1. AI-Based personalisation will become the norm

By 2026, artificial intelligence will be underpinning ever more of the ecommerce customer experience. This will range from dynamic content recommendations to predictive analytic tools, and AI will offer highly personalised interactions with users. Machine learning algorithms will take into account contextual data such as the weather or the time of the day to tailor experiences when interacting with us. And of course, Agentic AI will be everywhere as it continues to grow rapidly.

2. Social Commerce will hit its stride

Social Commerce has had so many false dawns over the past decade or more, but things have really changed, and it is set to be a truly dominant channel, especially on platforms where it’s seeing real growth such as TikTok and Instagram (and increasingly YouTube). Consumers will increasingly discover, source, and purchase products without even leaving the app. This is likely to be highly disruptive to many leading platforms.

3. Zero- and first-party data will replace cookies

With the phase-out of third-party cookies, merchants will rely more and more on zero- and first-party data to receive insights and learnings. Loyalty programmes and quizzes will become signally more common data collection methods.

4. Voice and Conversational Commerce will mature

Voice commerce is another area full of expectation but that has yet to really take off. However, I think it will continue to evolve with smarter Natural Language Processing (NLP) and AI assistants. This means it will be more intuitive to use voice to reorder, ask questions and complete checkouts.

5. Sustainable ecommerce will be non-negotiable

Despite contrary headwinds from the US, environmental concerns here in the UK will continue to push green logistics, carbon-neutral shipping and sustainable packaging to the top of the agenda.

6. Hybrid retail (Phygital) will see increased growth

The restructuring of how shoppers buy will continue to transmogrify before our very eyes. The rate at which retailers will use digital tools in-store (like Augmented Reality and mobile POS) will accelerate as will the promotion click-and-collect to create genuinely joined-up shopping journeys.

7. Subscriptions will surge

Customisable subscription and the utilisation of auto-replenishment powered by AI will become mainstream, especially across pet care, groceries, and health sectors. The Business to Business (B2B) sector, which has hitherto seen low uptake of subscription, will also see significant pick up in this area, again frequently driven by AI models.

8. Buy Now, Pay Later will be regulated

Now in the process of being regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), BNPL will remain a popular payment method. There are ethical considerations around this (debt accumulation is a very real problem) but transparency will certainly boost user trust and adoption in 2026.

9. “Hyperlocal” delivery will increase market share

Fast, sustainable delivery via local hubs and multiple micro-warehouses will see increased growth in 2026, especially in sectors such as fast fashion and groceries according to recent trends.

10. B2B will be behind significant ecommerce growth

B2B ecommerce remains the biggest area of growth. In an environment where replatforming is less and less frequent, green and brownfield ecommerce builds are far more common in B2B than the B2B space currently. New and innovative technology is emerging from this sector (rather than simply B2C innovations being adopted). Unlikely to change anytime soon.

The post 10 UK Ecommerce Trends to Look Out for in 2026 appeared first on PureNet.

Good processes are not just fussiness or excessive administrative overhead. They form the backbone of scalable, maintainable, and user-friendly digital experiences.

Today, we’re looking at the critical role that structured, well-thought-out processes play in delivering successful web development projects, particularly in the area that PureNet focuses on: ecommerce platforms, back-office integration, and customer-facing portals.

The Foundation of Good Web Development

Web development encompasses far more than simply writing code (or “clattering keys” as one C-level executive airily put to me, with the dismissive tone of someone who hadn’t a bloody clue).  It actually requires significant coordination among multidisciplinary teams, a real understanding of user needs, and dextrous alignment with business goals. No effective processes equal projects that encounter delays, scope creep, budget overruns, and ultimately, a failure to deliver.

Good process, and by this I mean particularly those that are standardised, repeatable, and continuously improved, help to significantly mitigate these risks. They let teams work collaboratively, manage complexity, and maintain quality. From initial discovery and requirements gathering to deployment and maintenance, clearly defined processes ensure that every stage of development is transparent, measurable, and aligned with what the client wants and needs.

Ecommerce: High Stakes, High Complexity

Nowhere are these principles more crucial than in ecommerce, where pitfalls litter the ground. Digital storefronts must deliver seamless user experiences (UX), handle secure transactions, scale efficiently, and integrate with a variety of third-party systems such as payment gateways, ERPs, CRM platforms, and analytics tools.

If you don’t have robust development processes, the intricate ecosystem that is an ecommerce platform just becomes unmanageable. For example, client requirements must be effectively gathered and validated to ensure all stakeholder needs are captured. If you don’t do this it will come back to haunt you with a vengeance. Inadequate discovery will result in missing functionality—such as abandoned cart recovery or multi-currency support—that are costly to retrofit. A process-oriented approach that includes workshops, stakeholder interviews and user journey mapping helps ensure that the developers (or key clatterers- only joking) build a product that meets (or exceeds) expectations.

