Is your online store lagging in the digital retail race? Then, eCommerce replatforming can be your turbo fuel and pull you to the top.
In fact, you can’t go on without a well-functioning and fast digital store today since 21.2% of total retail sales happen online.For insights on improving your platform’s performance, see our article on 3 Steps to Boost Your eCommerce Platform. Suppose your website crashes with high traffic or doesn’t have all the features to meet your business goals. In that case, it needs replatforming or simply — migrating to a different eCommerce platform with advanced functionality.
Your site may also need replatforming if you plan to scale your business, but the current solution cannot meet your needs.
A well-performing process will increase your website’s loading speed, enhance capabilities, improve the customer experience, and boost revenue. Thus, your online store will be able to withstand workflow to compete with rivals and overcome them.
Atwix is a an eCommerce specialist and your reliable partner in replatforming. Our experienced team has been developing and implementing eCommerce solutions since 2006. No matter how complex a solution you need and how much data needs to be migrated, we’ll ensure the process goes smoothly.
In this blog post, we focus your attention on signs indicating that you need replatforming, the best eCommerce solutions, and steps to migrate hassle-free. Keep reading to find our special cheat sheet on successful replatforming.
Understanding Replatforming in 2024
Before we dive deep into eCommerce migration and replatforming details, it will be valuable to overview the current trends of industry solutions. It will help you understand what improvements you want to make and how you can enhance your online store efficiency.
AI Becomes an Indispensable Assistant
AI has already enhanced many industries, and eCommerce isn’t an exception. This technology significantly improves customer experience and helps business owners understand better how their clients shop. In this context, exploring AR and AI for Smart Online Sizing and Fitting can provide innovative ways to enhance customer experience in your store.
Here are some examples of how AI is used in eCommerce for better results:
- Chatbots help to provide 24/7 customer support. Moreover, 69% of clients enjoyed their last interaction with such assistants.
- AI can analyze customer behavior and tastes and serve as a recommendation tool.
- It’s possible to implement visual and audio searches in your online store.
- Site Search & Guided Navigation can be AI Autotuned with Synonyms, optimized guided navigation and more.
Mobile Shopping Rises
76% of US adults buy goods online using their smartphones. For online store owners, this indicator means your site should be easily adaptable for mobile, attractive, and easy to use.
If your current eCommerce platform has some issues with providing mobile shopping capabilities, replatforming is what you need in 2024.
Customers Come First
In fact, this is the most important trend. You have to provide your customers with the highest level of service. A personalized approach, auxiliary tools, different payment methods, recommendations, and fast and high-quality website performance are what will improve their shopping experience.
If you need help with these aspects, then here is the good news: eCommerce replatforming will help you to make your online store faster and more efficient. Now, it’s time to talk more about this process.
Signs that Indicate Replatforming Might Be Necessary
Not every business needs eCommerce website replatforming. However, if in doubt, consider the following signs that indicate that your online store needs it.
1. Challenges in Backing Omnichannel Retail
If your current platform doesn’t support omnichannel B2B eCommerce functions, it’s a wake-up call. After all, having an online store for the constant sales growth today is not enough. 75% of modern shoppers regularly purchase goods through the omnichannel option, and 11% prefer social media exclusively.
2. Stability, Reliability and Performance
Does your website perform well during peak seasons with high traffic? You’re losing money if it crashes, errors, or freezes, preventing customers from completing purchases. Hourly downtime can cost up to $300,000 for 91% of SME and large enterprises. Moreover, a slow-functioning website impairs the user experience and reduces the chances of customer returns.
3. Insufficient Analytics and Reporting
Grasping your customers’ behavior is vital for delivering an excellent customer experience. Many eCommerce platforms offer built-in analytics tools. However, this functionality is usually basic, and has limited or no exposure of the data for outside analysis. If you want to access advanced features based on AI or machine learning, eCommerce replatforming may be helpful.
4. Rising Tech Debt
Outdated code impairs your website performance and makes your store consume many resources. If you don’t regularly update your website’s core, you can get issues with loading speed, security, adding new items, and more. To avoid these problems, it’s better to replatform your store using a modern eCommerce solution.
5. High TCO
An obsolete platform needs frequent repairs and updates. As a result, your tech team spends most of their time on this instead of developing a new helpful feature. As a result, you’ll require additional human resources to manage the workload, increasing your total cost of ownership.
If some of these signs look familiar, you should start thinking about how to replatform your eCommerce store.
Sometimes, you don’t need to change your platform radically. It’s enough to switch to a newer version of a tool you are familiar with; for example, Magento 1 to Magento 2 migration may fix your main issues.
