Many e-commerce platforms are at risk of not being fit for purpose in the next 12 months, new research has suggested. 

A report from Wunderman Thompson Commerce found numerous issues that could affect businesses that rely on digital sales as demand grows due to COVID-19.

The research found that only 57% of businesses think their existing e-commerce platform will be viable for the next 12 months, with IT bosses most eager to upgrade. Nearly two-thirds (64%) also believe that their e-commerce platforms should be updated because of an increase in online sales.

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Businesses looking to invest in new e-commerce platforms are said to be focusing on four core areas: Headless, Microservices, API-first and Cloud-native. However, many are working against the clock, with the implementation of new technologies taking 7.4 months on average to complete.

Modernizing e-commerce

In a bid to make the transition more effectively, 80% of businesses reported looking for technology partners to help get the job done.

Business owners who took part in the research had clear expectations, with 84% wanting scalability and the same number expected easy integration with existing infrastructure. A sizeable 83% wanted reliability and stability, while easy customization was also on the list for 81% of respondents.

Glen Burson, Chief Technology Officer EMEA, said: “Global commerce has never seen anything quite like the COVID-19 pandemic and it is little surprise that the way businesses operate has been upended. Between lockdown restrictions, social distancing measures and consumers feeling uneasy about the prospect of visiting physical stores, the outbreak has accelerated purchasing through online channels.”

Reassuringly, four in five of those questioned for the ‘Headless, Microservices and The Future of Commerce Platforms’ report said they had a strong (28%) or solid (53%) understanding of the four core technologies. In fact, 30% of ventures reported that they are already using the back-end based Headless tech, as part of their e-commerce strategy.

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