3 Approaches to eCommerce Architecture

Thinking about getting into ecommerce? It's important to get the foundation right. 

The best ecommerce architecture for you depends on things like whether you already have a website, how your product data looks, what custom features you need, and what resources you have. We guide clients toward the right path all the time, but if you're just starting to look around, here’s a quick rundown of the main options.

Approach 1: Out of the Box

This is usually a great pick for small businesses, companies with just a few products, or brands new to the game. Out-of-the-box solutions are Software as a Service (SaaS) platforms, meaning everything is hosted for you in the cloud.

Pros:

• Smaller initial cost
• No need to manage your own hosting
• Ecommerce, catalog, and backend features are all built-in

Cons:

• Hard to add custom features, making it tough to stand out
• Not much support for content or features outside of ecommerce

Approach 2: Hybrid

Want to add shopping to a website you already have? A hybrid solution might be your best bet. With this model, your ecommerce runs on a SaaS platform, but the rest of your site is custom-built and hosted somewhere else. A shared header and footer tie the two parts together.

Pros:

• Lower upfront cost for the ecommerce part
• You can add custom features outside the ecommerce platform
• You can include a wider range of site content and features

Cons:

• You have to manage multiple systems
• Less freedom to customize the shopping experience itself

Approach 3: Custom Build

A custom approach uses ecommerce software as a starting point and builds everything else into that same system. This gives you the most control and is often the best choice if you want to reuse product data across different apps or if you're planning to sell internationally.

Pros:

• Total control over your site’s features
• No limits on creativity or technical tweaks
• The platform can support mobile sites and other applications
• Custom features can make your brand stand out

Cons:

• Higher initial cost

This gives you a basic idea of the main paths, but the right one for you will always come down to your specific goals and budget. Need advice for your unique situation? We're here to help.