The Best eCommerce Platform Options
One of the biggest challenges during eCommerce replatforming is to decide what solution to choose. To avoid endless research, let’s briefly compare several of the most popular ones in the table below.
| BigCommerce | Salesforce | Magento/Adobe Commerce | Shopify | |
| Features | Comprehensive product management, versatile store setup, multiple payment methods, robust inventory and customer management, built-in marketing tools. | Advanced CRM capabilities, extensive analytics, customizable, integrates with numerous applications, focuses on sales and marketing automation. | Open-source platform, Mobile-friendly, Wide range of templates and layouts, Feature-rich, Integration with external tools | Simple user interface, Wide range of extensions and plugins, Web hosting included |
| Scalability | Scalable with revenue-based plan upgrades. | Highly scalable, suitable for all business sizes and complex processes. | Highly scalable for high-traffic sites, Supports large catalogs & complex enterprise integrations | Easily scalable |
| Security | High-quality security features, option for additional security tools. | Robust security and compliance features, ideal for high-security needs. | High-quality security features | High-quality security features |
| Pricing | Starts at: $29.95/month | Varies based on features and number of users. | Starts at $1,988/month (Free version available) | Starts at $29/month |
Steps to Successful Replatforming
Since your current website holds a vast amount of data, it’s crucial to conduct eCommerce replatforming properly so you don’t lose anything. The following steps will help you do it without a negative experience.
Step 1. Planning Phase
During this stage, your main tasks are:
- Set clear objectives and goals. Are you aiming for better performance, fast checkout, or a modern look? Clearly outline your objectives to guide the replatforming process.
- Assess data migration needs. Identify the data you need to transfer to the new platform. This includes product information, customer data,order history and other essential content.
- Budgeting. Create a budget that covers the expenses of replatforming. Consider the costs of the new platform, customization, data migration, and any additional resources required. Allocate financial and human resources appropriately.
Step 2. Execution Phase
This is one of the most difficult eCommerce replatforming steps. You have to:
- Select the right platform. Research and select a platform that aligns with your business requirements. Consider factors such as scalability, features, and ease of use. Explore demo versions if needed. For a comprehensive comparison of leading digital commerce platforms, you might find the Gartner Quadrant for Digital Commerce Comparison insightful.
- Launch the customization and configuration process. Customize the new platform to match your brand identity and business processes. Configure settings, design elements, and functionalities to create a seamless and personalized customer experience.
- Manage SEO and migrate content. It is critical to minimize the impact on your search engine rankings. Implement SEO best practices during the migration to maintain visibility and ensure a smooth transfer of your content to the new platform.
Step 3. Post-Migration Phase
When you finish the above eCommerce replatforming steps, ensure everything works correctly. For this, you need to:
- Test your solution. Check functionality, performance, and compatibility with different devices and browsers. Address any issues promptly to prevent disruptions.
- Teach your team. Provide comprehensive training for your team on using the new platform. Familiarize them with the updated features and processes to ensure a smooth transition.
- Monitor improvements. Implement monitoring tools to track the performance of your eCommerce site post-migration.
7 Things to Consider Before Replatforming
So, you’re seriously thinking about replatforming your eCommerce solution. To dispel the last doubts, pay attention to the following questions.
1. How It Affects Your Business
Think about how changing your eCommerce platform will improve your online store — like making it work faster, look nicer, and be more efficient. Before you switch, make sure the improvements are big enough to make the effort and extra expenses worthwhile.
2. How Much It Costs
Switching to a new platform isn’t just about buying it. It includes costs for moving everything over, the time your online store is offline, and keeping the new platform working well. You’ll also spend time teaching your team how to use it. Make sure you know all the costs and plan for them.
3. How to Integrate Everything
Your existing platform probably has integrations. These may be extra tools for marketing, or enterprise integrations like ERP, CRM, WMS etc.. Before you change to a new system, check if those integrations are possible and assess the level of effort. List everything you have and ensure the new solution can handle it without problems.
4. New Advanced Features
When you are considering replatforming eCommerce store, think about what advanced features you will get with a new system and how much they will improve your workflow. Explore the potential capabilities compared to your old platform, and choose the one with the most essential functions to enhance your business and promote growth.
5. What about Customer Support
No matter how good your team is, make sure the platform you pick has good customer service and support. This way, if something goes wrong, you can fix it fast. If you’re building your solution, your team has to handle all the support. But if you choose a full-service platform, they’ll help you whenever needed to keep your online store running smoothly.
6. When It’s the Best Time to Migrate
Usually, it’s wise to move your store data when fewer people are visiting your online shop. That way, any issues during the switch won’t affect how many people buy things from your store.
7. How Fast-learning Your Team Is
Thinking about how fast your team will adjust to the new platform is crucial. This involves not only those setting up the new platform and moving data but also those creating content using a new system for the first time. Sometimes, it’s worth paying a bit more for a tool that makes setting up and getting used to the platform easier and saves you time in the long run.
Best Practices and Strategies
Here are some tips on your eCommerce replatforming strategy to make the whole process smooth and time-worthy.
