For retailers in today’s competitive online landscape, a seamless customer journey is the lifeblood of success.
Imagine a potential customer clicks on your ad, eager to explore your latest deals. But instead of a smooth browsing experience, they are greeted with sluggish loading times or even a dreaded error message.
Go deeper with GlobalData
This frustrating encounter can send them straight to a competitor’s website, leaving you with lost sales and a damaged reputation.
Suhaib Zaheer, senior vice-president and general manager of Cloudways, a cloud hosting provider, offers insights into how retailers can ensure their websites are optimised and resilient enough to handle even the most unexpected spikes in traffic.
The peril of unplanned traffic surges
Retailers often leverage promotional periods and special offers to drive customer engagement and sales.
However, these strategies can backfire if the underlying website infrastructure is not equipped to handle the resulting surge in traffic.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalData“One of the most common mistakes we’ve seen from business owners is not accounting for the associated spike in visibility and traffic that comes with these specials,” explains Zaheer.
This can lead to a domino effect of negative consequences.
Slow loading times can significantly hurt your SEO ranking, as search engines prioritise websites that deliver a fast user experience.
Frustrated shoppers encountering sluggish performance or website outages are more likely to abandon their carts, leading to lost sales and potential brand loyalty erosion.
Autonomous bandwidth scaling
Cloudways’ autonomous bandwidth scaling feature is designed to be a retailer’s guardian angel during these critical periods.
“With Autonomous, Cloudways provides automatic scaling up of resources as traffic increases and then automatically scales them down once the spike subsides,” says Zaheer.
“This ensures that customers’ websites remain operational during high-traffic periods, providing a seamless user experience and effective cost management.”
Cloudways’ solution automatically detects the increase in traffic and allocates additional resources to your website, ensuring it continues to function smoothly.
Once the initial rush subsides, Cloudways scales down the resources, saving retailers money on unnecessary server capacity.
In essence, Cloudways takes the burden of manual intervention off the retailer’s shoulders, allowing them to focus on core business activities such as driving sales and providing customer support.
Beyond scalability: A multifaceted approach to website optimisation
While autonomous scaling is crucial, Zaheer emphasises the importance of a holistic approach to website optimisation.
“There are certain table stakes opportunities retailers should look to provide,” he advises.
“Things like optimising the website for faster load times and creating an easy-to-navigate user experience can improve SEO, reduce your bounce rate and ultimately lead to an increase in cart checkouts and sales.”
Cloudways offers features that complement autonomous scaling, including deep application-level support and guidance from its support team.
This ensures that retailers have the expertise they need to keep their websites running smoothly and delivering a positive customer experience.
Planning for the unexpected
Busy sales periods such as the May bank holiday can bring unforeseen traffic surges.
To navigate these situations effectively, Zaheer recommends that retailers have a plan B in place for managing uncontrollable traffic spikes.
This could involve temporarily disabling certain website features or implementing a queueing system to manage user flow.
Continuously monitor website performance using analytics tools. This allows you to identify potential bottlenecks and troubleshoot issues before they significantly impact your customers.
Security: A top priority during peak sales periods
Security is another critical consideration during peak sales periods, as retailers grapple with the potential for increased cyberattacks.
“Security should also be front of mind for retailers,” says Zaheer.
“With increased online activity comes a higher risk of cyberattacks. Cloudways offers regular security patches and updates, bot protection, and vulnerability scanning to ensure businesses can deliver the best experience possible for their end customers.”
A commitment to customer-centric innovation
Cloudways is dedicated to understanding and addressing the evolving needs of the retail industry.
“We are passionate about listening to our community,” says Zaheer.
“Cloudways Autonomous was something the market needed, offering a user-friendly solution for auto-scaling.”
This commitment to customer-centric innovation is evident in Cloudways’ roadmap. The company is constantly developing new features and functionalities to empower retailers.
“We have a suite of other solutions being released this year as well, including a new security product that will further protect our customers’ websites from ransomware attacks,” Zaheer reveals.
Ransomware attacks are a growing concern for businesses of all sizes.
Cloudways’ new security product will provide an additional layer of protection for retailers, ensuring their customer data and online operations remain secure, especially during peak sales periods when cybercriminals are more likely to strike.
A success story in website resilience
Cloudways’ solutions have demonstrably benefited retailers during peak sales periods.
Zaheer cites Spitfire Competitions, a company offering customers the chance to win a flight in a WWII Spitfire for just £1 ($1.27), as a prime example.
“Spitfire Competitions encountered challenges with a smooth online entry process for their customers,” explains Zaheer.
“Frequent website crashes during peak competition periods frustrated potential participants, jeopardising the company’s mission to make this unique opportunity accessible to all.”
Prior to Cloudways, Zaheer says Spitfire Competitions resorted to cumbersome workarounds to manage traffic spikes.
“However, this process became inefficient and diverted valuable resources from strategic tasks, such as improving the competition offerings or enhancing customer engagement strategies.”
Since migrating to Cloudways and adopting the autonomous feature, Zaheer states that Spitfire Competitions has witnessed a significant improvement in website reliability and scalability, ensuring a seamless customer experience even during peak traffic periods.
“Their website now scales seamlessly as needed, especially during the most critical peak traffic periods,” says Zaheer.
This translates into a positive impact on Spitfire Competitions’ bottom line.
By ensuring a smooth user experience throughout the competition entry process, it is able to attract more participants and generate additional revenue.
A symbiotic relationship between retailers and Cloudways
By leveraging Cloudways’ comprehensive suite of website optimisation, scaling, and security solutions, retailers can ensure their online stores are equipped to handle even the most unexpected traffic surges.
This translates into a smoother customer journey, increased sales, and a competitive edge in the ever-evolving world of online commerce.
Looking ahead, Cloudways remains committed to fostering a symbiotic relationship with the retail industry.
“The motto ‘Moving Dreams Forward’ remains the same for Cloudways,” says Zaheer.
“As online commerce continues to become more competitive, we’re staying focused on delivering solutions that empower retailers with the insights they need to increase sales, improve the end-user experience and drive overall growth.”
