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.

“This year’s eCommerce Show North revolved around utilising the data we have collected about our customers and clients to create tailored experiences and maximise sales. From making the most of your Google Analytics findings to biometrics, the conversation concentrated on how we can read the data presented to us in a way that is beneficial to our customers and helps reach our business goals.

A number of talks were around maximising the power of community and influencer support in a way that your audience will respond to.  Ben Holden, the founder of  Lo-Dough, a low-calorie, gluten-free bread alternative invented in the north of England, presented a great case study about how he and his team got the start-up project off the ground.

Lo-Dough went as far as to create a ‘fake brand’ to test the market in the first instance, to ensure they didn’t dilute the Lo-Dough name before it became famous. Thanks to the power of social media, they were able to set up a very targeted set of campaigns, each of which had their own landing page on their website, to ensure a seamless user journey for the segments they were testing. The results were astonishing as after just a four-day campaign, which cost £1,200 in total, they were able to test the market and generate 2,583 email subscribers, ready to receive the first marketing campaign from Lo-Dough. Creating targeted and seamless journeys via your email platform can change the way your customers perceive your brand, especially with new businesses. One of our valued partners, dotmailer, will provide a marketing automation platform and help put your ecommerce strategy in place as efficiently as possible.

Thanks to the team doing their homework prior to the launch, Lo-Dough was positioned successfully and within the first year received 6,000 user generated Instagram images, creating a strong community around the brand. They also managed to turn what seemed to be a challenge at first into an opportunity. Lo-Dough found that there was an 80/20 split in opinions about their product. Looking at the issue from the ‘it’s better to divide an opinion rather than create indifference’ point of view, the start-up managed to maximise the buzz around the brand and continuously provide thought leadership targeting the 20% of non-believers.

Having a data-driven strategy for your brand is key to creating communities and long-lasting relationships with your customers. Ensure your online and offline experiences complement each other and that both can withstand the peaks and troughs in traffic in your industry. Building a solid website will allow you to create secure and personalised user journeys and keep your audience engaged. At Coops Collective, our services include ecommerce, portal development, web design, systems integration and consultancy, to help you build a solid base for your marketing and sales strategy. 

The psychology and feelings underlying decision-making in ecommerce was another huge topic during the conference. Neil McKay from Endless Gain spoke about biometrics and the evolution of optimisation. Him and his team set up their lab two years ago to help businesses understand and optimise human psychology, emotions and behaviour to create seamless user journeys and achieve business goals. Following Neil’s contribution, Jonathan Bowers from UK Fast talked to us about the Psychology of Speed in eCommerce. This resonated with me considerably. When delivering portal and ecommerce systems, site speed is a hugely important element and at Coops Collective, we have to ensure all our bespoke solutions are optimised to deliver the best results possible. Claiming that ‘we are all hormonal all the time,’ Jonathan delved into how the levels of certain hormones impact our purchase behaviour. A witty, yet highly informative talk, recommended we mix up a cocktail from dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin to successfully win repeat custom and create a community around our brands.

With the community spirit being embraced in almost every talk, it was no wonder that Magento, an Adobe Company, so community-centric in their core, were one of the main sponsors of the show. The Magento theatre was buzzing with talks on data-driven commerce and B2B optimisation, just some of the fantastic features of the Magento 2 platform. Our Magento practice, Magium Commerce, concentrates purely on Magento development and B2B development is an increasing demand and something on which they have considerable focus.

Umbraco founder, Neils Hartvig, reminded us of the importance of humans in the digital age and how to proceed with organisational transformation in a way that is right for your business. Putting a human-first approach in place when creating a business strategy, whether it’s thinking about your customers or internal stakeholders, will ensure that your brand resonates well with the people you want it to touch. Again, this was something that hit home. PureNet has recently helped Ibstock PLC, a FTSE 250 company, transform two of their branded websites and built brand new catalogue websites on Umbraco to express the company’s vision of innovation and growth. After a successful launch of the two websites, we are excited to follow Ibstock PLC’s progress in achieving their business goals.

When it comes to branching out and targeting internationally, keep in mind the balance between globalization and localisation. Some of the talks at the eCommerce Show North specifically talked about getting it right, in terms of payment methods, exchange rates and shipping. Make sure to do your research before you enter a specific market, to be able to make well-informed business decisions and maximise your market entry potential. At Coops Collective, we have over 12 years’ experience in delivering successful integrated solutions and will be happy to consult you on the use of third parties to make the most out of your ecommerce strategy.

