Are you curious about replatforming your e-commerce site? Are you wondering how can it be beneficial for your business?
E-commerce replatforming is a major decision that can have long-lasting effects on your business.
It may seem like an easy fix, but there are many factors to consider before making this significant change to your website.
In this article, you will learn about the benefits and challenges of e-commerce replatforming, so you can make an informed decision.
What Is E-Commerce Replatforming?
When it comes to e-commerce, replatforming is a term you’re likely to hear.
But what does it mean, and why should you care?
In short, replatforming is the process of migrating your e-commerce business from one platform to another.
It can be a daunting task, but with the right planning and execution, it can be a smooth transition that will benefit your business in the long run.
Why Should You (Or Shouldn’t You) Consider E-Commerce Replatforming?
When you think about it, your business is like a living organism. It’s constantly evolving and growing — sometimes in small ways, and sometimes in huge ways.
When you’re running an online business these days, it’s important to keep your website up to date with the latest technology.
That’s why more and more businesses are turning to e-commerce replatforming as a way to give their operations a much-needed boost.
If your e-commerce site is …
- Starting to look a little dated
- Taking a long time to load
- Clunky and difficult to use; or
- Lacking features you need
… then it may be time to consider replatforming and optimizing your site for a better customer experience.
Replatforming can be a great way to improve your site’s functionality and performance, but it’s essential to plan ahead to make sure the transition goes as smoothly as possible.
Pros of E-Commerce Replatforming
If you’re like most business owners, you’re always on the lookout for ways to improve your business and stay ahead of the competition. One way to do this is by replatforming your e-commerce site.
Here are six reasons why you should consider e-commerce replatforming:
- Provide an opportunity for growth and expansion in your business
- Increase your revenue with an e-commerce replatforming project
- Maintain a competitive edge
- Enhance your site’s web security and management
- Improve your customers’ experience
- Offer a more streamlined process for selling online
Knowing the benefits of revamping your e-commerce replatform is a good first step, but it’s important to also understand the challenges involved to make an informed decision.
Cons of E-Commerce Replatforming
While there are many benefits to e-commerce replatforming, there are also some potential drawbacks to consider.
Here are six reasons why you may not want to replatform your e-commerce site:
- Requires significant time and effort
- Increases the risk of data loss or corruption during the replatforming process
- Disrupts business operations and customer experience
- Expensive
- Results of a replatforming project may not meet expectations
- There are no guarantees that a replatforming project will be successful
Pretty-Impressive has been helping businesses replatform their e-commerce businesses for years.
We have a team of experts who can help you:
- Choose the right platform
- Set up your new store; and
- Seamlessly migrate all of your data
Contact us today to get started.
Inspire and Engage
At Pretty-Impressive, each client is unique. Which is why we create strategies tailored to the needs of each company. Reach out and we’ll help you get your brand exactly where it needs to be — ahead of the rest.
5 Things to Consider Before Jumping Into E-Commerce Replatforming
E-commerce replatforming is a major decision that can have long-lasting effects on your business.
It may seem like an easy fix, but there are many factors to consider before making this significant change to your website.
Keep reading to learn about six considerations of e-commerce replatforming, so you can make an informed decision.
1. Where Are Your Current Sales Coming From?
Many e-commerce businesses want to update their website, but few realize that 90% of their income is driven by SEO (search engine optimization).
There are a lot of SEO implications with replatforming, like …
- Tagging and categorizing products
- Organizing canonical URLs
- Creating 301 redirects
- Optimizing meta descriptions
… and many other technical considerations.
If your site is not optimized for search engines like Google, or you’re not doing a good job with your SEO now, replatforming will only make things worse.
You need to make sure your website is ready for your traffic sources, like SEO, before making any changes.
If you are considering replatforming, it is important to have this conversation up front so that your new site can be engineered for organic success from the beginning.
2. The Skills Of Your Team
Technical skills are critical when assessing whether you can complete the replatforming and how quickly your team will be able to adjust.
This includes the team members who are:
- Setting up the new platform
- Migrating data and security; and
- Managing content through the new CMS (content management system)
With replatforming, choosing a tool that will save your team time and effort in setting up and adjusting to the new system is worth a higher price tag in the long run.
3. Exactly What Features You’re Wanting
The capabilities of the new e-commerce platform will be a critical consideration while switching to another e-commerce platform.
In most situations, the goal of your migration is to acquire better functionality.
So what’s the best way to ensure this happens? You can work with an e-commerce replatforming consultant to:
- Make a list of the features you need and want
- Prioritize that list
- Think about future growth
- Help with integrations; and
- Choose a platform with the most important features for your business needs
If you’re unsure of what features to look for, reach out to an e-commerce replatforming consultant who can help you assess your needs.
4. Timing
Before you execute your replatforming, you should consider the ideal timing for it.
Typically, the optimal time to execute your e-commerce migration is during a window of time that your site experiences low site traffic.
For example, if your site experiences low traffic on the weekends, you would want to migrate your site during that time.
This is the time when your company’s conversions and revenue will be least affected by the migration or any issues that might arise.
If you’re unsure of when your site experiences low traffic …
- Reach out to your web hosting company
- Use a tool like Google Analytics; or
- Consider your company’s “off-season”
… to help you determine the best time to execute your migration.
5. The Huge Variety Of Platforms
While having a plethora of e-commerce platforms to consider for your replatforming may sound like a “good thing,” there are tons of content management systems and platforms.
And the process for migrating an e-commerce replatform will be different, depending on which platform you are currently using and what you want to switch to moving forward, such as:
As you can see, there are many platforms for you to consider. There could be billions of combinations of platform capabilities available to you.
Your best bet is to enlist the help of a replatforming professional for your e-commerce site to ensure that your site works for you, your team, and most importantly — your customers.
Inspire and Engage
At Pretty-Impressive, each client is unique. Which is why we create strategies tailored to the needs of each company. Reach out and we’ll help you get your brand exactly where it needs to be — ahead of the rest.
Unsure of the Best E-Commerce Replatforming Strategy for Your Business? Pretty-Impressive’s Expert Marketing Team Can Help
Pretty-Impressive is an e-commerce agency that specializes in helping businesses find the right platform for their needs.
We have years of experience working with all kinds of e-commerce platforms, and we understand what makes them tick.
If this sounds intimidating, and you want help enacting these principles, let us know.
Our team of experts can help you determine what type of e-commerce replatform strategy would work best for your specific needs, while providing you with the necessary support throughout every step of the process.
Contact us today to schedule your free, no obligation 30-minute strategy session.
