5 Tips For Establishing The Right Technology Choice For Your Next Project
In a world of build-a-site platforms and dizzying amounts of web technologies, we often get asked: how did we come to the point in our development strategy where a handful of solutions is enough? One part of the answer is that we’ve tried and tested a lot of them. The truth is they work (for now) — but we also ask the question, “will it work for the client’s future goals and business growth?”
The second part of this is understanding the business objectives to help us decide what the right technology is for our clients and our teams. We’ve outlined five core factors that assure the technology choice is a flexible solution that checks all the boxes for the long term.
1. Have a full understanding of what technologies to use and when.
In the early stages of project scoping with a client, they often have a technology solution in mind based on current in-house knowledge, third party suggestions, or a “I want what they have” mindset. We welcome these suggestions but always challenge why they are sought after. First, we discuss their true business goals and how these goals shaped their preferred technology choice.
Second, we review these technologies to understand if they will give the client the right product results to fit both their short and long term needs. Lastly, we identify if there are any external data storage or data consumption needs. This last point is typically a deciding factor on which technologies to use and why.
2. Trust the leaders in the technology space — they are there for a reason.
Having trust in the core technologies we promote and build is crucial to a successful product. Not having to worry about the latest security update or if a new code batch will keep up with browsers or devices allows us to focus on customizing the experience for our clients. Third party technology teams at WordPress and Shopify are considered an extension of our team, and we trust they will make the right product choices to keep their users happy — just as we do with our clients.
Using popular technologies also comes with an additional benefit: user familiarity. Choosing a solution that the client can get behind adds value to internal resourcing. A familiar platform makes it easier to find the right talent to maintain it and also means less time re-training staff members — both of which can really extend the longevity of the product.
3. Take advantage of 3rd party services and data to enhance the experience.
In the world of API endpoints and services, the data available at our fingertips adds value and strength to any experience. Combining a solid framework, CMS, or e-commerce platform with the clients’ data service provider is a sure way to provide the best experience to both the end user and client.
A custom Shopify build combined with enterprise-level inventory management data services can serve up a powerful solution that provides real-time inventory tracking and warehouse sort order picking. Combining purchase information in Shopify with real-time warehouse data enables a seamless experience under the hood to allow for better integration between teams.
There are endless integration possibilities that can solve complex problems. When combined with a well-known and trusted front-end technology, such as WordPress or Shopify, the solution is comprehensive for both the client and the end users.
4. Combine technologies when one is just not enough.
Understanding how to effectively build with multiple technologies so they work together seamlessly adds significant value to our development stack. One example of a combined stack we use quite often is WordPress and Laravel. Using WordPress for its backend management and CMS functionality while leveraging the strength of Laravel’s front-end framework allows us to develop complex applications that maintain the ease of managing content, media, and navigation.
5. Always keep performance, security, accessibility, and SEO at the forefront.
These are four key measures that should always be accounted for, no matter the technology. These measures assure several key factors for success like search engine ranking, user conversion, valued user experience, and an accessible platform for all users. Try running your site in Google’s free tool Lighthouse today to see how it measures up.