Is Your eCommerce Platform Holding You Back? Signs It's Time to Switch [and How to Choose the Right One]

Are you an established business looking to drive more online growth and revenue??

In today's competitive eCommerce landscape, choosing the right platform to power your online store is crucial for maximizing revenue, achieving a strong return on investment (ROI), and helping drive long-term business growth.?

One of the most-important things to consider before replatforming is the overall business impact this can cause (both positively and negatively) to your business. Typically, I see businesses mention key pain points such as, “my maintenance costs are too high,” or, “my platform is hindering me from doing X” which is causing them to look into migrating away from their current platform. While this is definitely a pain point, and a good first step to know that there is an underlying issue, getting to the root cause of those may show that this is not indicative of needing to replatform your entire site. I’ve always taken the approach of, “you wouldn’t recommend brain surgery for a headache.”????

For example, if someone’s add to cart percentage is struggling, there is most-likely something from the usability side that needs to be addressed first. We would look into every possible scenario that could be causing this issue, and optimize your existing site to help boost the add to cart percentages. Having worked on the client services side previously, I’ve seen so many different use cases for BigCommerce, Shopify, and Magento, and how each platform can be optimized without having to completely replatform your site.?

Each platform has their benefits (and shortcomings) that are important to consider when you are looking into a new platform for your business, or making sure your existing site is optimized.???

But before we dive into the benefits and considerations of Shopify, BigCommerce, and Magento, let’s take a deeper look at some warning signs that it’s time to start looking at replatforming your eCommerce site, and why sometimes migrating to a new platform is a must despite all of your best efforts to make it work for you.?

Signs You are Outgrowing Your Current Platform:

Some of these key warning signs of outgrowing your current eCommerce platform include:

• Limited scalability: There is an inability to handle increasing product catalogs, traffic or business complexities.?
• Lack of data: Missing functionalities like marketing automation, advanced SEO capabilities, or comprehensive analytics tools.??
• High maintenance costs: Outdated platforms often require significant resources for ongoing maintenance, customization, and updates.?
• Limited customization options: There is an inability to create a unique and brand-specific online experience.?

I would like to highlight the high maintenance costs, and one of our clients, First Gear. They had been on Magento for a few years, and as maintenance costs soared, they opted to make the switch to BigCommerce. We did a more detailed case study on them, and it helps really dive into the pain points mentioned above.?

Why Migrating to a new platform is a must

By migrating to a more robust and scalable platform, you can unlock a multitude of benefits that drive revenue and a better ROI:

• Reduced maintenance costs: Modern platforms often require less ongoing maintenance and offer lower total cost of ownership. Like I mentioned above, overspending on the maintenance of your site can be a huge detriment to your business.??
• Greater customization freedom: Create a truly unique online store that increases customer engagement and brand loyalty.
• Access to more powerful features: You can begin to leverage advanced functionalities to optimize marketing campaigns, improve SEO performance, gain deeper customer insights, and streamline your overall business operations.

Evaluating the three leading eCommerce platforms:

Now that we have discussed the potential benefits of migrating to a new platform, let's take a look at the three leading eCommerce platforms, starting with Shopify.?

The All-in-One Solution for a Quicker Launch: Shopify

Shopify has established itself as a popular choice for business owners seeking a quick and easy solution to launch their new online store. Its user-friendly interface and setup process make it a more cost-effective option for businesses looking to replatform.?

Shopify functions as an all-in-one platform, which has core site functionality, marketing tools, and payment processing that can all be managed from within their platform. This streamlined approach simplifies store management and eliminates the need for multiple items to manage your store.?

Key Advantages of Shopify:

• Easy to Launch: Get your online store up and running fast with Shopify's intuitive interface and straightforward setup process.
• All-Encompassing Solution: Manage everything from your store creation to payments in one centralized location, streamlining your operations.
• Expansive App Store: You can easily extend the functionality of your store with a vast selection of apps and integrations.?
• Beginner-Friendly: Shopify's user-friendly design and extensive resources cater well to individuals with limited technical experience.

Considerations for Shopify:

• Transaction Fees: Shopify applies a percentage fee on each sale, which can impact your profit margins, especially for high-volume businesses.
• Limited Customization: Similar to BigCommerce, Shopify offers less flexibility for extensive customization compared to Magento.
• Scalability Limitations: While Shopify effectively caters to smaller businesses and startups, its scalability might be limited for larger businesses with more complexities needed for their store.

