How To Do eCommerce Replatforming: Steps for Website Migration

With the technical advancement and evolving business needs, numerous online stores need help to keep up with the pace.

Is your outdated ecommerce platform also holding back your business’s growth and success? Does your existing eCommerce platform offer poor user experience and limited functionality? Or is it bearing scalability issues, high maintenance costs, and running slow?

If yes, then replatforming is the apt solution to remove these obstacles and allow your business to expand successfully. By replatforming your ecommerce store, you can enhance user experiences, boost sales, and improve scalability. 

As you are here, you have already decided to opt for ecommerce website migration and reap the rewards efficiently. But where to start? 

In this blog post, you will learn the nuts and bolts of ecommerce website migration, things to consider for successful replatforming, and more. 

Let’s get started!

What Is Ecommerce Replatforming? How It’s Different from Migration?

When you move an ecommerce website from one platform to another, it’s replatforming. This process demands a transfer of the entire online store, including product data, design elements, customer details, and other relevant components. 

The main focus of e-commerce migration is to upgrade the existing platform to improve performance, reap the benefits of improved features, and catch up with business growth.

Ecommerce Replatforming and Migration – Different or Same

People usually need clarification on migration and replatforming. Let’s clear up your confusion!

Used interchangeably, replatforming and migration have a barely noticeable difference in their usage. 

Migration involves moving products, data, customers, and orders. 

At the same time, replatforming includes migration of all these with significant modifications in website structure and functionality. 

For example – 

Migration: Moving from Shopify to WooCommerce. 

Replatforming: Moving from a legacy platform to the latest cloud-based platform.

Have a glance!

Feature	Migration	Replatforming
Scope	Primarily focus on transferring data and technical aspects.	Involves more comprehensive maintenance, often including functionality, design, and user experience changes.
Timing	A comparatively quick process, depending on the data complexity and the platforms involved.	It can be more time-consuming because of the extensive changes involved.
Cost	Generally less expensive, as it mainly involves technical tasks.	It can be more costly because of the potential requirement for new development, design, and testing.
Impact on Business	It may lead to temporary downtime or disruptions with minimal impact.	It can be more impactful on business operations.

Ecommerce Site Migration Stats

While considering the latest ecommerce statistics, site migration has become essential for numerous reasons. 

Let’s check out what ecommerce says about replatforming:

• Per a survey conducted by Digital Commerce 360, about 76% of retailers have plans to increase their investment in technology and services until the following year. 
• Around 27% of eCommerce brands are looking for ecommerce site migration. 
• Statista recorded an increase in online orders, with around 77% of retail website traffic from smartphones in Q2 of 2024. It surfaces the increasing need for an eCommerce platform that can maintain an optimal user experience on any device.
• Slow-loading sites raise cart abandonment rates to about 75%. 

Getting more profound, you will find numerous reasons demanding the need for replatform ecommerce websites. 

The best solution is to connect with an ecommerce migration agency and reap the rewards of tailor-made ecommerce store migration services. 

What Is The Need For eCommerce Replatforming?

eCommerce replatforming becomes necessary when the current platform can no longer meet a business’s growing demands. As an eCommerce website expands, the limitations of the existing platform become more apparent, such as poor design, slow performance, and an inability to cater to customer needs. This can result in increased costs, either due to paying for unnecessary features or the need for additional maintenance and upkeep. In such cases, re-platforming offers a solution to address these challenges and ensure that the eCommerce website can operate effectively.

Replatforming is a significant undertaking that requires careful consideration and planning. It impacts various aspects of the eCommerce website, including admin navigation, design, performance, and functionality. Therefore, assessing the need for replatforming at the right time and for the right reasons is essential. This may involve evaluating the current platform’s limitations, identifying specific pain points, and determining the desired capabilities and features a new platform should offer.

Well, let’s check out the reasons when you should migrate your eCommerce platform:

1. Security Issues With Current eCommerce Platform

After coming up with a breach of some form or vulnerability, some online retailers have decided to re-platform. This has often led to a decision to move to a hosted platform, SaaS, to a great extent, as it lowers risks associated with self-hosted or legacy systems that need a lot of support.

