In the ever-evolving landscape of ecommerce, staying competitive and relevant requires continuous adaptation and improvement. Your ecommerce website is the digital storefront of your business, and just like a physical store, it needs regular upgrades to provide the best user experience and maintain optimal performance. Replatforming your ecommerce site is a significant decision that can breathe new life into your business.
Replatforming refers to the process of migrating or upgrading an existing software application or system from one technology or platform to another. Ecommerce replatforming involves transitioning your entire online store, including its design, functionality, data, and often customer information, from one ecommerce platform (such as Adobe Commerce/Magento, WooCommerce, Big Commerce, etc.) to a different one such as Shopify.
One of the biggest problems we see is clients using the wrong platform for their business needs; sometimes you need more functionality, sometimes more security. The platform you choose for your ecommerce business will have a direct impact on your site’s speed, design, user experience, scalability, and maintenance costs. If you find yourself spending more developer time and money on maintaining your existing website it’s likely time to make a move to a different platform, or at least shop around for some options.
In this blog, we'll explore the early indicators that suggest it might be time to replatform your ecommerce site. Let’s get stuck in!
Slow loading times
One of the most critical factors for ecommerce success is the speed at which your website loads. In today's fast-paced online world, consumers have little patience for slow-loading pages. If your site takes too long to load, visitors are likely to abandon their shopping carts, click off your site, and move on to a competitor. Slow loading times can also negatively impact your search engine rankings, further reducing your visibility to potential customers. If your ecommerce site consistently suffers from sluggish performance, it could be a clear signal that replatforming is the necessary move to improve speed and responsiveness of your site stat.
Outdated user interface & design
First impressions matter, especially in the digital world; users have so many other brands right at their fingertips. An outdated user interface (UI) and design can make your ecommerce site appear untrustworthy or just old and behind the times. If your website looks like it hasn't received a design overhaul in a couple years, it may be time to consider replatforming. Modern, visually appealing designs, that consider user experience, and intuitive user interfaces can enhance the user experience, encourage longer browsing sessions, and ultimately lead to higher conversion rates and sales.
Changes in a business' needs, and developments in technology, should often lead to re-evaluating your current setup and therefore investigations into opportunities in replatforming.
Lead Front-end Developer - Unified
Limited mobile responsiveness
The rise of mobile ecommerce cannot be ignored. If your ecommerce site isn't optimised for mobile devices, you're missing out on a significant portion of potential customers. A responsive design ensures that your website looks and functions seamlessly across various screen sizes, enhancing user experience and maximising your reach. If your current platform struggles to provide a smooth mobile experience, replatforming can help you embrace a mobile-first approach.
Lack of integration & scalability
As your ecommerce business grows, so do your requirements for integration with other tools and platforms. Whether it's inventory management, CRM, payment methods, or marketing automation, seamless integration is essential for a streamlined operation of your ecommerce site. If your current platform doesn't support the integrations you need or lacks the scalability to accommodate your future growth, it may be time to consider replatforming to a solution that offers better compatibility and expansion options.
Performance, conversion, development costs and integration to your long term business goals should all factor into making the decision as to whether you refactor existing infrastructure or move to a new platform that best allows your brand to thrive.
Lead Shopify Developer - Unified
Poor SEO performance
Let’s talk about one of our favourite subject, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). SEO is vital for driving organic traffic to your ecommerce site. If you've noticed a decline in your search engine rankings or have struggled to implement effective SEO strategies on your current platform, it could be a sign that your site's underlying architecture is hindering your efforts. Replatforming to a more SEO-friendly solution can help you regain visibility and improve your chances of reaching potential customers through search engines. Want to know more about how getting SEO right can impact your ecommerce business? Get in touch with our digital marketing experts.
Difficulty managing content & products
Efficient content and product management are crucial for maintaining an up-to-date and engaging ecommerce website. If your current platform makes it challenging to add, update, or organise products and content, it can lead to inefficiencies and inaccuracies. A user-friendly content management system (CMS) and product management interface are therefore essential components of a successful ecommerce platform. If your current system falls short, replatforming can provide a fresh start with improved management capabilities to hit the nail on the head with your content.
Maintenance & upgrade costs
If your website maintenance costs are through the roof then it is time to consider replatforming. In some cases, maintaining an outdated platform that is slow and unintuitive can become more expensive due to ongoing maintenance, customisations, and potential security vulnerabilities. Replatforming can lead to cost savings over the long term to keep the lights on and not act as a hinderance to your budgets.
Sometimes a great deal of time can be spent maintaining and managing a system that leaves little time for you to concentrate on innovation and growth. The right platform should allow you this time, and grow with your business as new opportunities arise.
Front-end Developer - Unified
Replatforming your ecommerce site is a strategic decision that requires careful consideration and planning. By paying attention to early indicators around speed, design, responsiveness, and integration, you can identify when it's time to make the move to a more suitable and capable ecommerce platform. Embracing change and investing in a modern, feature-rich platform can position your business for growth, improved user experience, and continued success in the competitive world of ecommerce.
We can help you decide whether you could benefit financially and technically from moving to a different ecommerce platform. Get in touch, our door is always open, or find out more here.
