Migrating your accounts software and E-commerce Business to the Cloud

The Cloud has been one of the most significant technological revolution of the current times and business across all industries are operating with the benefits of cloud computing.

E-commerce and online retail companies in particular have been adopting cloud-based solutions to manage their operations at a mass rate. There have been a few reasons for this, with the main one being the pandemic and how it changed the pressures and expectations of such businesses.

Lockdowns and proceeding restrictions had a huge effect on consumer habits and placed greater demands on retailers to offer online alternatives. Research shows that UK retailers will reach an additional £19.6 billion of online home deliveries by 2025 and that 27.3% of UK consumers now expect to permanently shift more of their shopping online on the back of new behaviours formed since the pandemic.

Retailers will be expected to continue stepping up their digital experiences and make their technology more intuitive and ubiquitous. This trend is reflected in the increasing investment in retail technology and the cloud.

On top of this, online retailers and e-commerce businesses still need to be prepared for unpredictable spikes in online business, at any time – not just on Black Friday and Christmas Eve. An effective strategy involves moving to a modern, flexible, cloud-based accounts platform that can quickly shrink or expand as needed, and handle peaks in traffic with ease.

On-premise solutions are proving not to be flexible enough or provide the advanced functionality required for growing businesses to reach their full potential. Here are a few reasons why e-commerce businesses should be migrating their operations to the cloud:

Reduces Costs

Depending on the type of cloud hosting selected, there may be opportunities to reduce infrastructure costs. Most cloud deployments can generate at least some savings for eCommerce businesses, particularly when compared to hosting on-site.

Hosting your accounts software in the cloud removes the burden of investing in expensive servers, backup and storage hardware, and security systems.

Easily Scalable

Scalable infrastructure has huge benefits for eCommerce businesses seeking to be responsive to customer demand and able to cope with sudden spikes in sales etc. It’s important to choose the right cloud licensing model, one that allows contractual scaling on demand.

Make Integration Simple

Success in the eCommerce channel depends not just on products and pricing, but also on the overall customer experience. Cloud systems typically make integrations with other platforms easier.

Cloud based solutions can incorporate a wide range of e-commerce integrations that will allow for fast order turnaround, accurate inventory data, and error-free shipping.

For example, the AlphaLogix integration app between Amazon and Sage 50 allows you to automate the uploading of stock and product information in Sage 50 directly into Amazon Marketplace, this enables you to avoid time consuming manual uploading and downloading of data.

Improved Security

Gone are the days when the cloud was seen as a less secure option simply because it wasn’t on site. Most cloud providers today have significantly higher standards than many eCommerce businesses could achieve with individual resources and budgets. Maintenance and testing of security systems is reliable with a cloud provider, and offers many advanced security features that guarantee that data is securely stored and handled.

The decision to stay on-premises or move to a cloud-hosted or a cloud-native system completely depends on the needs of your business.

When it comes to choosing a cloud-based financial and ERP system, there are options for ecommerce businesses of all sizes. Cloud-hosted financial and ERP solutions combine the customizability of an on-premises offerings with the 24/7 access, higher security, and lower maintenance of public cloud.

Contact us on 0330 043 0140 or email us at info@alphalogix.co.uk to discuss existing ecommerce integrations or our cloud services.