1. Ask All Stakeholders
Having input from different departments and roles gives you a wider view. Marketers can offer insights into user experience and conversions. IT workers can provide technical advice and check compatibility. Designers and content creators can add their touch to the website’s look and feel.
2. Set a Realistic Schedule
Take into account factors like the website’s complexity and content volume. Be practical about the time needed for each phase of the replatforming process, and include extra time for unforeseen delays or issues that might come up.
3. Come Up With Achievable Goals
Figure out specific improvements your online store needs, for example, higher speed, more efficient SEO, or easier content management. Ensure these goals are realistic and match your overall business plan.
Bonus: Ecommerce Replatforming Checklist for 2024 (Free Template)
Use the following eCommerce replatforming checklist to ensure you’ve considered every last detail.
- Did you move and check all your product details?
- Did you update your store’s inventory?
- Can customers still view the history of their past orders?
- Have you ensured all your website links go to the correct pages?
- Did you check that you can track all your online marketing sources?
- Can customers easily return goods they bought?
- Did you connect your testing tools?
- Have all third-party integrations been validated, and are they functioning as expected?
- Are you charging customers the correct amount of tax?
- Did you check for accessibility rules?
- Did you move all the gift cards and discounts that are still available?
- Did you choose the right way to deliver goods to customers?
- Does your email list work properly?
- What is the current status of SEO rankings post-replatforming?
- How has the mobile and cross-browser compatibility performed post-launch?
- Has the team adapted well to the new platform after training?
- Are there any unexpected costs?
Our Team as Your eCommerce Platform Migration Partner
Atwix is here to make your migration to Magento 2 hassle-free. It doesn’t matter whether you are switching from Magento 1 or a completely different platform. We have the expertise to smooth this process and boost your online business. Atwix ensures that all your data, design, and features are seamlessly transferred to your new website.
Let us show you some examples of how we’ve already done it.
PowerPak
The company faced a challenge with its outdated eCommerce platform. Within just three months, we redefined their online presence on an upgraded Magento platform, leading to a remarkable 230% growth in their eCommerce sector. This also brought about a 6% decrease in average cost-per-order and skyrocketed customer retention to 89%.
For a comprehensive look into our successful partnership with PowerPak and the impressive results we achieved together, we invite you to explore our detailed case study at Atwix Portfolio – PowerPak.
Additionally, experience the journey through our exclusive video on Vimeo. Witness firsthand the transformative impact of our collaboration with PowerPak.
Interior Define
Interior Define used Magento 1, but it posed security risks and refused implementation of new features. Atwix replatformed the store to Magento 2 in 12 months. The new website got advanced customization options, like AR visualization and a streamlined mobile experience with PWA. It resulted in a 60% increase in desktop performance and over 30% improvement in speed index.
Conclusion
If you’ve noticed a drop in your online store’s performance, consider eCommerce replatforming. A new solution can bring significant improvements, from site speed and better customer experience to enhanced analytics and new advanced features.
However, switching to a new platform can be challenging, as you need to migrate all the data, integrate the website with tools, and not harm your business. If you have any concerns about this, contact Atwix. We’ll be happy to provide detailed consultation and help you switch smoothly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Got some questions? We’re here to answer. If you don’t see your question here, drop us a line with out Contact form.
What are the common challenges that businesses face during eCommerce replatforming?
Some common challenges include ensuring all the essential data moves over correctly, preventing disruptions in sales, and adapting to the new system without causing customer problems. It’s also vital to keep the website’s search engine ranking in mind and ensure everything integrates well with payment systems and other tools.
What factors should businesses consider when choosing a new eCommerce platform?
Businesses should choose a platform according to the necessary features. Ensuring the platform is easy for the people running it and the customers is crucial. Security level matters, too. Also, check if the solution works well on mobile devices since many people shop on their phones.
What are the best solutions for eCommerce replatforming in 2024?
In 2024, some top choices for eCommerce replatforming include well-established platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento. These solutions are known for their scalability, customization options, and high-quality security.
What’s the usual duration for a typical replatforming process?
The time it takes for a typical replatforming process can vary, but it generally ranges from a few months to a year. It depends on factors like the complexity of the eCommerce website, the amount of data to be migrated, and the level of customization needed.
How can businesses ensure minimal downtime during eCommerce replatforming?
Businesses can minimize downtime by planning the replatforming process meticulously, testing the new platform in a staging environment before going live, and scheduling the migration during off-peak hours. Utilizing rollback strategies and having a dedicated support team on hand can also ensure a smooth transition.
What are the key benefits of replatforming to a cloud-based eCommerce solution?
Replatforming to a cloud-based eCommerce solution offers scalability, allowing businesses to handle increased traffic without significant investment in infrastructure. It also provides enhanced security, faster performance, and easier integration with third-party tools, ensuring a seamless and future-proof online shopping experience.