2. Customer Experience & Site Performance

Today, online shoppers expect connected and sophisticated retail experiences. Similarly, eCommerce businesses are anticipated to provide consumers with an innovative experience with out-of-the-box features, top-notch technology, and smooth multi-channel integration. Here, replatforming comes into play. It assists businesses in improving customer experience by enhancing their caliber to be more creative and unique from the crowd.

3. Platform Stability and Scalability

This is the most common reason for replatforming, which affects major deployments or releases, upgradeability, maintainability, and stability of integration with heavy customization or technical issues.

4. Poor Admin Functioning

A terrible admin panel leads to poor navigation, lowering your team’s pace, increasing frustration, and less output. Switching to a simple, intuitive admin will ensure your team has a fantastic tool to perform more effectively.

5. Increasing Maintenance Cost

If your current website needs costly, regular, or time-consuming maintenance, replatforming may help you. It enhances the performance and chooses a third-party solution to handle this burden.

6. Smooth Accessible Analytics

With no proper e-commerce analytics, you can’t get meaningful insights to make essential improvements. So, you need to be sure that you accumulate, measure, and exhibit data that performs best for your teams dependent on this data.

7. Repetitive Tasks

On replatforming with improved interfacing or increased functionality, you may eliminate repetitive, duplicate tasks that you generally need to perform manually and regularly.

8. Site Responsiveness & Speed

As about 40% of the shoppers abandon a website if it takes too long to load, more than 3 seconds. Here, a responsive, fast website is essential. You should use a top-quality website hosting service and restrict your plugins to make your website efficient and run flawlessly.

eCommere Website Replatforming Business Benefits

Replatforming an eCommerce website can bring numerous business benefits, as it involves upgrading or changing the existing platform to a new one that better suits the business’s evolving needs. Here are some of the key benefits of eCommerce website replatforming:

1. Improved Performance and Scalability

One of the key benefits of replatforming your e-commerce website is the potential for improved performance and scalability. As your business grows, your website needs to handle increased traffic and transactions without slowing down or crashing. By replatforming to a more robust and scalable e-commerce platform, you can ensure that your website can handle the demands of a growing customer base.

2. Enhanced User Experience

A smooth and intuitive user experience is crucial for the success of any e-commerce website. Replatforming can provide an opportunity to update the design and functionality of your website, making it more user-friendly and visually appealing. This can lead to increased customer satisfaction, higher conversion rates, and, ultimately, more sales.

3. Integration with Third-Party Tools

Replatforming your e-commerce website can allow better integration with third-party tools and services. Whether it’s integrating with a new payment gateway, a marketing automation platform, or a customer relationship management (CRM) system, a new e-commerce platform can provide the flexibility to connect seamlessly with the tools essential for your business operations.

4. Mobile Optimization

With most online shopping now taking place on mobile devices, e-commerce websites must be fully optimized for mobile use. Replatforming can provide an opportunity to ensure that your website is responsive and performs well across all devices, providing a consistent and enjoyable shopping experience for mobile users.

5. Improved Security and Compliance

Security is a top priority for any e-commerce business, and re-platforming can enhance your website’s security measures. A new e-commerce platform may come with built-in security features and compliance with industry standards, helping to protect your customers’ sensitive information and build trust in your brand.

6. Streamlined Operations

A new e-commerce platform can also offer improved tools and features for managing your online store. From inventory management to order processing and customer support, re-platforming can streamline your operations and make it easier to run your e-commerce business efficiently.

7. SEO Benefits

Replatforming your e-commerce website can also positively affect your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. A new platform may offer better SEO capabilities, allowing you to optimize your website for higher search engine rankings and increased visibility to potential customers.

8. Cost Savings

While replatforming does involve an initial investment, it can lead to long-term cost savings for your business. A more efficient and scalable e-commerce platform can reduce maintenance costs, improve productivity, and provide a better return on investment in the long run.

9. Competitive Advantage

In today’s competitive e-commerce landscape, staying ahead is crucial. Replatforming your e-commerce website can give you a competitive edge by offering a superior shopping experience, better functionality, and more innovative features than your competitors.

