Choosing the Right Technology for Your Digital Business’ Long-term Success
Muliadi Jeo
Omnichannel Evangelist, eCommerce Consultant
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken the world by surprise, causing widespread disruption since its emergence last year. At the same time, it has opened up countless new opportunities for businesses. Previously, we often heard about the importance of digitizing business operations. Today, this has shifted from being a “nice-to-have” to an absolute “must-have.” The changes in customer buying behavior are no longer temporary—they are permanent. Businesses must adapt swiftly, and digitalization efforts need to accelerate.
However, going digital isn’t something that happens overnight. Many businesses are scrambling to hop on the online bandwagon for the first time. This transition requires significant adjustments to existing workflows, along with retooling assets and resources. One of the most critical decisions in this process is selecting the right e-commerce solution. While the good news is that there are many options available, the challenge lies in ensuring you choose the one that fits your needs.
Here’s a checklist of essential aspects to consider when choosing the right e-commerce platform:
1. Scalable
Going online removes geographical boundaries, giving you access to a massive, untapped market. When done right, your business can experience exponential growth, scaling from a few orders daily to hundreds or even thousands within a short timeframe. Having a platform that can keep up with your growth is essential. While it’s prudent to avoid over-investing initially, you also don’t want your system to become obsolete as your business scales rapidly.
Scalability also means leveraging your current assets to their fullest potential. For retail businesses, this might involve activating physical stores as distribution centers or utilizing existing reseller networks to expand reach. A robust platform not only centralizes stock and orders but also supports flexible order orchestration, accommodates various business models, and ensures a seamless purchase experience.
At ICUBE, we prioritize ensuring you always have the right platform at the right time, enabling you to scale effectively and maximize your existing resources.
2. Extensible
To support growth, your platform needs to integrate seamlessly with a broader digital ecosystem. No system operates in isolation. Online businesses must connect with payment gateways, shipping providers, and other third-party services. Unfortunately, many businesses overlook this aspect, often realizing later that their platform lacks compatibility with key partners—hindering growth.
In Indonesia and across Southeast Asia, the e-commerce landscape is particularly dynamic. New fintech solutions and last-mile delivery options frequently emerge, offering customers additional choices. Your platform should be extensible to adapt to these changes quickly.
Key questions to ask include:
Can my platform adjust to local ecosystem changes easily?
How many ecosystem partners is the platform integrated with?
Does the platform provider have a strong technical team to support these adjustments?
3. Adaptable
Digital transformation opens up unprecedented opportunities for businesses. Brands can now gather direct insights about their customers, enabling smarter strategies and decision-making. With new business models continually emerging, adaptability becomes even more critical.
Whether your business operates as B2C (business-to-consumer), B2B (business-to-business), B2G (business-to-government), B2E (business-to-employees), or hybrid models like B2B2C or B2C2C, your platform must support diverse and evolving needs. A rigid platform that forces you into silos can hinder your ability to compete and innovate.
In the digital realm, you are no longer competing within your local area. Businesses from across the globe vie for the same customers. To stand out, your chosen platform must be adaptable enough to support unique ideas and deliver exceptional customer experiences.
4. Sustainable
Building and scaling your digital business is a long-term journey. Thus, selecting a sustainable e-commerce platform is crucial. Sustainability means that the platform continuously evolves and improves over time. Consider the underlying technology:
Is it robust and future-proof?
Is the company behind the platform viable and committed to innovation?
A truly sustainable platform should function like Lego™—durable, expandable, and endlessly adaptable. Constantly restarting your digitalization process is not only costly but also detrimental to customer relationships. You need a platform that grows with you and helps nurture long-term connections with your audience.
Conclusion
Successfully building a digital business is an ongoing process. It requires the right tools, partners, and strategies. At SIRCLO, our passion is to help businesses thrive in the digital world. Over the past eight years, we’ve continuously improved our technology solutions and aligned ourselves with technology partners who share our vision for long-term success.
If you’re ready to elevate your e-commerce journey, let us help. Leave us a note, and our Business Development team will gladly assist you. Together, let’s unlock your business’s full potential in the digital age.
