Help! My e-commerce platform is outdated, now what?
19 November 2023
Suppose your e-commerce platform is running on an outdated system. It is no longer being developed or technical support has stopped. Your shop outgrows the possibilities offered by the technology and the development costs on the existing platform are getting out of hand.
So what are you doing? Probably you are orienting yourself to a new platform. But what does it mean? What can a new platform offer over your current platform? What about customization? What does a transition look like? Just thinking about that will give you a lot of new questions and considerations. We understand very well: switching to a new e-commerce platform is exciting and challenging, but with the right approach, it mostly delivers a lot and can support your future growth.
The hard launch of our new e-commerce platform went off without a hitch. Our customer service staff had braced themselves; they thought it would be a storm of reports so soon after the launch. I don't think they ever had such a quiet time. Everything went by the book.
What happens if I don't switch?
Continuing with outdated software brings with it quite a few pain points. They are not always immediately visible, but become extra obvious as the problems accumulate. At some point you run into limitations in the current platform. Especially once development stops, updates are no longer available and support is no longer offered from the software supplier. And what about security? Is your data on the existing platform still secure?
You don't want to lose sales because of an outdated platform or be overtaken by competitors. In fact, you want to get more out of your e-commerce business. Perhaps e-commerce turnover is the largest part of your total turnover and a very important channel? Or do you have substantial growth ambitions and want to strengthen your position in the market? Then you need a stable base, so you have to switch. After all, your e-commerce platform plays a key role.
What am I going to run into?
The biggest problem: resistance and uncertainty. From your own role or organization-wide. After all, why haven't you switched yet? There could be all sorts of reasons:
- What does the new e-commerce platform provide over the current platform?
- Am I making the right platform choice?
- What functionality do I get in return? What does it do to my results?
- What effect does it have on my Google rankings and how do I combat position loss?
- Do I need to run a whole new and large project?
- What does the cost picture look like?
- Do I have enough resources for it?
What about custom features?
The current system may contain additional custom features; will I get them back the same way or will they work differently? Suppose the CMS system has been developed and set up over time to your organization's liking. Switching to a new e-commerce platform with an open market standard does not automatically mean that these functionalities move with you in their current capacity. Of course, the aim is to do this as much as possible.
In summary: there may be all sorts of questions that you want answers to before you actually put out the order. The important thing is to get good advice in this regard.
What does it yield?
Try not to let this resistance hold you back. After all, a new e-commerce platform will give you (if you do it right) more advantages, than disadvantages:
- The platform is up-to-date and fast again
- The technical support is in order
- By choosing an open market standard, you benefit from new, innovative features
- Less burden of security issues, your (customer) data is safer
- Scalability and the ability to make future-proof choices
- Ability to capitalize on the latest commerce trends, for example headless
- Easier to implement optimizations
- Reliability in uptime and data consistency
- User-friendliness for yourself and the webshop visitor, for example by combining an e-commerce system with a stand-alone CMS
- Possibility to optimize the online customer experience
- More integration possibilities via plugins, for example
- Better data analysis capabilities to actively engage with
Which e-commerce platform do I choose?
Which platform is the best fit depends on many factors. What are your organization's ambitions and goals? Have they changed? A switch within the current platform may be a logical step, but another platform choice can also be considered. Do you want to move away from on-prem, custom or template-based software? Do you only want to work with a platform that is cloud-based and API-driven? There are quite a few e-commerce platforms in the market, which makes the choice always case dependent. It has to be a fit with your organization. Creating a good wish list beforehand (tip: use the MOSCOW method) is therefore a must.
Impact
Yes, switching is quite an investment. It takes time, money and staff commitment. But it pays off. Before you get started: draw up a good transition plan and go for a phased approach with an orderly project progression. This way you limit the risks for the operation. Think carefully beforehand about which people you need for this (internally and externally) and get advice from a partner who understands you and thinks (strategically) with you.
Marvin de Reuver
Senior Account Manager