New York, NY – November 26, 2024 – For businesses, maintaining a strong online presence is critical, yet many find themselves hampered by outdated technology. A recent Storyblok survey explores the challenges faced by global brands battling legacy tech stacks, highlighting the significant impact on their bottom line and outlining a path toward a more integrated future.
The Current State of Ecommerce Frustration
The survey, involving 300 IT and marketing leaders from global businesses—a third boasting revenues exceeding $100 million—unveiled a concerning reality. 93% expressed dissatisfaction with their current Content Management Systems (CMS). This widespread frustration stems from the limitations of monolithic CMSs, hindering seamless integration with other vital tools and applications within their tech stacks. The implications for ecommerce are considerable; a lack of integration impacts efficiency, scalability, and ultimately, revenue generation.
The survey data painted a stark picture. 38% of respondents consistently required improved integration experiences, while a substantial 24% found existing integrations difficult to manage. This points to a significant need for more flexible, adaptable solutions within ecommerce. The difficulty in implementing and managing integrations directly impacts the ability of businesses to offer streamlined and effective solutions to their clients. The lack of integration slows down workflows, hampers efficiency, and can ultimately lead to frustrated clients and lost business.
The Content Crisis
Beyond integration issues, the survey highlighted another critical problem: outdated content. A significant majority of respondents (63%-70%) reported that 20-30% of their CMS content was obsolete. Only 29% updated content monthly or less, revealing a critical lack of proactive content management. This lack of a robust content refresh strategy directly impacts organic search ranking, brand perception, and ultimately, customer engagement.
This is a major concern for ecommerce platforms because outdated or irrelevant content can negatively impact search engine optimization and conversion rates. Regular updates are essential to maintain a competitive edge, and this survey highlights the difficulties many businesses face in achieving this goal due to limitations within their current technology.
The Collaboration Conundrum
The survey didn’t stop at technical hurdles; it also exposed a critical breakdown in inter-departmental communication. A staggering 40% of respondents described collaboration between marketers and developers as ineffective or nonexistent. This disconnect creates significant bottlenecks. Imagine a marketer needing a simple post update—in a monolithic system, this could easily require developer intervention, leading to delays and hindering agility.
This collaboration breakdown directly impacts efficiency. If marketers and developers aren’t working in sync, website updates, marketing campaigns, and even crucial bug fixes can be significantly delayed. This lack of coordination can have a substantial negative impact on online sales and customer satisfaction.
The Financial Fallout
The financial consequences of these issues are substantial. The survey revealed that businesses spend an average of $453,126 on marketing technology, yet almost half (48%) feel embarrassed by their website performance. This disconnect underscores the significant gap between investment and return. Poor website user experience, a direct result of integration and content management failures, results in an estimated annual loss of $72,000 in sales per business.
For companies using legacy monolith CMS platforms, these statistics highlight the critical need for robust and integrated solutions. Investing in a streamlined tech stack is not merely a cost; it’s a crucial investment that can directly impact profitability. The cost of inaction, as this data clearly shows, far outweighs the investment in solutions designed for seamless integration and efficient content management.
The Path Forward: Embracing Headless CMS
The survey’s findings point towards a clear solution: the adoption of headless CMS. Dominik Angerer, CEO of Storyblok, states that these flexible systems “eliminate holdups” and meet the needs of both marketers and developers. The ability to easily integrate with various tools, the increased speed and ease of content updates, and the improved collaboration between departments make headless CMSs a game-changer for ecommerce.
The transition to a headless architecture could mean significant improvements in website performance, content management, and marketing campaign efficiency. The improved integration capabilities would reduce the friction points between departments, ultimately resulting in a more streamlined and effective operational flow.
A Look Ahead
The year 2025 looms large, and the survey predicts that integration will become even more vital. Storyblok suggests that failure to prioritize integration will continue to cost businesses valuable time, money, and resources due to inefficiencies across their tech stack. Ignoring this critical aspect of ecommerce infrastructure will only exacerbate the problems highlighted in this research.
Proactive adoption of integrated solutions is crucial for staying ahead of the curve. Investing in a future-proof architecture will not only prevent the challenges described above but will also provide a substantial competitive advantage.
The Integration Imperative
The Storyblok survey offers valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities facing businesses in the digital age. The path to success in ecommerce lies in embracing integration, streamlining workflows, and optimizing content management. Failure to do so will result in lost sales, frustrated customers, and missed opportunities in an increasingly competitive landscape. The emphasis should be on a proactive approach toward modernizing technology to ensure a seamless and efficient online experience.
See how Storyblok has streamlined Octopus Energy‘s content management processes.
