Fallback themes are essentially backup styles or templates that a website can default to when specific design components or assets fail to load. This may be due to a host of reasons, such as server issues, browser incompatibility, and all other technical snags. The use of a properly developed fallback theme ensures that your website has not been broken and assures an uninterrupted experience under less-than-ideal conditions.
Fallback themes are more like a safety net: just in case something goes wrong, it will safeguard the core functionality of your SuiteCommerce site
Key strategies
1. Offer Very Fundamental Core Functionality
The fallback themes should present very basic core functionality to the website. These include the navigation menu, product display, shopping cart, and checking-out process. These are very key components that can directly affect user experience and conversion rates.
2. Brand Consistency
A fallback theme should not largely depart from your primary theme when it comes to color schemes, typography, and overall aesthetic. Consistency is key when trying to maintain brand recognition and customer trust. You can’t possibly replicate every design detail the same way as in the primary theme, but the fallback theme should echo a similar visual identity.
3. Optimize for Performance
Fallback theme development requires performance optimization. Consider using a fallback theme that is light in weight and quick to load so that, in case of a technical issue, the effects are kept to a minimum. This means that you have to avoid big graphics, complex scripts, and others that slow down the site.
4. Leverage the
SuiteCommerce Out-of-the-Box Functionality
SuiteCommerce by NetSuite comes with inbuilt tools and functionalities that aid in the development of fallback themes. . This means the development time is quicker, and fallback themes will look consistent with your primary theme.
5. Test Across Browsers and Devices
Fallback themes should be designed with compatibility in mind. Different browsers and devices may render your site differently, so it’s important to test your fallback theme across the widest range of different environments to make sure the fallback theme works for all and not just some.
6. Apply Progressive Enhancement
Progressive enhancement is a design approach of developing the basic functionalities of a site first, then adding more sophisticated features for users whose browsers or devices are also advanced. Applied to fallback themes, it ensures that failure of advanced features is okay, as long as core functionality is maintained.