Migrating to a new eCommerce platform isn’t something store owners often do. A project of this magnitude takes a lot of planning and time to complete. But that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done. As businesses grow, their existing eCommerce platform may not be equipped to handle increasing traffic, product inventory, or customer demands. Moving to a more robust platform allows for scalability, ensuring that the website can handle higher volumes of traffic and accommodate future growth.
One of the most popular platforms eCommerce store owners choose to migrate to is BigCommerce. For many, switching to BigCommerce is a game-changer! In this blog post, I’ll discuss the process of migrating to BigCommerce from another eCommerce platform, covering essential considerations before and after the launch.
Before diving into the migration process, it’s crucial to evaluate your current eCommerce platform thoroughly. Take note of its limitations, functionalities, and the specific pain points you want to address with the migration. As you start to prepare for your migration there are three crucial areas to discuss and have a complete understanding of before starting the project:
- Data Analysis and Cleanup: Before initiating the migration, thoroughly analyze and clean up your existing data to ensure its accuracy and completeness. This step is essential to prevent any data discrepancies or errors during the migration process.
- SEO Considerations: Plan a strategy to ensure that your website’s SEO performance is not negatively impacted by the migration. Redirecting URLs and preserving SEO metadata is crucial for maintaining organic search rankings.
- Design and Branding: Evaluate your current design and branding elements. BigCommerce offers a wide range of customizable themes and templates, allowing you to align your store’s appearance with your brand identity. Determine whether you need a complete redesign or minor adjustments.
Migrating to BigCommerce with Your Store Wizards
Your Store Wizards, a BigCommerce Elite Developer Partner, offers a comprehensive platform migration service that includes design, programming, and data migration. With our expertise, you can seamlessly transition your online store to BigCommerce, ensuring minimal disruption and maximizing efficiency. Our Platform Transfer Service includes:
- Design: Our experienced designers will work closely with you to understand your brand’s aesthetics and translate them into a stunning BigCommerce store. From customizing themes to creating a visually appealing user interface, our team will elevate your online presence.
- Programming: Our skilled programmers will handle the technical aspects of the migration, including programming, assisting with 3rd party integrations, helping you with setting up your store’s backend settings, and ensuring seamless functionality across all devices.
- Data Migration: We understand the significance of data integrity during migration. Our experts will carefully transfer your product data, and if requested customer information and order history from your previous platform to BigCommerce. This meticulous process ensures that your store is up and running without any data loss or inaccuracies.
Pre- and Post-Launch Considerations:
Once your new BigCommerce store is ready to launch, there are important steps to take both pre- and post-launch to ensure success:
- Quality Assurance: After the migration, conduct thorough testing to ensure that all custom functionality, payment gateways, and 3rd party integrations are working as expected. Address any issues promptly to maintain a seamless shopping experience for your customers.
- Training and Support: BigCommerce offers a user-friendly interface, but it’s essential to provide training to your team on how to manage and operate the new platform effectively. Your Store Wizards provides post-migration support, offering guidance and addressing any questions or concerns that may arise.
- SEO Monitoring and Optimization: Monitor your website’s organic search rankings and traffic post-migration. Continuously optimize your content and SEO strategies to maintain or improve your search engine visibility and don’t forget to 301 redirect any pages that have had URL changes!
Migrating to BigCommerce is an opportunity to enhance your eCommerce store’s performance and boost sales. By assessing your current platform, preparing meticulously, and utilizing the expertise of Your Store Wizards via our Platform Transfer Service, you can have a seamless transition to BigCommerce.
If you’re ready to embark on a migration, contact us! We can set you up with a demo store so you can see how BigCommerce works and how it will differ from your current platform. We’ll also discuss the various options we have to make your platform migration easy and affordable.
Scott Sanfilippo began his eCommerce journey in 1994 by co-founding one of the Internet’s first online retailers, TheFerretStore.com, which was acquired by PetCo in 2006. In 2001, he co-founded the eCommerce design and marketing firm Solid Cactus, which was acquired by web.com in 2009. Today, Scott is the General Manager of Your Store Wizards and lives in Delray Beach, FL. Scott can be contacted at scott@yourstorewizards.com.