Signs & Symptoms – It’s Time For An Ecommerce Replatform

Understanding the need to replatform your ecommerce is one thing, but actually going through the motions is something completely different. The hesitation resides with the large investment you made a few years ago on your current platform. Obviously, you realize the need to transition and upgrade your business into the multi-channel world we’re living in today, you just need a little more convincing in order to sign on the dotted line, if you will.

We recently shared some thoughts around when to call it quits on your current ecommerce platform. Going into detail on outdated systems, difficulty with compliance, inadequate integration, and more. If you missed that article you can check it out here. Today we’re detailing a few more key determinants on your path to replatforming.

1) Talk to your Ecommerce Store Managers

Conducting an analysis of how your administrators are using your current ecommerce platform isn’t a bad place to start when you’re looking into a potential transition. The simple process should shed a little light on the efficiency of the system and how well it holds up to the daily workload.

Why is this important? In the majority of cases, the person deciding the future of your current platform isn’t always the same person using it on a daily basis, thus making it easy to overlook the most prominent issues. Uncertain of what to ask? Below are a few questions to help get you started.

• What are the top tasks you perform on a regular basis within the platform? How do you complete them? How could it be better?
• Have changes to business requirements altered the behavior of your current platform?
• How has the platform evolved to meet current technology advancements?

These kinds of questions are twofold. One, they allow you to audit the efficiency of your current ecommerce platform in general, and two, this allows you to check to see if there was a negative progression over time from initial implementation.

2) Replatforming as Part of a Website Redesign

Staying relevant is imperative when you’re working in the digital world, for many with ecommerce platforms this can mean a facelift every now and again. Front-end design is typically updated at regular intervals, usually every two to three years. But even with a fresh look and SEO enhancements, the performance of you site my not be meeting expectations. This is a critical sign it’s time to go beyond just another redesign, it’s now time to focus on replatforming your digital experience.

3) Scalability & Growth

The purpose of redevelopment is to continue to improve your company’s digital efforts. Is your current ecommerce platform capable of growing with your business? Take a moment and make a list of the top 10 things you want to accomplish with your ecommerce shop over the next few years. Place them in order of importance and then contemplate how you would accomplish each goal with the platform you have in place now, would you be able to do it?

This simple exercise can make your ecommerce replatforming decisions a little easier. Remember, people don’t wake up and decide they want to undertake a complicated CMS implementation project because it’ll be fun. Scalability and growth are key factors for moving forward.

As a business grows, scalability can become a major concern. It’s imperative your platform has the ability to grow organically alongside your company, allowing you to add new products and move into new markets. As you start to refine your business and really hone in on the customer who converts best, order spikes could become a real issue if your current platform isn’t built with the flexibility to handle it. While your current ecommerce platform was a great place to start, rapid growth may mean you now lack the capacity to continue on that path.

4) Multichannel & Mobile Customers

It’s 2018 and this really should go without saying, websites have got to be designed and developed mobile first. In a study published by Stone Temple, 63% of website traffic comes from mobile and is expected to reach a full ⅔ of traffic by the end of 2018. In a similar vein, you should start thinking about the ability to be multichannel too. Chances are if your ecommerce platform is more than a year or two old it probably lacks the capability to handle multi-channel content distribution.

Before multichannel was a topic of discussion CMS platforms were built for a single channel- the web. As the world has become more mobile-focused, platforms have been forced to adapt. Users are exposed to mass amounts of content, all accessible through a variety of mediums and thus the need for a multichannel approach. As a business with a digital entity, content is probably one of your most treasured assets and having the ability to reach your customer base, regardless of medium, will be imperative for success.

Consider Your Ecommerce Replatform Today

Time is money, experiences are important and technology will always be in a state of evolution. If you’re ready to evolve with us we’d be more than happy to assist you. Digital Operative specializes in ecommerce replatforming and has a stellar track record with both Magento and Shopify Plus. Looking to get that replatforming project off the ground? Great, let’s get started. Digital Operative is a Top Magento Developer.

Cheers!