A Powerhouse for Growth: BigCommerce

BigCommerce also stands out as a user-friendly platform that truly caters to businesses of all sizes. Its intuitive interface makes it easy to set up and manage your online store, even if you have limited technical expertise.?

BigCommerce also has a comprehensive suite of integrated features, eliminating the need for more-complex third-party integrations. It also includes marketing, SEO, and analytics data that is already built into the platform. This all-in-one approach helps streamline operations and helps you to focus on growing your business.

Key Advantages of BigCommerce:

• Effortless Setup & Management: BigCommerce's user-friendly interface allows for a smooth setup process and easier ongoing management, even for beginners.
• Scalability for Growth: Whether you're a startup or an enterprise-level business, BigCommerce seamlessly scales alongside your business needs, and is built for growth.
• Integrated Features: From marketing tools, to SEO, analytics, and more, BigCommerce equips you with essential tools right out of the box, reducing the need for additional integrations.
• Budget-Friendly Options: BigCommerce also offers a variety of pricing plans to suit different budgets, ensuring you get the functionalities you need without breaking the bank.
• Global Payment Support: BigCommerce integrates seamlessly with 65 popular global payment methods, eliminating transaction fees and simplifying the payment process for your customers worldwide.
• Diverse Theme & Extension Library: You will have the ability to personalize your online store with a wide selection of themes and extensions.?

Considerations for BigCommerce:

• Sales Volume Restrictions: While BigCommerce caters to a wide range of businesses, certain plans may have sales volume limitations. Carefully assess your projected sales volume to choose the appropriate plan.
• Deployment Costs: While BigCommerce offers cost-effective plans, deployment costs can increase as your business grows and requires additional features or customizations that are not out of the box.
• Limited Customization: When compared to Magento, BigCommerce offers less flexibility for extensive customization. However, its extensive theme and extension library often fulfills most customization needs.

The Best for Customization and Scalability: Magento

Magento caters to large enterprises and businesses with complex requirements seeking a highly customizable and scalable platform. It offers unmatched control over the look, feel, and functionality of your site. Magento boasts a comprehensive set of built-in features and extensive customization options, allowing you to tailor your store to meet your specific needs and your specific business model.?

Additionally, Magento handles massive product catalogs and complex business models with ease, making it ideal for larger-scale operations.

Key Advantages of Magento:

• Ultimate Customization: Magento allows you to create a truly unique online experience with extensive customization capabilities.
• Unmatched Scalability: With its ability to handle large product catalogs, complex business models, and high traffic volumes, Magento has an extremely robust infrastructure.
• Feature-Rich & Powerful: Magento has a comprehensive set of built-in features, eliminating the need for third-party integrations for essential functionalities like marketing automation, SEO optimization, content management, and analytics. Additionally, Magento offers advanced features like product bundles, and configurable options too.?
• Open-Source Flexibility: As an open-source platform, Magento allows for deeper customization through code modifications and the development of custom functionalities to address specific business needs. However, it's crucial to note that this flexibility requires a higher level of technical expertise or reliance on experienced developers.

Key Considerations for Magento:

• Technical Expertise: Unlike Shopify and BigCommerce, which are known for their user-friendliness, Magento requires a significant level of technical expertise for setup, customization, and ongoing maintenance. This can be a hurdle for businesses lacking internal technical resources or the budget to hire developers.
• Higher Costs: Implementing and maintaining a Magento store typically involves higher costs compared to Shopify and BigCommerce. This includes initial setup fees, ongoing hosting and maintenance expenses, and potential development costs for customizations.
• Deployment Time: Setting up a Magento store can be a time-consuming process compared to the quicker launch times offered by Shopify and BigCommerce. This is due to the complexity of the platform and the potential need for customization.
• Ongoing Management: Magento requires a dedicated commitment to ongoing maintenance and updates. This includes addressing security vulnerabilities, and implementing platform updates.?

Ultimately, the best platform for your business depends on your specific needs, resources, and technical capabilities. If extensive customization, scalability, and powerful features are a must, and you have the technical expertise or budget to manage them, Magento could be the ideal choice. However, if user-friendliness, quick launch times, and cost-effectiveness are your priorities, Shopify or BigCommerce might be more suitable options.?

It’s important to carefully evaluate your requirements and weigh the advantages and considerations of each platform before making your final decision. Above all else, if you need some additional support, consulting with an agency partner is an absolute must to make sure the platform fits your business’ needs.?

If you’re not sure where to start, or are looking for some support, myself, and the 121eCommerce team are here to help!