E-commerce is one of the growing industries in the world today. But the change in the market is inevitable. Customer needs, product improvement, and marketplaces are in a permanent place of evolution; thus, e-commerce also needs to be updated throughout the years to be competitive.
Global e-commerce sales are continuing to grow rapidly- from 5.2 Trillion U.S. dollars worldwide to about 8.1 trillion dollars by 2026.
Moreover, seeing all these things on the e-commerce platform you choose will also affect the growth of the website. Moreover, over time, according to the market, the e-commerce platform migration services needs to be opted to maintain the speed and success of the business. However, many are still confused about the term. Don’t worry if you are also on the same page; we’ve got you covered in this blog. We have covered all the details related to e-commerce website replatforming services, how to do replatforming, and the steps for website migration. So, let’s get started!
What Is eCommerce Replatforming?
eCommerce replatforming refers to the process of migrating an online retail business from one eCommerce platform to another. This could be due to various reasons, such as outdated technology, limited functionality, poor user experience, or the need for better scalability and performance.
The replatforming process involves careful planning, data migration, website redesign, and third-party systems integration. It is a complex undertaking that requires a thorough analysis of the current platform, understanding business requirements, and selecting the right platform that aligns with the business goals.
What Is The Need For eCommerce Replatforming?
eCommerce replatforming becomes necessary when the current platform can no longer meet a business’s growing demands. As an eCommerce website expands, the limitations of the existing platform become more apparent, such as poor design, slow performance, and an inability to cater to customer needs. This can result in increased costs, either due to paying for unnecessary features or the need for additional maintenance and upkeep. In such cases, re-platforming offers a solution to address these challenges and ensure that the eCommerce website can operate effectively.
Replatforming is a significant undertaking that requires careful consideration and planning. It impacts various aspects of the eCommerce website, including admin navigation, design, performance, and functionality. Therefore, assessing the need for replatforming at the right time and for the right reasons is essential. This may involve evaluating the current platform’s limitations, identifying specific pain points, and determining the desired capabilities and features a new platform should offer.
Well, let’s check out the reasons when you should migrate your eCommerce platform:
1. Security Issues With Current eCommerce Platform
After coming up with a breach of some form or vulnerability, some online retailers have decided to re-platform. This has often led to a decision to move to a hosted platform, SaaS, to a great extent, as it lowers risks associated with self-hosted or legacy systems that need a lot of support.
2. Customer Experience & Site Performance
Today, online shoppers expect connected and sophisticated retail experiences. Similarly, eCommerce businesses are anticipated to provide consumers with an innovative experience with out-of-the-box features, top-notch technology, and smooth multi-channel integration. Here, replatforming comes into play. It assists businesses in improving customer experience by enhancing their caliber to be more creative and unique from the crowd.
3. Platform Stability and Scalability
This is the most common reason for replatforming, which affects major deployments or releases, upgradeability, maintainability, and stability of integration with heavy customization or technical issues.
4. Poor Admin Functioning
A terrible admin panel leads to poor navigation, lowering your team’s pace, increasing frustration, and less output. Switching to a simple, intuitive admin will ensure your team has a fantastic tool to perform more effectively.
5. Increasing Maintenance Cost
If your current website needs costly, regular, or time-consuming maintenance, replatforming may help you. It enhances the performance and chooses a third-party solution to handle this burden.
6. Smooth Accessible Analytics
With no proper e-commerce analytics, you can’t get meaningful insights to make essential improvements. So, you need to be sure that you accumulate, measure, and exhibit data that performs best for your teams dependent on this data.
7. Repetitive Tasks
On replatforming with improved interfacing or increased functionality, you may eliminate repetitive, duplicate tasks that you generally need to perform manually and regularly.
