In eCommerce — platform constitutes the stores’ backbone, an assorted set of things that makes the wheels turning — it provides you with a framework to operate in.
Because of that, the choice of an eCommerce platform is one of the most important choices to be made at the initial stage of launching an online store.
You can’t just read the article about best eCommerce platforms comparison like Magento vs Shopify vs everything else — you need one that will be best for your business. And these two different things.
The decision itself consists of multiple elements — such as technical specification of the store, business requirements of the entire project and of course price tags for the services.
If it all clicks — you are in spades and can concentrate on the business part of things. However, if it is not — you better find out what is wrong and why it is so as soon as possible because otherwise, you are going to be hurt badly.
This is the case when you need to consider changing the platform. While it is uncommon to change horse in the middle of the race — the losses caused by ineffective eCommerce platform might be bigger than losses caused by the switch to another platform.
The thing is — the plan and the reality might not be as synchronized as it seemed and precisely chosen eCommerce platform is simply unable to deliver the expected results.
Here are ten compelling reasons why you might need to consider changing your eCommerce platform.
1. For sake of Better Customer Experience
There is no entity more precious than the customer in eCommerce. You need to everything you can in order to keep him happy with the services wanting to get a little bit more of it. However, sometimes the platform itself might stand in the way of delivering the best possible customer service.
It is a purely technical thing. Here’s the list of things you need to pay the most attention:
1. Scalability — the pages might load too slow and the optimization might be too limited.
2. Image quality on the product and catalog pages are too low.
3. Multi-page (especially more than two-page) checkouts are eerily irritating for the customer — they might bounce off half-way through – don’t let it happen.
4. Search features — customers are unable to specify the search according to the categories and product types precise enough.
5. Navigation — users have no idea where is what and what is where on the site. It is an instant turn off.
2. Due to Platform Shortcomings
eCommerce platform is a long-term investment. When you choose one — you go all the way with it. But sometimes the reason to change an eCommerce platform comes not from performance issues but because platform can’t keep with the times and current turnaround of the business.
eCommerce framework gets clumsy over time — the databases getting way out of hand and some features hang around as a dead weight. It can slow down the platform operation and may cause some unpleasant consequences in the longer it drags.
Sometimes simple clean-up will not solve all the issues and a transfer to a newer, streamlined platform is preferable.
3. Due to Performance issues
There is nothing more important to an online store than smooth, well-mannered, easy-going performance maintained over various workload intensities.
The ability of the platform to scale its operation in accordance with the workload is a key for an effective business. You know the drill. Every element must load fast, glitches must be kept to an absolute minimum and response time must be close to instant.
But sometimes it just doesn’t happen, because the platform itself can’t handle it properly.
That might be due to multiple issues. Optimization might be boneheaded, the site might be cluttered with features, something is wrong with the servers.
4. Due to Integration troubles
Adding new features to the site is a must for any self-respecting enterprise. If you want to stay in the active competition and be a force to be reckoned with — you need to use everything that works in order to go ahead.
One of the biggest problems that come with an older eCommerce platform is integration. Old folks just don’t fit with the fancy new services. And even if they do — glitches might occur and that is never a good thing.
However, the platform might not be fitting for all new features you need to implement. There are several reasons for that. Either a certain plugin is a platform-specific and incompatible with the rest or your platform is just too old to integrate the newest extension.
Either way, that is a serious strike against and over time that can seriously slow you down.
5. For sake of Better Reporting
Another reason to consider changing an eCommerce platform is due to insufficient reporting. Sure, every platform is capable of delivering basic reports and you can add more stuff to the mix via specialized plugins. But the presentation might be lacking and that might play a critical part in damaging your business operation.
The key thing about the report is how it lets to manage the information. If the dashboard is cluttered and clumsy — it is no good for anything even if it gets the stats in real time. You need to be able to see every little thing happening and react to it instantly.
And if that is not a thing with your current platform — better change it right now.
6. Due to Lacking security
Security is one of the most sensitive issues that come with anything these days. eCommerce platforms are no different.
There might be troubles with authorizing users, providing users with different levels of access and different functions to operate with and also with the logging of internal activity.
Different levels of access are especially important due to a fact that it seriously simplifies platforms use for the employee tasked with doing certain things. Instead of a big-big box of tools, they get what they need.
If the platform is unable to do that — it is better to look for another one.
7. Due to High Costs
Sometimes there is nothing wrong with that particular platform. The performance is fine, scalability is top-notch, dashboard design is thoughtless. It is just way too expensive for your business. To the point, it actively bleeds your budget instead of adding zeros to it.
Believe it or not, even if your business is going considerably strong, too expensive eCommerce platform will constantly keep it lower than it might be. The Worst case scenario is when your platform is eating up all your earning but not actively causes losses.
8. Due to Dissonance with the business model
Another reason to change the platform comes with the time and it is connected with the business model.
The thing is — things projected on paper and reality are not exactly the same and what was planned can’t be realized as it was planned.
This may go as far as to make seemingly precisely chosen eCommerce platform absolutely inadequate to business requirements. That is simply unacceptable and you to transfer your operation to a better fitting platform as soon as possible.
9. Because it is too complicated to operate
At last, you might need to change your eCommerce platform simply because your employees are unable to operate it to a maximum effect.
Sometimes it happens that way. Too many features, ill-designed workflow, overly complicated dashboard and so on. There is no reason to keep a powerplant-type of the platform if it requires full-on programming skills in order to keep it effective.
Good eCommerce platform must be accessible. If it is not — change it for one that is such and don’t make yourself another headache.
Conclusion
eCommerce is an unforgiving industry — due to intense competition, it does not tolerate making wrong choices. In many ways, it is very similar to walking on a minefield in an exoskeleton. If the configuration is to a tee — you can take a hit and go, but if not — you played yourself, wait for respawn.
However, if you identify the problem soon enough and admit that mistakes were made and the changes are long overdue — you might bounce back.