Replatforming (moving from one website platform to another) can sound pretty scary, but at some point, quick fixes don’t work anymore. Here are 3 clues that your site is in need of replatforming.
1. You lack Omnichannel ability
It is essential that you create a seamless buying experience between channels. With mobile use surpassing desktop in the past 2 years, your site must be optimized for mobile devices. Omnichannel is especially important if you have bricks and mortar stores: bridge the online and in-store experience with design, cross-channel inventory management, and real-time product consistency will make a difference on the bottom line. Go further with benefits like buy online, pickup/return in store (or vice versa), and you’ll make loyal customers for life.
2. You are handcuffed by your legacy systems
If the thing you most often hear at your office is “we can’t do that”, it’s likely that your site has old and potentially outdated third party systems that severely limit your ability to add new functionality. That puts a damper on sales. Moving to a scalable platform with well-integrated third party systems can be a huge business boost.
3. You haven’t replatformed in 3 years or more
Technology is moving so fast that if your site is older than this (and I’m being generous...it should probably be 2 years), you are surely missing out on benefits that can more than pay for the cost of replatforming. It just makes sense to use a platform that is on the cutting edge, and committed to staying that way with an aggressive roadmap.
We have been enjoying getting to know our new partner, LemonStand, over the past few months, and they are just such a great team. I’m enthusiastic about what we will be able to do together for our small to medium business (SMB) customers.
To kick the year off, I will be the guest speaker at a webinar focused on replatforming eCommerce websites on January 21 (21st January? not sure of the Canadian way) at 10:00am Pacific.
Here are some of the things Danny, CEO of LemonStand, and I will be covering:
Top priorities for online retailers in 2016 How to decide if replatforming should be one of your priorities How to avoid common pitfalls and uncover opportunities Choosing the right eCommerce agency to partner with What to look for in a new eCommerce platform
I hope you will join me to investigate whether you should consider replatforming. It will be short and sweet, with Q and A afterward. If you can’t make the actual webinar, register anyway and we’ll send you the link to the recording.
Webinar: How and Why to Upgrade your Online Store in 2016
Date: Thursday, January 21, 2016
Time: 10:00am PT / 1:00pm ET / 6:00pm GMT
Duration: 30 Minutes
Photo courtesy of fitclarity.com
