E-Commerce Platforms

We know that your e-commerce store will have its own unique set of requirements. Through consultancy and discussion, we can extract and define these, working together to help you select the most appropriate platform for your current and future needs.

We’ll pair you with one of our e-commerce specialists, who can conduct an analysis of your requirements and assist you in building a ‘system specification’. This is the best way to understand which platform is most suitable for you. We can then make recommendations which are tailored to this specification and your available budget.

When is it the right time to consider switching platforms?

It is unlikely that you’ll remain on one platform for all-time. The needs of your business, the store, your customers and the wider market will all affect your platform’s suitability. Here are four of the key indicators which suggest that the time is right…

1. Your store is becoming more complex

With business growth, comes added complexity. An increased product portfolio, moving into international selling and shipping, and changing customer profiles/needs can all impact the suitability of your e-commerce platform. You may find that your existing platform is too rigid, and lacks the flexibility or scope to grow with you – in which case, don’t let your platform be a barrier to success.

2. Your UX has fallen behind

With an increasing focus on providing an excellent user experience to customers, your online store must keep up or be left behind. This is particularly true in saturated markets where customers have the luxury of choice, but it is becoming an expectation across the board. Optimising this is key to ongoing success, so keep this top of mind, and consider moving if you’re falling behind.

3. Your maintenance costs are high

Maintenance is a key requirement of all successful websites, however if the cost of maintaining your e-commerce store requires you to make regular, unscheduled and significant investments, it’s time to consider why. Whether the cause is inefficiency of data, IT or content management, expensive development, or high licensing costs, it’s worth exploring whether you could switch and make long term time and budget efficiencies.

4. Your platform is unsupported

Platform providers continue to develop and are therefore unable to provide ongoing support to outdated versions in perpetuity. You will usually be informed about a change in advance, giving you some time to plan. Your platform provider will hope/expect/want you to upgrade to the next version of the platform, but you should use this time to consider your options and decide whether an alternative might be more suitable to your current needs.

Still running Magento Commerce 1?

Online store managers running Magento v1 are no longer receiving support from the platform. This means that you are unprotected against future vulnerabilities, and your level of PCI compliance will be significantly reduced. There will no longer be quality fixes or security patches available, which puts your site at risk.

If you fall into this category, we can support you. Read more from Head of Digital, Greg Silvester, or download our quick guide PDF below.