When to Replatform Your Ecommerce CMS

Replatforming an eCommerce CMS can be complex, but simultaneously, the best way to improve your store’s functionality, scalability, and performance. 

Below, we have discussed some signs that you can know it’s time to replatform your ecommerce CMS. 

1. Your Existing Platform is Outdated

If your eCommerce CMS lacks or doesn’t support the features you need, you can acknowledge it as a call to replatforming.

2. Your Business is Rapidly Growing

If you witness your business expanding and your current ecommerce platform failing to handle the surging traffic, it’s time to migrate your eCommerce website. 

3. Your Website is Running Slow

If your site is slow to load or usually crashes, it will negatively impact your user experiences and sales. 

4. Your Competitors Have Switched to Newer Modern Platforms

It’s good to match the steps of advancing the digital world. If you find your competitors migrating to modern platforms, you should also choose to replatform. 

5. Your Existing Platform is Expensive to Maintain

If you realize you are paying a significant amount for current e-commerce platform maintenance, licensing fees, and other relevant expenses, migration would be cost-effective. 

If you are experiencing such issues with your existing eCommerce CMS, replatform it. 

Types of Platforms to Consider For eCommerce Website Migration

When considering a migration for your eCommerce website, choosing the right platform that aligns with your business needs and goals is crucial. Here are various platforms available; you can consider each with its features and benefits.

1. Open-Source eCommerce Platforms

Open-source eCommerce platforms like Magento, WooCommerce, and OpenCart are popular for businesses looking for flexibility and customization. These platforms provide access to the source code, allowing businesses to modify and tailor the platform to their specific requirements. Open-source platforms also offer various plugins and extensions to enhance functionality and meet unique business needs.

2. SaaS eCommerce Platforms

Software as a Service (SaaS) eCommerce platforms, like Shopify, BigCommerce, and Squarespace, are cloud-based solutions that offer a user-friendly interface and easy setup process. SaaS platforms are known for their scalability, security, and regular updates without manual maintenance. They also provide a range of built-in features, including hosting, security, and payment processing, making them an attractive option for businesses looking for a hassle-free solution.

3. Enterprise eCommerce Platforms

Enterprise eCommerce platforms such as Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Oracle Commerce, and SAP Commerce Cloud offer advanced features and robust capabilities for larger businesses with complex requirements. These platforms are designed to handle high-traffic volumes, complex product catalogs, and intricate business processes. Enterprise eCommerce platforms also provide extensive support, security features, and integration options to meet the demands of large-scale operations.

4. Headless eCommerce Platforms

Headless eCommerce platforms, like Moltin, commercetools, and Elastic Path, decouple the front-end presentation layer from the back-end eCommerce functionality. This separation allows businesses to deliver a unique and seamless customer experience across various channels, including websites, mobile apps, and IoT devices. Headless platforms offer greater flexibility and agility in design and development, enabling businesses to adapt to changing customer expectations and technological advancements.

5. Marketplace eCommerce Platforms

Marketplace eCommerce platforms, such as Amazon Marketplace, eBay, and Etsy, allow businesses to reach a broader audience by selling products alongside other vendors. These platforms offer built-in traffic, trust, and payment processing capabilities, making it easier for businesses to start selling without extensive marketing efforts. Marketplace eCommerce platforms also provide access to a large customer base and valuable insights into consumer behavior.

What Things Are Worth Considering While Replatforming An eCommerce Website?

Well, getting started with eCommerce migration may seem to be overwhelming. Still, as you know, it will influence all aspects of your retail business, from customer interactions with your eStore to sophisticated working behind delivering their orders.

However, with the right plan, you can supervise an eCommerce replatforming project. To assist you in targeting this plan, we have emerged with a list below that retailers may consider to catch up with a flawless replatforming process.

1. Conduct Technical research

Before your ecommerce development team of experts starts with the process of replatforming, it’s important to understand the company’s needs by conducting technical research. You may find this an extra step, but let us tell you that it’s like a robust base for all other actions on our list.

Through this process, your team will become capable of examining all possible solutions for your company, even for the long term. It’s like a blueprint for an eCommerce house you are about to develop.

