If you’re running your online store on an outdated platform and pinching pennies to avoid a migration, we get it—budgets are tight, and none of us like change (whether we want to admit that or not!). But sticking with an old platform that’s clunky, lacks modern features, or isn’t mobile-friendly might be costing you way more than the price of a move to a platform such as Shopify.
Why Staying on an Outdated Platform Is a Money Pit
As we get ready to move into the holiday season, it’s time for a friendly reminder that most of your customers are shopping on their phones—about 63% of U.S. eCommerce sales are projected to happen via mobile by 2028. If your store looks like it’s stuck in 2010, with a clunky checkout process, those customers are bouncing faster than you can say “abandoned cart.” A clunky, non-mobile-optimized site isn’t just annoying—it’s a conversion killer. Every time someone ditches their cart because your site is difficult to navigate on their phone, you’re losing sales. That’s not saving money; that’s flushing it.
Then there’s the payment issue. Modern shoppers love the one-tap convenience of Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Shop Pay. If your platform doesn’t support these, you’re alienating a huge chunk of buyers who want a seamless checkout. Shopify, for example, integrates these payment methods natively, and their Shop Pay option boosts mobile conversions by 91% compared to standard checkouts. Older platforms like Turbify or custom-built carts often lack these integrations, meaning you’re missing out on customers who’d rather shop somewhere else than type in their card details for the millionth time.
Staying on an old system might feel like you’re saving cash upfront, but the hidden costs—lost sales, higher monthly fees, and frustrated customers—are eating away at your bottom line.
Making the Move to Shopify Without Breaking the Bank
You’re probably sold on the idea that staying put is costing you more than moving, but you’re on a tight budget. Don’t worry, there are smart ways to keep costs low while getting your store onto a platform like Shopify. Here’s how:
- Work with a Developer Like Your Store Wizards: Partnering with an experienced developer can save you serious cash. As a Shopify Plus Partner, we often have access to exclusive promotions or discounts that you wouldn’t get by going straight to the platform. These deals can lower the cost of your migration, plus our expertise in platform migrations means we have streamlined the process, avoiding costly mistakes like data loss or broken redirects that could tank your SEO.
- Use a Sandbox Environment: A developer like Your Store Wizards can build your new store in a sandbox environment. This is basically a test drive of your Shopify store where you can tweak designs, test features, and make sure everything’s perfect without paying the platform’s monthly fees during development. It’s like renting a car before you buy it—no commitment until you’re ready to go live. This can save you weeks or even months of subscription costs while your store’s being built.
- Lean on Free or Low-Cost Themes: One of the biggest expenses in a migration can be designing a new site from scratch. But Shopify’s got you covered hundreds of mobile-friendly themes, including free ones like the new Horizon set. These themes are ready to go out of the box with little customization, so you don’t need to shell out thousands for a custom design. Pick a free or low-cost theme, tweak it to match your brand, and you’re up and running without the hefty price tag of a custom built site.
- Prioritize Built-In Features: Shopify’s packed with features that older platforms lack, like abandoned cart recovery, built-in SEO tools, and email marketing integrations. Using these out-of-the-box tools means you don’t need to pay for extra apps or plugins right away.
- Start Small, Scale Later: Shopify’s Basic p lan starts at $39/month and includes everything you need for a small store—unlimited products, mobile optimization, and a secure checkout. You don’t need the Advanced or Plus plans right away, unless your business demands it. Start with the basics and upgrade as your business grows.
- DIY Where You Can: If you’re comfortable with basic setup tasks like adding products or tweaking a theme, do those yourself to cut down on developer hours. Your Store Wizards can focus on the heavy lifting, like data migration or custom integrations.
- Negotiate with Your Developer: Some developers, including Your Store Wizards, offer flexible pricing or payment plans for migrations, especially if you’re a small business. Don’t be afraid to ask about budget-friendly options.
If your eCommerce store is stuck on an outdated platform, you’re not saving money—you’re losing it. From missed sales due to a clunky mobile experience to turning away customers who want Apple Pay or Google Pay, an old system is holding your business back. Moving to a modern platform like Shopify doesn’t have to break the bank, especially with cost-saving tricks like working with a developer like Your Store Wizards, using a sandbox environment, and leveraging free themes like Horizon.
Before you reach out to Shopify directly, contact us at support@yourstorewizards.com first. We’ve got exclusive offers and discounts that are only available to our clients, and we can set you up with a sandbox store to test drive the platform without paying monthly fees. Migrating doesn’t have to be scary or expensive—it’s an investment in growing your business the smart way.
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.