To conclude, I had a great time at the eCommerce Show North, and my inner-psychology-geek has been fed with lots of interesting pieces of information. I’m excited to follow the trends and newly-introduced brands and see them succeed in their respective fields!”

The post eCommerce Show North – Kora Habinakova’s Notes appeared first on PureNet.

Umbraco, the world’s friendliest CMS, is loved by thousands, developers and editors alike.

Why is it so popular? We asked our .NET Software Developer Andy a series of questions to introduce you to this open source content management system so that you can get acquainted. You can also read our case study about Ibstock PLC’s Umbraco multisite, which PureNet delivered.

What are the main benefits of Umbraco CMS?

The CMS is flexible and allows for build of a non-transactional blog as well as an omni-channel ecommerce website. The back-end is incredibly easy to use, with intuitive editing experience that helps bring your beautiful content to life without frustrating and unnecessary bumps in the road.

What is it like to use Umbraco CMS on a daily basis?

Umbraco prides itself on its simplicity. The development team strive to make the editor experience as intuitive as possible. A well-designed site allows content editors to quickly create, edit and maintain their site with ease.

How can I upload images to Umbraco CMS?

Images can be uploaded directly in the Media Library in the admin interface, or from the document type that references them. Images can be contained in folders enabling you to keep your content organised. Umbraco CMS makes copying, moving and deleting media a breeze!

Will Umbraco scale my images for me?

Umbraco CMS will automatically resize and crop images you upload, so that they fit perfectly on any device. What’s more, with their Image Cropper tool, you will be able to set a focal point with a single click. The platform will ensure that the most important thing stays in focus and you’ll be able to wave goodbye to chopped heads and missing logos!

What does the publishing process look like?

This is a feature of Umbraco Cloud. With the Staging and Live environments available on Umbraco Cloud, you can create content on one and push to the other, quickly and easily. You can choose to migrate the whole website or a single page from Staging to Live with a click of a button. Or, if you are in a hurry and create content on Live, you can quickly migrate this over to Staging without having to manually write it into both environments.

Great thing about Umbraco CMS is that provided that your images are referenced by links within the content on either environment, they will pull through on the other side as part of the migration and you won’t have to upload and insert them again.

Can I preview the content before publishing?

Content preview is an important step in creating a seamless user experience. The CMS features a Responsive Preview, thanks to which you can not only preview your content before it goes live, but also ensure that it looks good on a mobile, tablet and desktop devices.

Can I schedule content to be published?

Yes! Thanks to Umbraco’s scheduled publishing, you can get your content pages ready in advance and schedule the campaigns to run, ahead of time. The tool allows you to select date and time when the campaigns should go live and even when they should be removed.

Will there be a content freeze while PureNet works on deployment of new Umbraco features?

When making significant changes to document types it may be desirable to freeze content creation while the changes are deployed. This is to ensure that content is kept consistent. The deployment process is usually quick so you will be back editing, with the latest changes, in no time.

Can I republish a previous version of a content page on Umbraco?

You can indeed. All Umbraco content is versioned, so you can republish old content or roll back to a previous version. You can use this “infinite undo button” freely and save yourself plenty of time not having to recreate content manually.

Can I embed forms into my CMS pages?

PureNet can create bespoke forms as per our individual client’s requirements. Alternatively, you have the option to purchase a domain license and use the Umbraco Form Builder. With the Form Builder, you can create anything from simple contact forms to advanced questionnaires directly on your website, all without coding. The drag and drop functionality will allow you to select exactly the data you need from your visitors.

Is it easy to share the content with my audience via social media?

Yes! If you require this service, PureNet can help you create a connection with Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. We can make it really easy for you to share your fresh content across your social media channels..

Is it possible to achieve a true Umbraco ecommerce experience?

PureNet will work with you to learn about your business objectives and develop a bespoke system based on your requirements to achieve Umbraco ecommerce functionality. We will help you launch your new Umbraco ecommerce website so you can create unique user experiences for your B2B and B2C customers.

How will PureNet support my website project?

Our service is tailored to your business needs and help you achieve your online objectives. Thanks to our extensive experience in delivering website projects and technical skills to support third-party integration, PureNet will create a stable, easy to use environment for your website. We follow established processes to ensure efficient and timely delivery.

Our commitment to customer service will come through every step of the way, from Discovery, UX & Design and Development, through Integration, Testing and finally to Deployment stages.

We’re very excited to explore the potential of the Umbraco platform and work with you to create a seamless user experience for your customer audience.

Get in touch for an Umbraco quote!

The post Umbraco Ecommerce appeared first on PureNet.