2. Impact Of Website Migration On Your Business

Replatforming will benefit you if you implement essential improvements to your eCommerce platform’s performance, functionality, and output. Moreover, you need to be sure that you will get all those benefits from migration that may be worth the additional cost and effort.

3. Total Costs Of eCommerce Migration

Well, the actual cost of ecommerce replatforming is not limited to the cost of the new platform, it also includes the migration process, the downtime (during the transfer), and maintenance costs linked with the new eCommerce platform. Also, it incorporates the cost of training your staff for the new platform. So, project the total costs that are involved and plan accordingly.

4. Features and Capabilities Of The Upgraded eCommerce Platform

When migrating to a new eCommerce platform, its features are an important factor to consider. You need to compare the new platform’s features with your existing eCommerce platform and pick the most essential features your business needs to develop, grow, and improve.

5. Integrations With Existing Legacy Systems

Before we migrate to a new solution, you should ensure that the solution you are switching to supports the integrations already in use with no loss of performance.

6. Future Needs and Improvements

One of the long-term investments that you make in your business is replatforming. You should take care of the capabilities and the initial features that a tool should have, as you know it’s going to have a long-term impact. Be sure about the adaptation of your tool that may modify as per the market trend and meet your business needs.

7. Ability & Skills Of Your Current Team

When it comes to performing replatforming, the technical expertise of your team plays an important role. It should hold the caliber to adapt to the change as quickly as possible. This also includes the proficiency of getting going with the new platform and migrating data.

8. Customer Support & Services

Well, whichever solution you decide to pick should offer the best customer service and support. This will help you resolve errors properly and quickly, right when they occur. While developing your solution, your team could provide the required support. So, if you get full support from your platform, you will become capable of keeping your eCommerce store up and running perfectly.

9. Suitable Time for Website Migration

When you think of replatforming, you should ensure the best time to perform it. Mostly, the best time to migrate store data is believed to be the lowest traffic moment. This time, if any issues arise, it will have the most negligible impact on your business conversions and revenue.

10. Crawl Your Website before Migration

Well, crawling through your website will ensure that no important data gets slipped through the cracks that you want to migrate. For this, you should also address the complete data of your store before you start the migration.

11. Avoid The Common Pitfalls Of Data Migration

Of course, there are numerous common pitfalls in data migration. So, to maintain a smooth customer experience, be sure that you avoid all sorts of glitches related to data migration.

12. Define The Data You Want to Migrate To Your New Website

If you don’t know, there are three chief components of online retailers’ data: product data, customer data, and order data. Before replatforming, you must thoroughly understand what data is important for you and your consumer to access your new website.

13. Transfer Only Up-to-date Content To The New Site

Through replatforming, the retailers get the opportunity to look into every aspect related to your business, This includes content also. So, first of all, you should review the entire content of your website and determine what is essential. You need to replace your older articles with the new and improved ones and the ones that are not SEO optimized. So, this is the right time to remove such data before you start with replatforming, as this will save you time in the future when you will need to clean such worthless content.

14. Pick A Data Migration Plan

Obviously, the reason behind every successful ending is thorough planning. If you forget to plan from the start, it will lead to various obstacles towards the expected outcome. Deep and well-defined planning will make your project up on time and within your budget.

15. Develop Content Migration Plan & Ensure It Maintains SEO Settings

As we have discussed above, data migration planning is essential before we start with replatforming, the same is true regarding website content. So, your team should have a plan to get rid of last-minute confusion. After auditing your old website content and developing a content migration plan, don’t forget to consider your SEO settings. Your SEO settings need to be migrated with the help of your development team.

• Audit your current Site Hierarchy & Structure.
• Make a plan for Content Migration or if you have plans for Content Overhaul.
• Optimize your URLs & check for necessary Redirections
• Review your Metadata
• Implement schema markup
• Check for duplicate content
• Generate and ReSubmit your XML Sitemap
• Ensure the Google Analytics tracking code is working
• Check links in emails and downloadable assets
• Use annotations in Google Analytics to track all changes to the site

16. Develop an RFP

An RFP (Request for Proposal) is a document that eCommerce website owners send to their replatforming partners. You need to ensure your RPF highlights your needs and expectations for the project. 

