Challenges
- Timeline to launch a new platform was ambitious
- Many independent systems needed to come together on time
- The solution had to be flexible enough to handle future needs
healthylife launched a new platform for health-related products, content, and services in record time by leveraging the right partners and the right tools. Here’s how they created an excellent customer experience that’s ready to evolve with their business.
Preparing to launch a new platform
healthylife started with an ambitious plan, and wanted to get up and running as fast as possible. The goal? To launch a new platform for healthy living in just five months.
They envisioned a platform consisting of three pillars: a hub of content focused on healthy lifestyles, an e-shop full of great products, and a booking platform for services like massage, yoga, fitness classes, and more. But they also wanted their platform to be flexible enough to change and grow in the future.
To achieve this, they needed a content management system that enabled secure access to content, streamlined content collaboration, and allowed for omnichannel content delivery. The platform they were building had to integrate multiple functionalities, including ERP capabilities, search, logistics and supply management, customer data management, and more.
A key priority was also flexibility. They were launching the platform with the help of experienced partners, but when transitioning the product to an in-house team, they needed the tools to be intuitive and easy to manage without requiring deep technical expertise.
Deciding to go headless
healthylife has decided to go with a cloud-first architecture, with headless and serverless components where available. This setup allows them to select best-of-breed tools for each of their platform’s components, while maintaining the flexibility they need to grow and adapt in the future. Cloud-based solutions also give them the advantage of scalability when needed, since they don’t have to rely on their own hardware’s ability to scale up with their growth.
Some of the platforms in their technology stack include Kontent.ai as their content management system (CMS), Shopify Plus as a headless commerce solution, and Algolia for search and discovery. Luminary, a Kontent.ai partner, helped with UX, UI, and infrastructure support.
Headless technology allows healthylife teams to work independently, which means the initial site content creation happened at the same time as site development. Kontent.ai allowed healthylife to focus on building the front end they wanted from the very start, without worrying about whether it would integrate with a traditional CMS.
Headless concept explained
If you're used to traditional CMSs, going headless is a whole new way of thinking. Check out our e-learning lesson to find out where headless got its name and why it opens up new possibilities.
Going live and preparing for the future
Through a combination of smart architecture solutions, dedicated partners and employees, and best-of-breed tools, healthylife successfully launched their new platform on time and at full scale. Their new site went live with:
- Hundreds of articles and services available from day one
- Thousands of products seamlessly integrated into their e-shop
- A loyalty program serving millions of customers
- Zero downtime during launch, ensuring a smooth transition
Their choice of headless tools also makes it easy to make adjustments on the fly, without needing to rebuild their whole platform. Their teams can develop new ideas and deploy them quickly with the help of the modular approach offered by headless components.
Looking toward the future, healthylife is excited by the opportunities offered by their modern tech stack. Options such as a mobile app or changing the development language on the front end will be simpler endeavors, since headless architecture enables fast prototyping and iterating on new ideas.
healthylife shows how it’s possible to bring a great product to customers in a short timeframe. It’s all about being supported by the right teams, strategy, and tools. Watch the full talk from healthylife and Luminary, “Bringing a new business online for healthylife in record time” from Kontent Horizons 2021.
