Shopping online has become a way of life.
Almost daily, it seems, the media publishes new, exciting information
about the ever-booming eCommerce industry. Consumers are buying goods
from their PCs, their tablets and their Smartphones around the clock.
Boxing Day 2011, for example, broke online shopping records.
To respond to this increasing demand, smaller eCommerce businesses
need to adopt a robust system that can cope with peaks and plunges
without costing the earth. The solution? Cloud computing.
Cloud computing is Internet-based computing, whereby shared
resources, software and information are provided to computers and other
devices on demand, much like the electricity grid.
Cloud computing seems to be the technological topic de jour, but can
it really bring all of the benefits industry commentators talk about?
Does it benefit smaller merchants? Will those who fail to embrace cloud
computing suffer?
The truth is, ignoring cloud computing may mean missing out on some great ways to save money.
One of the main attractions of cloud computing is businesses are only
charged for the services used. That feature alone should immediately
translate into savings.
Additionally, because business owners use the cloud provider’s
resources, they won’t need to spend money on equipment, maintenance, new
software updates or related manpower.
How many small eCommerce businesses have had to buy more equipment to
cope with heavy demand at peak times? How much of that equipment lays
unused for 10 months of the year? Plenty, no doubt.
With cloud computing, however, money won’t be wasted on redundant
items. It is easy to cope with busy periods such as holidays, by using
extra servers provided by the cloud to ensure all transactions are
completed. Then, when demand recedes to normal levels, those extra
resources can be turned off.
Another benefit of cloud computing is there’s no need to invest in
fancy PC equipment – all data can be accessed through the usual
well-known browsers: Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc. This is great news for
those with smaller operations. Separate cloud computing makes access to
particular applications easy for other stakeholders, such as suppliers.
This would allow for invoicing on the Internet, for instance.
Using the cloud can also contribute toward a firm’s business
continuity measures. High winds and extreme weather can cause power
cuts, potentially interrupting business. That is bad news for the
eCommerce industry which can lose thousands if not millions of dollars
in such situations. That is why keeping the online operation hosted via
cloud makes so much sense. Networks won’t be affected and business can
continue as normal. It’s good for consumers too, whose shopping
experience will be smoother and undisturbed.
The affordability of cloud computing levels the playing field,
allowing small merchants to compete alongside their larger peers for
customers’ business. The cloud could, in fact, eventually make a dent in
marketplace domination held by large, rival organizations.
It’s been said 90 percent of all eCommerce businesses will make use
of the cloud by 2017. Given that cloud computing is a flexible,
affordable technology that can help smaller businesses evolve, compete
and succeed, it’s little wonder.