Consider these aspects while you replatform your eCommerce website. Hire an eCommerce development company with years of experience that offers custom ecommerce website migration services.

What Are The Top Options For eCommerce Replatforming?

In recent years, eCommerce has been redefining the way of shopping, with 50% and more online shopping being done through mobile. Today, you will catch up with various eCommerce platforms from which you may choose.

While picking the right eCommerce platform, you need to check if it will meet your business needs, weaknesses, strengths, and associated costs.

Now, we will put forward a list of some leading eCommerce platforms available in the market. You may pick any as per your business needs. Let’s start.

1. WordPress

WordPress comes with various available integrations that allow you to add design, features, elements, and more to your eCommerce website. One of the popular eCommerce platforms, WordPress, comes with various pros.

• Free to use
• Simple and easily accessible for beginners
• SEO optimized
• Customizable using plugins
• Scalable and can include features as per the need
• In-Built blog crafted for SEO

Magento 2

Crafted to be feature-packed, Magento 2 offers advanced functionality and features to offer eCommerce retailers complete control over their website design and management. It has the following advantages:

• Build user-friendly eCommerce stores
• Designed to perfectly scale with business
• Open-source platform
• Limitless flexibility with design and customization
• Have a large community of users

2. WooCommerce

Operates on WordPress, WooCommerce uses its available integrations and tools. It has the following benefits:

• Built-in and simple SEO
• Top-quality security
• Crafted for professional use
• Comes with clear admin navigation
• Free basic services
• Flexible to customize websites with templates and themes

3. Shopify

A full-service solution, Shopify includes amazing functionality, features, and performance. It has the following advantages:

• Amazing app store with plugins and extensions
• Top-quality security; SSL certificate and PCI DSS compliant
• Easy and simple UI and navigation
• Includes web hosting, managed through a Shopify account
• Easy to use

4. Adobe Commerce

Formerly known as Magento, Adobe Commerce is a robust and flexible eCommerce platform that fits all sizes of businesses. It arrives with a wide range of features, including order management capabilities, advanced marketing tools, and payment processing orders. It is well-known for the following benefits:

• A strong community of developers and users
• Flexible enough to meet every specific business need.
• Scalable to manage high traffic volumes and large catalogs
• Advanced features that help stay ahead of the curve.

5. Weebly

It’s a user-friendly e-commerce platform, even for those who are from a different technical background. Its drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to create and tailor online stores. Weebly offers numerous templates and themes to make websites look professional. It arrives with the following advantages:

• Drag-and-drop interface
• Ease of use 
• Affordable compared to other eCommerce platforms
• Templates and themes

Choosing the suitable platform for migrating your eCommerce store relies on specific needs and budgets. 

An ecommerce migration agency can suggest you the right platform for replatforming and offer the required ecommerce replatforming and migration service. 

What Are eCommerce Migration Services To Ease Your Job?

Ecommerce migration services can support businesses while moving their online stores from one platform to another quickly and efficiently. 

Below are some critical ecommerce migration services that may ease your job:

1. Migrate Products, Customer Data, And Order History

You can smoothly transfer all your essential data, including customer information, products, and order history, to a new platform (of your choice). There will be no data loss during the ecommerce replatforming process. 

2. Preserve Seo Rankings And Url Structures

Such services can help businesses maintain their search engine rankings and URL structures while migrating online stores. It is crucial to avoid traffic and customer loss. 

3. Ensure Compatibility With New Systems And Plugins

Ecommerce migration services ensure your modern platform is compatible with every existing plugin and system. It will keep you away from any disruptions that may cause in your business operations. 

4. Test And Optimize The New Platform For Performance And Usability

Such services are profitable for testing your migrated platform to ensure its optimal performance and ease of use for customers. Thus, you can enhance your user experiences and boost sales. 

Connecting with a company for ecommerce platform migration services can help you with ease and hassle-free replatforming of your online store. 