Agile methodologies, when done properly, offer the flexibility to adapt to changing requirements while maintaining control over deliverables. Iterative development with regular feedback loops, such as sprint reviews and user testing, allows for continuous refinement. This is super helpful in ecommerce, where market conditions and customer behaviours evolve rapidly.

Integration: The Glue that Holds Systems Together

Modern web applications rarely operate in isolation. Integration with other systems, whether back-office systems, cloud services, or third-party API, is essential for delivering a joined-up and efficient UK. This is vital in ecommerce, where systems such as stock management, payment processing, fulfilment, and customer support must work in harmony.

Here, good processes really are indispensable. Integration projects are notoriously susceptible to failure if not properly planned and governed. Key risks include mismatched data structures, unreliable third-party services, poor documentation (a biggie), and security vulnerabilities. A structured process helps to identify these risks early and plan mitigation strategies.

Furthermore, integration Quality Assurance (QA)/user acceptance testing (UAT) should be automated where possible and conducted continuously as part of a DevOps pipeline. This ensures that any changes, be they internal or external, don’t break critical workflows. By putting these elements into a clearly defined development process, teams can ensure system interoperability, data integrity, and long-term maintainability.

Portals: Personalisation, Access Control, and User Experience

Portals serve as centralised platforms that offer users access to personalised content, services, and data. These may be customer portals, employee dashboards, supplier hubs, or partner interfaces. In each case, the challenge lies in presenting complex information in a user-friendly way while maintaining secure access and system performance.

The development of portals requires meticulous planning and rigorous adherence to process. Key process steps include elements such as user segmentation, access control modelling, interface design, content management planning, and performance optimisation. For example, permission structures must be carefully designed and tested to ensure that users see only what they are authorised to view. A poor implementation could lead to data breaches or service disruption.

Like ecommerce platforms, portals often integrate with multiple back-end systems, such as HR databases, CRMs, billing platforms, etc., which means that data synchronisation, latency, and error recovery must be addressed early in the process. Without a good process to guide these efforts, teams risk poor UX, data silos, or redundant functionality.

Design thinking, combined with agile development and user feedback loops, offers a powerful process framework for portal development. Regular usability testing and accessibility audits help ensure that the portal serves all user groups effectively. Clear documentation and onboarding processes further enhance user satisfaction and reduce support costs.

Monitoring and observability are also vital. Processes must be in place to log system events, track performance metrics, and alert teams to anomalies. In ecommerce, where even minor downtime can result in significant revenue loss, proactive monitoring is a must. Good processes define how alerts are triaged, escalated, and resolved, ensuring that teams can respond effectively to incidents.

Documentation, Governance, and Compliance

In regulated industries or sectors dealing with sensitive data e.g. healthcare, finance, or education, compliance requirements add another layer of complexity. Data protection regulations such as the UK’s Data Protection Act and the EU’s GDPR require that systems handle personal information in specific ways.

Good development processes ensure that compliance is not an afterthought but an integral part of the project lifecycle. This includes documenting data flows, establishing data retention policies, encrypting sensitive data, and securing access to systems. Auditable trails and version-controlled documentation allow organisations to demonstrate compliance and respond effectively to regulatory inquiries.

Moreover, governance processes provide oversight across projects, helping to standardise best practices, enforce coding standards, and ensure alignment with enterprise architecture. This leads to better maintainability, improved scalability, and reduced technical debt.

Tools to the Job Right

Tools such as Jira and Service Desk (as used by us) are integral to efficient web development and support, streamlining task management and issue resolution. Our Jira system enables agile development by organising sprints, tracking bugs, and assigning tasks to team members with full visibility. This ensures accountability and progress monitoring.

Service Desk, on the other hand, provides a structured approach for handling user requests, incidents, and service queries. It integrates seamlessly with Jira, allowing support tickets to be escalated directly into development workflows. This connection fosters quicker response times, improved communication between support and development teams, and a clear audit trail. Together, they support continuous improvement, ensuring websites remain robust, secure, and responsive to user needs through effective collaboration, prioritisation, and resolution of technical issues.

Gone, then, are the days of laid-back coding teams approaching web development in a casual way, with each build treated as one off web build. Processes are essential to make complex web platforms work properly. We do it not because we’re fussy. We do it because it works. Get in touch to find out how we can help with your latest project.

The post Don’t Leave it to Chance- Why Good Process Makes for Good Web Development appeared first on PureNet.