8. Site Responsiveness & Speed
As about 40% of the shoppers abandon a website if it takes too long to load, more than 3 seconds. Here, a responsive, fast website is essential. You should use a top-quality website hosting service and restrict your plugins to make your website efficient and run flawlessly.
eCommere Website Replatforming Business Benefits
Replatforming an eCommerce website can bring numerous business benefits, as it involves upgrading or changing the existing platform to a new one that better suits the business’s evolving needs. Here are some of the key benefits of eCommerce website replatforming:
1. Improved Performance and Scalability
One of the key benefits of replatforming your e-commerce website is the potential for improved performance and scalability. As your business grows, your website needs to handle increased traffic and transactions without slowing down or crashing. By replatforming to a more robust and scalable e-commerce platform, you can ensure that your website can handle the demands of a growing customer base.
2. Enhanced User Experience
A smooth and intuitive user experience is crucial for the success of any e-commerce website. Replatforming can provide an opportunity to update the design and functionality of your website, making it more user-friendly and visually appealing. This can lead to increased customer satisfaction, higher conversion rates, and, ultimately, more sales.
3. Integration with Third-Party Tools
Replatforming your e-commerce website can allow better integration with third-party tools and services. Whether it’s integrating with a new payment gateway, a marketing automation platform, or a customer relationship management (CRM) system, a new e-commerce platform can provide the flexibility to connect seamlessly with the tools essential for your business operations.
4. Mobile Optimization
With most online shopping now taking place on mobile devices, e-commerce websites must be fully optimized for mobile use. Replatforming can provide an opportunity to ensure that your website is responsive and performs well across all devices, providing a consistent and enjoyable shopping experience for mobile users.
5. Improved Security and Compliance
Security is a top priority for any e-commerce business, and re-platforming can enhance your website’s security measures. A new e-commerce platform may come with built-in security features and compliance with industry standards, helping to protect your customers’ sensitive information and build trust in your brand.
6. Streamlined Operations
A new e-commerce platform can also offer improved tools and features for managing your online store. From inventory management to order processing and customer support, re-platforming can streamline your operations and make it easier to run your e-commerce business efficiently.
7. SEO Benefits
Replatforming your e-commerce website can also positively affect your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. A new platform may offer better SEO capabilities, allowing you to optimize your website for higher search engine rankings and increased visibility to potential customers.
8. Cost Savings
While replatforming does involve an initial investment, it can lead to long-term cost savings for your business. A more efficient and scalable e-commerce platform can reduce maintenance costs, improve productivity, and provide a better return on investment in the long run.
9. Competitive Advantage
In today’s competitive e-commerce landscape, staying ahead is crucial. Replatforming your e-commerce website can give you a competitive edge by offering a superior shopping experience, better functionality, and more innovative features than your competitors.
Signs That Indicates It’s Time For You To Replatform Your Ecommerce CMS
1. Expenditures For Running a Website Increases
When it comes to a website, various areas lead to an increment in cost. Let’s take a few points: maintenance costs, which go a long way, license renewal fees, migration costs, and more. This makes the website owners replatform their eStore.
2. Technological Improvement
The most common technical issue is the website’s load time, which can also be an issue of cart abandonment. Also, the lack of a decoupled CMS or a headless CMS leads to zero presence on the touchpoints. Apart from that, the older systems are more prone to cyber-attack. All such technological problems increase the need for data migration to a new store. Examples of the few technological issues you might be facing due to your current ecommerce platform are:
- Bad site performance under peak traffic
- Database unable to handle a large number of product SKUs
- eCommerce platform able to hold limited attributes
- Too difficult to add new custom features due to restrictive features and increasing cost
3. Marketing Issues & Signs
Well, the marketing department may also instill the need for replatforming. If the marketers fail to perform necessary tasks related to the website, like updating website content or integrating social media tools, this again arouses the need for data migration. Migrating to a better ecommerce platform would yield the following benefits
- GTM execution
- Improved Site Search
- Personalization of Content based on Buyer Persona
- Mobile Commerce Optimization (Better Funneling & Mobile First Web Design)
- Social Media Capabilities (Improved Shareability & Integration with Social Media)
- Better Tag Management
Types of Platforms to Consider For eCommerce Website Migration
When considering a migration for your eCommerce website, choosing the right platform that aligns with your business needs and goals is crucial. Here are various platforms available; you can consider each with its features and benefits.