Key Features To Integrate While RePlatforming eCommerce Website

When you replatform your ecommerce website, you should integrate crucial features that can improve user experiences, enhance SEO, and improve sales. 

Feature	Benefits
Mobile Optimization	Provide a seamless shopping experience on different devices, enhancing user engagement and conversion rates.
Product recommendations	Increase customer engagement by offering relevant products depending on their browsing history or purchase behavior.
Search engine optimization (SEO)	Improves site visibility in search engine results, attracting organic traffic and elevating brand awareness.
Customer reviews and ratings	Fosters trust and credibility with potential customers, impacting purchase decisions.
Social media integration	Permits customers to simply share products on social media platforms, extending your reach and driving increased traffic to your website.
Shipping and tracking	Offers real-time shipping details and tracking abilities, enhancing customer satisfaction and diminishing inquiries.
Payment gateways	Arrives with a variety of payment options to meet different customer preferences and boost conversions.
Abandoned cart recovery	Diminish cart abandonment by sending automated reminders to customers who have left items in their shopping carts without completing the purchase.
Loyalty programs	Rewards repeat customers for their loyalty, motivating repeat purchases and improving customer lifetime value.
Personalization	Customizing the shopping experience to individual customers depending on their preferences and behavior enhances customer satisfaction and engagement.

By integrating these features into your modern, newly migrated eCommerce website, you can improve the online shopping experience for users. Thus driving customer loyalty and sales. 

How Long Does It Take To Do eCommerce Migration?

It takes from 8 weeks to over a year for eCommerce to be replatforming, depending on the rollout strategy of an enterprise. Well, complexity and scope may vary, but the entire process stays the same.

For example: if a small enterprise picks a Shopify platform with a current theme, it may take 8-12 weeks, which depends on the number of 3rd-party integration and customization levels.

For larger enterprises, inherently, the process demands extensive customization, as the current systems are more complicated. This indicates that the process may take a year or even more than that to complete.

14 Steps For eCommerce Replatforming/Migration

Now, let’s check out the steps we should follow for our eCommerce store migration to a new platform. These steps will offer you an idea of how much time and effort the migration process will take. These steps are generalized for eCommerce website migration, and if you want the exact process, we have also written a few platforming guides for selected platforms.

• BigCommerce to Shopify Migration
• WooCommerce to Shopify Migration
• Magento to Shopify Migration
• OpenCart to Shopify Migration
• Shopware Migration

1. List Out Benefits & Needs Of Replatforming

Firstly, you should prepare a list of your existing platform’s shortages and expectations from a new system. You should emerge with the biggest flaws, the features you want, and what you need from re-platforming. Also, you should communicate with your teams and different departments about their requirements and should set the priorities for that.

2. Communicate With Stakeholders

After reviewing the efficiencies and areas of improvement, it’s time to communicate with stakeholders. This way, you will know about the needs of distinct teams and balance their requirements fairly to offer them what they expect from migration.

3. Shortlist eCommerce Platforms

Now that you know why you need to re-platform and what your team wants from it, you can start by researching viable options. You may shortlist some eCommerce platforms that you may use and sort them by their costs, features, and more.

4. Arrange Demos With Your Top Picks

After shortlisting, you can schedule demos with the top choices. Reach out to the platforms you are interested in and ask them for a demo. This will offer you an idea regarding their strengths and weaknesses.

5. Choose An eCommerce Platform

Next, it’s time to make a decision. You may use the details gained through demos to finalize a selection. Be sure that you pick a solution that holds the caliber to offer you the improvements and features at the best price.

6. Backup Data Of Your Old Store

Before you begin the replatforming process, you need to take a backup of your old eCommerce store. After much hard work, your migration process may go seamlessly, but if an error occurs, you should be all set with your data saved to resolve that error or go back to restart the process. It’s good to be confident about your migration, but backing up your data will save you from experiencing unexpected situations.

7. Craft Your eCommerce Website

Before data migration, you should be all set with designing your complete website structure, style, and layout to allow your data to get loaded into a new one. This is the best time to offer your website an advanced look. You may use various downloadable themes and templates and style or customize them as you choose. Even with the help of a developer, you can develop a new website from scratch.

