According to recent studies, it’s estimated that 95 percent of all purchases will be facilitated by e-commerce by 2040. To keep up with rising demand and increasing competition, each e-commerce business must ensure they’re meeting its customers’ needs.
Customer’s needs will continue to change as your company grows. The platform your company successfully uses as a startup won’t always be the same one it needs five, ten, or twenty years down the road. For this reason, many companies undergo e-commerce replatforming to keep up.
What is replatforming, and why might your company want to do it? What mistakes should be avoided for the smoothest platform transition? Continue reading to learn the answer to these pressing questions and more.
What Does Replatforming Mean?
Replatforming your e-commerce business means you transfer data from one platform to another. It’s the process of selecting a new e-commerce platform and switching to it from your old one. There are many reasons an e-commerce business would want to do that.
Why You May Want to Switch Platforms
One of the most common reasons people switch platforms is because they’ve outgrown their old ones. Some platforms are fine for beginners, but they don’t offer the scalability necessary to continue growing after a certain point. To allow your company continued growth, you have to choose a larger, more complex platform to facilitate it.
Other reasons you may want to switch platforms have to do with improved site functions. Perhaps you want a higher level of performance or an enhanced customer experience. Sometimes it’s necessary to replatform to achieve these goals.
Things to Consider When Choosing a New Platform
Choosing a new platform is a complicated process that takes a lot of research and planning. One of the most important things you need to do is research your audience. Find out what features they’re looking for and which platforms offer the best experience based on that research.
The idea is to find a solution that fits your company’s goals and your customer’s unique preferences. You’ll also want to ensure the new platform offers the following:
- Offers or can handle any features vital to your shopping platform
- Comes at a cost that doesn’t cut too far into your return on investment (ROI)
- Has enough scalability that your company can continue growing for years to come without another replatform
There are many other things your company may want to look for in a new platform. These, however, are the most basic qualifications you’ll want to ensure are met.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Replatforming Your E-Commerce Business
Replatforming doesn’t always end up being successful. There are several common mistakes businesses make when transferring from one platform to the next. Below you can see some of the most common mistakes made and learn simple ways to avoid making them during your e-commerce replatforming.
Mistake #1: Choosing to DIY Your Replatform
No company should undergo replatforming on its own. Choosing the do-it-yourself method often leads to problems unless you have a dedicated team with extensive replatforming experience.
Solution:
Hire professionals with extensive replatforming experience who can help you make the transition fast and effectively. Not only does this ensure no problems, but it saves you a lot of headaches. During the platform change, you’ll be able to continue managing other aspects of your business.
Mistake #2: Overlooking Security Features
Not all platforms are created equally, and security measures can vary significantly from one to the next. You don’t want to overlook what security features are built into the program and how security can be increased as necessary.
Solution:
Before choosing a new platform, check that they offer built-in protection against security breaches and hacking attempts. You want to ensure that additional security measures can be layered on top of these basics, especially for pages where sensitive information is being exchanged.
At the least, you’ll want to include SSL encryption on pages where data is being exchanged. Another simple security step for your new platform will be to use HTTPS instead of HTTP. Additional security measures you take will depend on how sensitive the information being transferred is.
Mistake #3: Failing to Check for Technical Glitches
Since you checked for technical glitches on your previous platform, you might think your new platform doesn’t need a thorough lookover. The data is simply being transferred, so it’ll stay the same… right? Wrong.
Many glitches can happen during a transfer. What works for one platform may not work for another. The two platforms you’re transferring between may not even use the same code, so you must check for technical glitches.
Solution:
Think about your new platform as a brand new website and check for technical glitches accordingly. You want to ensure all links are working and that your platform works on mobile devices. Also, double-check your page loading speed and optimize as necessary.
Mistake #4: Forgetting to Account for TCO
TCO stands for “Total Cost of Ownership.” This is the actual cost of your new platform and includes all small or hidden fees. If you aren’t properly accounting for TCO, you won’t have room in your predetermined budget to pay for all costs.
Solution:
You, a team member, or an expert, should determine the total cost of ownership before deciding on a new platform. Consider all costs of replatforming, as well as fees associated with the new platform itself.
A few of the costs you’ll want to account for (that are often missed) include:
- Licensing fees
- Platform implementation fees
- One-time and ongoing maintenance fees
- Processing fees
- Fees associated with hiring professionals during your replatforming
The idea is to consider all the small fees and taxes that’ll be associated with both your replatform and running your new platform. Although they may seem small individually, these overlooked costs can quickly add up.
Do You Have More Questions About Replatforming?
Replatforming your e-commerce business is the process of moving your data from one platform to the next. There are many reasons you’d want to switch platforms. For your journey between platforms to be the most effective, you must avoid the four mistakes discussed above.
Do you have more questions about replatforming your e-commerce business?
Author’s Bio
Jimmy Rodriguez is the COO and co-founder of 3dcart, an ecommerce software to build SEO-friendly online stores. He’s dedicated to helping internet retailers succeed online by developing digital marketing strategies and optimized shopping experiences that drive conversions and improve business performance.
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