1. Open-Source eCommerce Platforms
Open-source eCommerce platforms like Magento, WooCommerce, and OpenCart are popular for businesses looking for flexibility and customization. These platforms provide access to the source code, allowing businesses to modify and tailor the platform to their specific requirements. Open-source platforms also offer various plugins and extensions to enhance functionality and meet unique business needs.
2. SaaS eCommerce Platforms
Software as a Service (SaaS) eCommerce platforms, like Shopify, BigCommerce, and Squarespace, are cloud-based solutions that offer a user-friendly interface and easy setup process. SaaS platforms are known for their scalability, security, and regular updates without manual maintenance. They also provide a range of built-in features, including hosting, security, and payment processing, making them an attractive option for businesses looking for a hassle-free solution.
3. Enterprise eCommerce Platforms
Enterprise eCommerce platforms such as Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Oracle Commerce, and SAP Commerce Cloud offer advanced features and robust capabilities for larger businesses with complex requirements. These platforms are designed to handle high-traffic volumes, complex product catalogs, and intricate business processes. Enterprise eCommerce platforms also provide extensive support, security features, and integration options to meet the demands of large-scale operations.
4. Headless eCommerce Platforms
Headless eCommerce platforms, like Moltin, commercetools, and Elastic Path, decouple the front-end presentation layer from the back-end eCommerce functionality. This separation allows businesses to deliver a unique and seamless customer experience across various channels, including websites, mobile apps, and IoT devices. Headless platforms offer greater flexibility and agility in design and development, enabling businesses to adapt to changing customer expectations and technological advancements.
5. Marketplace eCommerce Platforms
Marketplace eCommerce platforms, such as Amazon Marketplace, eBay, and Etsy, allow businesses to reach a broader audience by selling products alongside other vendors. These platforms offer built-in traffic, trust, and payment processing capabilities, making it easier for businesses to start selling without extensive marketing efforts. Marketplace eCommerce platforms also provide access to a large customer base and valuable insights into consumer behavior.
What Things Are Worth Considering While Replatforming An eCommerce Website?
Well, getting started with eCommerce migration may seem to be overwhelming. Still, as you know, it will influence all aspects of your retail business, from customer interactions with your eStore to sophisticated working behind delivering their orders.
However, with the right plan, you can supervise an eCommerce replatforming project. To assist you in targeting this plan, we have emerged with a list below that retailers may consider to catch up with a flawless replatforming process.
1. Conduct Technical research
Before your ecommerce development team of experts starts with the process of replatforming, it’s important to understand the company’s needs by conducting technical research. You may find this an extra step, but let us tell you that it’s like a robust base for all other actions on our list.
Through this process, your team will become capable of examining entire possible solutions for your company, even for the long term. It’s like a blueprint for an eCommerce house you are about to develop.
2. Impact Of Website Migration On Your Business
Replatforming will benefit you if you implement essential improvements to your eCommerce platform’s performance, functionality, and output. Moreover, you need to be sure that you will get all those benefits from migration that may be worth the additional cost and effort.
3. Total Costs Of eCommerce Migration
Well, the actual cost of ecommerce replatforming is not limited to the cost of the new platform, it also includes the migration process, the downtime (during the transfer), and maintenance costs linked with the new eCommerce platform. Also, it incorporates the cost of training your staff for the new platform. So, project the total costs that are involved and plan accordingly.
4. Features and Capabilities Of The Upgraded eCommerce Platform
When migrating to a new eCommerce platform, its features would be an important factor to decide. You need to compare the new platform’s features with your existing eCommerce platform and pick the most essential features your business needs to develop, grow, and improve.