Editors Note: Keep in mind that you should always set up a staging site to perform all the ecommerce migration and when everything checks fine then you can push the staging site to live site.

8. Opt For A Data Migration Service

Well, this is an optional step, as you can manually migrate your eCommerce store’s data.

But, in case you have a 3rd-party app, then you may ease this process of replatforming. For that, you will need to hire a leading data migration service. This would be the right step when you lack technical skills. Also, you need to be sure that you choose the best service that holds the caliber to conduct migration securely, accurately, and yes, completely.

9. Migrate Your Store Data

Post making the best selection, now, it’s time to migrate your data. Whether you perform this manually or using a perfect migration app or with a third-party team, this process includes the migration of store data from your existing eCommerce website to the new one.

10. Connect With Checkout Platform & Optimize Payment &Checkout Experience

Before you start running your new store, you should have a checkout platform that will allow you to process payments and complete the orders. Pick a platform that offers customers a secure, fast, and efficient checkout experience. Moreover, you should have a system that prevents, detects, and protects against fraudulent behavior and accepts more valid orders.

11. Perform SEO Audit Before Launch

When migrating eCommerce platforms, retaining domain authority as much as possible is necessary. For this, you will need to perform a complete SEO audit of your website before launching your website. Ensure you optimize both the page content for SEO on and off. Also, don’t forget to set up redirects and retain the traffic from your old website.

12. Test, Test & Test: It’s Crucial

So, after replatforming your eCommerce website, you are almost all set to launch. But, before that, you need to test your new ecommerce platform. For that, you should conduct various tests and locate the issues that may arise at some time. Ensure your new eCommerce website is up and performing perfectly as it should be. Don’t forget that this is the right time to correct everything that is not working as you expect. Here are some questions that you should answer before making your migrated site live:

• Data Migration: Is all your ecommerce product data imported without any issues?
• Data Organization: Are all of the collections set up in the right manner?
• Site Navigation: Do all the menu items work properly?
• Site Structure: Are all the pages migrated and interlinked properly?
• Web Design: Does the site design work seamlessly on desktop, mobile, and other devices?
• Responsive Design: Does the design work on Android/iPhone/Tablet?
• Third Party Apps & Other Integrations: Are all connected apps, Enterprise Research Planning software (ERP), Point of Sale (POS) working as required?
• Product Shipping: Are your shipping rules and labels working?

13. Launch Your New eCommerce Website

After you’re done with testing, now your website is ready to launch. You can publish your new website and start selling from your new eCommerce website.

14. Let Your Existing Customers Know About The Platform Migration

Post-launch, you should communicate about the migration with your existing, loyal customers. Communicate through social media, email, and whatever methods perform well to inform your customers about your transformation to a new website. You may give them a link to create or register an account on the new platform.

eCommerce Replatforming Checklist: A Quick Way To Go Over Site Migration Tasks

• List out all the flaws of your current ecommerce platform
• Make a list of all the advantages you hope to get by migrating to a new ecommerce platform
• Consult stakeholders, your ecommerce consultant, and teams regarding your decision to replatforming
• Calculate the budget for replatforming, training your team for the new platform & other dependencies
• Research available ecommerce platforms that fit your requirements
• Finalize the choice of an ecommerce platform for replatforming
• Backup current ecommerce store data
• Hire an ecommerce data migration service or download a data migration app
• Design & develop your ecommerce site on a new ecommerce platform on a staging site
• Migrate all ecommerce store data
• Connect third-party checkout platform and optimize checkout design
• Pair integrations, extensions, and plugins
• Run an audit on your entire site for SEO
• Test out your entire store for performance, design, and structure
• Train your team members to use the new store admin
• Communicate the transfer of your site to the new platform to your existing customers
• Launch your new ecommerce store

Replatforming eCommerce Website Myths Debunked

Replatforming an eCommerce website is a big decision, but many myths can make it seem scarier than it is. These myths can deter businesses from embracing the benefits of modernizing their online presence. Here are some of the most common myths associated with replatforming, providing a clearer understanding of what it entails.

