Serverless architecture has become the latest buzzword since the release of AWS lambda in 2014. There are different benefits of building an eCommerce app using serverless architecture. Developing the serverless app through React, Stripe, and AWS Lambda assures that the website runs smoothly during traffic peaks.
About serverless technology architecture
Low-cost and bulletproof solution for serverless application is based on the serverless architecture. It is useful in describing the apps that fully and significantly depend on different 3rd party services within the cloud.
Such kinds of serverless development services are referred to as BaaS or Backend as a Service. The BaaS or Stripe provider is used for order management and inventory management payments. It comprises server-side logic. AWS Lambda acts as the FaaS or Functions as a service provider to communicate with Stripe servers securely. It offers the basic Shop API for the web-based Shop Frontend.
Proposed structure
Hence, the proposed structure involves four major components which are:
- Order management and inventory management
- Shop API
- Payments
- Shop Frontend
Stripe enables the receipt and addition of products along with inventory data from the dashboard and the products API. A secure server environment is necessary to communicate with the stripe API. AWS Lambda is used to run the server functions within the cloud. It exposes the public shop API to the inventory data and the products. AWS Lambda is affordable.
Hence, the potential end user needs to pay for the prerequisite code runtime instead of the hours for which the servers are rented. It can prove to be challenging to process credit cards manually. In this regard, Stripe Checkout is recommended as the embeddable payment plugin. Hence, the potential customer should pay independently without revealing the credit card details in the code.
Instead of running the site on the server on demand, the shop should be hosted as the static side for the CDN or content delivery network. CDNs distribute the assets globally, thereby providing quicker load times and enhanced scalability. The latest proof of concept site is created with the React Library of Facebook.
It was in September 2015 that Stripe released its latest product, termed Relay. It provides an excellent opportunity for retailers to sell goods directly through different content and social networking apps. At present, a wide array of business organizations are using order management and inventory management features on the site. Such architecture uses the built-in distribution capabilities of Relay to add extra customer touchpoints effortlessly.
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Implementation
To build the serverless eCommerce app, it is important to set the product inventory in the beginning. Then, it would help if you create the Shop API to make the product inventory available publicly. Next, the Shopfront should be designed to showcase the product inventory. A payment gateway needs to be integrated. Finally, an order needs to be sent from the website to Stripe.
Order management and product inventory setup
- In the beginning, you should sign up for a Stripe account.
- Then, you should tap on Create Your First Product within the product section of the dashboard. Next, you should fill in certain product information such as Description, Name, ID, and Images.
- In the next step, you should add Stock Keep Units or SKUs to the specific created product. Every product needs to be linked to either of the variants after combining different attributes, like cost, size, and color.
- After the setup, the variants or products are exposed through the Products API.
Shop Frontend creation
Create a React App of the Facebook template, and then it should be used to set the initial site without any build configuration.
yarn install -g create-react-app
create-react-app serverless-shop
cd serverless-shop
yarn start
An example site comprises a single basic product page with a delivery address form, product details, and payment form, as well as an add-to-basket button. Such code is present on GitHub.
Shop API creation
A secure server environment is essential for communicating with the Stripe API. AWS Lambda is used to run different server functions within the cloud. A public Shop API is then exposed for the inventory data and products.
The serverless framework is used to simplify the FaaS setup.
- In the beginning, it is important to set up the serverless environment.
- Next, you need to respond with different fetched products from Stripe.
- After deploying it to AWS, the Shop Frontend needs to fetch different products from the specific endpoint.
- The displayed endpoint URL should be inserted as the products within the config.json file.
- After setting the payment methods, Shop API is extended with the order endpoint. Now, you should make sure to run the application and make the test order.
Benefits of building an eCommerce App, using the server technology
Major eCommerce corporate giants such as Etsy and Amazon are paving the way for the future with the introduction of serverless technology on the platforms. With the growth in e-commerce, the latest technologies have reshaped the industry in various ways.
More than 80 percent of the businesses are using such services. Thus, serverless technology serves as a future-proof platform. The introduction of these technologies enhances scalability and flexibility for the company. In addition, it reveals the latest opportunities for enhanced cost savings, with the traditional server management tasks and the apps broken down into independent and manageable services. Such architecture presents the latest standards for improved customer experiences and operational efficiency.