5. Integrations With Existing Legacy Systems
Before we migrate to a new solution, you should ensure that the solution you are switching supports the integrations already in use with no loss of performance.
6. Future Needs and Improvements
One of the long-term investments that you make in your business is replatforming. You should take care of the capabilities and the initial features that a tool should have, as you know it’s going to have a long-term impact. Be sure about the adaptation of your tool that may modify as per the market trend and meet your business needs.
7. Ability & Skills Of Your Current Team
When it comes to performing replatforming, the technical expertise of your team plays an important role. It should hold the caliber to adapt to the change as quickly as possible. This also includes the proficiency of getting going with the new platform and migrating data.
8. Customer Support & Services
Well, whichever solution you decide to pick, it should offer the best customer service and support. This will help you resolve errors properly and quickly right when they occur. While developing your solution, your team could provide the required support. So, if you get full support from your platform, you will become capable of keeping your eCommerce store up and running perfectly.
9. Suitable Time for Website Migration
When you think of replatforming, you should ensure the best time to perform it. Mostly, the best time to migrate store data is believed to be the lowest traffic moment. This time, if any issues arise, it will have the most negligible impact on your business conversions and revenue.
10. Crawl Your Website before Migration
Well, crawling through your website will ensure that no important data gets slipped through the cracks that you want to migrate. For this, you should also address the complete data of your store before you start the migration.
11. Avoid The Common Pitfalls Of Data Migration
Of course, in data migration, there are numerous common pitfalls. So, to maintain a smooth customer experience, be sure that you avoid all sorts of glitches related to data migration.
12. Define The Data You Want to Migrate To Your New Website
If you don’t know, there are three chief components of online retailers’ data: product data, customer data, and order data. Before replatforming, you must thoroughly understand what data is important for you and your consumer to access your new website.
13. Transfer Only Up-to-date Content To The New Site
Through replatforming, the retailers get the opportunity to look into every aspect related to your business, this includes content also. So, first of all, you should review the entire content of your website and determine what is essential. You need to replace your older articles with the new and improved ones and the ones that are not SEO optimized. So, this is the right time to remove such data before you start with replatforming, as this will save you future time that you will need to clean such worthless content.
14. Pick A Data Migration Plan
Obviously, the reason behind every successful ending is thorough planning. If you forget to plan from the start, it will lead to various obstacles towards the expected outcome. Deep and well-defined planning will make your project up on time and within your budget.
15. Develop Content Migration Plan & Ensure It Maintains SEO Settings
As we have discussed above, data migration planning is essential before we start with replatforming, the same is true regarding website content. So, your team should have a plan to get rid of last-minute confusion. Post auditing your old website content and developing a content migration plan, don’t forget to consider your SEO settings. Your SEO seetings needs to be migrated with the help of your development team.
- Audit your current Site Hierarchy & Structure
- Make a plan for Content Migration or if you have plans for Content Overhaul
- Optimize your URL’s & check for necessary Redirections
- Review your Metadata
- Implement schema markup
- Check for duplicate content
- Generate and ReSubmit your XML Sitemap
- Ensure the Google Analytics tracking code is working
- Check links in emails and downloadable assets
- Use annotations in Google Analytics to track all changes to the site
What Are The Top Options For eCommerce Replatforming?
In recent years, eCommerce has been redefining the way of shopping with 50% and more online shopping done through mobile. Today, you will catch up with various eCommerce platforms you may choose from.
While picking the right eCommerce platform, you need to check if it will meet your business needs, weaknesses, strengths, and associated costs.
Now, we will put forward a list of some leading eCommerce platforms available in the market. You may pick any as per your business needs. Let’s start.
1. WordPress
WordPress comes with various available integrations that allow you to add design, features, elements, and more to your eCommerce website. One of the popular eCommerce platforms, WordPress, comes with various pros.
