The comprehensive guide to eCommerce replatforming: 5 steps to make

Many established businesses started their eCommerce stores long ago, and now the technologies have significantly advanced. Meanwhile, consumers' expectations are changing too fast, and they are looking for more sophisticated experiences than older platforms might offer. That's when it can be a great time to consider eCommerce replatforming. 

Section titled What is eCommerce replatforming? What is eCommerce replatforming?

The term "replatforming" may sound confusing, but it is simply a synonym for migration in this context. 

eCommerce replatforming is a process of migrating your eCommerce project from one software to another. It can also cover the content management system apart from switching from one eCommerce solution to another. Actually, once you've decided to make a move, changing the entire tech stack is the best option, and we'll tell you why right away.

Section titled When do you need to replatform your eCommerce store? When do you need to replatform your eCommerce store?

Previously, there was only one type of infrastructure – monolithic, or as it's also called, a traditional one, which ties the back and front ends into one system. While it's still the most used architecture, it's becoming evident that this approach is no longer enough to satisfy modern consumers. Here are the reasons why it's happening:

Section titled Legacy systems Legacy systems

While the legacy system that runs your website is still working and doing what it was supposed to, you must admit that it will be outdated sooner or later. Moreover, most likely, it's obsolete now. 

The reason is that legacy software was not built for scale and growth. It doesn't support modern technologies and typically requires more time to maintain than is left for actual innovation and development. When systems like Magento or WordPress were built, no one could even imagine customers would interact with products in AR, VR, or using IoT. 

Section titled Slow speed Slow speed

The older your website and the overall infrastructure you have, the more plugins, tools, software bundles, and other systems are involved, ultimately slowing down the website. Modern consumers, on the other hand, are very impatient. Almost 70% of shoppers say page speed influences their decision to buy. In fact, the pages that are loading between 0–5 seconds get the highest conversion rates. Unfortunately, legacy systems are not able to provide such speed. 

Section titled Not secure enough Not secure enough

Another pitfall of the monolithic and legacy architecture is that such systems are more prone to threats like site crashes, unauthorized activity, compromised data, etc. 

For eCommerce companies, safety is essential. Protecting consumer data and ensuring safe payments are non-negotiable aspects customers expect from businesses. At the same time, even a minor security issue might harm the brand's reputation and lower trust. 

Section titled Benefits of eCommerce replatforming Benefits of eCommerce replatforming

Switching from one eCommerce platform to another is a big decision; however, the advantages will pay back much more, especially when replatforming to a headless setup. 

Section titled 1. Best-of-breed integrations and tools 1. Best-of-breed integrations and tools

Replatforming to the API-first, or composable architecture, you can expand the functionality of your eCommerce store by adding best-of-breed integrations. There is no need to sign up for software bundles or use predefined tools that rely on outdated programming languages. Instead, you can use the most recent technologies and frameworks.

This also allows you to save budget as you would only pay for tools that you are actually using, instead of signing up for a bundle of pre-constructed solutions chosen by a legacy vendor. 

Section titled 2. Increased performance 2. Increased performance

Legacy eCommerce solutions are typically why your store isn't performing well. The reason is outdated technologies and mounting technical debt. Switching to a modern eCommerce tech stack allows you to start from scratch without being bound by old software, while benefiting from the most recent technology solutions.

Apart from that, most modern platforms use the SaaS model (software as a service), which means no installation is needed, and the vendor handles infrastructure and updates, reducing your maintenance needs.

Section titled 3. Scalability and growth opportunities 3. Scalability and growth opportunities

Talking about growth, the global replatforming together with a CMS can help you boost your store even more. Choosing a headless content management system that supports multiple eCommerce-oriented third-party tools is much more future-proof than legacy systems. Replatforming to a composable architecture, businesses can also scale their projects efficiently and be sure there are no technical limits. 

Section titled 4. Enhanced security 4. Enhanced security

Changing your eCommerce stack to a modern one will also make the whole project much safer. Typically, legacy systems are weaker due to outdated technologies and the monolithic approach that connects the entire system. On the other hand, headless solutions are safer as their front end is decoupled from the back end, making them much less vulnerable to any threats.

