Monolithic architecture is easy to control but inflexible in comparison to MACH architecture. Etsy, the very famous e-commerce giant, quickly realized this in 2007 and decided to make necessary changes to be future-ready. Switching to MACH architecture their performance issues. Now, due to COVID-19 and MACH architecture, Etsy closed its annual revenue at a whopping $2,329 million.
Why did Etsy Become a Successful Marketplace After Implementing MACH Architecture?
The reason behind Etsy’s success is their ability to save their customer’s time. Following the MACH approach, their website’s pages quickly load images and videos. Their data collection is highly tailored, which allows customers to see personalized recommendations. With such a success story, Etsy has become an inspiration for all e-commerce platforms.
All this and more is achievable when e-commerce platforms switch from a monolithic style to a MACH based approach.
A Brief Explanation of MACH Architecture and E-Commerce
MACH is an acronym for Microservices, API-First, Cloud-Native, and Headless approach. The main goal of MACH in the e-commerce industry is to enable retailers to develop platforms that allow their customers to have a smooth shopping experience across all devices. Here is how each key feature of MACH architecture benefits the e-commerce industry:
1. Microservices
These are individual applications developed and maintained independently. Their deployment and downtimes do not impact one another. E-commerce platforms following the microservice approach can increase or decrease their functionalities without affecting their primary application.
Read a blog to learn more about microservices here.
2. API-First
With a distinct application program interface (API) in place, each microservice can interact with one another, letting them operate as a single unit.
Get a closer look at the workings of the API-first approach in ecommerce with this blog post.
3. Cloud-Native
The entire infrastructure consisting of microservices and APIs are located in the cloud. Therefore, allowing the platform to scale, update, and optimize as required.
Read our previous blog to understand the concept of cloud-native SaaS.
4. Headless
The headless approach allows e-commerce platforms to decouple the front end from the back end. It lets platforms regularly update their front ends and cater to market needs.
Combining these components allows e-commerce retailers to create interactive, flexible, scalable, and agile platforms. MACH architecture allows the e-commerce industry to cherry-pick the best technology solutions for each functionality.
The Need for MACH Architecture in The E-Commerce Industry
To understand the need for MACH architecture in the e-commerce industry, let us first consider why monolithic architecture fails for e-commerce.
Why does Monolithic Architecture Fail for E-Commerce?
E-Commerce organizations grow rapidly. The industry is fast and requires changes on a regular basis. Monolithic architecture is unable to scale easily, the architecture does not allow organizations to grow at their required pace. Some key issues are:
- The code base of the monolithic architecture is difficult to scale rendering it unsuitable for an e-commerce marketplace.
- The code ends up being lengthy, making it difficult to explain to any new developer.
- The maintenance, deployment, and modifications are nearly impossible.
- Bugs are hard to find and even harder to fix.
MACH architecture is the perfect solution in the e-commerce industry as it caters to all the issues raised in the monolithic architecture.
Benefits of Switching to MACH Architecture
It is clear that businesses see the benefits of MACH architecture after making the switch and leaving their monolithic platform.
Eliminate Tight-Coupling in Applications With MACH Architecture
Successful e-commerce platforms have an exponential growth rate. Some common examples of businesses that grew overnight are Amazon, Netflix, Uber, and Spotify. All these organizations market and sell their products through multiple channels.
Since monolithic architecture is tightly-coupled, there is little to no room for change or growth. These organizations quickly realized the need for the MACH approach and shifted their businesses onto the cloud and microservice based infrastructure.
Reduce Downtime with MACH Approach
E-commerce businesses cannot afford downtime under any circumstances. Gremlin estimates that every minute Amazon’s online platform is down, they lose around $220,000. Downtime causes retailers to lose loyal customers to their competitors. As a result, downtime creates an unreliable image of the organization in the eyes of the customers.
MACH architecture allows each function to be introduced or updated independently of the remaining system. The chances of facing downtime reduce drastically.
Improve User Interface with MACH Architecture
According to a report by Forrester, a good UI can increase a website’s conversion rate by 200%. Due to this, it is mandatory to focus on providing customers with the best user interface. Constant upgrades are required to cater to the demands of customers.
The decoupling of the systems following MACH architecture allows developers to upgrade the front end whenever required. A lot of hassle, effort, and time is saved following the MACH architecture because the changes do not reflect at the back end.
Scale Applications Easily Using MACH
Statista predicts that by 2024, e-commerce sales will account for 21.8% of the total sales worldwide. Therefore, traffic on websites will likely increase as well. Meanwhile, platforms based on monolithic architecture cannot scale without creating multiple problems.
On the other hand, MACH architecture allows e-commerce platforms to increase their databases, add or remove functionality, and easily adjust the system to user demand.
Best of Breed Technology
Monolith architecture forces developers to stick to a single tool and language. MACH allows e-commerce solutions to pick and choose the best tool and language for every microservice. Organizations have the freedom to select different functionalities from different vendors and build their stack accordingly.
Easier to Transfer Knowledge
Since each microservice performs a single functionality, it is easier for developers to create a neat, structured, and easy-to-understand code. Any new developer joining a microservice team can gain knowledge of the code and start working on it immediately.
Quicker to Market
Instead of waiting for the whole project to complete, organizations can quickly develop one functionality, test it out, and then introduce it to the customers. It gives organizations a competitive advantage and the ability to stay one step ahead in the eyes of the customer.
What Role Does MACH Alliance Play in E-Commerce?
The purpose of the MACH Alliance is to:
“Future proof enterprise technology and propel current and future digital experiences.”
They aim to make the transition of organizations from the traditional monolithic architecture to MACH architecture easy. The MACH Alliance ensures a secure, open, and accessible software environment for all those who wish to join the alliance.
Join the MACH World with UpStart Commerce
MACH architecture is the way forward and into the future of e-commerce. It provides agility, scalability, and freedom to design. MACH architecture is the only solution to survive the competitive e-commerce market.
By utilizing the services provided by UpStart Commerce, you can build solutions that follow and implement the MACH architecture. Our goal is to provide the most effective, efficient, and flexible stacks that ensure ease and agility.