- Free to use
- Simple and easily accessible for beginners
- SEO optimized
- Customizable using plugins
- Scalable and can include features as per the need
- In-Built blog crafted for SEO
Magento 2
Crafted to be feature-packed, Magento 2 offers advanced functionality and features to offer eCommerce retailers complete control over their website design and management. It has the following advantages:
- Build user-friendly eCommerce stores
- Designed to perfectly scale with business
- Open-source platform
- Limitless flexibility with design and customization
- Have a large community of users
2. WooCommerce
Operates on WordPress, WooCommerce uses its available integrations and tools. It has the following benefits:
- Built-in and simple SEO
- Top-quality security
- Crafted for professional use
- Comes with clear admin navigation
- Free basic services
- Flexible to customize websites with templates and themes
3. Shopify
A full-service solution, Shopify includes amazing functionality, features, and performance. It has the following advantages:
- Amazing app store with plugins and extensions
- Top-quality security; SSL certificate and PCI DSS compliant
- Easy and simple UI and navigation
- Includes web hosting, managed through a Shopify account
- Easy to use
What Are eCommerce Migration Services To Ease Your Job?
You can perform eCommerce store replatforming by yourself manually, or by hiring a leading eCommerce migration services, or even by using a data migration app. A data migration app is the best solution for replatforming when you are not tech-savvy or experienced when it comes to data migration.
We are here with a list holding a few data migration solutions:
1. LitExtension
It eases eCommerce store migration by providing a step-by-step, guided process to follow. It demands little to no technical expertise to start; that’s why it is best for beginners also.
- Best Features: Reliable, secure data migration for beginners.
- Cost: Starting at $59.00 and the rest depends on the platform.
2. Cart2Cart
An eCommerce migration tool, Cart2Cart allows eCommerce platform migrations. With 80 or more compatible store migrations, Cart2Cart is known as a popular app for replatforming.
- Best Features: Simple, Automated eCommerce store data migration
- Cost: Base fee – $49; rest depends on platforms.
3. Next-Cart
It allows a secure, smooth store migration in just a few simple steps. It comes with 24*7 support, one can get the help relevant to migration whenever required.
- Best Feature: Guided migration process
- Cost: Starting at $49.00; the rest depends on the platform.
Key Features To Integrate While RePlatforming eCommerce Website
When replatforming an eCommerce website, it’s essential to integrate the latest key features to stay competitive and enhance the user experience. Here are ten essential features to consider.
1. Mobile-First Design
With an increasing number of consumers using mobile devices to shop online, a mobile-first design is essential for providing a seamless and intuitive shopping experience across all devices.
2. Personalization Capabilities
Personalization is a powerful tool for enhancing the customer experience. By leveraging data and technology, you can deliver your customers personalized product recommendations, content, and offers.
3. Advanced Search Functionality
A robust search functionality with features like autocomplete, filters, and predictive search can help customers quickly find what they’re looking for, leading to higher conversion rates.
4. Seamless Omnichannel Integration
Integrating your e-commerce website with your brick-and-mortar stores and other sales channels, such as social media and marketplaces, creates a seamless omnichannel experience for customers.
5. AI-Powered Chatbots
AI-powered chatbots can provide personalized assistance to customers, answer their questions, and even assist with the purchase process, improving customer satisfaction and driving sales.
6. Enhanced Security Features
With the increasing threat of cyber attacks, integrating enhanced security features such as SSL encryption, secure payment gateways, and fraud detection tools is crucial for protecting customer data and maintaining trust.
7. Integration with Marketing Automation Tools
Integrating your e-commerce platform with marketing automation tools allows you to automate marketing tasks, personalize communications, and drive customer engagement and retention.
8. Voice Commerce Capabilities
With the rise of voice-activated devices, incorporating voice commerce capabilities can provide a convenient shopping experience for customers who prefer voice commands.
