commerce tools’ features and capabilities can be accessed using these APIs. Catalog management, shopping cart functionalities, and order management are the backbone of commerce tools.
2. Spryker
When it comes to marketing, Spryker promotes itself as a “modular, customizable commerce stack with next-generation cloud capabilities.” It may be used to construct an eCommerce solution for either business-to-business or business-to-consumer transactions and provides access to 500+ prebuilt components (PBCs). Among the
Spryker PBCs available are:
- Managing Products
- An order processing program
- Price management
- Tax management
- CMS
- Site search
3. Elastic Path
Elastic Path is a cloud-based e-commerce platform that makes use of a modular design. It’s meant to facilitate the management of a multi-vendor system, which in turn makes composable commerce more accessible.
With Elastic Path, you may use RESTful web services application programming interfaces (APIs) to integrate third-party components into your solution.
It also includes standard e-commerce features, including payment processing, omnichannel ordering, checking stock in real-time, and discount code generation.
4. Fabric
Fabric provides both an e-commerce platform and independent PBCs for its customers. Software for managing orders, inventory, discounts, and sales are just some options available.
Fabric Storefront lets you quickly release a beautiful storefront with prebuilt commerce features.
Fabric’s worldwide network of more than 100 edge servers offers access to more than 300 APIs. Fabric’s monthly pricing begins at $6,000.
5. VTEX
VTEX provides its customers with a low-code development solution (VTEX IO) and an e-commerce platform (VTEX Commerce Cloud). When put together, they provide consumers with an eCommerce platform with flexibility.
Features like a content management system, secure payments, quick checkout, and omnichannel support are integrated into VTEX.
VTEX has a revenue-sharing pricing plan that is available on demand. Contact the VTEX sales staff for further information.
Conclusion
Customers have more opportunities than ever to engage with products and companies. Using social media to make a sale, promote a brand, or help an existing consumer is becoming standard practice.
We do our shopping online, in pop-up shops, on our mobile phones, and increasingly, even with intelligent speakers and gaming consoles. Nowadays, businesses must be able to operate in an omnichannel environment.