Myth 1: Replatforming is only necessary for outdated websites

One of the most common myths about replatforming is that it is only necessary for outdated websites. In reality, the need to replatform can arise from various factors, including changes in consumer behavior, technological advancements, and improved functionality. Even a relatively new website may require replatforming if it cannot keep up with the latest industry trends and customer expectations.

Myth 2: Replatforming is too costly

Another myth surrounding replatforming is that it is too costly for small to medium-sized businesses to undertake. While it is true that replatforming can be a significant investment, the long-term benefits often outweigh the initial costs. By choosing the right platform and implementing it effectively, businesses can improve their website’s performance, increase sales, and ultimately achieve a higher return on investment.

Myth 3: Replatforming will disrupt business operations

Many businesses are hesitant to replatform their eCommerce websites out of fear that it will disrupt their day-to-day operations. While it is true that replatforming requires careful planning and execution to minimize disruption, it is possible to carry out the process with minimal impact on business operations. By working with experienced professionals and utilizing effective project management strategies, businesses can ensure a smooth transition to a new platform.

Myth 4: Replatforming is only about technology

Some businesses mistakenly believe that replatforming is solely about upgrading their technological infrastructure. In reality, replatforming also involves revisiting and optimizing various aspects of the eCommerce business, including user experience, design, content, and marketing strategies. A successful replatforming effort considers the holistic needs of the business and aims to improve overall performance and customer satisfaction.

Myth 5: Replatforming is a one-time project

Contrary to popular belief, replatforming is not a one-time project with a definite end date. The digital landscape constantly evolves, and businesses must adapt to new challenges and opportunities. Replatforming is an ongoing process requiring continuous evaluation, optimization, and potential future migrations as technology and consumer behavior change.

Myth 6: Replatforming guarantees immediate success

While replatforming can significantly improve an eCommerce website’s performance, more is needed to guarantee immediate success. The success of a replatforming effort depends on various factors, including effective implementation, ongoing maintenance, and the ability to adapt to changing market conditions. Businesses should set realistic expectations and be prepared to invest time and resources into optimizing their new platform for long-term success.

Common Challenges In eCommerce Replatforming

Businesses may need help with the eCommerce replatforming process. Above that, they may encounter numerous challenges. 

Below are some of the common challenges that you can face while migrating your ecommerce website. 

1. Technical Issues

During replatforming, you can find it challenging to integrate with new systems, ensure compatibility with current plugins, and optimize the new platform for expected performance. 

2. Data Migration Difficulties

Moving data from one ecommerce platform to another can be time-consuming and even complex. It’s because of data formatting, compatibility, and integrity problems. 

3. User Experience Disruptions

Migration may negatively impact user experience, leaving customers unsatisfied and decreasing sales. 

4. Team Expertise

Replatforming demands specialized expertise and proficiency. You should ensure your in-house team holds that. If you need help, connect with an agency for website replatforming solutions that meet your needs. 

5. SEO Challenges

It may be challenging to maintain or improve your SEO ranking while the e-commerce replatforming process continues. What brought up this is changing URLs, site structure, and content. 

Knowing these potential challenges and planning carefully can help you minimize risks and accomplish a successful replatforming process.

Why Choose EmizenTech For Replatforming Your eCommerce Website?

Choosing EmizenTech for ecommerce replatforming ensures scalable solutions and a seamless transition that expands your business. 

EmizenTech, a trusted eCommerce development company, has quickly been picked for its flawless eCommerce platform migration capabilities. One of the aspects that are crucial for eCommerce replatforming is scalability. And EmizenTech holds strength in this. 

Also, the ecommerce migration agency helps businesses expand seamlessly with no performance compromises. You can consult with consultants to learn about e-commerce replatforming and migration costs and fix your budget accordingly.

Wrapping Up

Attaining successful ecommerce replatforming can improve your business’s digital presence with enhanced operational efficiency. 

You need to carefully plan for replatforming and its execution to witness improved scalability and customer experience. 

Connect with an eCommerce development company to get custom ecommerce replatforming and migration services that can remove the blockages hindering your business expansion and growth. 

Frequently Asked Questions