9. Enhanced Analytics and Reporting
Access to comprehensive analytics and reporting tools is essential for gaining insights into customer behavior, sales performance, and marketing effectiveness, enabling data-driven decision-making.
10. Scalability and Flexibility
As your business grows, having a scalable and flexible e-commerce platform that can adapt to changing needs and accommodate increased traffic and transactions is vital.
How Long Does It Take To Do eCommerce Migration?
It takes from 8 weeks to over a year for eCommerce to be replatforming, depending on the rollout strategy of an enterprise. Well, complexity and scope may vary, but the entire process stays the same.
For example: if a small enterprise picks a Shopify platform with a current theme, it may take 8-12 weeks, which depends on the number of 3rd-party integration and customization levels.
For larger enterprises, inherently, the process demands extensive customization, as the current systems are more complicated. This indicates that the process may take a year or even more than that to complete.
14 Steps For eCommerce Replatforming/Migration
Now, let’s check out the steps we should follow for our eCommerce store migration to a new platform. These steps will offer you an idea of how much time and effort the migration process will take. These steps are generalized for eCommerce website migration, and if you want the exact process, we have also written a few platforming guides for selected platforms.
- BigCommerce to Shopify Migration
- WooCommerce to Shopify Migration
- Magento to Shopify Migration
- OpenCart to Shopify Migration
- Shopware Migration
1. List Out Benefits & Needs Of Replatforming
Firstly, you should prepare a list of your existing platform’s shortages and expectations from a new system. You should emerge with the biggest flaws, the features you want, and what you need from re-platforming. Also, you should communicate with your teams and different departments about their requirements and should set the priorities for that.
2. Communicate With Stakeholders
After reviewing the efficiencies and areas of improvement, it’s time to communicate with stakeholders. This way, you will know about the needs of distinct teams and balance their requirements fairly to offer them what they expect from migration.
3. Shortlist eCommerce Platforms
Now that you know why you need to re-platform and what your team wants from it, you can start by researching viable options. You may shortlist some eCommerce platforms that you may use and sort them by their costs, features, and more.
4. Arrange Demos With Your Top Picks
After shortlisting, you can schedule demos with the top choices. Reach out to the platforms you are interested in and ask them for a demo. This will offer you an idea regarding their strengths and weaknesses.
5. Choose An eCommerce Platform
Next, it’s time to make a decision. You may use the details gained through demos to finalize a selection. Be sure that you pick a solution that holds the caliber to offer you the improvements and features at the best price.
6. Backup Data Of Your Old Store
Before you begin the replatforming process, you need to take a backup of your old eCommerce store. After much hard work, your migration process may go seamlessly, but if an error occurs, you should be all set with your data saved to resolve that error or go back to restart the process. It’s good to be confident about your migration, but backing up your data will save you from experiencing unexpected situations.
7. Craft Your eCommerce Website
Before data migration, you should be all set with designing your complete website structure, style, and layout to allow your data to get loaded into a new one. This is the best time to offer your website an advanced look. You may use various downloadable themes and templates and style or customize them as you choose. Even with the help of a developer, you can develop a new website from scratch.
Editors Note: Keep in mind that you should always set up a staging site to perform all the ecommerce migration and when everything checks fine then you can push the staging site to live site.
8. Opt For A Data Migration Service
Well, this is an optional step, as you can manually migrate your eCommerce store’s data.
But, in case you have a 3rd-party app, then you may ease this process of replatforming. For that, you will need to hire a leading data migration service. This would be the right step when you lack technical skills. Also, you need to be sure that you choose the best service that holds the caliber to conduct migration securely, accurately, and yes, completely.
9. Migrate Your Store Data
Post making the best selection, now, it’s time to migrate your data. Whether you perform this manually or using a perfect migration app, or with a third-party team, this process includes the migration of store data from your existing eCommerce website to the new one.
