There are a number of reasons why eCommerce businesses replatform:

Your current platform is obsolete

If each tiny update drains your bank account, but the process takes ages, and you can’t make edits internally it is time to replatform.  Many legacy systems were never built with the technological advancements that we know about today in mind. You should replatform to a more modern system to improve performance or scalability.

Your platform provider fails at security

Something all online store business owners need to keep in mind is how secure their customer data is at all times. Older platforms that don’t update frequently are more likely to fail in this area. Replatforming helps to keep all levels up to date and safe.

Your store can’t handle traffic spikes

If your website can not handle a lot of visitors, even during holidays when the sales are the best, your website could be slow. However, you should have your website audited to make a rule out of any possible hosting-related or architecture structure issues before switching.

Your systems are syncronized

Moving to an all-in-one platform like Shopify allows you the ability to utilize in-store POS, inventory, coupon management, and accounts altogether in one platform. However, you may also want to move to a platform because you want an open source solution like WordPress which will allow you to create more custom functionalities.

 

When creating an ecommerce migration plan, there are a few key things to keep in mind:

  • The platform you are migrating to – make sure you choose a platform that meets your needs and is compatible with your current setup.
  • The amount of data you need to migrate – this can affect the time it takes to migrate, as well as the potential for errors.
  • How the migration will affect your customers – make sure to test the new site thoroughly before going live, and send out an apology email if there are any interruptions to service.
  • How it may affect your store accessibility – Consider whether or not you’ll need to shut down your current store during the migration process.

 

Challenges of Ecommerce Platform Migration

When ecommerce businesses replatform, they can face a number of challenges, such as:

  • The time it takes to migrate – this can be tricky, as you want to make sure that all your data is migrated properly without any errors.
  • Migrating customer data – customers may have items in their shopping cart or saved addresses, and you will need to make sure that this information is transferred over successfully. 
  • While making sure the new site is error-free – testing the new site thoroughly before going live is essential, as any issues could mean lost sales.
  • The expense of replatforming – this can be expensive, so it is important to weigh all the costs and benefits of replatforming before making a decision.
  • SEO Effects –  replatforming can have an effect on your site’s SEO. Make sure to take this into consideration when replatforming and prepare for the move.

 

Who should be on the ecommerce migration team?

In order to ensure a successful ecommerce replatforming project, it is important to have the right team in place. The team should at the very least include:

Project Manager

A project manager is responsible for making sure the project stays on track and within budget, and should be involved in all key decisions. They must ensure that the project remains organized and on schedule, and oversee all the day-to-day operations.

 

Technical Lead for each platform

The technical leads are responsible for understanding the technical requirements of both platforms and translating them into a migration plan.

 

Data Migration Experts

The data migration expert is responsible for migrating all customer data successfully.

 

Follow a proven pre-launch replatforming checklist

Your launch expert and platform partners should walk you through completing your data migration checklist and prepare for data migration and replatforming. Several other tasks would involve both pre-launch testing, as well as, testing at the launch site.

 

There are a few key steps or milestones in an ecommerce migration:

  1. Planning – this is essential, as it will help ensure a smooth and successful migration.
  2. Migrating data – make sure to migrate all customer data correctly and without errors.
  3. Testing the new site – make sure to thoroughly test the new site before going live.
  4. Going live – once the new site is ready, go live and enjoy the benefits of your new platform!

 

When it comes to estimating the total cost, of ownership for an ecommerce platform, there are a few key factors that need to be taken into account:

  • The initial cost of the platform.
  • The ongoing expences of maintaining and running the platform.
  • The fees associated with migrating to the new platform.
  • Any additional features or functionality that may be required.

 

Taking all of these factors into account will give you a good idea of the total cost of ownership for any given ecommerce platform.