5 benefits of replatforming your B2B eCommerce site
Article topics
- It increases revenue
- It becomes easier to scale
- It saves time on day-to-day tasks
- It’s more secure
- It reduces costs
When you think of giving your eCommerce business a ‘spring clean’, you might tidy up your warehouse, sort out the merch cupboard, and even give the fridge a clear-out!
If your website looks past its prime, it might be time to give it a refresh too.
When your eCommerce store loads slowly, provides a poor-quality user experience, or no longer has the features you need, you may want to consider replatforming.
What is replatforming? Replatforming is when you migrate from one eCommerce platform to another. For example, you may use WooCommerce but decide to move to Magento instead.
There are a lot of different platforms to consider when it comes to replatforming, all with various features and advantages.
Replatforming is a big commitment, especially if you have a lot of pages, products, and data you need to move over. However, as a web development company that has carried out many replatforming projects over the years, trust us when we say it’s well worth it!
Here are just some of the benefits of replatforming your B2B eCommerce site.
Not sure if you need to replatform, rehost, or refactor? This guide will explain the differences.
1. It increases revenue
The happier your customers are, the more likely they are to buy, and vice versa. Seven out of ten shoppers have admitted to abandoning their orders if the user experience is poor.
Migrating to a new eCommerce platform means you can have a more speedy, responsive and mobile-friendly website that can keep up with shoppers’ increasing demands.
Replatforming also enables you to implement new features that can improve your UX. For example, many modern platforms have up-selling and cross-selling options that you can use to increase average order value.
2. It becomes easier to scale
When you started your eCommerce store, you might have chosen the most affordable platform because you didn’t have much of a web development budget. However, over time, you’ve come to the realisation that your platform is no longer fit for purpose.
Some platforms, especially the free ones, have restrictions which means you lose out on sales and revenue. Moving to a more flexible eCommerce platform makes it easier for your website to grow as your business does.
Our top tip: consider where you’ll be in five years’ time when selecting the right platform. That way, you reduce the risk of outgrowing your new eCommerce store!
3. It saves time on day-to-day tasks
Think of your website in the same way you would a mobile phone or a car. The older it is, the harder it becomes to carry out certain tasks. Replatforming means you can take the time initially spent updating and optimising your website and spend it on growing your business instead.
For example, let’s say your IT team need to install a software update. What might take them all day on an older eCommerce platform may take them an hour on a brand-new site.
Certain eCommerce platforms like Adobe Commerce allow you to implement headless architecture. This means you can effectively split the front-end and back-end of your website in two, making it more agile, reactive, and easier to make changes.
4. It’s more secure
Software companies tend to ‘sunset’ older versions of their software as time goes on, and this logic also applies to eCommerce platforms.
Companies may stop providing software updates and security patches, meaning your website and your customer’s data is at higher risk of being compromised. You may also find yourself falling foul of regulations like GDPR and PCI.
Replatforming to a modern eCommerce platform gives you the peace of mind you need to know your site is safe, secure and compliant.
5. It reduces costs
While there is an upfront cost for replatforming your website, it can prove to be an excellent return on investment for your eCommerce business. The tasks you paid a small fortune to carry out on your previous platform, you might now be able to complete for low-cost and no-cost.
Many new eCommerce platforms come with a library of extensions and apps – for example, Magento comes with over 3,000 different apps. This means you can pick and choose the functionality that best suits your needs rather than paying for features you’re not likely to use.
Most modern platforms are now cloud-based, meaning you can not only update your site while you are away from the office, but also do away with expensive servers.
Has this article convinced you of the advantages of replatforming your B2B eCommerce site? If so, Xigen is here to help.
We’ll help you choose the right platform for your needs, migrate your existing data over, and ensure your brand-new website is future-proofed for the years to come.
Contact us today, and let’s work together to replatform your eCommerce business.
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