10. Connect With Checkout Platform & Optimize Payment &Checkout Experience
Before you start running your new store, you should have a checkout platform that will allow you to process payments and complete the orders. Pick a platform that offers customers a secure, fast, and efficient checkout experience. Moreover, you should have a system that prevents, detects, and protects against fraudulent behavior and accepts more valid orders.
11. Perform SEO Audit Before Launch
When migrating eCommerce platforms, retaining domain authority as much as possible is necessary. For this, you will need to perform a complete SEO audit of your website before launching your website. Ensure you optimize both the page content for SEO on and off. Also, don’t forget to set up redirects and retain the traffic from your old website.
12. Test, Test & Test: It’s Crucial
So, after replatforming your eCommerce website, you are almost all set to launch. But, before that, you need to test your new ecommerce platform. For that, you should conduct various tests and locate the issues that may arise at some time. Ensure your new eCommerce website is up and performing perfectly as it should be. Don’t forget that this is the right time to correct everything that is not working as you expect. Here are some questions that you should answer before making your migrated site live:
- Data Migration: Is all your ecommerce product data imported without any issues?
- Data Organization: Are all of the collections set up in the right manner?
- Site Navigation: Do all the menu items work properly?
- Site Structure: Are all the pages migrated and interlinked properly?
- Web Design: Does the site design work seamlessly on desktop, mobile, and other devices?
- Responsive Design: Does the design work on Android/iPhone/Tablet?
- Third Party Apps & Other Integrations: Are all connected apps, Enterprise Research Planning software (ERP), Point of Sale (POS) working as required?
- Product Shipping: Are your shipping rules and labels working?
13. Launch Your New eCommerce Website
After you’re done with testing, now your website is ready to launch. You can publish your new website and start selling from your new eCommerce website.
14. Let Your Existing Customers Know About The Platform Migration
Post-launch, you should communicate about the migration with your existing, loyal customers. Communicate through social media, email, and whatever methods perform well to inform your customers about your transformation to a new website. You may give them a link to create or register an account on the new platform.
eCommerce Replatforming Checklist: A Quick Way To Go Over Site Migration Tasks
- List out all the flaws of your current ecommerce platform
- Make a list of all the advantages you hope to get by migrating to a new ecommerce platform
- Consult stakeholders, your ecommerce consultant, and teams regarding your decision to replatforming
- Calculate the budget for replatforming, training your team for the new platform & other dependencies
- Research available ecommerce platforms that fit your requirements
- Finalize the choice of an ecommerce platform for replatforming
- Backup current ecommerce store data
- Hire an ecommerce data migration service or download a data migration app
- Design & develop your ecommerce site on a new ecommerce platform on a staging site
- Migrate all ecommerce store data
- Connect third-party checkout platform and optimize checkout design
- Pair integrations, extensions, and plugins
- Run an audit on your entire site for SEO
- Test out your entire store for performance, design, and structure
- Train your team members to use the new store admin
- Communicate the transfer of your site to the new platform to your existing customers
- Launch your new ecommerce store
Replatforming eCommerce Website Myths Debunked
Replatforming an eCommerce website is a big decision, but many myths can make it seem scarier than it is. These myths can deter businesses from embracing the benefits of modernizing their online presence. Here are some of the most common myths associated with replatforming, providing a clearer understanding of what it entails.
Myth 1: Replatforming is only necessary for outdated websites
One of the most common myths about replatforming is that it is only necessary for outdated websites. In reality, the need to replatform can arise from various factors, including changes in consumer behavior, technological advancements, and improved functionality. Even a relatively new website may require replatforming if it cannot keep up with the latest industry trends and customer expectations.
Myth 2: Replatforming is too costly
Another myth surrounding replatforming is that it is too costly for small to medium-sized businesses to undertake. While it is true that replatforming can be a significant investment, the long-term benefits often outweigh the initial costs. By choosing the right platform and implementing it effectively, businesses can improve their website’s performance, increase sales, and ultimately achieve a higher return on investment.