Section titled 5. Faster time-to-market and maintenance 5. Faster time-to-market and maintenance

Moving your eCommerce store to a modern tech stack with a headless CMS in its core can also shorten the development time and content operations. For instance, Storyblok offers a unique Visual Editor that allows marketers to use the system independently without depending on the developers. With a user-friendly and intuitive Visual Editor, they can create and publish content quickly and easily. Developers, on the other hand, can implement all the newest technologies and focus on innovation and growth.

Section titled How much time do you need for eCommerce replatforming? How much time do you need for eCommerce replatforming?

Once you've decided to replatform your eCommerce store, the time of the move depends on the project's size and the scope of work. However, it's much faster than some might expect. 

For Stronger – a Swedish lifestyle brand made for women, it took only 6 months to launch a new website. 

Previously, Stronger was using Magento – a monolithic system. They were looking for a more agile CMS that would be easy to use for all stakeholders, and be flexible to create components that matched the needs of the go-to-market strategy.

Following the brand's need for growth, Made People – the agency that helped Stronger to replatform, built a completely new website with Storyblok and integrated all the needed eCommerce tools, including Centra, Klaviyo, Yotpo, etc.

The instant results since November 2020 (to date November 2021) astonishingly have shown (Centra):

• A 167% increase in orders
• A 172% increase in total revenue
• A 14% increase in mobile conversion
• A 123% increase in total traffic

You can read the full case study here. 

Section titled 5 steps to replatform your eCommerce store 5 steps to replatform your eCommerce store

Now that you know that switching to another eCommerce tech stack is beneficial and doesn't take years, it's time to make a plan. 

Section titled 1. Define KPI and requirements 1. Define KPI and requirements

Strategy is key to successful migration, so you must first determine what exactly you expect to get from the eCommerce tech stack and what solutions you wish to integrate. 

Consider these key elements to build your new eCommerce tech stack around:

1. Content management system (CMS) as a core part of the whole stack to store all the content and connect other solutions.
2. Customer relationship management system (CRM) to manage customer data.
3. Logistics and payment solutions to support the actual sales process.
4. Marketing tools to attract and engage customers and analyze consumer behavior.

Make a list of the truly valuable KPIs and decide what tools can help you achieve the desired results. 

Section titled 2. Find the right eCommerce tech stack to replatform to 2. Find the right eCommerce tech stack to replatform to

Once you have a list of requirements, you can shape the desired eCommerce tech stack. 

You might check the review platforms such as Gartner, Forrester, and G2 to learn in detail what different vendors and solutions have to offer. A lot of brands also search for help from agencies that specialize in eCommerce business. 

In any case, it’s a good idea to check how different solutions work together and how you can build a custom infrastructure that will suit all your company's needs. You can first choose the CMS and then build the entire eCommerce stack around it. As the modern market pushes for more omnichannel and tailored customer experiences, headless systems are the most flexible.

A modern content management system like Storyblok offers seamless integration of your eCommerce platform. No matter if your company uses BigCommerce, Shopware, Commercetools, or Shopify, you can easily integrate the platform with your CMS and enjoy the benefits of a headless eCommerce. 

Section titled 3. Prepare the data and test a small part 3. Prepare the data and test a small part

After considering the new eCommerce tech stack, the next step is to prepare for replatforming. The common practice is to first sort and adjust the data to a new platform and then run a small migration with a small part of it. Some tools and platforms offer special frameworks and integrations for migration, while in some cases, your dev team (or agency) would manually migrate all the content.

Section titled 4. Migrate content to a new platform 4. Migrate content to a new platform

When testing is completed, you can start the full-fledged migration. Content migration sometimes sounds terrifying, as losing part of the data or functionality is scary. On the other hand, when migrating your eCommerce store to a CMS like Storyblok, the process is smooth and tested by many of our customers.

Section titled 5. Launch the updated eCommerce store 5. Launch the updated eCommerce store

The best moment in eCommerce replatforming is launching the updated website. However, don't forget to notify all the stakeholders about the transition and prepare learning material for all users interacting with the new system. 

Section titled Conclusion Conclusion

Changes are always challenging, but they are always for good. Replatforming from one eCommerce setup to another, on the other hand, is a huge step forward, especially when you decide to make that change with Storyblok - the eCommerce-ready CMS.