You may have an eCommerce website for your business. Now, you want to launch a new site for your company to offer an optimal user experience to the customers. But, do you need to input all the data on this new platform, or is it possible to migrate data from the old website? Yes, you can smoothly transfer the existing data from the old eCommerce platform.
Although you can choose an eCommerce platform easily. But, if you lack technical knowledge, the procedure of migration can overwhelm you. So, to help you out in this situation, we have noted down a detailed checklist to guide you in the strategic implications of the eCommerce migration. Since you are migrating the existing eCommerce platform to a new website for a better and updated performance, you need to complete the task swiftly.
But, the whole process requires you to make several decisions and avoid some mandatory pitfalls. That is why following a well-researched checklist is necessary to migrate successfully. So, here we have shared a detailed checklist to help you ensure that everything goes according to the proper order.
Essential Tips for eCommerce Migration Process
Make a firm decision before migrating to the eCommerce platform. If you can take strategic decisions, you can smoothly perform the eCommerce migration. Once you have made the decisions, follow our well-researched checklist to transfer data to the new system.
1. Plan the timetable for deployment
Migration of eCommerce platforms involves a lot of tasks. So, scheduling a timetable ensures performing every project task on time. That is why utilizing Project Management software is significant for setting a timetable. Thus not a single job gets missed, and you can complete the migration on time.
2. Revision of business processes
Instruct the eCommerce data migration planning team to create a flow chart consisting of the total business process of the old website. Then, merge it to the new eCommerce platform of your enterprise.
Although it requires a lot of time and effort of yours, it will pay through the massive success of the website. How? Through this revision process, you can identify what cannot get altered, and you can eliminate or improve them.
3. Asses the migration of the business process
Once the business process gets mapped to the new eCommerce website, the data migration team should test the business procedure. The earlier you start evaluating the business method of the new system, the better efficiency you will receive from the new platform.
So, try to set up the layout and features of the new eCommerce website of your business. Then, incorporate the coveted plugins and customize the coding if required. Now, test and validate the business process to rectify any mistake in the whole system.
4. Perform search engine optimization best practices
Recently migrated eCommerce platforms often face a degraded experience in terms of SEO. The URL structure of the new eCommerce website and other aspects of the data migration affect search engine optimization.
That is why you need to stay pre-planned with all the SEO best practices. If you employ an SEO expert in the eCommerce data migration planning team, the new site will attract more traffic from the very first day.
5. Configure email setups to maintain an uninterrupted connection
Email is a vital part of the whole eCommerce system. Whenever a visitor signs up, saves something in the cart, or places an order, the customer receives an auto-generated email from the site.
Since confirmation emails assure the customer about changes in order, credit requests, schedules in shipment, and return requests, you need to redesign the email in the new system for undisrupted customer service. Remember that email improves functionality and does constant branding of your business.
6. Setting up metrics is a significant step
Fix a migration goal to measure the ultimate product of the eCommerce data migration. If you define the expectations well, you can gauge the success and failure of the migration. That is why the stakeholder team should set up the metrics for measuring the success of the project upfront.
Also, the metric needs to have a time frame. Otherwise, it will be tough to gauge expectations as per the timeline. Plus, the technical team should ensure the new eCommerce platform is ready to record the analytics. Analytical data helps gauge the success of the project.
7. Transfer and organize product data
During the eCommerce platform migration, a company gets a chance to re-assess how they organize and manage product catalogs and data. Since describing product details is vital at the point of sales, arrange it appropriately. Also, through a distinct inventory management system, you can smoothly blend it into the new system without reorganizing or transferring a lot of data.
But, if the backend of the eCommerce website is managing the catalog data, the migration process will be more complex. That is why many experts suggest relocating and managing the catalog data in Excel is more effective than utilizing an eCommerce backend.
8. Go live with the new platform for undisputed user experience
Going live with the new website is a vital step. If you cannot do it carefully, it can adversely impact the customer experience and make the clients confused about the website. So, to do it successfully, you need to schedule every transition. Otherwise, you cannot do it on time.
Also, you need to time the migration based on the customer activity schedules and business considerations. For instance, if your eCommerce platform has a seasonal or weekly sale, it will not be a good idea to migrate the platform during that time. So, choose a time when the site faces lesser customer activity to avoid disrupting the customer experience.
Final Verdict
An eCommerce migration is a huge process that requires full-proof strategies, smooth cooperation, and pre-planned website implications. You can contact an eCommerce development agency that can help you to migrate your store to other platforms. Also, your enterprise departments need to be involved in the migrating procedure to complete the task successfully. So, corporating your company development team and above our suggested checklist can help you for a successful migration.