Myth 3: Replatforming will disrupt business operations
Many businesses are hesitant to replatform their eCommerce websites out of fear that it will disrupt their day-to-day operations. While it is true that replatforming requires careful planning and execution to minimize disruption, it is possible to carry out the process with minimal impact on business operations. By working with experienced professionals and utilizing effective project management strategies, businesses can ensure a smooth transition to a new platform.
Myth 4: Replatforming is only about technology
Some businesses mistakenly believe that replatforming is solely about upgrading their technological infrastructure. In reality, replatforming also involves revisiting and optimizing various aspects of the eCommerce business, including user experience, design, content, and marketing strategies. A successful replatforming effort considers the holistic needs of the business and aims to improve overall performance and customer satisfaction.
Myth 5: Replatforming is a one-time project
Contrary to popular belief, replatforming is not a one-time project with a definite end date. The digital landscape constantly evolves, and businesses must adapt to new challenges and opportunities. Replatforming is an ongoing process requiring continuous evaluation, optimization, and potential future migrations as technology and consumer behavior change.
Myth 6: Replatforming guarantees immediate success
While replatforming can significantly improve an eCommerce website’s performance, more is needed to guarantee immediate success. The success of a replatforming effort depends on various factors, including effective implementation, ongoing maintenance, and the ability to adapt to changing market conditions. Businesses should set realistic expectations and be prepared to invest time and resources into optimizing their new platform for long-term success.
Why Choose EmizenTech For Replatforming Your eCommerce Website?
Selecting the right partner for transitioning your eCommerce website is vital for its success. EmizenTech, a leading eCommerce development company, provides eCommerce website replatforming services that help businesses accomplish seamless and efficient website replatforming.
Our experienced professionals are well-versed in eCommerce trends and technologies, ensuring tailored migration solutions that align with your business needs. We prioritize timely, high-quality results while minimizing downtime to ensure a smooth transition.
With a successful track record in replatforming various eCommerce websites across different industries and expertise in platforms like Magento, Shopify, and WooCommerce, we streamline the migration or upgrade process. Data security and privacy are integral, and we adhere to industry standards to uphold the confidentiality of your information.
EmizenTech promises reliable, dedicated, and exceptional handling of your replatforming project, bolstered by our commitment to quality and efficiency.
Wrapping Up
Replatforming can be a great choice for your business. Don’t let concerns about costs hold you back from improving your business. There are plenty of tools and partners available to ensure smooth data migration from your current eCommerce platform to a new one.
If you’re considering migrating your eCommerce website, you can get in touch with our top eCommerce developers. They can help you make data-driven decisions, establish a baseline to compare performance before and after migration, identify and address errors during testing to minimize impacts during production, identify anomalies, monitor real-time performance, automatically quantify the impact of errors for iteration and speed, and much more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Replatforming in eCommerce refers to migrating an online store from one platform to another. This could involve moving from one software solution to another, such as migrating from Magento to Shopify or upgrading to a newer version of the same platform.
The cost of eCommerce website replatforming can vary widely depending on the size and complexity of your online store, the chosen platform, and the extent of customization required. It may include platform licensing, development, design, data migration, and ongoing maintenance expenses. On average, it can start from $5000 USD and can go beyond. It’s best to consult with experienced developers to get an accurate estimate tailored to your specific needs.
To minimize the impact of eCommerce replatforming on your customers and business operations, it’s important to communicate effectively with your customers throughout the process, provide advance notice of any downtime or disruptions, and ensure that essential features and data remain accessible during the transition. Additionally, thorough testing and gradual implementation can mitigate potential issues.
In most cases, you should not lose a customer and order data during replatforming if the migration process is handled correctly. Working with experienced professionals who can ensure a seamless transfer of data from your old platform to the new one is crucial. Thorough testing and validation of data migration processes can help safeguard against any potential loss of important information.