The Benefits of Server-Side Caching and Event-Driven Architecture

The constant battle within ecommerce is having a site that is fast to load, but also fast to use. Server side caching and local computing is required to achieve both of these things. 

Hullabalook uses the benefits of local computing and server-side caching to enhance the overall performance of our applications. Local computing means we can process any tasks on the user's device, while server-side caching optimises the delivery of content from the server. The combination results in a more responsive, efficient, and user-friendly experience for shoppers. 

Most retailers use server-side caching to some extent. But how often is it refreshed? 

Currently, a lot of retailers we speak to take a fixed latency approach, for example they manually refresh the cache within an agreed time period or after a certain number of page loads. 

Retailers don’t have the ability to see changes happening live, or look back at previous versions of their site.

As always, Hullabalook is here to save the day. All of our apps are event-driven, meaning that we are able detect when something has changed on a customer's site. For example, if any new product data is added or the front-end updates, our app will rebuild - so sometimes it might be many times per hour, other times only a few times per day.

Hullabalook apps also have the ability to time travel! By this we mean that we are able to restore any historic version of a Hullabalook app or web page - we snapshot the page, and all the internal logic and data so we can go back and view (or instantly route traffic to) other versions of the app. 

Event-driven architecture is hugely beneficial to retailers. Here are some reasons why;

It relieves pressure when something goes wrong

Mistakes happen. But mistakes in ecommerce can easily lead to the loss of sales. Retailers don’t have access to an ‘undo’ button, so usually have to manually revert any changes - this takes time and can be very stressful,

Since every version of a Hullabalook app is stored, our retail customers don’t need to worry about making mistakes. If an error is spotted, we can simply freeze the app or revert it to a historic version while necessary fixes are made.

It reduces manual work, so resources can be better distributed

Hullabalook apps rebuild every time a change is detected. These changes aren’t scheduled or manual - they happen instantly, so end users get up to date user experiences, with no management overhead

It provides a clear timeline of all UX changes 

By storing historic versions of our apps, we give retailers the ability to create a very detailed timeline of any UX changes. This is a very helpful tool for retailers who want an overview of app performance or styling over a specific time period. 

Are you interested in reaping the benefits of an event-driven architecture? Get in touch with Hullabalook today.