Lessons from a Bad eCommerce Backlog (What Good Looks Like)
A few years ago, a brand came to us with a replatform brief.
It had everything.
Every feature the platform offered. Every integration they could find. A wishlist packed with loyalty engines, gift registries, shared wishlists, send-to-a-friend, AI recommendations—you name it.
The instruction? Build all of it.
No exceptions. No debate. Any agency who said no was out.
They weren’t after partnership or perspective. Just someone to deliver the full list.
But none of it addressed the real issues in their customer experience.
What Was Actually Broken
We ran a quick set of checks—basic outside-in research, plus a walkthrough of the customer journey. What we found wasn’t surprising.
Product pages were cluttered. Key information was buried. Navigation was disorienting. Trust signals were hard to find. The checkout experience introduced friction at the exact moment users needed clarity.
This wasn’t a site crying out for more features. It was a site crying out for restraint. The brand wasn’t losing customers because it lacked functionality—they were losing them because the fundamentals weren’t working. Adding more to that foundation wouldn’t fix the experience. It would just stack more weight on a broken frame.
Roadmaps Aren’t a Pokédex
One of the most common mistakes we see in replatforming projects is treating the feature set like a collection game.
Platform vendors showcase what’s possible. Stakeholders assume that means everything should be used. Roadmaps get filled with capability lists, not priorities. Internal discussions start to revolve around matching what the platform offers, not what the customer needs.
This is backlog-by-possibility. And it’s dangerous.
The result is bloat—technical, operational, and strategic. Teams burn energy building features no one uses. Delivery timelines swell. Maintenance becomes harder. And instead of solving real customer friction, you end up solving the wrong problems really efficiently.
Just because your platform can do something doesn’t mean it’s right for you. Capability is not the same as value.
Start With Problems, Not Possibilities
The best ecommerce teams don’t start by asking what’s available to build. They start by asking what’s broken.
They dig into the journey. They look at where users drop off. They study what causes hesitation, confusion, or inaction. They get closer to the real problems customers face—and make those the priority.
That might mean simplifying the add-to-basket process. Or fixing broken size guides. Or improving site search. Not glamorous work. But the kind that moves the needle.
You can’t prioritise confidently if you haven’t done the hard work of understanding your own experience. You’ll always chase shiny features instead of fixing friction.
Build With Intent, Not Volume
Once you understand the problems worth solving, decisions get clearer.
You stop defaulting to “what else can we add?” and start asking “what’s worth solving, and why now?” Roadmaps become strategic. Releases become purposeful. Features earn their place by driving outcomes.
That looks like:
- Features mapped to specific points in the customer journey
- Decisions made with insight, not assumption
- Fewer, better releases tied to behaviour change or commercial goals
- Clear ownership for what success looks like after launch
This is how high-performing teams work. Not by building the most—but by building with the clearest intent.
JH – The Breakthrough Agency.
At JH, we work with ambitious ecommerce teams who want to get unstuck—whether that’s through strategy, delivery, or just better alignment.
We don’t do silver bullets. We ask better questions, challenge the brief, and help teams move with purpose, especially when progress feels out of reach.
Because breakthroughs don’t come from playing it safe. They come when you stop settling for work that holds you back.
Reach out to us by sending a message on LinkedIn or email breakthrough@wearejh.com.